Wonderbread
 
Chapter 1      Mickey felt lonely inside as he sat on his bed, gazing out of the window. The sun’s rays sent a strip of dust particles dancing around his head. He felt even more depressed now, as the sun seemed to be saying, ‘cheer up’. How could he? Tomorrow was the first day of his Sophomore year. School was rough...the teasing, the wise-cracks, the cruelty. It never stopped.
     Mickey had no idea what to do, no idea how he could get through another year. He did not feel like the summer had revived him of an attitude towards schoolwork, and he definitely did not have a better attitude towards his so-called ‘fellow’ classmates.
     All of a sudden, Mickey’s younger sister Caitlyn burst into his room. “Hey Mick...this is what I’m wearing to school tomorrow. How’s it look? Does it clash?”. Did he care? No.
     No, Caitlyn. It’s fine.”
     Caitlyn skipped off merrily, her blonde pigtails bouncing off of her shoulders.
     How did she do it? How did she like school? Mickey thought. It was a nightmare for him. It seemed everyone else liked school.
     He slowly swung his legs over the edge of his bed, his feet next touching the soft, yellow carpet. He knew the answer. She didn’t have to deal with the pressures of her peers because she wasn’t, well, big. She was tiny. As his mind filled with thoughts, he was headed outside to spend the last of his summer hours. He did not feel like he had made the best of his summer, but who did? Every kid tried to get out, but the summer heat made everyone lazy.
 
     Once outside in the yard, Mick realized there was nothing to do. A driveway, and grass. No pool, no trampoline. Of course, there was the basketball hoop. He shot a couple of balls, but realized sports just weren’t for him. It only reminded him of being rejected from the soccer team, which is why he had gained so much weight. Long story.
It was getting darker. He grabbed an old piece of green sidewalk chalk from out of the garage and began to write on the driveway: Mickey Parke, tougher than ever, is going back to school. Not with a fervor, but with defense and self-confidence. He stood back, clapped the chalk off of his hands, and smiled at the message.
This would be the birth of a new Mickey. No longer Michael Alexander Parke, Jr., but Mickey Parke. No, just P. Mickey P.
 
      “Mickey! You’re going to be late for your first day back! Get up, sweetie!”. Mickey groaned. He had known his mother, Anne Parke, would soon be yelling to him to get up once he heard her blow-dryer running. It was a nightmare. Could he do it? Get out of bed and face his fears? He had to. If he just believed in himself and took to heart what he had written on the driveway the night before, he could do it.
Mick picked out some new clothes, walked to the bathroom, and started the shower. “Washing away the old Mick, starting fresh.” He chuckled, then ripped the tags off of his new clothing.
 
      While the warm water soothed him, Mickey thought about why kids at school were so cruel. Just because Mickey was a little big compared to them, didn’t mean they had to be evil, right? Weighing twice as much as the majority of his other peers was not easy for a kid.
After Mickey was dressed, he scooted downstairs for a quick bowl of Cap’n Crunch with a glass of orange juice. He glanced at the stove clock’s digital neon numbers. Time to go. He took a deep breath, and headed out the door.