• Gabriel Groth
    - - CHAPTER ONE - -

    I was once a ordinary man living in a ordinary world, who went by the name of Harvey Hensy or at least that's what I thought it was. I had a steady life, a good career, the best friend I could ever ask for, until it all began. This is the story of how I became Gabriel Groth ...

    I woke up to the sounds of construction site workers engaged in a heated argument, “ not again ”, I mumbled angrily, stuffing my face into my pillow case. “ Rise and shine, Mr.Editor, want some coffee? ”, That was my roomate Rick “ dental assistant by day, and dj by night ” Barton. We have been best friends ever since middle school. We both have a lot in common, we both love basketball, eat salads on a regular day-to-day basis, and we both certainly despise construction workers. But the biggest reason that has made us so close today, is that we are still trying to achieve our childhood dreams. I mean, were older now, and we have our new goals, mine to start a magazine company of my own and Rick's being to finally do what he has always wanted and make it big as a music producer.
    But completing these childhood goals meant more than the entire world to us, like a part of our souls will finally get some rest.

    I am a foster child, and I have grown up to love my foster parents. It was only seven years ago I stopped calling them by their names, Bob and Margaret, and instead started calling them Mom and Dad. I remember the first time it happened, I had just turned ninteen, and it was November the 21st. My mom was preparing Lasagna, and my Dad was on the phone discussing a business tactic. I unlocked the door, and came in running with tears flying out of my eye sockets. My girlfriend of three years, Marie has just broken up with me. As soon as my parents saw my dreary state, they stopped what they were doing, moms knife dropped in its place and my dad had already hung up the phone. It stupefied me to see how much they loved me, and as they opened their arms to give me some comfort, it all just came out. “ Mom, dad, .. ” I said awkwardly. The sound of this made them freeze like they had been mimes their whole life. For a moment they both just stared at me in complete disbelief. Tears were still trickling down my face, when my mom opened her mouth and questioned “ sweetheart, what did you just say? ”, her voice sounded shaky with a hint of confused mixed in. I took a deep breath, gradually breathed in, and slowly breathed out, and at last, “ I said Mom, Dad.. ”. After that led to another juncture of silence, then abruptly, they both showed a slight grin and their faces lightened up. Just seeing them smile put a huge smirk on my face. And for what seemed ten minutes straight, we all started giggling, and soon that giggling turned into laughter. All of that made me forget about Marie, and all the pain that was attached with it. My dad broke off his laughter, gave me a hug, and brought me in closer, “ You dont know how long we've been waiting for this, son ”. I agree it was a difficult task for me to do, but after it happened, my relationship with my parents could not be stronger. So you ask what was the point of telling you all this?, well after the hearthitting happening, something made me think. I thought about it, I thought about it all, I though about my real parents. Where are they, who are they, but most importantly why did they leave me? I mean, there had to be something very wrong with me, that made them think it was a good idea to leave me parent less, right?. Whatever it was I had to find out.

    On the other hand, Rick is still on his mission of finding his lost childhood love, Ruby Mickobs. It was anything you would imagine it would be when you hear someone say “young love”. You know, pick a couple of daisies from the ground, leave it on her doorstep, wrapped in a paper bouquet that is colored with crayola green hearts, kind of thing. Rick and Ruby met when he was at the tender age of six years old. At that age, cooties still existed, but to him Ruby was the only exception. Ruby was two years ahead of Rick, but that didn't seem to affect their relationship much. She had just moved into the light blue house five houses down from his. The day after her moving, her father was unloading a lime green couch out of the UPS truck. It was splotchy with purple polka dots of all sizes that made Rick scream inside. And then came her mom, with her curly red hair sitting on top of her head like a bowl of spaghetti. The sight of her it made Rick lick his lips, all she needed was to stick a fork in her hair and it would make a delicious meal. Ruby's family was one of a kind indeed. The very same day, he caught a glimpse of her, sitting on the porch in a dark yellow sundress with her long jet black hair pulled into a ponytail. For some odd reason, she was not like her mom or dad, she was more, matured. They way she moved her hazel eyes and shifted herself on the porch separated her from the way her mom was walking like she had taken eight shots of vodka and the way her dad that was howling like a hyena. Its like Ruby was born into the wrong family. She seemed to be very bored, and hungry as Rick saw her falling in love with his ice cream cone. It wasnt easy for Rick, as he wasnt a very big fan of sharing his ice cream, or anything for the matter, but for the first time he put aside his greed and headed over to Ruby. “ Here ”, Rick said smiling as he handed his cone over to Ruby. She gave him a weird look but it dissapeared quickly as she saw the chocolate drizzled over the vanilla. She took the cone from him, and gave a gentle laugh. “ Thanks, ice cream boy ”, she said enjoying his half eaten dessert. And that became Ricks nickname, even when they were growing up Ruby would call him by that name. The years passed by and they were both in high school. Rick starting his freshman year and Ruby was almost done with high school. Rick and Ruby never were in a relationship, but they were, if that makes any sense. I mean they never labeled themselves as girlfriend or boyfriend but their actions sure proved that they were more than friends. They snuck around together, held hands in public, and Rick even wrote a song dedicated to her. They had their first kiss on the very same porch they met and it was like any other high school relationship. All that changed when Ruby's dad found out and decided to move the family to another state, they never even got to say goodbye. After that day, Rick made it his personal assignment to find Ruby again.

    “ HARVEY, YOU HAVE A MEETING RIGHT IN THE MORNING REMEMBER?, YOU CANT SLEEP THIS ONE IN ” shouted Rick over the alarm clock as he came out of the shower. He sounded like a drill sergeant when hes mad, “ ouch ”. I turned the alarm off and looked at the clock, It was now 10: 48. “ Crap, Im almost half an hour late for work, Boosh will never let me out of this one ” I thought to myself. Natalie Boosh is my boss, the head of the magazine, Healthy Living, basically its a montly reminder to Americans about how obese they are and stupid diet tips that I doubt work, but hey, it gives good pay, and you cant complain with money. Recently, she has promoted me to editor and ever since that I have been screwing everything up. Its like she cursed the promotion, and this morning proves it, how can a person have so much trouble? Natalie Boosh is definitely a which, and I will send her to jail, this is all just her way of making me lose my job. “ I'll send her to jail, when pigs fly out of my butt, that is ”. Urgh.. God “ Get your no-good-excuse-making hiney off the bed ” , I fought with myself for a few more minutes, then realizing it was now 11:02. I jumped out of bed and ran to my closet. I yanked the closet doors open so hard that I thought I was going to rip them apart. I got dressed quicker than a lion catching its prey, headed over to the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee, a bagel, and I was out the door.