Free-dying

The nurse suggested I get some exercise so I figured, instead of a jog, maybe it'd be more fun to learn free running. I've seen videos online of it so I think I might be able to do it.

With more confidence than any normal person can ever have I leap and roll on a mat.

Again.

And again.

Lets try doing front flip. I've never done one on solid ground before so I shouldn't underestimate this.

With all of my leg strength I can muster, I kick off the floor and quickly realize I never thought about OVERestimating it.

"SH*T!"

It comes out louder than I would of liked just like the sound of my face getting a full-ride scholarship to Fracture State University was louder and more painful than I would of liked.

"Aaaaah...."

I do what I do best with my stamina and take it like a man before standing back up, however I still don't feel like trying that again.

"Alright, time to build up upper arm strength."

I bring the pull up bar over by the mat and do 10 of those before I stop.

Now. Time for the hard part.

I put extra weights on the base of the bar and stepped back far for a running start after I moved the mat further back.

"Here goes."

I start my run and leap onto the bar.

Now, what I am planning to do is swing and land on my feet as smooth as possible.

I grab on to the bar with all of my grip and swing. The problem with that grip is it took a little longer than I would of liked to let go.

"SSHHHHFFFFFFF!!!!"

I stop myself from shouting the only word I seem to be able to get out every time I'm about to get hurt hard before smacking myself back to 'FSU' for a doctorates degree.

My voice muffled, after about ten seconds of silence a sound that's more like a squeak than legitimate voice.

"Eerrrrrh!.."

Due to the force of the slide, my legs take a bit before they hit the mat with a thud.

In fact, everything about my landing was thunder-loud.

I think I broke something. Ugh.

Asterick steps through the door of the gym, water in one hand and towel on shoulder in a tanktop and shorts. He notices Satoshi on the ground, face first;

"Applying for Major Suckage college, eh?" he jesters, "Heh, just playin'", he walks over and puts his waterbottle in his armpit to help the guy up.

Muffled

"Fracture University. Stand's for FU-yeah I can't joke around too."

I can't help but laugh as I take the help up. Finally I may speak clearly.

"Egh I think that is enough 'exercise' for one day. I may very well be dead right now because I certainly feel like it."

Asterick gives a big laugh; "I remember when I tried parkour with my old buddies and when I had another arm. My favourite memory is when my fat American friend Adam faceplanted over a little railing",

Asterick chuckles as he remembers Adam running towards the railing all serious like, making a final jump and OOPS! There goes the feet, then the body, then the face, and then the laughters as they all ran to Adam to help him up.

"Ah, man."

So this guy wasn't born that way.

The reason he is here must be mental reasons tied to the loss of his arm which would explain the depression if I were sure about it. There is the possibility he has a separate condition but if he did then that would make him single-handedley the most unlucky guy I've ever met so that is an unlikely, but plausible, solution.

"Sounds kind o' like me right now."

With all his possible bad luck, at least he had friends.

"I think, I'll just stick to jogging from now on."

"Jogging is fun! I remember when the doctor asked if I was active and I literally laughed. But then I tried parkour and it was fun, then resorted to just running when my body got a little weak, heh", he smiles,

"I suck at being active but my uncle suggested I do", he sits there and thinks for a moment then realizes something; "Oh, you probably know my uncle as 'Nurse' here, woopsy!".

"Huh, really?"

Now that I look at him I can kind of see a resemblance. So this is his how he planned to keep an eye on my exercising. I still need a 'butt buddy' as the HN called it but I should probably become closer friends with this guy if I were to ask.

"You guys do act quite similar, now that you mention it."

"Welp; he's related to my dad who's pretty crazy as f- if you know what I mean", he smiles, his look saddens for a second at the self-mention of his dad but quickly recovers from the slip in look,

"Nurse is like a more composed and academically smart version of my father", he smiles big this time.

With a fake interviewer voice, he says "So, Mr. Satoshi, how was your first time pakouring?"

Huh. Parental issues?

Depression was definitely tied to the loss of his arm.

"It was very good. The skill just slammed into me. Twice."

I can't help but grin.

"Ah, man; nothing like walking in on a friend who face planted", he smiles a little, "Wanna know hoe to make my uncle not get on your case about exercise?", he winks,

"Just run your fastest on the track bi daily, daily if you want, but run your fastest so that you tire out more quickly. I always say do it before bed because then sleep, before school makes you sweaty for all the chicks!", he jokes to Satoshi,

"But yeah; uncle-I mean, Nurse wanted me to tell you what I used to do to get a doctor off my ass for exercising and he approved!"

"You know, I like your thinking. I can't run long at all but I'm usually one of the more fast ones."

"And about the girl-thing, I don't think you should worry about that."

I laugh and then realize what that sounded like.

"-Because I've never been popular with them!"

"Not..because...what you probably thought."

Ugh, I think I might die for real now.

He laughs, "I'm not popular with the chicks either", he gets a sudden remembrance and grins, "Well I do have a girl I recently met that I am starting to have a crush on buuuttt-", he stretches his hands out,

"Other than that; I'm not popular with them either",

He chuckles, "Satoshi the Pimp; I can see it now, big letters in purple ink in the sky saying "SATOSHI SUPER PIMP EXTRAORDINAIRE".

"Yeah-and then I am instantly arrested for prostitution."

He brings a grin to my face again. Definitely related to the nurse.

I also find myself wondering who he could have a crush on but it's not my business.

"Hey, you know my name from the nurse-what's your's?"

"Asterick! It's the Nurse's real name, actually. But it is mine too", he smiles,

"Daddy named me after him".

"That's pretty cool."

I collect my self by shaking my head. I'm a little dizzy from those face plants.

"Bet there are a lot of jokes that go with it."

A huge smile crosses my face.

"Well, that doesn't matter because that amount of jokes is about to increase from time to time."

I laugh rather loud.

He gives a hearty laugh, "Yep, like how the Nurse's name is based off the computer key called an 'asterisk'. I remember when my old teachers on the first day of middle school would be like 'Asterick? Like the computer key?'", he chuckles,

"My name was actually supposed to be Seven, like the number. My family really does like odd names".

"Well, my name was either going to Satoshi or Heinrich after my grandfather but instead we made that my middle name so we're both in the same boat here."

I shake the hair out of my face which stirs up the dizzy spell again but I don't let myself show it.

I'd rather not let the nurse's spy for me see anything like that. All I need to do is go home and sleep it off before he'll notice.

"Well, it's been nice talkin' to ya but I gotta go hit the shower, cry out in pain, and then actually take one."

I swear I heard a distant *buh-dum tss* echo from somewhere.

"Later, man."

"Well alright, man. You take that shower", he smiles and goes to do some exercises.

Good, I am successful.

I'm so happy I can at least now call him 'friend.' One friend out of three possible? Not half bad.

But what am I going to do about this dizzy spell?

I've only walked down a few hall ways and already my situation is deteriorating.

I'm too far from Asterick to go back and I doubt he'll come this way when he's done.

Oh well, I can just rest here and wait for someone else to come by. It's a school for the disabled, I doubt anyone would ridicule me for it.

Not a few seconds after I said that, I felt my narcolepsy take hold of me.

I'm on my knees and before I even have the chance to lay down, I fall into a deep sleep.

Sitting on the side of an empty hall way kneels a sleeping boy who now is not friendless.

I guess I'll just go wander around after I wake.

"Hmm?", he looks at Satoshi, "Uncle told me to text him if this happens... Hrm...", he looks fine, he thinks to himself. I'll sit here til' he wakes, at least.

It takes about an hour and a half before I wake up due to my toes trying to strangle my consciousness in full attempt to wake me for relief.

I turn to look around to find a surprise.

"Huh, I didn't think you'd be coming this way. Thanks for finding me and all, but how?"

This guy super human? That'd be wicked-sick.

"Well contrary to popular belief; this is the shorter way to the dorms verses the other way", he smiles.

"And then I sorta saw you passed out on the ground so I stayed in case some serious shit happened, I know what it's like to wake up in a place you don't know so didn't want someone else to feel that", his face looks pained for a moment but he shakes his head and it's back to normal.

My eyes droop more than usual so I look double high.

"Thanks for it all, man."

I pick myself up and we start walking back to the dorms.

"You must be very flattered, getting to be the first official friend of mine in pretty much my life. I mean I'm just turning down offers left and right!"

Heh heh I'm on a role with bad jokes.

Asterick chuckles, "I suck at being social too, man, so don't sweat it", he thinks for a moment; "I've noticed that real artists don't fit in very well. Like I see other artists of any medium around and they'll usually those stereotypical artists who sucks at what they do but I noticed that those real artists",

He looks at the wall with a smile, "They don't fit in quite right. Maybe it's because our minds work differently, maybe it's because we're toxic to touch but sweet to watch", he realizes he's rambling, "Heh, sorry about that. Just in a philosophical mood".

It quickly puts me into thought and I immediately stop paying attention to everything else.

I keep a blank stare. Looking at things but not at the same time. Another thinking habit of mine.

"Most artists of any kind see the world in a different way. Be it more vividly, find more inspiration in it, or more blurred. Many geniuses seem insane because of their blurred view between good and evil."

"That's a big reason I can infer anyway."

"Being an artist isn't exactly the reason someone is different. More like the reason someone is an artist is because they are different."

"The beauty of harmless insanity. A gentle, mind of irregularities."

"The essence of an artist. The ability to create mental innovation."

"One of the great mysteries of God's most prized work, the human. The ability to make a special piece different from all others-all of the millions of other pieces ever conceived at the hands of the human grave mind."

"The very definition of special."

My excavation of the soul ends.

I blink once and return back to reality.