RESTING HIS HANDS on the table, Eldwin watched the bubbles float towards the surface of a green simmering liquid in his test tube. Chemistry was never his strong suit, but it had its moments. Mr. Elliot Jacben, a man in his late forties with a lanky body, stood at the chalkboard droning on about how if they now added copper to their vials, it would turn purple and explode in their faces — which he pointed out was a bad idea.

Opening his mouth, Eldwin turned towards Charles, hoping to comment. His friend's head lay backward, eyes closed. If he leaned any further, he would undoubtedly fall off his stool. Eldwin reached towards him, ready to awaken him from his slumber, when a shrill sound reached their ears; formless head jolted upwards before proceeding to glance around the room, no doubt embarrassed that the hallway. He watched as Char he had drifted off.

"Well, class," Mr. Jacobsen started as he turned to face the students. It looks like that's all for today. Make sure you clean your stations before you leave." Excitement filled Eldwin as he jumped from his stool, ls, and headed toward the sink. Charles joined him and grabbed his, too, as he ran water in the sink and washed out his tubes.

"Man, Chemistry is the worst." Charles moaned, "I am so glad we are done for the day." Eldwin couldn't help but laugh at his friend. There was no doubt Charles hated it more than he did, but one thing was sure... He was happy to go home. Opening his mouth to respond, an explosion behind him cut him off. The boys whipped their heads around in time to see Kirk and his cronies suspended in the air by thick purple web-like ropes.

The class laughed as Mr. Jacobsen walked towards the trio with his arms crossed and lips pulled into a thin line. "Mr. Anderson," he began, "apparently, you missed the part of the lecture where I warned that adding copper would cause an explosion?" Silence fell around the room. Eldwin stared at Kirk as he rolled his eyes at the teacher and tried to free his arms. "An explosion of a gooey cobweb." Laughter erupted around the room once again. Eldwin noticed his teacher's eyes were laughing, and he smiled.

"Serves them right," Eldwin chuckled as he returned his attention to his test tubes. I feel he was trying to cancel school for the rest of the year." After several minutes, he and Charles finished their clean-up and headed toward the door. Pausing, he watched the teacher cut Kirk free before smiling and following Charles out the door.

Eldwin walked through the halls as kids ran to their next class or lockers. Stopping at locker '439' he put in the combination and allowed the door to swing open. He quickly pulled out his book bag before placing it in several textbooks and closing the door. The image of Kirk hanging from a web crossed his mind, causing him to chuckle. Traversing through the halls, he arrived outside and stood by Charles' side. Eldwin squinted as the sun shone down upon them, and he gazed off to the right, waiting for the bus to arrive. 

A shadow towered over him from behind, and Eldwin let out an irritated huff as Kirk forced his way between him and Charles. Shuddering, Eldwin could feel Kirk glaring at him, but he shook it off. He knew he didn't have to worry about Kirk; he would never do anything too drastic. Glancing his way, Eldwin noticed Kirk's chest puffed up and his back straight as he tried to appear superior over him — clearly feeling in charge. The memory of Kirk entrapped in the webbed shot across his mind again, and he bit his bottom lip, holding back a snicker.

"Problem, Carmichael?" Kirk jeered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eldwin responded sarcastically.

"Don't play dumb with me," Kirk hissed, "Just because I fell for the teacher's dumb trap doesn't mean you get to call the shots around here."

Eldwin rolled his eyes before turning his attention back towards the road. The incident embarrassed Kirk, and he wished not to cause an issue. After a few minutes, the bus rolled down the street and stopped beside the boys, its door closing. Excited voices chatted around them from other students who had joined them outside. Eldwin stepped forward, ready to board, when a hand grabbed his shoulder and jerked him backward. He reached out for the doorframe, but his fingers missed, and he fell hard on the sidewalk.

Kirk pushed past him and entered the bus. Eldwin winced as he clambered to his feet and furrowed his brow at the mischievous grin Charles shot him before stepping on the bus and bolting towards the back. Eldwin returned the grin, realizing Charles was trying to take the window seat. He chased after Charles, a group of students following him onto the bus.

Eldwin raced after Charles down the aisle until they arrived at a bench in front of Kirk. Eldwin reached out and grabbed at the back of the seat, but Charles ducked under his arm and scooted in towards the window, giving a triumphant look as he did so. Eldwin shook his head as he held back a laugh. It had become a game between them. He slid in beside Charles and dropped his backpack on the floor between his legs.

Reaching down, he unzipped his bag, grabbed a hardcover book, and pulled it out. "Pharaohs of Egypt" was printed on the cover in bold letters. He turned and glared at Kirk, who was staring out his window. He faced the front of the bus again, praying for an uneventful ride home. Glancing down, he noticed Charles shaking his head from the corner of his eye as Eldwin opened the book. His friend knew him too well. When things got too bad, he would retreat to his books.

"So," Charles said as more kids took seats around them, "ninth grade, and we still don't have girlfriends." Eldwin glanced his way, raising an eyebrow before returning to his book. All Charles cared about was girls. Eldwin, on the other hand, didn't care either way. He wanted to get through college before thinking about girls. His friend chuckled as he took in the site around them. "Sometimes I think there's something wrong with us."

"From what I've been reading, if we had grown up in ancient times, like Egypt, for example, we would have been married at thirteen, and if we had been royalty, we would have had several wives." Eldwin tore his eyes away for a second. He watched as his friend's face twisted with disgust, and he turned his nose upwards. Eldwin laughed. Charles might have been searching for a girl, but Eldwin knew he hated the thought of being an adult and married. 

"I said I wanted a girlfriend, not a wife," Charles corrected. Eldwin returned his gaze to his book as his friend broke into laughter. "Still, I wonder what kind of girls we would have gotten. I might get a sporty girl to challenge on the court while you get a brainy bookworm." Charles's voice lowered as he continued, "Kirk deserves a real troublemaker."

A kick came from the back of the seat, and the boys lurched forward. They turned and stared at Kirk, yet Eldwin couldn't help but snicker at Kirk's retaliation. Chills rose down his spine as he glanced over to the right. He heard Kirk sigh as he crossed his arms and leaned against the seat. Across from them sat a boy with his head down stuck on his phone. The boy was working his phone single-handed as his left hand was preoccupied with a puppet whose eyes bore into them.

Ash Damien was an odd individual, to say the least. He didn't know if his strangeness came from being a self-proclaimed belly speaker or from his heterochromia eyes. Ash never went anywhere without his 'brother' Jacob—as he had called him so many times. "What are you looking at, small fry?" the puppet jeered as Ash jerked upwards, shoveling his phone into his pocket.

An uneasy feeling washed over Eldwin as he looked away. He knew Charles had started talking once again. However, he wasn't paying attention as he scanned the pages and halted at an interesting headline.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," a voice stated behind him. He glanced up, blinking a couple of times in frustration. Kirk stuck his head between them. "I don't care much for Egypt. If you ask me, the Roman Empire is where all the fun is." Eldwin rolled his eyes as he tried returning to his book. "Greek Mythology is better than any Egyptian, not to mention the ladies."

Rolling his eyes, Eldwin turned toward Kirk and watched as he plopped back down on his seat. "If I were in Egypt, I would be Pharaoh, speaker of the gods, and banish you from our borders for pushing me earlier." They lurched forward as the bus began pulling away from the curb.

"Ha," Kirk spat from behind him, "being Pharaoh is grand, but I would be a literal god. They are stronger than kings and more respected, too. Not to mention, they got all the girls they ever wanted and then some. You would never be able to touch me or my harem."

Eldwin gagged as he shook his head. Being a King would be amazing, but given how Greek gods were in their homestead, he would hate being a part of Mt. Olympus. He turned, pushing himself up with his heels, and watched as Kirk's lips curled upwards. There was no telling what was going through his mind.

"I don't know where he thinks being a god would do him any good." Charles laughed. "I bet if he were a god, he would be either Hades or Ares." His friend was right about one thing: The gods of death and war were the perfect choices for Kirk. 

A low growl came from behind as an arm stretched around him from the side and gripped the cover of his book, yanking it from his grasp. "Hey!" he shouted, snapping his head around. He jumped on his knees and reached over the seat, swiping at the book as Kirk pulled it over his head out of his reach. "Give me my book back!" Kirk laughed as a triumphant look appeared on his face. He likely felt like he won by stealing Eldwin's most prized possession.

Eldwin watched as Kirk flipped through the pages, which revealed pictures of hieroglyphics, pyramids, mummies, and much more. A sick feeling hit him in the stomach as he watched Kirk grip the book in the middle. He was going to destroy his book. Kirk raised it before his face, taunting him, "If you want it, come and take it." He didn't want to give in to Kirk's enticement, but he couldn't allow his book to stay in his hands any longer. Lunging forward, his fingers brushed against the cover as he pulled it back further. "You must not want it back too bad."

With a quick flick of his wrist, Kirk flung the book aside. It landed in the middle aisle with a thud, falling open to a page about Pharaoh Ammon. Eldwin and Kirk exchanged glances before diving for it with outstretched hands. Fear gripped his heart as Kirk pulled it towards himself and rose to his feet. "Kirk, cut it out!" He shouted as he balled his hands into fists.

Kirk laughed like a callous mongrel as he gripped both sides of the book. "I don't like being ignored, nor do I like you, " he growled. Eldwin jumped on his feet and lunged forward. Kirk tore the book in half with ease before his eyes. Eldwin stared in horror, and the sounds of pages ripping brought pain to his heart. This couldn't be happening.

"Stop," he cried, tears welling in his eyes, and he dropped to the floor. Pages fell to the floor as hatred billowed within him. He wiped away his tears as they threatened to fall. No matter how much he hurt or how much rage he felt inside him, he could not allow Kirk to see his emotions. Helplessness flooded through him as he picked up page after page. Someone had to stop him, but that someone couldn't be him.

Lowering his head, he picked up the few remaining pages. "I didn't get the chance to read about Pharaoh Ammon yet," he choked, "He's the only one I was looking forward to." Anger flooded through him, yet sadness kept him tied down. No one ever stood up against Kirk before. He didn't know whether it was in fear of him or not wanting to get involved, but Eldwin knew that Kirk's luck would run out one day.

Flipping through the pages, he tried recognizing them. His world turned red as he flipped the pages, and blood pounded in his ears. His fist clamped around the pages angrily as he stood. Images of Kirk lying on the ground, broken and bleeding, flooded his vision. He wanted to hurt him, kill him if he could get by with it. Nothing would feel better than to slam his fists into his chest, sending him to the floor, thenbody, straddling his delivering repeated blows. However, he knew violence was never the answer unless in self-defense.

Sucking in a deep breath, he took a step backward. He held the pages close to his chest and plopped beside Charles. His friend tried getting his attention, but he just ignored him. Eldwin continued putting the pages in the correct order. He bit his bottom lip as he noticed he had missed the book cover and glanced around for it, hoping Kirk had dropped it when he wasn't looking. 

 "Hey, check it out!" Kirk called from behind as his cronies laughed, "Did you see the look on his face? Priceless!"

Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to fall on his cheeks. Kirk had bullied him numerous times, but this was the first time he destroyed an item he held close to his heart.

Movement stirred at his side, and he glanced in Charles' direction. Charles twisted around the seat and sat on his knees, staring into the seat behind them. "Alright, you had fun," he said sternly, "now give the cover back." Eldwin sighed and shook his head. He was lucky to have a friend such as Charles. However, he feared he had just made himself Kirk's next victim.

"Why should I?" Kirk hissed, "What makes you think I'd listen to you?"

"His grandmother gave him that book before she died six years ago," Charles continued. "You used to have one of those, right? What if your grandmother gave you something irreplaceable that someone else destroyed?"

A smile pulled at Eldwin's lip. It was true; his grandmother knew how much he loved Egypt. She even had high hopes that he would become an archaeologist and follow in her footprints. He would be lying if the thought didn't intrigue him.

"Ow!" he cried as a sharp object slammed into the back of his skull. He rubbed his head and glanced around, noticing the cover on the floor beside him.

"Take it; I have no interest in it." Kirk hissed from behind.

Snarling, Eldwin picked up the cover and stuffed the loose pages back within the fold. Charles dropped down beside him as he did so. "Maybe your mom could get you a new copy. It won't be as special, but at least it won't fall apart on ya."

Eldwin gave his friend a weary smile before opening the cover again. He ran his eyes over the pages, ensuring that everything was in the correct order according to the numbered pages. Pausing, he stopped at an article.

 Pharaoh Ammon

By Michelle Bickerson

'The great Pharaoh Ammon was known as one of the youngest kings ever to rule the great nation received the crown at the age of thirteen, only to have it taken away by a mad Egypt, having man three years later. Records have been set on the young king's life, saying that a man appeared at the palace doors one night. Stories say that the young king seemed to have a surprisingly trusting draw towards the stranger.

Because of this, the stranger quickly rose to power and became the Chief Magician, Second in Command, or Advisor. The Advisor soon wrecked the king's mind, causing him to unleash civil war between royalists and rebels, the rich against the poor. Egypt soon fell from the most potent power to the weakest. The final recordings of Pharaoh Ammon say that the Advisor murdered him when the young pharaoh was just fifteen, five days before his marriage festival was to take place.

The following recordings on the Advisor said that he had split the kingdoms into two halves during his reign. The Upper Kingdom and the Lower Kingdom, where Pharaoh Ammon had ruled for many years, were in Memphis, or, in the current day, Ciro. Memphis rests at the Nile Delta and splits into different rivers, starting with the Mediterranean Sea.

The Upper Kingdom, known as Thebes, rested several miles below the Lower Kingdom. Thebes was weaker than Memphis, which caused it. ked by the enemy, Hyksos. Pharaoh Ammon's fiancée tried to get him to reunite the kingdoms; however, the kingdom was lost to the to-be-soon attack, and the Advisor praised them for their actions and viewed them as allies.

Rumors spread quickly throughout the kingdoms that the Advisor had gone after Pharaoh strictly for power, resulting in Pharaoh Ammon being killed in the prime of his young life.

A book of Pharaohs written by a great man of knowledge, Abraxas, details how Pharaoh Ammon's demise. The great Philosopher recounted that the Pharaoh's eyes had an eerie purple glow that started with flames in the corner and spread inwards towards his pupils before the glow became solid.

Abraxas also recounts that the Pharaoh received a medallion from his fiancée with two dragons engraved on its face. The dragon Valcore was described as a black dragon with a sapphire-blue eye, and the other Omega was a white dragon with a ruby eye. The Pharaoh's fiancée disappeared after his death, and neither his body nor the medallion was ever found.

"Yo, Ed!" Charles shouted. Eldwin jerked his head up in response. "What did you find so interesting all of a sudden?" He felt Charles peeping over his shoulder, likely trying to read the page himself. Eldwin couldn't help but laugh; once again, he had retreated to his book and left his friend alone. No matter what Kirk did, he always found a way to withdraw from the world inside a book.

The bus screeched as it rolled to a stop, letting Eldwin know this was his stop. He picked up his bag and crammed everything into it before standing and hoisting his backpack onto his shoulder. "Sorry, Charlie. I found an interesting article, to say the least." He watched Charles shake his head in response, "See ya tomorrow." He raised a hand to his friend before bounding down the aisle and out of the bus.