New Life pt. 1- Burning Hope

New Life part 1- Burning Hope

Five days. That was all I would get to prepare myself before school started again.
I had decided to stay. I wasn't going to force myself into seclusion, to live a half-life with no friends and no purpose. I was going to get back on my feet, and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in my way.
I showered and dressed, then went to the sink to brush my teeth. It struck me that I hadn't even looked at myself in a mirror yet. I looked at my face. It was weird to have a dragon stare back at me instead of a human. 'Get used to it,' I thought.
I examined my eyes. They were a piercing blue, slit like a reptiles, with dark accents in the iris.  The places that should have been white, though, at the very edges, were black, highlighted by a lighter band of dark teal between them and the iris. I wasn't surprised, not after everything else that happened, but it was strange. I had liked my old brown eyes.
I picked up my toothbrush and opened my maw wide, scrubbing each white tooth. I studied them as I did this. Most of them were canines now, with a total of four fang teeth, and some molars hidden in the back.
After finishing my teeth, I went downstairs to grab some breakfast. I found a note.
"Kyle,
I'm out grocery shopping. Do what you want, just try not to get bombarded by the media. I'll be home in a few hours.
Love, Mom
P.S. Don't watch the news."
I wondered what this last statement meant. I decided that whatever it was, it could wait. The news always seems to depress me or tick me off anyway.
I grabbed a couple of granola bars and ate them. They weren't as good as they once tasted, but they were still all right and satisfied my mild hunger. I stuffed my cell phone in my pocket. I was going to see my friend Mark Newman. He had been my friend for years, and I trusted him more than anyone except my sister (who was in college and didn't hear about my "death").
I took off, thinking about the last time I saw Mark. It had been that fateful morning, not long before I was almost literally struck by fate. We were just chatting about some random Halo 3 glitches. It seemed like that was a lifetime ago, and in a sense, it was.
I touched down in his front yard. Since it was a Wednesday morning, most people were at work, including Mark's parents. No one was around to see me standing awkwardly in front of my best friend's house.
I picked up my phone and called Mark.
"What the h*ll is this? Who are you to steal my dead friend's cell phone and call people on it? Tell me!" It was Mark all right. Mark, caller ID, and Mark's infamous jumping-to-conclusions skill.
"Mark? It's me. I'm not dead."
Silence. Then: "What?"
"It's me. Kyle. I'm not dead."
"Prove it. What is your favorite weapon in Halo 3?"
"Sniper rifle, with a grav ham or shotgun for close quarters."
"Favorite class on Call of Duty 4?"
"Depends on the situation. But I love the Martyrdom perk."
"Hmm. What game system did you first play?"
"Nintendo 64, when it first came out."
"You are in check. What is the first thing you try to do?"
"Push a pawn!"
"H*ll, man, is it really you?"
"It is."
"How are you alive? All the reports say you are dead."
"It's complicated. Promise me you won't tell anyone unless I give you permission, and don't scream when you see me."
"I promise. We are agreed?"
"Agreed and bound."
"You remember our old deal setter… Where are you?"
"Front yard."
The line went dead. I saw the door open.
Mark, 5'5", 200 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, still looked almost like a jock. He probably would be if he liked football.
He took one look at me. I held up two claws in an awkward peace sign.
"Sh*t dude, I thought you were dead, and here you show up a dragon! Nice! You look great too, now come on in! It's cold out here!"
Surprised, I stepped inside.