The Tangerine: A Short Story

Putting the mask over his face, Erik stared into the mirror. His one-sided conscience told him that destroying the property of families and friends is hilarious. “Let’s go!” Arthur, the sidekick begged to start vandalising. The two high school boys got into the black Jeep. Erik grabbed the brown bat. There were red streaks in the groves of the bat. Smashing the window, Erik began to hit the mailboxes. Arthur’s car engine roared, wanting destruction. The mailboxes cried. Brown, black, pink, orange, red, green, blue mailboxes flew. The innocent neighbors’ mail poured out the mailboxes. The newspaper, The Tangerine Times, had big letters across the top: Lake Windsor’s Quarterback Lives in Tangerine. Only thinking of himself, not allowing the town to see their record gone, Erik continued until there was nothing left. Destruction. Erik looked into the car mirror, unable to look at his own face. Having no heart, sneaking around town, and showing
Erik slithers around town. He is a snake. His venom kills. Erik pretends to be a perfect son in front of his parents. Erik is the favored son. They even moved to Tangerine, Florida to show college scouts that he is perfect. Yet, when he is not near someone who can ruin his “perfect” repetition, he bites. He punches Tino Cruz, a seventh grade boy, when Tino confronts him. After Tino got hit, Paul saw a white figure in his house. He hoped that it was one of his parents. To differ from Erik, Paul is honest. Paul told Tino that he ratted him out at the carnival. Paul felt bad because the boys on the soccer team at Tangerine destroyed an exhibit at the carnival. The coach at Lake Windsor asked him who it was, leading Tino and other boys on the Tangerine team to get suspended. Tino kicked Paul to get even with him. Paul was okay with Tino kicking him because he thought what he did was wrong. Finally, Erik is sneaky like a snake, causing him to be an amazing