Leon Astro bit his lip with excitement as he heard the engine rev as it cruised down the road. He felt as though he was going to explode as he tapped his foot lightly on the floor mat, as he whipped his head back and forth to look at each different sight. “You okay back there?” Leon looked up into the rear view mirror to see an annoyed cab driver looking back at him. Leon chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, sorry,” he said. “I’m just . . . excited to be in a new place I guess.” It wasn’t so much as the place that had Leon’s enthusiasm in a frying pan over a hot burner, though, but more of what was waiting for him in that place.
“Where are you from?” the cab driver asked, hanging a right.
“Bridgeport- I was born and raised there.” Leon replied leaning over in the seat to look out of the opposite window. “Have you ever wanted something so bad that you impulsively drop everything to get what you want? Well that’s what I did.” Leon’s smile widened. The cab driver looked at him in the rear view mirror and shrugged, looking back at the road. What the driver didn’t realize was just how rottenly true Leon's statement was. Leon had everything set for himself in Bridgeport. He had a girlfriend, a huge apartment, a good paying job; but none of it was worth it to him.
It all goes back into the Astro family genes. For whatever reason, depending on what the person’s Zodiac sign is, their overall personality is predetermined for them along with their hair color, no matter what their genetics say. In some rare cases, this happening is seen as a blessing, but for most it was an undeniable curse that is destined to plague their family for eternity. Leon, for example, is a Leo driven by his borderline psychopathic need to be on top. Leon’s blonde-haired ambition was what drove him to do everything, and it’s exactly what made him drop everything he had and spend every cent he had to move to Sunset Valley. With his dad being raised in Sunset Valley, Leon knew everything there was to know about Sunset Sports and Bridgeport's inability to even compare to Sunset in the subject. As a child Leon dreamed of moving to his father's favorite town into an amazing house and joining the career of a lifetime: the Professional Sports career. And that was just what he planned on doing.
Leon snapped back to reality when the cab driver mumbled that they had arrived. At that moment time stopped. Leon couldn’t believe what was sitting before him.
The woman who had sold Leon his new home only mentioned a “huge lot” that he was “just going to love”. Nonetheless, a mansion with a tremendous garden sat before Leon’s eyes- the epitome of his dreams- practically begging him to jump out of the car and run inside. He could taste the coffee he was going drink the following morning when he awoke to a staff of butlers and maids surrounding his bed. Leon’s trembling hand lifted itself to the door handle whild his other hand slowly ventured to take off his seatbelt. To Leon’s dismay, however, the car quickly swung a right, tearing him from his fantasy. “This is your lot.” the driver said blankly. Leon unfastened his seat belt and forced himself out of the car. The house that he had dreamed of that he could have sworn the woman had promised him, the coffee he wanted to drink when he arose the next morning, the bed he wanted to sleep in-
was all next door.
Of course the lot’s empty, Leon thought as he came to his senses, you didn’t pay more than a penny for the entire 64x64 lot. Leon wanted to run up and smash his head against the aging, single brick wall that stood before him in his brand new lot. How could he have been such an idiot? He paid the price of a small house for a huge lot, and he somehow he expected a mansion to be standing there waiting for him.
He sighed. His dream of being a top notch professional athlete with multiple cars and a huge house seemed so far away now. Leon trudged his way over to his new home. It consisted of a single brick wall lined with a kitchen counter, stove, and refrigerator on one side and a sink, toilet, and shower on the other. Plus, to top it all off, Leon was left a sleeping bag, used and dirty, sitting on the ground by his counter. Groaning, Leon opened the fridge and pulled out a can of soup to pour it into a bowl from the counter’s cabinet. Leon ate his soup sitting on his brand new toilet due to the lack of a better seat. He stared into the sky, angry and full of regret. If there was anything that his camping ground of a home had, it was a nice view off of the cliffs and into the ocean-lined sky.
As the sun set and Leon washed his dishes, he got an idea. Dropping the dish, Leon ran over to the edge of the cliff where he could get the best view. Leon smiled and fell backward, embracing the soft gravelly ground happily. The sun was setting and the time was perfect. Even with the terribly long drive and the incredible disappointment, Leon still had something to be thankful for. In the city of Bridgeport, there were too many lights and buildings to get a clear view of anything overhead that wasn’t man-made. Leon sat up, breathing in the ocean air as the sun sunk into the deep blue.
The sky was filled with shimmering stars. Finally, something was as Leon had imagined it. The sight was truly breathtaking. Leon smiled to himself. Slowly he stood up, heading over to his sleeping bag to call it a night. He had a long day ahead of himself tomorrow, as he had to take the first step into achieving his dreams.
Introducing Leon Astro, Founder.
Great start, I'm enjoying this story so far! What a bummer that he ended up with an empty lot instead. But at least he enjoys the peace and quiet and gorgeous view that Sunset Valley brings. Haha I agree, Leos tend to hog the spotlight and they like to aim high.
Off to read Ch. 1!