An Excerpt from a Writing Project

From The Magic Video Game 4: The Upbringing of a New Comedian

Levi had Jack, Asad, and David over for an afternoon, and they were going to play tennis later. Right now, they were just playing video games in the common area of Levi’s house. They were playing a lot of classic video games right now because of how warm it was outside. The boys were most definitely not in the mood to go outside and play tennis right now, so they obviously had to find some alternatives.

It was nice just having the three boys over at the house because all four boys could have their own video game controller. No one had to fight for a video game controller. And no one had to wait for their turn to get the video game controller.

“Yo, Levi. Where’s the cookie truffles you were telling us about?” Asad questioned Levi.
“We have some in the fridge, man,” Levi replied.
“I’mma get some for me. Who wants some?”
“I think we all do, bro.”
“What are they for anyway?” Asad asked, quite curious.
“I don’t think they were for anything,” Levi replied.
“So you just got some cookie truffles for the heck of it I guess?”
“I guess.”
“Yo. I’mma get some.”
“Cool beans, dude.”

Asad walked over to the refrigerator to get some cookie truffles for himself and everyone else. Mostly for himself, though. Because he was in dire need of cookie truffles. Really, Mr. Cranston took the last of the cookie truffles from an event that he took part in with his band in Chicago. There were only eight left, so there was enough for everyone to have two. Unless someone else took all of the cookie truffles without Levi’s consent.

Well, really, without anyone’s consent.

Asad slowly opened the door to the refrigerator. He felt a little weird opening the door because this was the second time in all of his time of being friends with Levi that he even considered touching the refrigerator.

That was over ten years ago. Levi became friends with Asad and David very shortly after he became friends with Jack in fourth grade.

Once he opened the door to the refrigerator, Asad saw food. Lots of food. Mostly healthy food, like vegetables and some fruit. And some milk as well. But he saw no sign of the cookie truffles that he was hoping for.

Drat.

“Are you looking for something?” Levi’s sister asked Asad, out of the blue.
“Oh hi, Olivia,” Asad said as he quickly recognized who was talking to him.
“Evelyn Maeve and I ate the last of the cookie truffles.”
“Oh. Whoops. We didn’t know.”
“Sorry about that, Asad,” Olivia remarked, feeling genuinely sorry for the boys.
“It okay, Olivia,” Asad replied.
“There are butter cookies in the pantry, in case you might be interested.”
“I love butter cookies!”
“Thought you did!”
“So, what are you up to, Olivia?”
“I’m actually getting ready to go bowling with my boyfriend, Cameron, and my best friend, Audrey. Evie Maeve and her good friend are also going. Do all of you wanna come?” Olivia offered.
“We’re practicing tennis soon, I believe,” Asad answered.
“Alright then.”

And Asad was more than certain that he, Jack, Levi, and David were going to practice tennis for at least two hours later today and then pig out at their favorite fast food joint of all time. Olivia was going bowling with her soon-to-be-again boyfriend, Cameron Sedley, and best friend, Audrey Bersigno. And Evelyn Maeve and her best guy friend, Randy Morrison, were coming as well.

Once they came home from work, the Cranston’s parents were going over to Louise’s house. Once they came home from whatever they had planned to do this afternoon, Olivia, Levi, and Evelyn Maeve were also going over to Louise’s house.

Meatball party tonight. It was going to be pretty great.

Asad has always had a secret crush on Olivia, even though she has had an on-and-off relationship with Cameron for a long time. And, to be honest, he still has a crush on her to some degree. However, he decided to just keep it at the friend level, unless Olivia and Cameron might eventually separate, for that would most likely not be the case at this point.

Basically, Olivia and Cameron needed some time to regroup before continuing their relationship.

“Who wants to play with the speed bag?!” David shouted from across the room. No one could remember a time when the four boys were super hyper. Well, really, they could. They just didn’t want to admit it at the moment.
“I do!” Jack shouted.
“I do!” Asad shouted.
“I don’t want a nosebleed,” Levi remarked.
“How long have you been playing with the speed bag, Levi?” David asked.
“Not all that often, actually.”
“You hate that thing, don’t you?”
“Yes and no. It’s given me a nosebleed before, but I like to play with it sometimes.”
“Oh, I see.”
“My dad wanted it up, so we have it up.”
“Does he play with it?”
“No.”
“Oh!”

All four boys thought the idea of having a random speed bag in the garage was beyond hilarious. Why did Mr. Cranston and Levi make a father-son agreement to put a speed bag in the garage when they were renovating it a long time ago? More like nine years ago when they were really trying to clean it out, but they made the garage a much more pleasant place to spend quality time.

They even put a treadmill in there.

Jack, Levi, Asad, and David decided to quit playing video games, that they had played for a little over two hours, and go outside and get some fresh air. They weren’t quite ready to play tennis yet. However, they did want to check out the renovated garage.

What would have been the garage is really a cool place to be.

There is a treadmill facing a small TV, with a huge box fan next to the treadmill but at an angle toward the treadmill. There is another box fan facing a love seat that is on the other side of the treadmill. There were even some cartoons that were hung on the walls. According to everyone who has set foot inside the garage, they have all thought of this as more of a game room than anything else.

And they were probably in their right minds when saying so.

There was the little speed bag that hung on the relatively short ceiling of the garage. Levi somehow really wanted to try playing with the speed bag. He was quite confident in himself, even though he has never really had much interest in the speed bag in general. No one else did either. They have always just liked the idea of having a speed bag attached to the ceiling.

“You still gonna take up boxing, Levi?” Jack teased his best friend.
“No way, Jose,” Levi replied.
“I personally think you’d make a great boxer.”
“Why? Why would you say that, Jack?”
“Cuz you’re….” Jack begun.
“JACK ANDREWS!” Levi interrupted.
“Dang it, Levi. You nearly stole my thunder.”
“Did I really?”
“No. Not really.”
“Whatever you say, Jack.”

Truth is, Levi really doesn’t care to take up boxing. However, he has liked the idea of a speed bag being in the garage, as does his dad. Maybe the garage would be more or less similar to a fitness room; there is a treadmill, a speed bag, and maybe a few other things. Including a love seat. That would most definitely make Levi’s summer. Another way of “training” for tennis season as a senior in college.

As several minutes passed, Levi became more familiar with the speed bag, so he started punching it harder and harder. He was basically rolling the speed bag from one side of the ceiling to the other side. As the thoughts of anything and everything random remained on his mind, his punches grew harder and harder, as well as his heartbeat and his breathing. Levi was very aggressive with the speed bag.

And then….

“LUNG!” Levi shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Wait. What was that all about, man?” Asad asked.
“I just shouted something random, dude.”
“But lung?”
“It’s a random word, Asad,” Levi remarked.
“Of all the random words we know, it had to be ‘lung,’” Asad replied.
“Yes. It had to be lung.”
“That is actually one of my favorite words. You stole it from me, Levi!”
“I thought that was my favorite word.”
“Now, it’s not.”

Oh well. It’s always a little fun to be a little random at times. No. Actually, it’s always a little fun to be a little random all the time. And it’s always a little fun to shout the most favorite random word every once in a while.

Jack tried playing with the speed bag after Levi. Asad tried playing with the speed bag after Jack. And David tried playing with the speed bag after Asad. Even though all four kids played with the speed bag for a little while, no one else other than Levi shouted a random word after they made their last hit on the speed bag.

Then, it was time for tennis. Or so everyone thought.

“Guess what, guys?” Jack said to everyone.
“What, Jack?” David asked.
“I accidentally left my tennis equipment at home.”
“What exactly do you mean by equipment?”
“I’m talking about my tennis rackets, my tennis balls, my tennis this, my tennis that,” Jack replied quite humorously.
“So, everything tennis you left at your house. On accident, I’m assuming?” David asked, just to clarify.
“Yes. Even the word, ‘tennis,’ I left at home.”
“Well, we’ll need to get the word ‘tennis’ for you before we go to the high school to practice.”
“Thanks, guys.”
“No problem.”