Young Writers Society

Chapter Two

The next day there lay an object in the sky. Not a bird. Not a plane. And this time not even Superman. It was Super Boy. Superman in was on the other side of town handling a bank robbery. His son was stopping another suicide a man was threatening to jump off the building from his job.

It was nearly five in the afternoon and the sun hadn’t set yet. Crowds of people gathered around and various policemen and firemen were working hard in desperation. It seemed a suicide expert was unavailable. Which made this scene next to a busy street quite a spectacle, sense it seemed no one could get the man to come down.

Of course Fonnie was there and she was documenting the whole ordeal. She was a bit annoyed that Jason had made himself so dedicated to being partners and he hadn't even shown up yet.

Not only did she feel unprepared without a photographer, but all the professional reporters made her feel insignificant. There was one in particular for the Herald News, his name was Ben Sogallie. Not only was he well known, but a snobbish man who intimidated almost everyone he met. Fonda remembered reading the various stories he did solving scandals, catching murderers, and not to mention all of the conspiracies he managed to up root.

Ben Sogallie was less than five feet away from her and Fonda felt anxious. She kept staring at him often through out day. He wore a beige work suit, white shirt, and a red bow tie. Which was odd for him to wear, he was only twenty eight and never seemed to be young. He was like a young old person…Actually the more Fonda thought it, she was just like him.

Just then Fonda came out her day dream and realized she was being pushed back by the crowd of people and reporters. As soon as she pushed her way back to the front of the crowd being pushed back by the police and she found herself elbowing Ben Sogallie.

“Would you watch it kid! Can’t you see I’m trying to make a story here?”

Fonda never had a prouder moment, who at her age gets yelled by Ben Sogallie? Although she recovered quickly. “ I’m not a kid Sogallie, I’m a reporter!”

Sogallie looked at her began to say something until the man on the building began to shout. Fonda quickly turned her attention to making her story holding the camera on her MP6 up toward he building. 'Oh, well,' Fonnie thought 'as long as Jason’s got some pictures we don't have to be hip and hip. Besides he's probably stuck in traffic.'

“I’ll jump! I’ll jump right now! I got nothing to live for…nothing!” People peered up at him begging him not to jump, as the police prepared to catch him in a blue blanket 12 by 12 feet long.

Just then Super Boy arrived just in time. Everyone cheered his name as soon they saw him. “Super Boy…Super Boy!” While the reporters with their television cameras went crazy.

Meanwhile Super Boy landed on the roof of the building. "Sir wait don't jump!"

The man turned around, " Ha! Watch me jump!” He was a short man and a bit plum and bald.

Super Boy slowly took a step closer to him as the sun made it a bit darker. “No! Stop or I swear I’ll jump…” The man looked down at the crowd of people below and felt queasy as he took in once again the distance from the roof to the ground. Slowly, shaking the man put his foot half way over the edge of the building.

Super Boy didn’t take another step, and tried to make eye contact with the man. “Sir, can you tell your name?”

“I’m George…George the coward! You know everyone calls me that, my mother, my wife, and even my boss.” George looked at Super Boy as if he could see how pathetic he was.

"George why are you up here?"

George shuddered and came to tears. Super boy had caught him slightly off guard; he asked this question in such a calm manner. Everyone else had done nothing to make him calm down. He was pathetic, a grown man angry enough to up there in the first place. Yet he couldn't stop crying. "It's okay. People love and care about you…you don't have to jump!" That's what the small little dots on the ground kept screaming but no one really seemed to ask him why he was up there.

“Be-because I’m a failure and a coward.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Super Boy assured him.

“Look at me, I can’t even jump off a building. My Great uncle Louise jumped off five building till he finally died. And I can’t even jump once. I’m so pitiful, I bet I’d die on my first try.” George went into another fit of sobs.

“No that’s not a good idea. I mean don’t you think only cowards try to end their lives?”

George paused in between his heavy sobs, “Of course not, look at Hemingway he killed himself and no one ever called him a coward!”

“What makes you think you’re a coward anyway?” Super Boy said inching closer and closer to the man as they talked.

George looked at Super Boy wiping his face, “I don’t know…Could be the fact that I couldn’t have kids with my wife. And that I found out my son Isaac was my bosses real son. Mind you, the same boss I could never stand up to even though I should have because I haven’t gotten a promotion in thirteen years! I mean what kind of man am I? I design computers no one ever buys, but wait…”

Super Boy was patient for George to continue, “I’m not even a man, I never had a Bar Mitzvah! I’m Jewish and I NEVER had a freaking Bar Mitzvah! What’s more shame than that tell me?”

“George look, you don’t need other peoples opinions to define who you are. I’m sure you’re a hard worker and a great father. And you are a man because you do what a man does. You take care of those who need you and you keep a bad job to support them. You love your son Isaac don’t you? He may not be your blood but he is your son because you’ve loved him like a son, and you’ve taken great care of him. Can’t you see your not a failure? Whether your family knows it or not you’re a hero, one I’m sure they love.”

George looked at Super Boy in awe, “Ha, well I never thought of it that way. That’s actually pretty deep, thank you.”

Super Boy sighed taking another couple steps closer to him, “So your not going to jump right?”

George smiled, “Well actually…” he began looking down and smiled at Super Boy, “I am see ya!”

And just like that George plunged head first from the building. “Aaaaahhhhhh!!!” Super Boy didn’t waste time in flying down and catching the man in mid air.

Down below Fonda continued to record, more and more excited every second because of the story she was getting.

Soon Super Boy lead the hysterical man toward the coward of people. "Someone help this man."

This was Fonda's cue and she walked up to the Super Boy and the man. Luckily the police were to busy trying to keep the other reporters away, "I'd be happy to do that. What's your name sir?"

"I'm-I'm George." The man said before bursting out in tears.

"Oh … I'm Fonda. Let me help you." Super Boy looked at her with a certain curiosity. This surprised Fonda, she figured he would have taken the chance to fly away.

"Thanks…Fonda." And she definitely didn’t think he’d talk to her.

"Your welcome, and I promise I'm not here to stalk you. I want to get to know you, if you let me Super Boy." Fonda looked back down at the crying man. "Sorry George, let's go."

She didn't look back at Super Boy, she figured he would have flown away. He never stayed in one place very long. She handed the man over to the police and paramedics who approached with his family in tow. They hugged him and told him how much they loved him. His wife was very tall and beautiful, and his son who was about thirteen with brown curly hair.

“Don’t you ever do that again George! We love you hear?” His face wife said never letting him go.

It was quite a reunion indeed that Fonda observed, so she didn't see Super Boy staring after her as other people had. A few minutes later when Super Boy had flown away and people where busy moving on with their lives or calling more press Jason showed up. He came just as the ambulance was a bout to pull away.

"Jason! Where were you? I had to try and record with my MP6 and that barely worked." Fonda looked at the family in the ambulance before it swished away then she looked at Jason again. "Where were you away?"

"I , I was around. I had a little trouble getting here. But I got some pictures." Jason held up his digital camera smiling in his light sweat. Fonda smiled and completely surprised Jason by hugging him.

"This is great! George Manns agreed to an interview, but I think he totally needs some help I mean what a wacko: jumping off of a building! But at least he could share his gratitude. You know? I can see it now ‘Suicidal Freak Says Thanks To SB for The Big Catch.’”

Jason sighed, what was he going to do with Fonda? She was his friend but she was going insane. "Fonda…"

She shushed him, "Hush up Jason. Let's just go home we have a lot of home work to do. We can finish this over the weekend. I'll start on the story and you email me the pictures. Oh, god all this excitement…" Fonda whistled for a cab, and they both hopped in. Jason sighed remembering how his father always whistled for his mother's cab.