Every kid has a superhero, it could be from a comic book, a tv show, or even a sports team. They dream of facing danger and saving the day just like their heroes. Except, danger in comic books is far from reality. Because when danger hits you for real, you don’t have a superpower to tackle it. You only got your instincts.

And that is a lesson that Jerald Withers was about to learn one fine afternoon on his way home from school. As he was sitting in the school bus, lazily gazing out the window, something caught his eye. What he witnessed was a true catastrophe that left him bewildered but Jerald managed to follow his instincts and what he did next could not have been expected from a little boy of his age.

Monday Morning

It was a sunny morning in Jefferson County, Missouri. Jerald was still in his bed buried under the covers not ready to get up for school. His mum had been banging on the door for almost ten minutes. He finally managed to get out of his bed and open the door to let her know he is awake. She urged him to get ready quickly if he doesn’t want to miss the school bus.

Breakfast

Jerald rushed down the stairs and sat down for breakfast. He stuffed his mouth with pancakes with his eyes on the TV. The Green Bay Packers were playing today and that was partly the reason he got ready super fast, he wanted to watch as much of the game as possible before his bus arrived. He has been their biggest fan for as long as he could remember. He dreamt of playing for their team one day. 

Time For School

Jerald’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the bus horn. The driver honked it three times to announce he has arrived. Jerald grabbed his bag, kissed his mom goodbye and ran out the door. That was pretty much how most of his mornings went, in a blur and rushing through things to get to school. 

Regular School Day

The school was boring as usual. Like every other 11-years-old, Jerald was ready to go back to bed after the first class. But he did have something to look forward to, he had a gym class today which means he gets to practice football for as long as he wants. Sleeping through the rest of the classes, Jerald couldn’t wait for the day to be over. 

Football Practice

After sleeping and lazing around throughout the day, it was finally time for football practice and Jerald could not wait. The sun was shining at the top of their heads now, Jerald could feel sweat dripping down his back. The referee blew into the whistle and off he went with his team. It was time to play!

Heading Home

Once football practice was over, it was time to head home. Jerald rushed inside the bus and claimed a seat near the window. Slowly the rest of the seats got filled with students and they were ready to head home. Jerald rested his head against the window was ready to doze off for a few minutes before his stop comes.