Adam was sitting at the back of his middle school classroom, admiring the girl of his dreams - Katie. She was an athletic champion, a teacher's pet, and a total knockout bombshell beauty. And, what was more, she was single. But she'd never be interested in an average boy with few talents like Alex, especially since she rejected every single boy on the football team who asked to date her. As the final school bell rang, Alex packed up his school bag and quietly walked out, hoping not to draw any attention from bullies.
Ben was crying in the elementary school changing rooms when the bell rang. He'd been the last pick of both sides in dodge ball due to his being extremely uncoordinated and weak. He mostly had to sit in the corner again while all his classmates had fun, which annoyed him. He wished he could be strong! But he was nothing - not good at school, or sports; condemned to mediocrity just like his brother Adam. Ben couldn't wait until he could drop out of school so he could just play video games or something - anything to escape the terrible reality he was in.
Wiping away his tears, he eventually made it out to meet his younger brother Cody, who was waiting by the gate for him.
"You had a tough day too, bro?" asked Cody, who had a huge black eye from being punched in the face during lunchtime.
"Just like everyday" replied Ben.
"Hey twerps" said Will, a classmate of Cody "Move out of the way will you, people who matter are coming through."
Ben and Cody stood aside reluctantly, but Will pushed them anyway, sending them flying into a brick wall and collapse on top of each other on the ground.
Immediately, Adam came running up. "Hey, that wasn't very nice! Don't treat my little brothers that way!" he called.
In response, Will punched him in the gut. Hard.
"I'll do whatever I want" bragged Will while Adam fell on top of his brothers.
In the distance, Adam could see Katie talking with two of her friends.
"Hey, isn't that the creepy boy who always sits in the back of your class?"
"Yeah, I heard he's always watching you like a creep"
"What a loser, he just got beat up by a nine-year-old"
"That whole family are losers, better just avoid them"
Listening to her friends' advice, Katie turned away while Adam lay there, heartbroken.
Meanwhile the father to the three boys, David, arrived in a cheap old car to pick them up.
"Come on kids, hop in!" he called. He didn't comment on how they were all battered and broken on the ground - that was how they usually were after school.
At the same time, a limousine arrived to pick up Will.
"Stupid executive vice president" murmured David "That idiot keeps making my life a living hell at work!"
Adam, dragging himself to the car, was more focused on the cute little pink import that had arrived to pick up Katie.
David pinched his oldest son until his pupils were no longer love-heart shaped. "No time for fantasizing, just get your seatbelt on! Traffic is appalling today!"
Almost an hour later, the family of four arrived at the caravan park they called home. The caravan trailer they owned had only two beds, so Ben and Cody had to share, while Adam had his own bed and David slept on the floor. David usually made enough money for food, but there wasn't much for anything else.
As they made their way inside, suddenly, an old woman came out of a nearby caravan. The caravan had just parked there but was quite large, with a gypsy-style design. On seeing Cody, the bruised little boy with a huge black eye, she suddenly recoiled in shock.
"You ... you are the chosen one" she stuttered.
"Uhm - what?" asked Cody.
David turned his little head away. "Let's just go inside, we don't want any trouble" he insisted.
The boys hurried in, while the old woman was left standing outside looking very confused.
As he came inside, David hit his head on the top of the door. Ben quickly rushed over with some bandages and began tending to his injury, while Adam helped Cody with his black eye.
"Do you think something good might ever happen in our family?" sighed Ben "Maybe we could win lotto or something."
"I can't really afford a ticket" said David "Ever since your mother died, that's when it all started."
All of the boys looked down to the far side of the caravan, where a big photograph of their mother hung.
"Cancer is brutal, of course" continued David "And you know we've never been in the same financial situation since we took on all that debt to fund her cancer treatments. But in the end, nothing helped."
Cody sighed. He wished there was something he could do, but like the rest of the family, he didn't know what.
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