Steve Nobody – CALLUM STANFORD

Confrontation

One fateful midsummer morning, Gronk stood at Snookington railway station. He looked along the tracks toward SmogCity and saw a famous spire in the distance. The platform was almost empty. He glanced around and saw a solitary figure in the distance. Squinting for a moment, he spotted Steve Nobody. He had not seen his enemy in a long time. Pent up hatred rushed to the surface. He enjoyed baiting that Nobody.

Gronk Versus Nobody

Guido Gronk had, at long last, convinced most people to call him Gronk. He was proud of the family name which, he kept telling everyone, went hand-in-hand with military glory dating back to medieval times. A tall, slight man with shoulders thrust back and head held high, he swaggered about in dark clothes accentuated with a pink shirt. His self-image was of a “rather dandy chap,” as he would often say. A mop of black hair with a long fringe flopped over his eye line. He spoke with a high-pitched voice and worked hard at being a loud, pushy show-off. His nose was pointed and stuck into the air. Brashness and image meant everything to Gronk and he intended to stand out.

Hiking

Steve’s life at the house was far from harmonious. There was probably fault on both sides, but the damage had been done early on. Arguments kicked off over something and nothing. Their fraught relationship may have stemmed from his parents being unhappy he spent so much time away from home, whilst Steve felt picked on whenever he was at home. It was a no win situation. Being in the firing line, he was always on edge in the house. The relationship was fractured and time did not heal. His father often yelled “You’re not good enough” while Steve bit back and shouted “You don’t know me.”

Time To Leave

“I can’t remember how many times we’ve had to pull you up on your behaviour. We see your surly looks and the way you try to avoid us. It has to stop!! Why can’t you be more like your brother? He does what he’s told without question. But you disappear all day at weekends and try to keep away from us whenever we come home. There’s you doing your own thing, like always. What’s wrong with you?!? You’re not a true Nobody. You may think you’re strong-willed, but you’re flawed…” Steve’s father glared with menace. “Flawed to the core. Sooner or later, you’ll be found out. And then you will fail again and again.”

Adventure

Steve Nobody spent a lot of time in the local forest, known as Ragged Wood. He and his schoolfriend, Scotty, were into anything army. They formed a club called the Night Fighters and kitted themselves out in military clothing and equipment. In the local countryside, the boys learned about camouflage and tactical movement. They crossed barbed wire fences and explored the land beyond. With sharpened senses, they walked with stealth at day or night and became skilled in leaving little trail behind. Being surreptitious was essential because the fields and forest beyond were an estate owned by a wealthy family who lived in an enormous country house. The land had tenant farmers and a gamekeeper was employed in part to ensure no one trespassed on the private land.

Two Schoolboys

The Gronks and Nobodys lived in Snookington Village right up to modern times with an enduring legacy. Each Gronk was riddled with resentment, while every Nobody had stubbornness running through their veins. The origin of this animosity had long since been forgotten in the mists of time. But one thing was sure. If a Gronk and a Nobody met, they never got along.

Guido Gronk was a tall, thin fifteen year old boy. Leaning against a wall, he looked at the gates of Snookington School on a dusky evening. He had just unwilling taken part in basketball practice. Smirking, he was proud his school the better of the two in the area. A group of boys wearing the blue blazer of Snookington School walked past and laughed. Guido’s face dropped. He was often the brunt of jokes about his first name. He preferred to be called Gronk, but some schoolboys Insisted on Guido. Or worse, Gweirdo. His peers thought Gronk was prickly and difficult, but he knew greatness was in store for him.

“Let them laugh,” he muttered. “When my genius is recognised, they’ll all want to be my friends.”

Gronk sighed and looked idly over the road. He saw Steve Nobody with scuffed shoes, a football and, inexplicably, wearing a blue blazer. How they let someone like him into Snookington School was beyond his comprehension. He hated anyone with the Nobody name. Steve was shorter than Gronk, about the same age, and shy. But he had a large group of friends, which irritated the hell out of Gronk. Beyond the confines of school, Steve spent time in the outdoors and played football with boys from the nearby Dundiston School. Most Snookington schoolboys looked down on Dundiston School and it had not gone unnoticed that Steve was fraternising with the enemy. Gronk looked at Steve Nobody as a soft touch, and intended to put him in his place.

The two boys knew each other only in passing, but were well aware of the long-running feud between their families. Stories passed through generations where a Gronk won an argument at one point or a Nobody got the upper hand at another. There had been a recent lull in the dispute, notwithstanding the underlying animosity. Guido Gronk was outraged when he heard anything positive about a Nobody. He figured they must be called Nobody for a reason; they were worthless losers. Whereas, he had been told the good name Gronk was synonymous with bravery and honour. He felt sure a Gronk was always right. About everything. Guido Gronk had a particular talent as a trouble-maker. And he was determined to continue the long-running enmity and break those no good Nobodys once and for all. Then dominance would enable his brilliance to shine.