Rescue for Recognition | Teen Ink

Rescue for Recognition

March 19, 2019
By ssouza4 BRONZE, Jackson, New Jersey
ssouza4 BRONZE, Jackson, New Jersey
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Jaxon, being the egotistical hot head he is, would never go out of his way to help others if he wasn’t going to be praised for it. He craves the recognition and the admiration that follows, but that comes as no surprise. Growing up in California it’s easy to fall to that. Everywhere you look is a celebrity being chased by paparazzi or their face lighting up a billboard, so it’s common to strive for that type of stardom. However, Jaxon would be faced with the ultimate test. For as long as he could remember, Kevin has been his main competition. Every good deed Jaxon posted to his Instagram, Kevin always seemed to one up him. Everything Kevin posted, Jaxon had to one up him. It has been an ongoing cycle of rivalry and a strive to see who could remain the community hero the longest. They share a handful of positive actions, yet only carry them out for the glory of praise, likes, and followers. No good deed was done without the sole influence of recognition and reward fueling it. The mere mention of each other's names raised hairs on their necks, and brought their bloodstreams to a boil. Jaxon was leaving work after working a double. It was 3:00AM and the streets of Philadelphia were so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. As he dragged his tired feet one after the other, he began to pass an alleyway. The backstreet was dimly lit with the poor excuse of a flickering streetlight. As he approached it, he began to hear a heated argument. As he focused his eyes with heavy precision, he was able to makeout a familiar yet hated face. Kevin seemed to have been screaming at some man over an amount of money that was owed to him. The man reached into his backpack before kevin could brace himself and pulled a knife on him, stabbing him in the stomach. The man fled, leaving Kevin in agony rolling in his own blood. Jaxon couldn't believe his eyes. He had to think, and he had to think fast.

“Should I really help my most sworn enemy right now?”

...Then it came to him.

This alleyway stood for a battlefield that would put Jaxon in the winners circle. It would strike a new wave of followers to his page, flood his notifications with endless likes, and make him the cover of every news outlet, This was his chance and he took it. He ran over to Kevin who was on the verge of going unconscious. He picked him up, put him on his shoulders, and ran him to the nearest hospital which was three blocks away. With no shock, as soon as he arrived to the emergency room, Jaxon whipped his phone out and began recording. Explaining thoroughly on how he watched the situation unfold before his eyes, with no hesitation grabbing Kevin and rushing him to the hospital, and in conclusion saving Kevins life. There was no topping this act, and Jaxon knew it well.


The author's comments:

I had to write a short story in my English class of my senior year. We had to create our own character and put them in an environment that captured their personality well. 


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