The Real Hero

“The Real Hero”
by
Robert Beebe

Frodo was lying on his back with eyes open, staring at the cloudy sky. “Well, Mr. Frodo,” said Sam, “I’ve been having a look around and thinking a bit. There’s nothing on the roads, and we’d best be getting away while there’s a chance. Can you manage it?
“I can manage it,” said Frodo. “I must.”
Zeth took a sip from his can of Coke and turned the page. Backpack in front of him, he sat at his usual spot on the bleachers overlooking the football field, but his mind was far away in the land of Mordor. Every day for the past few weeks, as soon as the final bell rang, he was out the back door of the high school, leaving his freshman courses behind, and entered the world of The Lord of the Rings where he became Frodo, the Ringbearer, the One chosen to carry the Ring and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom to save all of Middle-earth.
Unbeknownst to him, two of the school’s cheerleaders were watching him from down on the field. Zeth’s daily appearance on the bleachers had not gone unnoticed.
“Look at him,” said Brenda, a sporty blonde who was the school’s head cheerleader and girlfriend of the football team’s star running back. “He carries that book around with him everywhere.”
“Yeah, but you know,” replied Jeanette, Brenda’s best friend, “I think he’s kind of cute.”
“You gotta be kidding. The guy’s a weirdo. Lives in his own little world.”
What Brenda said—name calling aside—was true. Zeth had trouble relating to people. Maybe it was his dysfunctional family. His mom and dad were always fighting and he had this younger brother, Alan, who was a super-achiever—a real nerd who always got straight A’s on his report card. Zeth wasn’t the brightest person in the world, but he had a good heart. He just didn’t know how to express it.
“Go on,” Brenda goaded Jeanette, “I bet if you went up there right now you couldn’t get his nose out of that book of his.”
Jeanette took up the challenge and headed up the bleachers to the top row where Zeth was sitting. He took no notice of her as she approached. He was now deeply into the climax of the story where he, as Frodo, with his friend Sam were making their way up the side of Mount Doom. He could almost smell the fire spewing out of the volcano.
“Hi, Zeth,” said Jeanette, now standing right beside him. “What are you reading?”
Zeth glanced up at Jeanette and simply showed her the book cover, then went back to reading.
“Oh,” she said, “you know, I saw one of those movies. I think it was the first one. It was okay, I guess. Too much fighting, though.”
Jeanette waited for Zeth to say something, but he just continued reading. He was about to enter into the mountain through a cave door on it side. There was nothing but fire and smoke all about.
“Well, see you around,” said Jeanette with a sigh and walked back down the bleachers to the field.
“Told you so,” said Brenda with a smirk. “The guy’s a loser.”
A couple of hours later Zeth was walking home along the main road that passed through town, oblivious to everything around him. He had just succeeded in fighting off Gollum who had fallen into the fire of Mount Doom along with the Ring. He had to admit, though, he probably wouldn’t have been able to make it without the steadfast support of his faithful friend Sam. It had been Sam who had urged him on and even carried him the last few hundred yards when his own strength had given out. It made him wonder: who was the real hero—Frodo or Sam?
Suddenly a scream jarred Zeth out of his reverie. He looked to the right and left to see where it came from. Down a side road off to his right—a dark alley really—stood a car with its headlights shining out into the gathering darkness. Inside he could see two forms struggling. Dropping his backpack, Zeth ran towards the car at full speed. As he approached, he could see that the two were a boy and a girl.
“Get lost, creep!” shouted the boy.
“Zeth, help me!”
He recognized the voice at once. It was Jeanette’s. Zeth approached the driver’s side where the boy was. He was practically on top of Jeanette. Zeth recognized him. It was Brenda’s boyfriend, Jim Davis, the star running back.
“Leave her alone!” Zeth shouted with such intensity that he surprised himself. “I said take your hands off her.”
“Hey, you’re the guy who’s always reading that book. Who’s going to make me, Frodo?” the boy said mockingly. “Mind your own business.”
“And you mind yours,” Zeth shot back, surprising himself again. “Step out of the car.”
“With pleasure, punk.”
Jim let go of Jeanette and opened the car door. Stepping out, he towered at least six inches above Zeth.
“You do look a bit like a hobbit down there, don’t you?” said Jim with scorn. “Well, Frodo, now what?”
Zeth hadn’t thought about what he would actually do once Jim got out of the car. He stood groping for words.
“Well, let me help you decide,” Jim said, grabbing Zeth by the front of his shirt. “You either scram or I drop you right here.”
“Leave him alone, Jim!” Jeanette cried, now outside of the car.
“You stay out of this. This is between me and the punk.” Jim glared at Zeth with gritted teeth.
Although initially at a loss for words, Zeth now had regained his composure and felt a strange sense of peace inside. Looking at Jim square in the eyes, he said calmly, “You can punch me if you want. Go ahead. But it’ll just make things worse for you. Whenever people see me at school—all banged up—it will remind them of you cheating on Brenda.”
Hearing this, Jim froze. Slowly, he released Zeth’s shirt. He seemed suddenly disoriented.
“You promise not to squeal?” he said, his voice quavering slightly.
“Get back in your car, drive off, and we’ll forget the whole thing,” Zeth answered with sudden confidence.
“Okay, I’m trusting you…” He was about to say ‘punk’ but bit his lip. Then he jumped into his car and sped away.
“Thanks, Zeth,” said Jeanette as the sound of Jim’s car faded in the distance. “That was real brave.”
“How did you ever get yourself into a situation like that?” Zeth look at Jeanette with a mixture of shyness and new-found self-respect.
“After cheerleading practice, Brenda had to go somewhere with her mom and I started walking home. After about five minutes, Jim pulled up beside me and offered to drive me home. Having no reason to distrust him, I got into the car. Then he turned down this side street. Boy, was I wrong about him.”
“Just like Frodo trusted Gollum,” Zeth said half to himself, “but then he turned on him.”
“Huh?” Jeanette said, uncomprehendingly.
“It’s like in the book. Frodo trusted Gollum, but then he betrayed him. Then Sam came and saved the day.”
“Oh,” said Jeanette, as if she now understood.
“Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
Zeth seemed like a different person to Jeanette, but still cute. She smiled. They walked back to the main street together.
Picking up his backpack, Zeth said, “Yep, I think Sam was the real hero.”