Chapter 1

It had been his best idea yet. He hadn't even anticipated such an idea t
o result in such a compelling anecdote. Alfonzo Cabrese had taken the synopsis o
f the story and the first chapter of it and rushed his way to the publishing com
pany in Little Italy in great hopes that his printed masterpiece could have the
glory of fame bestowed upon it.
As he docked his medeocre 1976 El Camino into the parking lot, he alread
y felt a wave of pride rush through his veins like boiling lava immediately coo
ling into a river of ice water. When he reached one of the eight open desks at
the main office he randomly ended up at a desk that was occupied by a man with a
shirt tagged with the name Anthony. Alfonzo had ran to Anthony's desk so fast t
hat he had arrived with a crash, engulfing Anthony in a whirlwind of sixteen pap
ers.
"I'm assuming you want me to read this." Anthony marked bluntly. He sigh
ed in exasperation, possibly after a long career of people submitting un-impress
ive writings--to
say the least. At the exhale of his sigh, Alfonzo couldn't h
elp but notice the double chin crease underneath his real chin. Attempting to co
nceal his gaze he shakes his head and kindly retorts, "Oh, I apologize..." Doubl
e taking at Anthony's nametag with a squint, Alfonzo pauses a second and continu
es with "Anthony. I guess I got a little excited. I really couldn't wait to see
your response and I wanted to get here first, before anyone else could take the
front spot." With a sarcastic (or poorly acted) grin, Anthony says "It's okay si
r, accidents happen. I'd be more than glad to read what you have!" and then, jus
t at the peak of Alfonzo's awareness he hears Anthony mutter "Yeah yeah a great
novel, as if I hadn't heard that crap before."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll get back to you in approximately 1 week, possibly 2."
As Alfonzo returns home, feeling slightly less confident in contrast to
when he was approaching the publishing company.
That night when Anthony went back to his lonely apartment, he dropped hi
s suitcase and stripped down to just his tank top undershirt and boxers. He sat
himself on the couch and turned the radio onto soft jazz and decreased the volum
e so he could concentrate. He then set his suitcase on the table in front of him
and unlatched the locks. As it opened a flock of papers jumped out. After about
two or three rejected files Anthony encountered Alfonzo's submission.He started
with the synopsis. He tightened his hand to straighted out the paper, he adjust
ed his reading glasses and got to reading. That dull expression on his face from
previous entries had slowly lightened and brightened a steep frown dropped acro
ss his cheeks and his eyes widened with a strong sense of impressment.