Opposites Attract
Just One Drink
The bell rang, signifying fourth period and Alex's lunch.
Thank God, he thought. All day he saw looks of disappointment from his teachers and looks of annoyance from his friends. He was boring them. He knew he couldn't keep it up much longer, he'd have to get drunk tonight. As he gathered his books he mentally calculated how long it would take to dodge his friends and skip the rest of the day.
"Hey Alex, could you hold back for a second," his English teacher Mr. Nolon.
Alex sighed and mentally rolled his eyes, as he slid back into his chair. "Catch up with you later," Alex said slapping Quinn's hand as Quinn exited the class.
"Yeah, yeah." Alex agreed, not bothering to mention his plans to ditch Quinn, he made a few seconds ago.
"Party at my house, 9:30 let's get wasted!" Quinn shouted before walking into the hall.
Mr. Nolon, rolled his eyes before putting a hand in his pocket and perching on his desk. "You know Alex, I get it."
"You do?" Alex asked surprise evident in his voice as he turned his attention to Mr. Nolon, from Quinn.
Mr. Nolon, tossed up a piece of chalk and caught it. "You have this image, as a big tough guy, you don't care for people's feelings and definitely not for school. Every school has guys like that."
"No offense Mr. Nolon, but you know nothing about me."
Mr. Nolon, stood up from his desk and walked over to Alex. "Maybe your right, I don't know anything about you, but here's what I do know." Mr. Nolon's eyebrow furrowed as he numbered off his points, one by one on his fingers. "You marks have dropped since the beginning of the year, you've been meeting with the principal every month and by the judge of your breath, you're drinking underaged. The first two I can't do much about, but the last, well that's quite illegal."
Alex eyes widened, if his mom caught a call from the police station she wouldn't surely have a heart attack. He couldn't cause her anymore pain. Her messed up her life enough.
"Mr. Nolon, you can't do this."
"Oh yes I can," Mr. Nolon began before dropping his grin and sighing, upon seeing Alex' panicked expression. "But I won't, because I believe your a good kid."
Alex breathed a sign of relief.
"But don't think I won't, I've seen too many kids throw away their lives. "
"Thank you, Mr. Nolon."
"Remember Big Tim, he wasn't always that big."
***
The music was loud. The room was scattered with cups, and people talking, laughing and socializing. And there sat Alex. He was in his zone, in his element.
He sat next to Quinn as they drunkenly told a story to a mostly female crowd.
"He was so fucked up! So he took this baseball bat--" Alex said.
"Don't ask where I got it, dude, I was fucking wasted!---" Quinn cut in.
"---And he takes this phone and shit, his MOM was on the line.--"
"And I throw the phone into the air and smack it with the bat, it shattered all over the floor. Perfect hit, you know I was on the baseball team, all four years." Quinn said the last sentence with a smug grin.
"He was grounded for like a month after that!" Alex finished.
'Wow, that is fucked up," Shannon, known as a loose girl said, sliding her hand onto Alex's knee.
Alex downed his drink, and smiled, screw teachers with their "you've got potential talk", screw his parents for trying to control him. Here he could just let go. But, if he wasn't free enough, he had one more thing to try.
"Hey Shannon, wanna go somewhere, more quiet?" he suggested.
Shannon nodded, with a sly smile on her face. Quinn whistled as Elizabeth climbed on to his lap. And Alex, led Shannon up the stairs.
***
The clock read, 3:30 am, as Alex began pulling on his jeans. He looked back at the bed where Shannon lay, before walking out the door, not a second glance.
Thank God, he thought. All day he saw looks of disappointment from his teachers and looks of annoyance from his friends. He was boring them. He knew he couldn't keep it up much longer, he'd have to get drunk tonight. As he gathered his books he mentally calculated how long it would take to dodge his friends and skip the rest of the day.
"Hey Alex, could you hold back for a second," his English teacher Mr. Nolon.
Alex sighed and mentally rolled his eyes, as he slid back into his chair. "Catch up with you later," Alex said slapping Quinn's hand as Quinn exited the class.
"Yeah, yeah." Alex agreed, not bothering to mention his plans to ditch Quinn, he made a few seconds ago.
"Party at my house, 9:30 let's get wasted!" Quinn shouted before walking into the hall.
Mr. Nolon, rolled his eyes before putting a hand in his pocket and perching on his desk. "You know Alex, I get it."
"You do?" Alex asked surprise evident in his voice as he turned his attention to Mr. Nolon, from Quinn.
Mr. Nolon, tossed up a piece of chalk and caught it. "You have this image, as a big tough guy, you don't care for people's feelings and definitely not for school. Every school has guys like that."
"No offense Mr. Nolon, but you know nothing about me."
Mr. Nolon, stood up from his desk and walked over to Alex. "Maybe your right, I don't know anything about you, but here's what I do know." Mr. Nolon's eyebrow furrowed as he numbered off his points, one by one on his fingers. "You marks have dropped since the beginning of the year, you've been meeting with the principal every month and by the judge of your breath, you're drinking underaged. The first two I can't do much about, but the last, well that's quite illegal."
Alex eyes widened, if his mom caught a call from the police station she wouldn't surely have a heart attack. He couldn't cause her anymore pain. Her messed up her life enough.
"Mr. Nolon, you can't do this."
"Oh yes I can," Mr. Nolon began before dropping his grin and sighing, upon seeing Alex' panicked expression. "But I won't, because I believe your a good kid."
Alex breathed a sign of relief.
"But don't think I won't, I've seen too many kids throw away their lives. "
"Thank you, Mr. Nolon."
"Remember Big Tim, he wasn't always that big."
***
The music was loud. The room was scattered with cups, and people talking, laughing and socializing. And there sat Alex. He was in his zone, in his element.
He sat next to Quinn as they drunkenly told a story to a mostly female crowd.
"He was so fucked up! So he took this baseball bat--" Alex said.
"Don't ask where I got it, dude, I was fucking wasted!---" Quinn cut in.
"---And he takes this phone and shit, his MOM was on the line.--"
"And I throw the phone into the air and smack it with the bat, it shattered all over the floor. Perfect hit, you know I was on the baseball team, all four years." Quinn said the last sentence with a smug grin.
"He was grounded for like a month after that!" Alex finished.
'Wow, that is fucked up," Shannon, known as a loose girl said, sliding her hand onto Alex's knee.
Alex downed his drink, and smiled, screw teachers with their "you've got potential talk", screw his parents for trying to control him. Here he could just let go. But, if he wasn't free enough, he had one more thing to try.
"Hey Shannon, wanna go somewhere, more quiet?" he suggested.
Shannon nodded, with a sly smile on her face. Quinn whistled as Elizabeth climbed on to his lap. And Alex, led Shannon up the stairs.
***
The clock read, 3:30 am, as Alex began pulling on his jeans. He looked back at the bed where Shannon lay, before walking out the door, not a second glance.