Taion

"Okay, so we'll pick you up here at two-ten, yeah? That's when your third class is out, right?" 

I hear Alex's words, but there a bit oppressed by my thoughts of the large looming building. It's got quite a threatening mood surrounding it, and because of this, I can't force my fingertips to brush the handle and open the door; Rian reaches over- across Jack whose sitting in the middle of the back seat and opens my door for me. 

When I look at him, he gives me a weak smile. I must look paranoid. "Don't look so nervous." Yup. I look paranoid. 

I glance out cautiously- past the open door and force my feet to plant themselves on the concrete sidewalk before pushing myself out of the car. "It's so...big." I'm not sure if they've heard me because the door clicks shut behind me and the low hum of the engine clouds my choked voice. I hear the window roll down behind me, though, and Alex leaning over the passenger seat- across Zack- and loudly calling after me to text him. 

The guys drive off, and I look after them helplessly as I try to find something to do with my hands (I settle on clutching my sketch pad to my chest with one hand and gripping a strap of my book bag with the other) and nibble at my lower lip. 

I exhale, taking a clean breath before walking toward the front doors with my head cast down, staring at my shoes in a cliche manner and hoping not to draw attention to myself. I make it past a large oak that stands to the side of the campus, past a group of kids hanging out on the steps, enjoying the cool autumn air. Into the  front doors and grip my sketchbook closer. 

It takes me two minutes to find the administrations office and when I do, I quickly open my sketchbook to pull out the documents Alex had reminded me of this morning. 

"Um...Pheonix Gaskarth." I say, knowing I'd been registered as just Gaskarth instead of Stokes-Gaskarth. The woman, a small, stout lady with large eyes smiles kindly at me and takes the paper from my hands as she motions to a chair off to the side. 

I sat in there for over thirty moments and watching an entertaining display of a kid my age putting up at argument as he was being dragged to the door labeled with SECURITY OFFICER. "I did not start that fire this time! I swear!" he glances at me, smiles and changes his tone to overly friendly to shout back at me, "Welcome to Dulaney High." 

I tried to sink deeper in my chair. "Mr. Gaskarth?" I exhale loudly as I get back up and walk to the front desk. The woman's outstretched hand gives me my schedule and I take it, but instead of an empty block, I'm assaulted with a list of electives. "We don't offer early dismissal here, so I've put together a list of electives together that you can pick from." I glance at the list and turn up my nose at weight lifting, despite that Zack would've been estatic, along with with newspaper and foods class. I settle on my favorite out of them all -gym- and let her know. 

She smiles. "I'll send Coach an email. As for now, I'm Ms. Nelson. You can come up here for anything, alright?" I nod. "Your first class is down the main hall, past the library and turn left into the cafeteria. You'll go straight back down another hall- it has a restroom sign beside it- and that'll put you out on the other side of the school. English four is to the left. Big billboard covering in newspapers and book pages. It's hard to miss." 

I smile, give my thanks and walk out, my head ducked down. It isn't two seconds before someone's footsteps are chasing mine and two hands find my shoulders, the person jumping in an overly familiar way. "New kid!" 

I'm stunned and I spin around quickly, glaring, silently cursing the band for placing me in a nuthouse. I don't respond, but the new comer, the same kid that had welcomed me here keeps talking. "Hi! I'm Adam, but I can sing so you can call me Adele, too." He grins, but quickly resumes, talking a mile a minute. "That was a joke, but people do call me Adele, too. I'm not sure why, but I was let out to make sure you get to your class!" He smiles again and holds out his hand. 

I shake it cautiously; I'm not sure how I should react to his over friendly nature, since I'm more anxious around people I don't know, but it's becoming increasingly clear: this guy possibly has more friends than I've made in my entire life. He's all smiles and talk. 

"I lied. Really I told them I was going to use the bathroom, but I wanted to meet you before anyone else does. Where's your first class? I'll take you there!" He's grabbed my schedule, tsk-ed once, then shoves the paper into my hands before dragging me off down the hall. "I hate English class. Too many stupid poems and stuff. Like Gatsby. I hate Gastby, and unfortunately I think that's what you're on right now. Ever read Gastby? Well let me ruin it for you -it's a sucky book anyways -everyone dies. It's like Harry Potter in the nineteen twenties, except you know, without the wizards or death eaters." We're running though the cafeteria now, me trying to keep up. He suddenly turns around, speed walking backwards. "And owls. I love Hedwig!" 

He pauses, waits for an answer. "Your not much of a talker, are you?" 

I want to say, Yes I am, because at my old school there were days that Marcy had to tell me to shut up, but you've not given me the chance to speak yet.  But I don't say that. Not here. I settle on shaking my head. 

"Well...that's okay. I talk a lot. Here's English. Her name's Maguire. You know. Like the guy that played Spiderman that one time. Ah-mazing film, by the way. Anyways, you've got second lunch with me. Just find me, it won't be that hard. Gotta split, though. See you soon, newby!" 

He darts off. Without taking my name, and I only think, What a strange kid. 

I didn't eat with Adam that day. Nor was I forced to talk with any other student at the school. I'd spent most of the first two periods denying that I was related to Alex (just as Jack had warned me to), and drawing in my sketchbook when teachers weren't watching. By lunch, I'd wandered to the locker I'd been assigned by Ms. Maguire (nice lady who assigned the day as a writing day and made us write in a journal all period, letting us all receive hundreds for the day as long as she saw we'd actually wrote down a few words on paper -didn't even read it-said something about privacy) and managed to open said locker (only after two tries) and shoving a ton of textbooks in before stumbling into the library. 

I found a nice secluded spot by a full floor-to-ceiling window and spent the rest of the thirty minutes detailing the photo -a graphite drawing of a wolf barking up a tree where a child was trapped. Townspeople looking on. A somewhat tragic scene, but one that defined false hope; society was not going to save the child. 

I finished up quickly, two minutes to spare, and walked into the bathroom to call. I slip my sketchpad and book bag on the small shelf by the sinks and duck into a stall before pressing the speed dial. Alex answered on the fourth dial tone. "'Lo?" He asked, his voice foggy with sleep. 

"D-did I wake you?" 

Alex yawns -a clear yes, but yet replies unconvincingly, "No, not at all. Just a little nap. Tour lag, you know?"  I open my mouth to say, Yeah -I know. I'm tired too, and then maybe jokingly throw in a, You couldn't have waited a few days to throw me back in school?, but he's rambling again. "FML, what time is it?" The cracking of bones and tendons snapping as he stretches, then releases a loud satisfactory sigh. "Am I late?" I can see him in my mind, fumbling around with the alarm clock that sits on Mona's and his shared bedroom. I smile at the though. "Dude, I'll be there in ten."

"No, Alex. It's alright. They told me I had to add another class. No early dismissal. I'm at lunch now." I glance at my wrist. There's no watch, but I guesstimate. "It's like one forty something now. I'm going to finish up the last bit of third block -it's divided by lunch- then I'm off to fourth." I pause as the bell cuts me off. I bite my nails, and it muffles my voice as I continue; I'd planned on talking to him for maybe a few minutes to have some sort of comfort in this new environment, but it looks like I won't. "I picked gym. For my last period, but I have to go. Bell just rung. I'll see you when you get here."

"Alright. I'll be waiting for you. And Envy?"

"Hmm?" I slightly dip my teeth under my nail, pulling it up to make a popping sound. 

"Love you. Have a good last bit of your day, okay?"

I'm quiet, but a smile plays at my lips. "I will. You, too. Love you. Bye."  

As soon as he's bid me farewell, I've closed the phone, grabbed the VANS book bag and my sketch pad -courtesy of Jack- and rushed off to gym, clinging onto the hope that I wouldn't have to do too much strenuous activity in the class. 

Sadly, my lack of socialism leads me to gym four minutes after the tardy bell rings. I wander aimlessly along some hall I've never been to before until I give in and knock on the nearest classroom door to ask where the gym was located. 

I apologize profusely when I get to the gym, explaining I'm late because it's my first day, and while the Coach is laughing, a slightly familiar voice calls out, "Newby! Dude, you did not eat with me at lunch today."

I turn to see Adam, my personal tour guide from earlier, jogging towards me. "I saved you a spot and everything!" He bemoans, whine in his voice. "My friends think you don't exist!"

I force a smile. "I'm not big on socializing." 

He frowns, his eyes glaring at me, not bothering to hide his emotions. "Well now you are," he turns to Coach, "I'll show him the locker room!" Adam is all grins again, tugging at my shirt, but not before swiping keys off a small table. 

"Uh...aren't those-"

"Shush. I'm getting you a locker and gym clothes. I'll out 'em back."  His voice is reassuring, but I'm still paranoid. I didn't want to get caught up in trouble on my first day. We're in the boys' locker room and he's demanding, "Pick outta locker; I'll get your lock." And before I know it, he's rummaging around in a once locked cabinet, pulling out a lock and asking, "Your a small, right?" 

"Yup." He tosses me a lock and the clothes. A grey T-shirt and a knee length pair of basketball shorts. Black. 

"A bit monochrome, but you know schools. Everything's  monochrome here. Except Leo's room. I love that room, though I can't draw. Or paint. Or sculpt. Or anything artsy, really." He started examining with his hair in a mirror. Spiked, dirty blonde, and, "Just the way I like it," he states. 

It confuses me; I haven't seen a student with spiked hair since elementary school. He catches my eyes in the mirror. "Well, stop gawking at me and get on your clothes. We're both guys here."

"Right." I try to make my voice seem gruffer than it was, something Alex wouldn't've approved off, seeing at he believes it only damages your vocals and he's been trying to get me to start singing again ever since he caught the YouTube video of me singing with Chris last Warped Tour. 

I change quickly, shoving my street clothes into a locker and slipping the lock on, and turning back to Adam. "What do we do, exactly, in here?"

"Ultimate Frisbee today. I hate this game," his noise wrinkles up. He isn't smiling, but walks out of the room, murmuring something about his "impending doom", and slips the keys discreetly onto the table. 

Coach still gives him a look; I'm wearing the gym clothes -an obvious sign of his key thieving. His innocence is short lived, but he smiles anyways and appeals to the fact, "He had to have gym clothes."

The period passed quickly, and soon I was back in the locker room, texting Alex and grabbing my bag -my gym clothes in my locker- and listening to Adam hum some old Queen song. Then the bell rung. He was gone, I was climbing in the back of Alex's car, and then it hit me. 

The Adam kid still didn't know my name. 

xXx

"It was awful," I moan, tugging at my hair and watch as Zack plucks away on his bass strings. A smile is flickering in and out on his lips until he finally just bites down on it and starts strumming his bass lines to "Remembering Sunday". "I got lost." I clarify, "And was practically stalked by this Adam kid."

His eyes flick up to me, then behind me, and gives a nod as a form of warning. A little late though; two arms have already snaked around my neck and I can feel warm breath against my ear. I resist the urge to pull away, but calm down when I see the skeleton tattoo on the wrist. Alex. 

"Hey, kid. Not that I'm trying to be that kind of parent," He puts emphasis on the word, creating a stereotypical category, "but how was your day. You didn't talk any when we picked you up, even when Jack got you a frosty." He pauses, rests his head on my shoulder and out of the corner of my eye, our brown eyes meet. "Bad day?"

I nod once. "First day and I was late to all but one of my classes. And that was because I had some kid lead me around. Then, said kid is in gym with me and is nagging me about how I didn't eat lunch with him."

He snorts, grinning. "You didn't want to socialize? What did you do all lunch."

I play with my fingers and tap my foot, quicker than Zack was playing and my quick paced metronome foot throws him off. He curses, sends me a warning glare and I return it with a shy smile. I turn back to Alex, almost missing the contact that disappears as he playfully kidnaps Zack's acoustic bass and sits in Zack's lap. "I hung out in the library."

"Dude, get off of me."

"You let Phoenix sit on you."

"He's smaller than you. And cuter." Zack winks at me and I avert my eyes and trying to think of things that would stop the blood rushing to my cheeks. He doesn't mean it, I tell myself. They always joke around like this. 

"Yeah," I stand up and stretch. Before doing something rash and totally out of character. I throw my arms around both of then, grinning, and coyly remark, "I'm cuter," before leaning to place an innocent kiss on Zack's cheek. I get up and turn my back on them to walk away, but before I'm out of the room I hear Zack's blubber, "What the hell just happened?"