One of the Boys

I had tried to separate myself from Teddy after assembly as soon as possible. Being around him for my first day was too much. People hoarded around him with a force as strong as gravity. The boys, his upperclassmen and underclassmen, were all mostly taller than him and seemed to love ruffling his hair, picking him up and commenting on how nice it was that he had made a new play friend. I was the new play friend.

Being just slightly smaller that Teddy, I was pathetic looking seventeen year old boy I admit. I only had my short hair, strong jaw line, and flat chest to help me out in my mirage. However with all this attention for Teddy that was overflowing on to me, I felt I was being scrutinized and inspected. Something was bound to look wrong to them and I didn’t need to be found out so quickly. Comments on how I was just like Teddy, just as tinny as puppy was extremely patronizing. I don’t know how Teddy could just brush it off.

“Teddy? I’m going to go put my things in my new room, yeah? I’ll catch up with you later maybe. Kay?” I don’t wait for his response but spun away from the throng of boys. I hurry down a few cemented steps and past the central quad, and towards the dorm buildings that are at the back of the school near the sport field. I had come here only on a few select occasions; when schools had chosen to suspend me instead of expelling me completely. I would spend those days staying in my parent’s small apartment or hanging out in town, wandering around the shops or catching up on work in the library.

I would to come out on to the school’s ground at night after the school had curfew and wander the grounds like a ghost. The school was on a slight hill, being converted from a fortress in 17th century, and from the fire escape stairs of the dorm buildings I had a great view of the town, and the river Tamper that ran through it. I often snuck up there and let my feet hand between the bars and relaxed. It felt exciting to know that any moment a student could wonder out and find me sitting outside their room.

My history with this school meant that finding my way around wouldn’t be so hard. I was in the Ely building, the oldest one and aggravatingly the furthest building from the school. I had never been this far out into the school before and it was unnerving how big the school was. I stopped looking at the map to readjust the box of books that was digging into my hip, and blow strand of my fringe out of my face. My bruised knuckle was really aching as the skin had cracked open and carrying the box was proving difficult.

“Do you need some help?” I turned round uncertain as to where the voice was coming from. From what I could see I was the only student heading out in this direction. Frowning and pursing my lips I started moving on.

“No, up here,” Startled I didn’t even have the time to look up before a hysterically loud laughing person dropped out in front of me from a large crooked oak tree. “Hey, so do you need help?” I was blinking, chocking, flustering in surprise and it amused him to no end. When calmed down I sent him a sour look; I wasn’t in the mood to be laughed at. I walked purposefully past him and didn’t cast him a second glance. I couldn’t make many friends this year. It was simple logic, being friends with people meant that they’d get close to you, spend a lot of time with you, find out things they are not suppose to know.

I inwardly groaned as I heard him running up towards me. “Don’t be like that, man? I am sorry, okay. I shouldn’t have laughed. But your face. Your face!” Off he went again laughing himself to kingdom come.

“My face is going to be all up in your face if you don’t stop.” I muttered pressing on forward heaving the box and my new student documents in the other hand. Swiftly the box was taken from underneath my arms in smooth motion. I spun round to face him, ready to lash out my pent up anger and anxieties.

“Hey, chill.” He whispered imitating a ‘zen’ like expression, “I only ask because your hand is bleeding and it looks painful.” Seeing his friendly open, not intimidated expression, my claws retreated. He had a contagious smile, and found myself laughing along. I realized my hostile attitude wasn’t the first impression I wanted to make on anyone.

“Sorry I blew up,” I apologized scanning my new acquaintance, “I really don’t like surprises.”

“S’all right. You just looked like you couldn’t hold the box. Your arms are too short to wrap round it right anyway. Say you must be even shorter than Teds. You’ve met Teds right? You sat next to him in assembly.” He was a tall lanky sort of boy, with straw hat over his honeycomb hair, and inquisitive gray eyes peering from underneath. A guitar was hanging off his left shoulder and a bright yellow pencil behind his ear. There was a profound ease in his movement, as though nothing could crease him. I couldn’t help wondering if he was always this happy.

“Do you know him?” I asked, annoyed that the scene in the hall was so memorable.

“Yes and no. Everyone, knows Theodore, but I’ve never really spoken to him.” By the drop of his gaze it seemed that this was something he was ashamed to admit.

“I’m Lucas. Year twelve.”

He was really taken aback by this, and I couldn’t help but laugh at his wondrous expression as he sized me up. He let out a musical whistle and chuckled, “Eric Hale, nice to meet you. You sure are strong; this is one seriously heavy box of books.” I really appreciated the fact that he didn’t make any lax comments on my size, as all the other people I had met so far had.

“I could take back the box.”

“No, it’s fine. We are heading the same way, so it’s no prob. You’re in the Ely building right? Only us unfortunate souls that to wander this far to the back of the school.” I nodded in agreement as we set of towards the building. “What hall are you in? Who knows we would be roommates. I’m 101.”

“Bad luck. I am 102,” and I am genuinely disappointed, because Eric, is a real nice guy and I realize I might end up sharing my room with a constant wanker or a x-box addict. Eric is a guitar player, and by the look of the pencil behind the ear, and notebook he carries in his back pocket, he writes his own stuff.

“What bad luck? We’re neighbors that cool enough. Plus since we are in the same dorm and in the same year that means most of our classes will be together. Anyway you only use your room to sleep and study, you spend most of your time in the dorm; in the common room, game room or kitchen, which are all shared by all the dorm mates. And since Ely is a one story dorm there is a lot less people. There is just seven rooms. You will see everyone all the time

“Sweet,” I mumbled. I was now much more uneasy about not only who I’d be sharing my room with but who I’d be sharing my dorm with.“I better had epic roommates and dorm mates or else it will be a hell of a year.”

“It should be alright. It will be the same people in there as it has been for the past three years.” He seemed slight put off by his own realization, and the last part came out as a mumble.

“So you know them quite well,” I asked trying to keep up with his long strides at the same time.

“Yeah, and so does most of the school.” He plopped the box down on the pavement and looked up at head at the entrance to the door that was crowded with about two dozen restless boys, and stretched out his arm, “Welcome to the Ely dorm, A. K. A. The ‘lege’ dorm.” He said plopping himself down on to the thick grass exhausted.

“Lege as in legend? Legendary?” I study the boys that were chatting boisterously, surrounding an overwhelmed teacher. “You have to be pulling my leg.”

“That’s what the people in the school call it.” He sighed rubbing the crease between his eyebrows. “Of course not everyone in it is a legend just a few, like Cameron, Leo, Jordan and Teddy, and company.”

“Teddy is here? He qualifies as a legend? Jeez Holden has bizarre standards.” The boys standing in front of my new home do all share something in common it true. Standing there in their uniform, it’s easy to see. In the late summer sun with their top button undone, loose ties, fluffed up hair and casual slouch; it was easy to notice their uncanny attractiveness and overall magnetism.

“Ha! You’ve barely met him; he’s like the whole school’s baby brother.”

Starring more closely I spot Teddy. He is on someone’s shoulder fast asleep with an angelic expression and a lollipop stick between his lips.

“You said you never spoke to him, yet you’ve been in the same dorm as him for two years?”

I hear him shrug, sigh and stand up. Glancing sideways at him, I see that he has become unexpectedly awkward in movement.

“Like I said, not everyone in it is a legend.”