Between Fake Smiles.
Chapter 2
Josh could not take his eyes off Dan as they walked up the stairs to what would be his new dorm. His blazer was a dark blue, full of mud stains. Dan was defiantly a football guy. His shirt wasn’t tucked in and instead of fancy shoes he wore trainers, not to mention the snapback hiding his hair – Josh couldn’t get the comment about John out of his head.
Dan put one of Josh’s bags down and opened the first door in the corridor, he could hear music from the other side and the smell of pizza hit him. He stepped into the room, instantly greeted by eight new faces. Two boys were sat in front of a TV swearing at each other while their eyes were glued to the screen and their hands attached to X-Box controllers, both had long hair. “That’s Derek and Pat, behind them is Rob and John” Dan told him, Josh looked at the two boys sat on the bed behind Derek and Pat staring at the screen just as intensely.
His eyes flicked to two other boys sat on a bed; one was playing the guitar, one playing a bass. “Jordan and Mike” Dan introduced; the boys looked up and smiled. The last two boys that were too be introduced were sat on the floor, one again holding a guitar, and the last reading a book “and lastly, Ryan and Brendon. Oi, Derek, Pat come here” Dan yelled, Derek and Pat dropped the controllers and John and Rob took over their places instantly.
“Bitch, you lose that game for me – I will end you” Pat threatened John, John just shrugged. “Hey dude” he greeted.
“Hi” Josh replied.
“I’m guessing you’re the British kid?” Derek asked, Josh nodded and shook Derek’s outstretched hand, suddenly Mike and Brendon had come over to say hi, Mike holding a box of pizza which Dan took immediately.
“Thanks for saving me some” Dan said his mouth full of pizza.
“Actually...it was for both of you” Mike told Dan, taking the box of him and handed it to Josh who took a slice straight away, since everyone knows plane food is shit. “Also Josh, we made you a welcome pack” Mike said, leading Josh over to the only bed that wasn’t made up, pulling out a large plastic box from underneath.
On top was his uniform, under his books, then his bed sheets. Josh expected that to just be it, but underneath the sheets lay the good stuff, beer, chocolate, variety of food. “It’s pretty easy to get into the kitchen unseen, as for the beer, we have our connections.” Josh looked at everything and smiled.
“Thanks guys!” He said, thinking maybe this wouldn’t be as drab as he thought; he picked up one of the chocolate bars and opened it, eating it in almost three bites. “Hey, do you guys know where I can get a shower?” He asked.
“Uh, the main communal showers are broke, but there’s a block across the field you can use” John said, still not taking his eyes off from his game, Josh nodded, opening one of his suitcases for a towel and leaving the dorm.
The rest of the guys watched Josh out of the dorm window as he walked across the field and into the block of showers. “Jordan, it’s your turn to go” Mike said, nudging his friend in the ribs.
“No way man, J’s too tall – I’ll go” Pat offered, the all made noises of agreement and was soon watching Pat walk across the field to steal Josh’s clothes. Laughing when he returned with them, laughing minutes later when Josh, who didn’t look very happy at all, was walking across the field in just his underwear.
“Awe, c’mon, someone take his clothes down for him” Dan protested, still trying not to laugh.
“We expected you to like what you saw” Brendon teased with a wink; Dan threw a screwed up piece of paper at Brendon and grabbed Josh’s clothes, leaving the dorm room. Josh had just reached the door when he collided with Dan.
“I hate you all” Josh complained. “I’m fucking freezing” snatching his clothes from Dan’s hands and throwing them on.
“Hey, you got the nicer one, Pat left your pants, unlike John, who didn’t leave me anything” Dan told Josh, he looked up at Dan while pulling his jeans on.
“This happens all the time?” Josh asked, surprised but feeling a little less embarrassed, Dan nodded.
“It’s kind of a tradition, ever read a book called ‘Looking For Alaska’?” Dan explained.
“No.
“Me neither. But Derek has, he said there’s something similar in it, and as you can tell – we’re not ones for following the rules”
Dan put one of Josh’s bags down and opened the first door in the corridor, he could hear music from the other side and the smell of pizza hit him. He stepped into the room, instantly greeted by eight new faces. Two boys were sat in front of a TV swearing at each other while their eyes were glued to the screen and their hands attached to X-Box controllers, both had long hair. “That’s Derek and Pat, behind them is Rob and John” Dan told him, Josh looked at the two boys sat on the bed behind Derek and Pat staring at the screen just as intensely.
His eyes flicked to two other boys sat on a bed; one was playing the guitar, one playing a bass. “Jordan and Mike” Dan introduced; the boys looked up and smiled. The last two boys that were too be introduced were sat on the floor, one again holding a guitar, and the last reading a book “and lastly, Ryan and Brendon. Oi, Derek, Pat come here” Dan yelled, Derek and Pat dropped the controllers and John and Rob took over their places instantly.
“Bitch, you lose that game for me – I will end you” Pat threatened John, John just shrugged. “Hey dude” he greeted.
“Hi” Josh replied.
“I’m guessing you’re the British kid?” Derek asked, Josh nodded and shook Derek’s outstretched hand, suddenly Mike and Brendon had come over to say hi, Mike holding a box of pizza which Dan took immediately.
“Thanks for saving me some” Dan said his mouth full of pizza.
“Actually...it was for both of you” Mike told Dan, taking the box of him and handed it to Josh who took a slice straight away, since everyone knows plane food is shit. “Also Josh, we made you a welcome pack” Mike said, leading Josh over to the only bed that wasn’t made up, pulling out a large plastic box from underneath.
On top was his uniform, under his books, then his bed sheets. Josh expected that to just be it, but underneath the sheets lay the good stuff, beer, chocolate, variety of food. “It’s pretty easy to get into the kitchen unseen, as for the beer, we have our connections.” Josh looked at everything and smiled.
“Thanks guys!” He said, thinking maybe this wouldn’t be as drab as he thought; he picked up one of the chocolate bars and opened it, eating it in almost three bites. “Hey, do you guys know where I can get a shower?” He asked.
“Uh, the main communal showers are broke, but there’s a block across the field you can use” John said, still not taking his eyes off from his game, Josh nodded, opening one of his suitcases for a towel and leaving the dorm.
The rest of the guys watched Josh out of the dorm window as he walked across the field and into the block of showers. “Jordan, it’s your turn to go” Mike said, nudging his friend in the ribs.
“No way man, J’s too tall – I’ll go” Pat offered, the all made noises of agreement and was soon watching Pat walk across the field to steal Josh’s clothes. Laughing when he returned with them, laughing minutes later when Josh, who didn’t look very happy at all, was walking across the field in just his underwear.
“Awe, c’mon, someone take his clothes down for him” Dan protested, still trying not to laugh.
“We expected you to like what you saw” Brendon teased with a wink; Dan threw a screwed up piece of paper at Brendon and grabbed Josh’s clothes, leaving the dorm room. Josh had just reached the door when he collided with Dan.
“I hate you all” Josh complained. “I’m fucking freezing” snatching his clothes from Dan’s hands and throwing them on.
“Hey, you got the nicer one, Pat left your pants, unlike John, who didn’t leave me anything” Dan told Josh, he looked up at Dan while pulling his jeans on.
“This happens all the time?” Josh asked, surprised but feeling a little less embarrassed, Dan nodded.
“It’s kind of a tradition, ever read a book called ‘Looking For Alaska’?” Dan explained.
“No.
“Me neither. But Derek has, he said there’s something similar in it, and as you can tell – we’re not ones for following the rules”
♠ ♠ ♠
Not updated in forever.