The Resistance

POV Frank

The first thing that struck me about this place was that it freaking stunk. What even was that? It was a musky smell, but not like burning wet wood, more like something that had been damp a long long time.

As I walked up to the door, dusts of sand wafted up and made me cough. There were a few people I could see sitting around the place who looked at me with small interest, but quickly looked back to their books or friends.

I wonder if they feared me.

I have to say, I wouldn’t blame them. My long black hair had grown unruly in the past few months, there wasn’t an inch on me that hadn’t been covered in dirt of some form, and there were cuts all over my arms, making my tattoos look like scribbled doodles by a 12 year old on the back of a diary. My beloved jacket was getting unrecognizable under a thick layer of sand and dirt. Not that anybody here would recognize me.

I strode up the front steps, and was about to knock on the door when a flash of nostalgia hit me like a bullet. Last time I had walked up to a door like this... I couldn’t think about that now. I knocked on the door much violently than I had intended, then stood back a few steps.
The door swung open and a tall blonde man stood there. ‘Yes?’

I wasn’t sure what to say, even though I’d been practicing in my head since I heard of this place. ‘Umm, ur I’m here to be a Killjoy?’ I felt like I’d been sent to the headmasters’ office. I shuffled my feet, but realized this looked like I was nervous, and nervous meant weak. I stood up straighter and looked him the eye.

He didn’t look convinced.

‘Name?’

‘Ghoul.’

‘Sure. How much experience have you had?’

‘I…’ I choked down memories. ‘Lots.’ I gave him a cold hard stare, daring him to question my judgement.

Staring my scars up and down, he seemed to believe me. Indicating at me to follow him, he turned sharply on his heel and strode away. We walked in silence through a beaten up house, full of teenagers chatting and generally chilling out. Every single one of them looked at me though, all of them curious, but I just glared back. I didn’t come here to make friends, or to become ‘BFF’s. I came here… I don’t know why I came here. It looked full enough as it was. It looked cramped, like I would be living with a lot of other people very close. Fucking great.

***

Well, Kobra, the blonde guy, says I’ll be going into ‘Advanced II’, whatever that means. It means he has that little bit of faith in me though. Or is scared. Whatever, I like him. He has a no bullshit attitude, and I like that.

My ‘bedroom’ is a tiny room with 2 bunk beds in it. There’s a few stuff strewn here and there, but there’s really no way to tell anything about the people, not even their genders. I just lay on the bottom bunk on the bed by the smashed window, staring up at the wood holding up the top bed, and gradually fell asleep.

I became aware of other people. It was completely dark, but through the window panes (there were no windows) I could see every star in the sky.

There were 2 or 3 people awake, talking. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I lay as still as I could, the only difference being my eyes open. I tried to make light of their conversation…

‘..I don’t know, I just walked in here earlier and he was just laying there’.

‘Is he asleep?’ This was a voice a lot more feminine than the rest.

No, I’m just practicing my fucking statue impressions.

‘Obviously dipshit, what else would he be doing?’ This voice was a lot gruffer than the others I heard, and I liked him instantly because he obviously doesn’t tolerate stupidity either. God, if the rest of them are as dense as this girl is I think I’d prefer the dracs.

I tried sneaking a quick peek around the rest of the room. On the bottom bunk of the other bed, I could see a small figure with a lot of curves, so I guessed this was the stupid girl I heard earlier. The top bunk I could only see a lump moving slowly up and down, so I guessed this person had fallen asleep, or was quieter. The gruff voice I had heard must be in the bunk above me.

‘Sorry..’ I heard the girl mumble, and she rolled over. I heard the guy about me mutter something, and roll over too. It sounded like ‘Party’s going to have fun tomorrow’, but what does that mean? Are there parties here? That probably wasn’t even what he said to be honest. Sighing in annoyance, I turned onto my side and shut my eyes. I couldn’t sleep after that, and my skin was burning up because of the heat. What was going to happen tomorrow? I didn’t know where to go for breakfast; was there breakfast? What is this ‘Advanced’ class?

Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a ride.

***

The first thing I hear is ‘Shall I wake him up?’ My eyes weren’t yet open, and I was dreary from my night’s sleep. I kept my eyes closed though, because I wanted to see their reactions.

‘Maya, if we don’t wake him, Party will be pissed.’ This was the gruff voice that I heard last night, and he sounds pretty pissed off right now. But who the hell was this Party?

‘I don’t want to’ I hear another voice say, this one calmer, but male. ‘He needs his rest, obviously, or he wouldn’t have slept all night and most of yesterday’.

Hah, I didn’t sleep all night. I barely slept after the late night conversation. I only really slept just as it was getting lighter outside, but I have no idea how long ago that was. I thought I’d be a gentleman and make the decision for them.

‘No need to haul out the welcome wagon, I’m awake’. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, to make it look like I’d literally just woken up.

They all looked utterly shocked. Was it my abrupt entrance, my unruly looks or that fact that I had spoken to them? Whatever it was, I swung out of bed and stood up. For the first time, I got a good look at the others in the room.

The girl, Maya, was short with very light blonde short hair, with a bright red fringe. She was wearing a dusky jacket and a white vest top underneath. The first thing that stood out to me though was a small heart shaped necklace around her neck, and I could see a tiny clasp from where I was. I wondered what was inside. She was wearing shorts that looked a little bit small for her, which showed off a small bit of her tanned stomach; I liked her a bit more. She was actually a very pretty girl, but not my type. I bet no one around here was my type.

The taller of the boys had a very large mop of hair, an afro almost. He was tall and muscled, and was just wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He had the air of a leader about him, and looked like he could be a friend, unlike the person stood next to him. I will not judge on first impressions, but he didn’t look friendly, or the talking type. He was very tall, and very pale, which was unusual for someone living in the middle of the desert. His black hair was shoulder length and he had a bright green bandanna tied around his neck, which looked very odd compared to his dark clothes; a long jacket buttoned all the way to the top, and deep blue jeans.

The muscled male stepped towards me. ‘Ray. I’ll help show you around the place. This is Connor.’ Connor nodded at me before walking over to the window to look out of it. I rolled my eyes for no reason.
‘Ghoul’.

Ray continued: ‘Breakfast is whenever you go down. Just help yourself. If you need anything, just ask me. Classes are later on, Party will call.’

‘Who is Par-’ My question was answered before it was even asked. ‘Party is our leader. He is in charge of you, because this is Block C. You will respect him, and if you give him any bullshit you’ll have us to get through. His brother is Kobra, who showed you in coming from the rumors.’

This aggression took me back a bit. I looked at Maya, who smiled, shrugged and left the room. Connor and Ray followed her without a word. I took a deep breath, and walked out the door.

***

"ADVANCED STUDENTS, YOU GOT ONE MINUTE TO GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE. WE MEET OUTSIDE, NOW HURRY THE FUCK UP!!!"

This was probably me. I didn’t know where ‘outside’ specifically was, so I waited outside the window sill a little while longer, to see if anyone walked outside that I could follow. I needed to do something with my hands, because playing with this dog food can seemed to piss people off. Not that I cared.

A few people ran out of the door and around the back of the house a few seconds later, looking like they were being chased or some shit, so I thought that probably my cue to go. I was in no hurry, I just ambled along, and there was a group of around 10 people all crowded round this one guy. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, even though everyone else in the group was deathly silent. I could see Ray’s hair amongst the front, and surprisingly, Maya and Connor too. I don’t know why this surprises me, it just does.

Above all their heads I can see a bright red head walking from side to side. So this is the infamous, irritable, beloved ‘Party’. I couldn’t even see his face. He stops walking, and everyone turns around to look at me. Maya smiles, but other than that it was stony glances of annoyance or glares.

‘Oi, new one. Come to the front. I want to see you for myself.’ His voice is deep, husky; it has a sexy vibe to it. I accept this gracious, wondrous invitation from the godly leader himself. I stride through the crowd of people, and stop, and gasp at my new leaders face.

Maybe this Killjoy place won’t be so bad after all.