Symphony of Chaos and a Chorus of Euphoria

Taylor Jardine woke to the sound of her alarm clock blaring the tune that meant it was seven in the morning and time to get ready for school. Grumbling she sat up and slammed her fist on to the alarm clock to shut it up, she stretched and yawned trying to remember what she had on at school that Monday.

After sitting and thinking for along time she gave up on remembering her classes for the day and got in the shower to start her morning routine, forty minuets later she was ready to take on the world. Grabbing her backpack and phone she turned to leave but caught a look of herself in the mirror.

Taylor was 16 years old and about 5”9 had brown hair with natural curls the hang around her shoulders. She had parted her bans to the left and they crated a slight blinder , she was slightly tanned for your average new Yorker. A nose ring in her left nostril glinted in the light, she smiled a bubble gum smile happy with how she looked that day

After a rushed breakfast . she was standing on the street corner to wait for the bus, there was just no point of driving to school in new york. The yellow buss appeared from around the corner and pulled over for her. Taylor climbed on and looked at the floor to avoid the stares of the other students on the bus. Taylor was not at the top of the social food chain in school, she had had a bad prep school experience filled will bullying and the impact of those years carried over in to high school. She was quiet in large crowds and around people she didn’t know. Once she had found a seat she jammed her ear phones in and turned on her iPod. The song that played was “work in progress” by the bad “set your goals” Taylor leaned her head against the window and smiled. The song brought with it the memories of the past weekend, and it had been such a good weekend.

25 minuets later and the bus pulled up outside the school. Students were milling around. Kids were greeting friends or walking in to school, some were standing in large groups catching up on the weekend. Through the see of students was a tall lanky kid Taylor recognized as her best friend. Jordan. Taylor jumped off the bus to meet him.

“Morning” he yawned.

Jordan was tall and lanky, she called him goofy because he had so many goofy characteristics. His messy brown hair was stuffed under a baseball cap, which was only just large enough for his head.

Jordan was one of the few people in school who Taylor felt she could be herself around.

“Hey” Taylor said giving him a friendly hug.

“Do you know what I have first this morning” she asked

“still haven’t learned your own time table huh?” Jordan teased as they walked towards school

“Pfft no” scoffed Taylor

“History” Jordan said before a bus horn sounded and a lot of cheering and noise filled Taylor’s ears. They turned around to see what the fuss was about and saw a bus that had just parked with the words

“Williton high hockey team” on the side. Taylor rolled here eyes and laughed.

The school hockey team was the talk of the school, or rather the players were. The girls in the school ranked all the guys on the team on a scale and fell over the players feet, and they knew it to. They were cocky and self absorbed. Despite this how ever they threw the best parties in the whole school and by the looks on the players faces they had won their away games and that meant one hell of a party on the weekend.

“hey there” a rather tall guy with a hockey bag slung over his shoulder said to Taylor nodding at her before he was pulled away by his friend.

The boy had been John Richards. Despite being captain of the hockey team he was exempt from the whole douche bag rule by the fact that he was genuinely a nice guy. John had come to the school 2 years ago with his dad who was a ex NHL player and now was the coach of the team. John and his dad had helped take the struggling team to the national championships which they had lost as John had to play for Canada in the junior world cup.
John was around 6”5 and build to be athlete, he had brown hair that covered his ears and was always in a untidy sprawl. Despite being Canadian he was quite tanned, though not as dark as Taylor and this only made his chiseled features stand out more. John was the exact opposite to Taylor, he was confident and outgoing, the king of the school. There was not a thing he wouldn’t try. He had a natural glow about him that people just gathered to and it was hard not to smile back at him when he flashed you a dazzling grin. He was the envy of guys in the school as he seemed to have attractive girls tied around his finger, however despite how desirable he was with the female populous of the school he never dated, preferring to stay single and mess around with his friends rather than hearts. Most of all how ever he could think, which set him apart from most jocks. Taylor often saw him in class deep in thought staring out the window and playing with his hair.

John turned his head to see the girl he had just talked to, he could of sworn she smiled at him.

“Well done, real smooth, remind me to get pick up lines off of you, who was she anyway”? the boy who pulled him away asked. The boy was Brody, John’s best friend and partner in crime. When ever something went wrong in school John and Brody were involved somehow.

Brody was shorter than John and stocky with short shaggy blond hair and a large mouth which got him into trouble on the ice.

“shut up Brods, I don’t know who she was. Im going to find out though” John said adjusting his bulky hockey bag as they walked in to the school

“ Oh does Richie like someone? There is a head line for the school news paper “High school superstar dates a nobody”

“she isn’t a nobody Brody don’t be a dick”

“ You’re right sorry, so your mum and dad are going away this weekend, victory party at your house?” Brody changed the subject.

John put his bag down rubbing his shoulder and thinking

“yeah lets start getting things organized, drinks and a theme… yeah fuck it lets do a theme we haven’t done one of those in a while” John decided last minuet

“sick what theme” Brody asked excitedly getting out his phone and starting to text people

“dunno yet plenty of time to work that one out” John said

“yeah but knowing us we will decide it on Saturday morning, when do your parents leave again”? Brody asked now picking up johns bag so they could dump them at the rink quicker

“Friday morning want to stay at mine Friday night and help me set up?” John asked

“Yeah I was gonna suggest that, hey ill dump these at the rink ill catch up with you later”

And with that Brody walked down the hall calling

“Party of John’s this Saturday”

John stood in the hall shaking his head and laughing when out of the corner of his eye he saw her again. That girl he saw when he got off the bus, he had seen her around before he was even sure he was in some of her classes, but what was her name?

“Hey!” he called out she and a few other people turned around, but John walked over to her

“Yes?” she asked a confused look on her face. John was struck with how pretty she was. Her dark brown eyes seemed to go on forever, with a slight bow on her full lips

“Hey um sorry this will seem weird, I swear I have had a few classes with you but I don’t know your name?”

“Tay” she said still looking confused

“As in Taylor or?”

“yeah but just Tay, and if you plan on turning up to history you better get your stuff quick” she let a small smile slide before turning to walk away

“Hey Tay” John called her back she turned to look at him

“um victory party this Saturday at my place, if you want to bring some friends it would be nice to see you there”

“ill think about it” she smiled

“JOHNIE” a shriek in the hall made both their smiles fade a tall blond girl flung her self upon John

“Let go Amy, I said get off me”

When john finally did push Amy off him Tay had disappeared and john stormed off to his locker in a bad mood.

“So hang on John invited you the party he is having at his house and he said you could bring friends? Tell me again his exact words” Jordan asked excitedly as they walked to lunch

Tay sighed “ Victory party Saturday, bring some friends if you want, would be nice to see you” she summarized what john had said to her in a bored voice.

Since she had told Jordan he had been excited and kept asking Tay to recount her short conversation with John just to make sure he had all the details. People like them didn’t just get invited to parties.

The week speed on and John found him self keeping a eye out for Tay as he walked the halls of the school, at lunch and even a hopeful glance into the stands at hockey practice. Finally Friday came and John had history again which meant so did Tay. He didn’t have a chance to talk to her since Amy had attacked him in the corridor but her was going to use this class as an excuse.

As it turned out, it was a study class for a test that was announced when John was away. As john was quite good at history this didn’t bother him and he walked in taking a seat at Tay’s table. She looked up at him and quickly back down at her paper. John saw that instead of dates and events she was scribbling what looked like lyrics down. John cleared his throat and she looked up giving him a look that clearly said

“What?”

“Still good for this Saturday?” John whispered pulling books out of his bag

Tay gave him a cheeky grin and nodded

“Excuse me Mr.’s Pikes but may I borrow John for a moment” a voice from the door announced Brody

“Yes I suppose, for how long?” Mr.’s pikes asked in a slow voice

“ Oh I don’t know there is a problem with the ice rink and Mr. Richards isn’t here we thought John could fix it”

“Very well, John pack up your things” she said waving her hand to dismiss him

John got up but instead of turning around to walk out the door he walked around the table to Tay and leant over the table. Tay sat back as john pulled her paper towards him and in a corner scribbled down his address. He thought he saw a faint smile play across her face as he left.

“Dude what is it?” John asked once they were in a quiet corridor

“Want to skip school? I don’t feel like it today” Brody said yawning

“Yeah alright, meet you at my house” John said before walking to his car

The Richards house was large 3 story white building with a large garden, big enough for a back yard rink and a swimming pool/spa. John had arrived home to find Brody waiting for him and together they unloaded all the drinks in his car, which was quite a lot and dumped them in the kitchen. That after noon they spent setting up the house which involved John climbing through his parents bed room window and locking their door and climbing back out again, and a theme which was rock show. The living room was transformed in to “ the mosh pit” the kitchen “back stage” and the bed rooms “VIP area”. After which they sat down in the living room and watched a NHL game

“What’s with you and that burnet girl” Brody asked handing john a beer

“What Tay?”

“Yeah twice I’ve caught you ogling at her now” Brody said raising an eyebrow

John shrugged

“Aren’t you meant to be dating Amy anyway?” he asked when john didn’t reply

“no she has some warped up idea in her head that we are going out, I have never text her back this year when she texts me, she is just a fame whore” John said

“yeah you have that right, anyway she wont like it if she catches you ogling that Tay girl tomorrow night”

“Yeah I guess” John said changing the channel “why are you saying ogling all the time? You used it twice in the space of two minuets”

Brody shrugged

“truth be told I just learn it today and I like the sound of it…Ogling” He giggled

“do you even know what it means?” John asked quirking and eye brow at his friend

“of course I do!” Brody exclaimed

“it means…use a condom…in Greek” he concluded

the pair laughed , john shaking his head and getting up to fetch more beer.

The two friends stayed up well in to the night talking and joking before both passing out on the couches until early after noon on Saturday.

Tay, drove to the party, it was 2 am. She had been using the cover story of staying at Jordan’s tonight and the pair had to wait for his parents to do to bed before they headed to the party. Tay had memorized the address and had no trouble finding it

“wow” she said pulling up in the shadow of the vast house

“I guess having a NHL pro as a dad pay’s off” Jordan said as she parked his car and the pair of them mad they war to the music coming from the house. To her surprised it was blink 182 “all the small things” that was blaring out of the house not some jumped up disco dance remix. The knocked on the door.

Brody answered but he was dressed as a very eccentric 80’s rocker with leather pants and jacket and a wig of black curly hair.

“Oh hey guys come on in, john is around some where ill go find him… OI RICHIE” Brody called slurring his speech a little as he stumbled away

Jordan had spotted one of his other friends, leaving Tay to make her way to the kitchen to the “Back Stage area” she smiled to her self at the decorations of the place. Grabbing a beer she looked around for John, to thank him for the invite but through the see of dancing people and couples making out she couldn’t see him

“what are you doing here?”

Tay turned around, the voice belonged to Amy the bitch of the school, she used intimidation and fear to get her own way. A tall blond girl she knew her looks had and effect on people and knew how to use them to get what she wanted in a couple of sentences. She was also incredibly vindictive and needlessly cruel. Taylor said nothing

“you think just because you can talk to one of the hockey players that gives you a right to come to a party” she spat at Tay who shrunk away from her.

Tay opened her mouth to speak

“oh save it” Amy said, she looked Tay up and down

“look at you, you didn’t even need a costume, this is just how you look all the time you freak” laughing Amy left Tay standing in the corner of the kitchen felling as if she was something dirty and disgusting.

Holding back tears she ran from the kitchen and up the states opening the first door she came to. She slammed the door and sat on the bed there, She let the tears flow and she cried. She cried until she couldn’t feel anything anymore, she cried until her body couldn’t make tears anymore. How could she have been so stupid to let her guard down when she was nothing more than dirt to these people?

She could hear Amy shouting somewhere, probably demoralizing some other poor girl, her shouts were getting louder they were coming towards the door. Was she coming back for seconds? Tay began looking around the room for an escape, when

“Amy just fuck off I’m tired” it was John, his speech was slurred but it was undeniably John, the handle on the door turned then there was a loud bang. Amy must have thrown something at John but his the door instead

There was silence.

“Get out of my house” John’s voice was so steady and low but there was no mistaking the anger in it

“Now” he finished.

It must of worked because the sound of Amy walking away in the other direction was the only other sound. Then suddenly the door opened and there stood John, swaying slightly on the spot. His eyes met Taylor sitting on the edge of the bed the thing beam of light from the hall illuminating her tear stained face

“Tay!” he called

“What do you want?” she asked turning away from him

“Umm, your in my room?” John said

Tay looked around, this was john’s room with out a doubt. Hockey jerseys hung in frames around the wall, a computer opposite the door and a guitar in one corner

“Oh sorry, ill leave” Tay mumbled about to get up

“No don’t bother” John said

And with out warning he shut the door and took a great running leap at the bed almost bouncing off it. He thrashed around in bed for a few moments moaning and trying to get comfy, and stopped suddenly.

“I was looking for you” he said with a violent hiccup

Tay said nothing but stared at the floor, all the emotion she had been feeling had been replaced with a sort of warm glow.

John sat up suddenly and almost fell off the bed. Tay laughed as he clamped his eyes shut and held the sides of his head moaning softly

“how much did you drink?” she asked concerned

“To much “ John grumbled.

The door burst open again and Brody stood there

“Brodster!” John yelled

“Hey John, Fin is setting up a keg race you in-oh” Brody had just seen Tay sitting on the end of the bed

“Sorry” he said backing out of the room a sly grin on his face as he closed the door.

Tay turned back to John instead of the bubbly drunken heap he was ten seconds ago he looked completely different. Concern was etched in to his face as he struggled to keep Tay in focus

“Tay, have you been crying” he asked in a childish voice

“No” she said turning her face away from him.

John fell back on the bed “come here” he said patting a spot on the bed next to him

“Why?”

“because the room is spinning that way and laying down makes me feel like I wont die” John explain pointing both to the ceiling and the wall to the right of him with both his arms. Tay shrugged and lay down beside him on her side facing him

“What happened?” he asked

Tay drew a deep breath and began to tell him what Amy had said to her and how it had made her feel, she went on to explain how she felt invisible at school and how much in impacted her confidence. She didn’t know why she was telling John this, it just felt right to off load this on him, and he was so drunk he probably wouldn’t remember in the morning. The conversation brought Tay to the verge of tears and before she knew it her face was on John’s chest and she was curled up against him.

“Tay” he said

She looked up at him through her bangs

“You are gorgeous”