Six Feet Under the Stars
First Encounters
Walking into the school, Alex and his mom were immediately with a garish yellow and green (the school colors) banner reading "Welcome New Students!", which was obviously made several years earlier.
"Welcome!" they heard an overly peppy, middle aged woman call from a fold-out card table in front of them, with a sign taped to it saying 'Student Check-In/Registration'. Alex saw his mom plaster on her signature 'Life is great!' smile, the one she had learned through years of praticing real estate. He had always hated it, almost as much as he hated overly peppy people.
"Hi," Mrs. Gaskarth said, sticking her hand out, which the other woman, whose name tag identified as 'Carol', shook enthusiastically, "I'm Isobel Gaskarth, and this is my son Alex." She looked at Alex then, with a face that obviously said, "Be polite, or I will make your life even worse than you already think it is."
"Hi," Alex mumbled, not bothering to mask his unhappiness, not even looking up at Carol, instead opting to hide behind his fringe.
Carol looked confused for a split second before reverting back to her helpful, happy, excited to be here administrator mode. Looking down at her list, she quickly scanned it and found Alex's name. "Oh, you're our new tenth grader," she said, still in that sickly sweet voice of hers, "You'll be staying in dorm 212 in building 2. Your roomate's name is Jack Barakat, he was here last year so he should be able to help you find your way around, if you need it."
Alex had tuned out of the conversation by this point, vaguely aware his mother and the secretary were now discussing class schedules and school policies. He couldn't believe this was now his life. Just three weeks before, he was at his best friend, Rian's, house, planning out the band they were going to start together. That day, he had told Rian he was gay, because he just couldn't keep lying to his best friend like he was. Rian, of course, was perfectly accepting, and that gave Alex hope his parents would be the same way. So that night, he had told them, and needless to say, it didn't go over to well. His dad had screamed, his mother had cried, everyone had prayed, and now here he was. At a Catholic boarding school, the exact kind of place that he hated.
Alex was jarred out of his moody thoughts by his mother and Carol corralling him out of the main building and towards the dorms. He was brought to the second building, and then was led up a set of stairs, still lugging all of his bags with him. Eventually he wound up outside a door labeled '212', then had a key shoved in his hand by Carol, with a cheerily said, "Make sure not to lose this."
Alex held back another sigh as he inserted the key into the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open, revealing the empty room. There was a window in the white-washed wall opposite the door, industrial-looking fluorescent lights in the ceiling, a set of bunk beds were pushed against the left wall with two identical, wooden desks opposite them, and a set of wooden drawers on either side of the door. Judging by the bareness of the beds, it was obvious Alex's roommate hadn't arrived yet.
Alex mechanically walked into the room, dumped all of his stuff on the bottom bunk, and robotically turned around to hug his mother, not putting any warmth into the embrace. "Have a great year," he heard her say into his ear. He scoffed quietly, because really, how likely was that, and she must have heard because when she pulled back, she had a steely expression planted on her face.
The still smiling Carol, oblivious to the tension in the room, said, "Okay, I'll leave your class schedule and a map of campus and the school building on the desk here, and show your mother out. You get settled in, there's going to be a school wide assembly at five and then dinner at six."
With one last emotionless pat on the shoulder, Mrs. Gaskarth and Carol exited the room, leaving Alex with just his suitcase and his thoughts. Deciding that if he was gonna have to sleep here, the mattress should really have some sheets on it, Alex set to making his bed, which he soon realized was a much tougher task than he had anticipated.
"You stupid cock-sucking, shit eating motherfucker!" Alex yelled the third time the fitted sheet came off the first half of the bed, "I will kill you and your entire fucking family, you worthless piece of sh-"
Alex's tirade was abruptly interrupted by the door opening and a raven haired head poked around the door. "Um..." the boy said apprehensively, "Is everything okay in here?"
Alex's head immediately whipped around towards the door, face flushing with embarrassment at having been caught arguing with a sheet. "Yeah," he muttered looking down, "Just having some trouble with my bedding."
He heard the other boy laugh as he opened the door wider and walked into the room. "Don't worry about it," he said smiling, putting his bags down, "I fucking hate those things."
Alex smiled a little and looked up at the boy standing across the room from him, and said, "I'm guessing you're Jack then."
"Yep," the teen, apparently Jack answered, said, "And that must make you Alex."
"I guess it does," Alex sighed, turning back to trying to make his goddamn bed.
Jack watched Alex continue to struggle for a minute or two, before saying, "Would you like some help with that?"
Alex turned around again, nodding gratefully, "Please. I have no idea how to do this shit."
Jack laughed again, and walked over, grabbing one end of the sheet. "Grab the other end," he instructed, pulling his end over the end of the bed opposite the door, while Alex did the same thing with his end, snapping the sheet into place.
"Thanks man," Alex said, moving to sit on the newly covered bed, "I've never made a bed before, so I was probably gonna be at it for another hour if it wasn't for you."
"Not a problem man," Jack said, sitting down next to Alex. "So why're you here? You don't exactly look like a good, Catholic kid to me," he continued, looking Alex up and down, taking in his long, scruffy dirty blonde hair that hid his hazel eyes, Green Day shirt, skinny jeans, and beat up red Converse high tops.
"Parents think God will make me straight," Alex responded, then glanced concernedly at the other teen, "You don't have a problem with that kind of thing, right?"
Jack chuckled lightly and shook his head, "Nah man, that kind of religious hate is bullshit if you ask me."
"Good," Alex sighed, relieved. "So, why are you in here?" he asked, "You don't exactly look very holy yourself." He glanced over at the other boy, surveying his black and blonde dyed hair, his Blink-182 shirt (at least he had good taste in music), his baggy jeans, and his black Vans.
"I'm just here cause it's better than being at home," Jack replied, flopping back on the bed and turning his head to the side. That's when he saw Wendy propped against the wall next to the bed.
"Dude!" Jack exclaimed, getting up and walking over to the guitar, "You play guitar?"
Alex nodded and responded, "Yeah. I'm not very good, but I can do a few Blink and Sublime songs. Me and my friend were actually about to start a band when I got sent out here."
"That's sick man," Jack said, a little wistful, "I've always wanted to learn, but I could never afford to buy a guitar, and even if I could, my mom always says that rock is a sin and all that bullcrap."
Alex looked over at Jack and saw the longing look on the his face, an instinctively offered, "I could teach you sometime if you want. It's actually pretty easy once you get started."
Jack turned to Alex, a grin splitting his face in two. "Oh my god, you're awesome dude!" he exclaimed, before tackling the blonde in a hug.
Alex laughed, before shoving the other boy off of him. "It's seriously no problem," he said, still smiling, "No need to kill me over it man."
Jack sat up, and said, slightly breathlessly, "Sorry dude. Guess I forgot to tell you I don't really understand personal boundaries."
Alex just shook his head and looked up at Jack, saying, "I think you're gonna be a pretty awesome roommate man."
Jack just smiled and said, "I was about to say the same thing about you."
"Welcome!" they heard an overly peppy, middle aged woman call from a fold-out card table in front of them, with a sign taped to it saying 'Student Check-In/Registration'. Alex saw his mom plaster on her signature 'Life is great!' smile, the one she had learned through years of praticing real estate. He had always hated it, almost as much as he hated overly peppy people.
"Hi," Mrs. Gaskarth said, sticking her hand out, which the other woman, whose name tag identified as 'Carol', shook enthusiastically, "I'm Isobel Gaskarth, and this is my son Alex." She looked at Alex then, with a face that obviously said, "Be polite, or I will make your life even worse than you already think it is."
"Hi," Alex mumbled, not bothering to mask his unhappiness, not even looking up at Carol, instead opting to hide behind his fringe.
Carol looked confused for a split second before reverting back to her helpful, happy, excited to be here administrator mode. Looking down at her list, she quickly scanned it and found Alex's name. "Oh, you're our new tenth grader," she said, still in that sickly sweet voice of hers, "You'll be staying in dorm 212 in building 2. Your roomate's name is Jack Barakat, he was here last year so he should be able to help you find your way around, if you need it."
Alex had tuned out of the conversation by this point, vaguely aware his mother and the secretary were now discussing class schedules and school policies. He couldn't believe this was now his life. Just three weeks before, he was at his best friend, Rian's, house, planning out the band they were going to start together. That day, he had told Rian he was gay, because he just couldn't keep lying to his best friend like he was. Rian, of course, was perfectly accepting, and that gave Alex hope his parents would be the same way. So that night, he had told them, and needless to say, it didn't go over to well. His dad had screamed, his mother had cried, everyone had prayed, and now here he was. At a Catholic boarding school, the exact kind of place that he hated.
Alex was jarred out of his moody thoughts by his mother and Carol corralling him out of the main building and towards the dorms. He was brought to the second building, and then was led up a set of stairs, still lugging all of his bags with him. Eventually he wound up outside a door labeled '212', then had a key shoved in his hand by Carol, with a cheerily said, "Make sure not to lose this."
Alex held back another sigh as he inserted the key into the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open, revealing the empty room. There was a window in the white-washed wall opposite the door, industrial-looking fluorescent lights in the ceiling, a set of bunk beds were pushed against the left wall with two identical, wooden desks opposite them, and a set of wooden drawers on either side of the door. Judging by the bareness of the beds, it was obvious Alex's roommate hadn't arrived yet.
Alex mechanically walked into the room, dumped all of his stuff on the bottom bunk, and robotically turned around to hug his mother, not putting any warmth into the embrace. "Have a great year," he heard her say into his ear. He scoffed quietly, because really, how likely was that, and she must have heard because when she pulled back, she had a steely expression planted on her face.
The still smiling Carol, oblivious to the tension in the room, said, "Okay, I'll leave your class schedule and a map of campus and the school building on the desk here, and show your mother out. You get settled in, there's going to be a school wide assembly at five and then dinner at six."
With one last emotionless pat on the shoulder, Mrs. Gaskarth and Carol exited the room, leaving Alex with just his suitcase and his thoughts. Deciding that if he was gonna have to sleep here, the mattress should really have some sheets on it, Alex set to making his bed, which he soon realized was a much tougher task than he had anticipated.
"You stupid cock-sucking, shit eating motherfucker!" Alex yelled the third time the fitted sheet came off the first half of the bed, "I will kill you and your entire fucking family, you worthless piece of sh-"
Alex's tirade was abruptly interrupted by the door opening and a raven haired head poked around the door. "Um..." the boy said apprehensively, "Is everything okay in here?"
Alex's head immediately whipped around towards the door, face flushing with embarrassment at having been caught arguing with a sheet. "Yeah," he muttered looking down, "Just having some trouble with my bedding."
He heard the other boy laugh as he opened the door wider and walked into the room. "Don't worry about it," he said smiling, putting his bags down, "I fucking hate those things."
Alex smiled a little and looked up at the boy standing across the room from him, and said, "I'm guessing you're Jack then."
"Yep," the teen, apparently Jack answered, said, "And that must make you Alex."
"I guess it does," Alex sighed, turning back to trying to make his goddamn bed.
Jack watched Alex continue to struggle for a minute or two, before saying, "Would you like some help with that?"
Alex turned around again, nodding gratefully, "Please. I have no idea how to do this shit."
Jack laughed again, and walked over, grabbing one end of the sheet. "Grab the other end," he instructed, pulling his end over the end of the bed opposite the door, while Alex did the same thing with his end, snapping the sheet into place.
"Thanks man," Alex said, moving to sit on the newly covered bed, "I've never made a bed before, so I was probably gonna be at it for another hour if it wasn't for you."
"Not a problem man," Jack said, sitting down next to Alex. "So why're you here? You don't exactly look like a good, Catholic kid to me," he continued, looking Alex up and down, taking in his long, scruffy dirty blonde hair that hid his hazel eyes, Green Day shirt, skinny jeans, and beat up red Converse high tops.
"Parents think God will make me straight," Alex responded, then glanced concernedly at the other teen, "You don't have a problem with that kind of thing, right?"
Jack chuckled lightly and shook his head, "Nah man, that kind of religious hate is bullshit if you ask me."
"Good," Alex sighed, relieved. "So, why are you in here?" he asked, "You don't exactly look very holy yourself." He glanced over at the other boy, surveying his black and blonde dyed hair, his Blink-182 shirt (at least he had good taste in music), his baggy jeans, and his black Vans.
"I'm just here cause it's better than being at home," Jack replied, flopping back on the bed and turning his head to the side. That's when he saw Wendy propped against the wall next to the bed.
"Dude!" Jack exclaimed, getting up and walking over to the guitar, "You play guitar?"
Alex nodded and responded, "Yeah. I'm not very good, but I can do a few Blink and Sublime songs. Me and my friend were actually about to start a band when I got sent out here."
"That's sick man," Jack said, a little wistful, "I've always wanted to learn, but I could never afford to buy a guitar, and even if I could, my mom always says that rock is a sin and all that bullcrap."
Alex looked over at Jack and saw the longing look on the his face, an instinctively offered, "I could teach you sometime if you want. It's actually pretty easy once you get started."
Jack turned to Alex, a grin splitting his face in two. "Oh my god, you're awesome dude!" he exclaimed, before tackling the blonde in a hug.
Alex laughed, before shoving the other boy off of him. "It's seriously no problem," he said, still smiling, "No need to kill me over it man."
Jack sat up, and said, slightly breathlessly, "Sorry dude. Guess I forgot to tell you I don't really understand personal boundaries."
Alex just shook his head and looked up at Jack, saying, "I think you're gonna be a pretty awesome roommate man."
Jack just smiled and said, "I was about to say the same thing about you."
Notes
And boom. First chapter done way before I anticipated. I was gonna make it longer, but I really wanted to post something, and this also means that I'll be able to write the next chapter quicker since I already have it mostly planned out. Also, thanks to the people who already commented on the prologue, you guys made me smile. :)xokc
dude don't sweat it we'll wait have fun at camp :)
6/26/14