JACK POV

I am woken up by my alarm blaring some Green Day song and I groan as I turn it off. Great, the dreaded first day of school, luckily it was my official last first day of school as I am finally entering my senior year. I slither out of bed and hop in the shower. I take longer in the shower this morning, cherishing the cheerful warmth of the clean environment. A towel is wrapped around my waist as I step to into the steamy room, I wipe the fog off the mirror and look at myself. My hair is getting long, maybe too long, and the bleached bit has grown out a lot over the summer, I would have to either bleach it again or dye it black soon. I put my contacts in and exit the bathroom to get dressed. I pull on a pair of distressed black jeans and a purple v neck and black cardigan, I find a pair of fun socks in my drawer and pull them on with a pair of classic vans. I blow-dry my hair and choose to sweep it up and across instead of putting it up like I usually do. I run downstairs, grab a granola bar, fill my mug with coffee, pull on my backpack, find my keys, and hug my mom as I walk out the door and go to my car. I push the keys into the ignition and turn it on, plugging in my phone for some soft tunes to start the day out right. I check my phone and reread the email I got earlier in the week.

“Jack Barakat, as your duty of being an office aid this year we expect you and the other office aids to help new students find their way throughout the year. Please report to the main office 10 minutes early on the first day to get acquainted with your new student buddy, Alexander Gaskarth” it read and I started to regret applying for the position that enticed me with a promise of a perfect letter of recommendation for college

I shove my phone in my bag and put my hands on the steering wheel, I press my forehead against the backs of my hands and give myself a little pep talk.

It's going to be a good year. No matter what happens or what surfaces it's going to be okay and I will survive. I can do this, maybe this year everything will change.

I look up from my steering wheel and something catches my eye. The new kid next door is walking out of his house and gets into his car, it looks like he does the same thing I did and he presses his head to his hands on the wheel. My mom never told me who they were but I knew it was just him and his mom and that they moved here from the other side of town and that he would be going to school with me. I knew he liked to play the guitar because our room windows face each other and he has an extensive collection of beautiful acoustics and electrics.
The drive from the house to school is short and I park in one of the special parking spots designated to office aids and other students who are the principal's office aids. I walk into the main south entrance and shove my headphones in, the school foyer is buzzing with excitement and energy, while I’m just praying that I don’t fuck anything up today. I drop my notebooks off at my locker, unplug myself from my headphones, and walk to the main office with a small smile on my face. The secretary greets me and tells me to go to the main conference room where everyone else was to meet. I'm the first one there and I sit in a skinny office chair in the back corner and put my feet up on the table. The other aids trickle in as well as the new students, the last one to walk in is the boy who lives next door. All the seats are full besides the one beside me so he takes it and pulls out his schedule and starts to fiddle with it. He’s really cute but probably straight, and he has this nervous energy to him that I could easily pick up as I witnessed him hunched over looking at his shaking hands in his lap before pressing them into his legs and rubbing on his jeans.

“Hey theres no need to be nervous” I lean over and speak softly as to not startle him

He goes to speak back but the principal comes in and starts to talk.

“Barakat, feet off the table please” He laughs and I move to cross my legs in the seat he then addresses the room “Welcome to Dulaney high school everyone, it's going to be a great year. Those of you who are student aids find your buddy and start chatting.” He walks out and the room explodes in people introducing themselves

“You wouldn’t happen to be Alexander Gaskarth, would you?” I lean over to the boy

“I am why are you asking” The disheveled teen speaks quick

“I’m jack Barakat, your buddy. Looks like we will be seeing a lot of each other” I laugh “Can I see your schedule” I ask

He hands it over to me and I read it off. B&W photo with Carol, Common plan, Ceramics with Klitz, Guitar with potsic, lunch, pop lit with Bradley, and theory with Moan. Nice looks like we have more than a few classes together” I smile and hand his schedule back

“Oh, which classes” He speaks slower and straightens up and looks at me for the first time
His eyes are a deep brown and the fluorescent light in the room makes them shimmer with a deep honey color. I get lost in his features and he literally snaps me out of it by snapping his fingers in my face

“Woah, I’m so sorry that was so weird I don’t know what happened” I played off

“What classes” He nudged

“Ohh, guitar, pop lit, lunch, and theory, but I’m right next door when your in black and white, I have advanced painting the next room over, so basically you’re going to see me all day every day” I sat back in my seat and tried to avoid prolonged staring

“Lovely, now what is common plan?” He shifts in his seat and looks at his phone

“Its a time between classes that you can use to get help from teachers, get food from the cafe, or my personal favorite is to sleep in the music departments practice rooms, just make sure you set an alarm.” I laugh and look at my phone to check the time, 5 minutes before the bell “We should probably head to class”

We walk side by side in the hall and a few of my friends greet me, one in particular, Rian Dawson. He jumps on me and throws an arm around my shoulder.

“Sup barakat, how was your summer” Rian jabbered

“Same old same old, did you finally finish building your kit or is it still in shambles in your basement” I mock and he play punches my shoulder

“See you at lunch, guitar room fifth hour,” He said and walked off

“So I take it you and your friends like music,” he asks

“Yeah, what about you, what kind of music are you into,” I ask as we walk into Mr. Carols room

“Just about everything, besides country” He makes a disgusted face and we approach the teacher

“Hey Carol, this is a transfer student, his name is Alexander” I speak and Alexander shivers

“Alex, Alex gaskarth” he quickly corrects me

“Oh sorry” I apologize

“You’re fine” Alex smiles

“Go easy on him, I have to talk to moss” I talk to the teacher and turn back to Alex “ I’ll be back before the hour ends to walk with you to common plan” I smile, pat his shoulder, and start to walk to my class as the bell rings.

Alex POV

It was my first day of senior year at an entirely new school and I just pray that everything goes better than last year. I make it to school with much time to spare, but not before glancing at the kid next door. He had a guitar case in the back of his car and his hair has a streak of blonde through it that made me think of a skunk. Since moving to the states when I was seven a lot has changed. I went to a public elementary school, a private middle school, got kicked out of said private school for coming out as gay, a high school that I got bullied at, and finally in a last ditch effort for some form of quality education we moved here a few weeks ago, just in time to register and start a new school my senior year. I am ushered in the main office's conference room and sit in the back corner with the same skunk boy from next door. Before I can calm myself down he leans over and tells me to not be nervous, but I can’t help the fact that I was almost killed at my other school. We make small talk about classes and he seems sweet, a little weird, but sweet. We finally make it out into the hall and start to walk in the direction of our first hour classes, which happen to be right next to each other. His friends say hello and tell him where to meet for lunch. We finally make it to the art department and he leads me into a huge room that is comprised of three rooms separated by cabinets and file slots. One of the rooms had a white backdrop, tables and chairs everywhere, as well as a boat load of knick knacks which include a little rainbow flag in a vase of fake flowers, I smile a little at that. The middle room has four rows of brand new computers, while the far room has a square of drafting tables and a wall totally plastered in drawings, photographs, and wacky objects. Jack sends me on my way and leaves me with the teacher just as the bell rings, he tells me to sit wherever and so I do. I sit at a back table and pull out my phone. I’m lost in a world of directions to make bins and sign syllabus’s and writing little short essay answers to get to know everyone. By the middle of the class we are introducing ourselves, saying what grade we are, and two things about ourselves. it finally is my turn and I straighten up in my seat.

“Hey I’m Alex, I’m a senior, I play the guitar, and I like to go on long walks alone.” I laugh a little and we move on to the next person

At the end of the hour, Jack comes back to get me and he starts asking me some questions.

“So I usually spend common plan in the practice hall, wanna come with or do you want to stay here?” He asks as I pick up my backpack

“I’ll go with you, not like I know anyone here besides you” I chuckle

“Yeah, I forgot.” He mumbles and we start to walk down a flight of stairs

there's an awkward silence between us as we walk into a hall with cabinets full of trophies, Jack pulls open a door between the cabinets and it leads to a narrow hall lined with doors. Jack looks into the window of one of them and tries to pull the door open, it's locked so he waits a little and pulls it, this time it opens and the same buzz-cut kid is standing in front of a set of marching band drums with sticks in his hand.

“Sorry guys, Let me move this stuff into the drum room,” He said and left Jack and me to sit on the floor of the larger room

“So how are you doing, I know a new school can be really stressful and you seemed really anxious this morning” Jack spoke as he crossed his legs in front of himself

“I'm getting better, not as anxious. I started talking to this girl, Cass. She seems really nice” I mentioned

“Oh I love Cass, she is Rians girlfriend” Jack smiled as the other kid walked in and sat in the corner next to jack “Now that I think of it, you two haven’t been properly introduced, Rian, this is Alex,” Jack said and motioned to me

Rian and I shook hands and we started to get to know each other before another knock came at the door. A taller kid with a skateboard tucked under his arm walked in.

“Hey Zack, this is Alex, he is new, just like you were last year” Rian introduced me and Zack and I exchanged looks

"Lex! Good seeing you oh my god I never thought we would run into each other again” Zack smiled and I shook with fear

“Uh y-yeah, neither d-did I” I stuttered as fear rattled my bones

“How are you, you look like you're doing a lot bet-“ he started but I slapped my hand over his mouth

He pried my hand off his face and I got up and exited the room in a panic, he followed me and pulled my arm as I tried to escape. The door slammed shut and I turned to him, my sleeve started to roll up and my scars hit the light as he turned over my arm.

“Say anything to them about the last three years of my life and I’ll kill you” I managed to get out without stuttering

“Lex, I would never do that. I know what happened at Jefferson last year and that shouldn't have happened. I'm genuinely sorry, no one should have to go through that. You’re safe here” He smiled and let go of my hand

“Am I really safe anywhere?” I breathed

“Yes, you are safe here. Dulaney isn’t totally full of pricks and homophobes like Jefferson,” He put a hand on my shoulder “And no one is going to care that you’re gay, hell Jack is as queer as a three dollar bill” he laughed and I let out a sigh of relief

We entered the room again and Zack and I sat back down.

“As I was saying, Alex is an amazing singer and guitarist, you gotta hear him play sometime.” Zack smiled

“Maybe I’ll get him to play something in lunch” Jack smiled and his amber eyes twinkled

“In your dreams” I shot back, playfully.

The rest of the day was fairly simple first day of school shit that every kid knows. It was a relief to know that I was safe here, with everything that Jefferson put me through I couldn’t imagine having to deal with that stuff here. At the end of the day, I left jack, Rian, and Zack and walked to my car. On the drive back home I put on some of the loudest happy music I could find. Jack and I pulled into our driveways at the same time and I quickly pulled my keys out of the car, grabbed my bag, and ran into the house as fast as I could. My mom was still at work and would be for a couple more hours. I sat in my room for a little before the depression started to creep in, I stood up and decided to take a walk to the park across the street and take a walk to take my mind off the fact that i still have 200 something days left until I'm out of Maryland forever.

Notes

So....

I'm back.

I guess :)