Enter: Beckett Howell[1]Edit[]
It was the start of October and the leaves were turning orange and brown and a chilling breeze scattered the fallen leaves about everywhere. A large black pickup truck pulled up to the gates of a large and somewhat formal looking school. Inside the truck was it's driver, a good looking black-haired man who was about in his mid-thirties. The man, named Emery stared at the school and felt a twinge of nervousness. He turned to look at his two passengers, two boys in the backseat. One wasn't his child, but rather his child's friend who had no one else to care for him. This boy, Kian, was peering out beyond the the other boy to stare at the school, looking both amazed and slightly fearful. Kian brushed his own black hair out of his face, revealing his own brown eyes. The other boy risked a sullen glance at the school. "Well boys, here we go. Your new school." Emery said, trying his best to inspire calm in his voice for the boys' sake. "Wow that's pretty big." Kian exclaimed, his eyes traveling to examine each building they could find. "I suppose." the sullen boy remarked indifferently, refusing to be impressed. "You okay Beckett?" Emery asked his sullen son.
I turned to dad with a look of reassurance. "Yes father." I said politely. "Try to stay out of trouble if you can help it, okay?" He urged us gently. Both of us nodded. He helped us remove our trunks from the car and embraced each of us before bidding us luck and a good time. Then he drove off and left us both alone at the gates.
I lifted my trunk and walked onto the premises. Kian followed, doing the same. I looked around, briefly wondering where the dorm was but I had no time to debate the matter, as I heard someone stumble behind us.
I turned around sharply, my piercing blue eyes ready and searching for action if needed but there was no need. It was just a small brown-haired boy, about eight years old perhaps. The boy had a trunk as well but his ride had already left and he was struggling to lift it. I walked over and stretched a hand of help out to him. The small boy turned his green eyes to my hand, looked surprisedly at his trunk, then at me. I put on the most comforting smile I possibly could and the young boy relented, giving me the handle. I lifted both trunks with some effort and walked, only slightly weighed down, back to Kian. "Thanks." the small boy said shyly. "Don't worry about it." I reassured. I now took a look around to make an estimate of which way the dorm was. To our left was a building, to our right was another with a similar area. Directly in front of us was a plaza which to its' center lay a large building, which I deduced was the school part of it. I knew other buildings lay in the area beyond but I couldn't see them very well.
Just then an older-looking brown haired boy walked over. He was slightly taller than Kian and stockier but he appeared to be younger than him. He had a very laid back look to him but his eyes were very alert and observant. He offered a kind smile. "You guys are new here?" He asked very casually. "Yes." I replied and the young boy nodded in agreement. "Cool." The older boy said, smiling. "The Boys' Dorm is this way. Follow me." he said, leading us to the building on the left. Once inside there was a rec. room directly in front of us, as well as a hallway leading left and another leading right. He led us into the first room on the right, on the side opposite where the room beside the rec. room was.
In the room was four beds neatly arranged, each bed had its own work space and storage. At the left end of the room were four wardrobes, each was in its own neatly divided fourth of the very large closet. Each wardrobe took up only a portion of each individual closet space and in the rest was an assortment of storage bins. Only one bed and wardrobe had been filled with belongings and prepared. The boy smiled proudly. "My mom provided those. She said it helps with organization." He declared. "Give her our thanks then." I replied, smiling. The boy held his hand out to me. "My name is Jett Malone." he said happily. I took Jett's hand and shook it. "My name is Beckett Howell, and this is my friend Kian Armadan." I replied. "And my name's Zander Vans." The little boy warbled. We each took a turn shaking hands except for Kian and I as we already knew each other, and began to settle in.
Jett had already unpacked his things but he was happy to help until finally we were all settled in. Jett had taken the bed in the upper left corner, on the side that had windows and he had also taken the closet closest to the windows. So we filled in the closet beside his with Zander's belongings, followed by mine, leaving the last closet closest towards to the side of the room where the door was to Kian. I claimed the bed closest to the door and Zander took the one across mine and beside Jett's and Kian did the same in the bed across Jett and beside me.
"So how old are you guys?" Jett asked. "Fifteen on Halloween." I replied. "Seventeen." Kian added. Zander, paused before saying "Eight...well nine in January." He took a good look at each of us and said "Oh I'm fifteen but I'm gonna be sixteen in March." We nodded.
On Jett's suggestion we changed into our school uniform, which was a white shirt, school slacks and a blue vest. I left my white shirt untucked, with the shirttail sticking out and the others did the same with their identical uniforms. Shortly after we left the dorm with our supplies and headed into the school building, which was two stories and full of lockers and classrooms. The office lay right by the stairs on the second floor landing and we walked in. Once inside we waited in the small line of others and picked up various things given to us in an envelope by a bespectacled prefect manning a table. Jett led us downstairs to the cafeteria where we took a small and isolated looking table.
We began to search our envelopes at once. Inside was the school's guidebook, a map of the school, a small computer card that had my schedule and a list of books or other materials we may need that can be gotten on campus. In the guidebook was a rundown of the school's history and a list of rules and punishments for breaking them and it also had the information about school sports and clubs, as well as events. The map had the location of each class as well as listing what each room was. "The only real rule here, if you wanna be successful, is don't get caught." Jett added. We learned this was Jett's second year here. We were all thrilled to discover the four of us had the same schedule.
"Okay time to teach you about the cliques here." Jett said. He pointed to some strong looking guys wearing sports sweaters and letterman jackets. "Those guys are the Jocks, and that medium sized brunette near that big Black boy is their head honcho, Ted Thompson. He's the football team's star player quarterback. He's a nice guy if you get to know him but not a particular genius." Jett said. He pointed now to a group of boys playing chess. Most of them had glasses and were either lanky or obese, wearing green vests and sweaters recognized as Astronomy club wear. "Those are the Nerds." Kian denounced. "They may be weak but they are pretty smart. That guy with the glasses in the middle of them is Earnest Jones, their leader."
Now Jett turned to point at a bunch of guys wearing fancy nice-looking Aquaberry clothing. "Those are the Preppies. The rich kids of the school. They're real picky about money and lineage and all but they can be rather oblivious to real issues. They're good guys though. That kind of tan blonde near the big brunette is Derby Harrington, their rich leader. He's pretty arrogant but I bet he has a good side somewhere deep inside him. Somewhere deep deep deep down he's alright." Jett turned to bunch of tough looking guys wearing leather and jean jackets with greased back hair. "And they are the Greasers. They're pretty darn tough but they are kindhearted fellows inside. That medium sized one with the different looking brown hair is their respective leader, Johnny Vincent. The guy gets mad easily and gets paranoid but he's a loyal friend if you get to know him." Jett added. "The guys with the white shirts over there are the Bullies and the big one is their leader Russell. And everyone else doesn't have a group." Jett concluded.
Just then one of the white-shirted boys Jett called Bullies walked over as I stood up to get a better view. He was a brunette and pockmarked, with a black eye. He was far taller than me, I was actually slightly smaller than the average fifteen year old. He shoved me. "Gimme your lunch money kid." He sneered confidently. "No." I replied. The cafeteria became quiet and all eyes turned to us.
"What?" He asked, more to intimidate than to ask a question. "You heard me." I said. "And while your at it get out of my face." I said, shoving him away roughly. Jett's mouth dropped open, Kian eyed me warily and Zander his behind Jett. The boy swung a punch at me, which I dodged deftly, returning it with a skilled sweep-kick that knocked him off his feet. He attempted to punch me again but again I merely ducked before returning it with a quick volley of my own. I grabbed his arm and gave him an Indian Burn. As soon as he got back to his feet he broke into a full dash and fled the cafeteria. A couple of his white-shirt bully buddies came at me but I managed to drive them all back, receiving only hardly a punch or two on the arm.
The big bully, with the reddish brown hair walked over and grunted something angrily at me. I shrugged. He swung at me and I punched back. He did give me a painful punch on my arm but I managed to avoid most moves and finally I beat him. Instead of humiliating him though, I offered my hand to help him up, which he took. He nodded at me with respect and I gave the same to him. He had only fought me to defend his friends. Russell left to find his friends.