starlight || newtmas

one

***
August 7th, 2005
- 110 days before -

***

Thomas' parents point out the sign that had a faded arrow that read, 'Riverwood Boarding School'.

"Thomas, look," Ted said, cocking his head up at the sign, to which they turned into. Following an unkept paved road, they breached the open gate to the school.

From what Thomas could see, there were many teenagers in the parking lot. Unloading their belongings, hugging their friends, blasting music; it was chaos.

"Tom, do you want our help?" Tina asked as Thomas unloaded the first trunk from the car. "No, I'll be fine."

His mother pouted a bit, but accepted the fact that her son was an independent person who could do things himself.

"You can see what cabin I'm in," Thomas told her, sensing the disappointment radiating off of her. She smiled wide, practically running out of the car to help him.

"Your mother can be a real hoot sometimes," Ted said, pulling a mattress topper from the trunk. "You're going to need this," he then pulled a battery powered fan, "and one hundred percent this."

His father's country-accented voice sounded like everyone else around him, really setting in that he was far away from Denver. "You see that Thomas," his father asked.

Thomas looked at the clock tower that was surrounded by bars on each side. "When I was your age," he started but Thomas finished his sentence, "You and your buddies popped that sucker right off."

"Still the greatest prank in history."

His mother rushed back, telling them that he was in Cabin 12, one the edge of the square of cabins he could see in the distance. "You got one of the best spots, son," his father said.

"Why?" Thomas asked. Ted leaned in, whispering, "Ain't no one goes over there," he clapped Thomas on the back, embarrassing him.

Tina overheard what her husband told her son, becoming furious. "Ted! I haven't given him that talk yet," Tina his his chest. "Tina, he's sixteen, he knows just to keep it in his pants."

Thomas grabbed his trunk and rushed to the cabin, making it his mission to get away from his parents as soon as possible. The white cabins had red doors and mossy, concrete paths leading up to it.

There were kids already in the courtyard. He saw two boys trying to push a couch through a doorway, failing miserably at it. "Hey, idiots! Turn the couch the other away," heard someone call, seeing a counselor in a red shirt pointing at them.

The man was small with dark skin and a shaven head. "Don't make me burn that couch before you's can even get it inside! Breaking the damn door," the man called.

"Shut it, Alby," Thomas heard the blonde yell at him. "Zart, Don't you think for a moment that I won't beat your-," Thomas rushed out of reach before he could hear the rest of the conversation play out.

At his cabin, the '2' on the door was crooked and the paint was chipped. He pushed open the door, seeing a backpack on the floor but nothing else to signify anyone was there.