locker room-dnf

chapter one

clay's pov

My alarm goes off, my eyes feeling like they're deep in my skull, sunken in. I slowly open them to feel the warm Florida sun on my face, sitting up and looking out my window from my bed. I can smell my father cooking downstairs and my sister humming to something in the hallway. My mother was probably already at work. I check the time, 7:20. I get up, grabbing clothes and heading to my shower.

I step into the hot water, slowly lathering my head with shampoo and lost in my thoughts. I had football practice after school, not wanting to go really. I had bruises from the previous practice, and I would much rather go home. But, much to my dismay, it was mandatory.

I step out, quickly getting dressed in my clothes for the day which consisted of a turtleneck underneath a sweatshirt with my school's logo on it, a pair of baggy jeans and platform converse. I fluff my hair the best I can, but it drops just at shoulder level in curly waves. I shrug and make my way downstairs, passing my sister's room where she's clearly on the phone deciding what to wear. I roll my eyes, knock extremely hard on her door and soar down the stairs before she opens it, screaming my name and cursing under her breath. I snicker and turn into the kitchen, nearly tripping over Patches.

"Clay." My dad sits at the table with a cup of coffee and his eyebrow raised, certainly because of my door knocking shenanigans. I look at him expecting to be scolded, but he holds up his hand for a high-five. "That shit was funny. Don't do it again." I chucked and complete the high five, then make my way to the fridge to grab two bottles of chocolate milk, one for me and one for Drista. I sit at the table eating my own breakfast while waiting for her, until finally she makes her way down the stairs.

"Clay, you suck. I'm taking the bus." I sigh dramatically. "You mean my baby sister doesn't want to ride in her big brother's fancy car and get popular status on her first day?" I tease her, pinching her cheek as she sits down. She swats my hand away and grumbles. "Fine."

She finishes her breakfast quickly and we head out the door, yelling goodbyes to our father who was feeding Patches, who was meowing at his feet.

———

We pull into my usual parking space which is painted lime green with a smiley face on it. Drista steps out of the car and winces as she noticed the hoard of students gathered nearby my parking spot by their own cars, yet waiting for me. I start speed walking away, but the students notice and start following me with questions about my summer. I groan inwardly and simply smile at Drista as she runs towards the school, hoping to get out of the crowd. She looks back and waves quickly.

I finally make my way to the school, answering the crowd's questions with quick answers. I go to my locker and open it, dropping my shit inside of it and slamming it shut, resting my head against it.

A few moments of silence.

I hear hoots and hollers of my friends down the hall and my eyes flicker upwards, looking for the familiar faces.

Alex, Nick, George and Karl are kicking lockers, shouting, making a ruckus and overall being the usual stupid nuisances they are down the hallway. I sigh with a smile on my face and start shouting with them.

"Clay! What's up, fuckass?" Alex claps me on the back roughly and I chuckle, still grinning like an idiot.

"Big Q! My main man, what's up?" I break out into a wheeze as he scrunches his face as the nickname and then smiles proudly.

I greet the rest of the crew, giving each a brotherly hug and talking about our summers. There's talk of George going all the way to his hometown for the summer, of course that prick had the most interesting summer.