Somewhere Only We Know

Chapter Three

"You guys know the saying right? If you can't beat them, join 'em and I truly believe that this saying can be applied to many things. For example, childhood trauma! If you can't heal from it, make jokes about it! Dark humor is an essential asset in therapy and laughter cures all illnesses!"

Zackary stared at the kids sitting in a circle and he started regretting having chosen a new club rather than sticking with the old one. Sam at least, looked amused as for the rest, they looked half-dead. Of course, they were all the most successful kids of the year with no absences and higher than average grades. It was obvious that none of them knew how to take a joke and this wasn't some sort of stand-up comedy. It was serious.

He cleared his throat, "Anyway. I'm Zackary but please call me Zack. Can't wait to be on the school board."

He rapidly sat back down as the next class president stood and started their introduction. He spent the next hour staring out the window in boredom.

It wasn't unknown to Zackary what others thought or felt around him.

He knew himself that he wasn't an easy person to hangout with (he wouldn't open up easily) and it was one of the reasons why he patiently waited, without any eagerness, for the moment his close friends would finally get tired of him and leave.

He had recurring nightmares about it, but never bothered to discuss his fears with the people he supposedly trusted, which is why he always felt a heavy weight getting lifted off his shoulders whenever he arrived to class in the morning and saw his loyal companions waiting for him against the doorframe.

He knew all too well that his friends never supported his lifestyle and the way things went around in his family. Of course, what could he do?

Coming from a family of successful doctors and lawyers, all he could hope was that he would at least reach half of the expectations his mother and father had for him.

Juggling multiple activities at once and trying to get better grades after each test seemed to be his only occupation these days, and Zackary felt perfectly fine with it, even if the kids who surrounded him believed otherwise.

Zackary silently followed Andy and Sam who teased each other every hour of the day as if it were the one thing they absolutely had to do before leaving school and he walked slowly, unaware of the figure approaching him from behind. Nolan wrapped an arm around him, making his eyes widen in surprise as he snapped out of his thoughts. This guy was unbelievable, always creeping behind people and appearing at their side out of nowhere.

"Zack, Zack, Zack...My dear Zackary, please tell me you're coming to my party tonight?"

Zack stayed still, unfazed as they walked into the first period of Thursday afternoon: art class. In all honesty, he didn't want to attend art class and would much less want to attend the party Nolan was throwing. His friend had a habit of doing crazy parties whenever his parents would leave town, leaving a trail of hangover teenagers wandering around the hallways the next few days like mindless zombies. Zackary did not want to end up that way, especially not since the incident.

He shoved Nolan's arm off, his eyes flickering to the side. "Call me Zack, not Zackary. And yeah, if my parents let me."

They sat in the center of the classroom, Andy and Sam sitting in front of Nolan and him, turning around to listen to their talk. Sam leaned back in his chair as he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"So what if you're parents don't accept? Just find an excuse and join us!" He chimed in with a strong lack of enthusiasm.

As if an excuse would help him. If his parents, especially his mom, found out that he went to a party without supervision and without their consent, he would be screamed at as if he had committed the worst atrocity known to man.