Queen Boys

Chapter 1: Goodbye Australia... Hello High School

"This is your lunch ok, I put five pounds in there so you can get some soda and an extra snack if you want... you can ask one of the big kids where to do that..."

"Do you remember your phone number? I wrote it down for you just in case... put it in your pocket, I don't want you to lose it. Ok. You ready?"

"I think so,"

"It's Johnny's big day!" my dad said snapping a photo of me and my mum who was already crying.

I suppose it's natural for parents to cry on their child's first day of school. But, this typically happens when the child is 5. I'm 16, and until today I was homeschooled. I know what you're thinking, homeschooled kids are freaks. Or that we're weirdly religious or something. But my family's completely normal, except for the fact that my parents are research zoologists and we spent the last 12 years in Broome, Australia. I had a great life... but then my mum got offered a 10 year contract at the University of Westminster. So it was goodbye Australia, and hello high school.

I should've looked where I was going, because I came close to getting hit by a bus, causing my parents, my mum in particular, to yelp in fear.

"I'm ok! Sorry... I'll be careful!"

Walking towards the doors, I was shoved by a few kids and almost hit with a soccer ball. A group of guys were wrestling and another group of people wearing baggy clothes were putting out a fire. I entered the building and quickly found my first class: Math with Mr. Kane. I spotted who I reckoned was the teacher, since he was taller than me, and introduced myself.

"Hello, I don't know if anyone told you about me, but I'm a new student here, my name is John Deacon," I said quietly and the 'teacher' turned around and gave me a sour look.

"Talk to me again and I'll whoop your arse," he scowled and went to sit in the front. I furrowed my brows in confusion and then realised I mistook him for the teacher. Two blonde students chuckled at me, and when I went to sit down at the front, they quickly shook their head.

"I wouldn't sit there if I were you... Mick Jagger's girlfriend is going to sit there," the blonde girl warned and I saw a dirty-blonde girl enter the room before passionately making out with Mick. I shuddered at the action and went to a seat behind a large guy.

"I wouldn't, he farts heaps," the blond guy warned and I sucked in my lips awkwardly while the guy eyed me in shame. I went to the one behind that seat but a guy already took it before I could take my seat. Man, it's like musical chairs in here.

The two kids eyed me while I scanned the classroom, then without warning I bumped into someone.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," I apologised picking up the scones that fell from his arms. Everyone laughed as I helped clean him up.

"It's not you, I'm bad luck..." he responded and removed his blazer, only to yank it off so hard that his shirt sleeve ripped from underneath. I sucked in my lips again, embarrassed.

Then a woman walked into the room and looked at us both.

"Mr Kane, everything ok in here?" She asked out of concern.

"Oh yeah,"

"So uh, how was your summer?" She asked while I stood at the front, still rather mortified about the turn of events on my first day.

"My wife died," Mr Kane replied flatly.

"Well, my stiff neck came back," she said rubbing her neck.

"I win," Mr Kane replied, offering a weak smirk.

"You certainly do," she said, eyeing him. Something was certainly going on between those two.

"Well I just wanted to let everyone know that we have, uh, a new student joining us, he just moved here all the way from Australia," the woman announced and I smiled. Finally, the welcome I was anticipating. Or so I thought.

"Welcome!" Mr Kane exclaimed, gesturing towards a tanned, blonde boy.

"I'm from Scotland," he said with a thick accent. I would've thought he was from Australia as well, but I suppose you can't just assume anything.

"Great," Mr Kane said, clearly realising his mistake.

"His name is John, John Deacon. Where are you John?" the woman asked and I raised my hand from the wall I was leaning against.

"That's me, but a lot of people call me 'Deaky' actually." I said, giving her a friendly smile.

"My apologies." She said, regaining her composure.

"Well, welcome Deaky and thank you Ms Springfield."

"Well thank you, and uh, if you need anything or want to talk to somebody-"

"Thanks, but maybe another time when my shirt is in one piece," he replied and she looked at him and turned back to the class.

"Ok, good day everyone," she said exiting the class.

~~~~~

The first day of school was a blur, a stressful, surreal blur. I got into hot water for the most random things...

"Psst, where do you think you're going?" The science teacher asked.

"Oh uh, I need to use the toilet," I said and he glared icicles down at me.

"You need the loo pass," he declared and I shot him a quizzical look.

"What IS a loo pass?" I asked and he laughed.

"You're hilarious, now sit down." he ordered and the class laughed at me. Apparently it was very common in high school.

A world where adults didn't trust me was foreign to me. Especially when they were screaming at me:

"Stay on the right page!"

"Where's your red pen?!"

"No food in class!"

"SIT DOWN!"

It was lunch, after buying the soda with two of the pounds that my dad gave me, I paused awkwardly and tried to find a seat. I thought I found one, until a guy put his bag onto it to stop me from sitting there. Ok then...

"Did you see cock? It only counts if you saw cock," I heard a girl say to her friend and I internally shrivelled up then and there. I don't know much about girls at all,  or how they talk, but I know none of the girls I knew back in Australia would talk like that.

I had heaps of friends in Australia, then I spotted a table of what appeared to be some Australian kids.

"G'day!" I greeted and they turned to me confused.

"Slower mate!" one of them demanded.

But so far, none of it mattered. I was so mortified that I found myself eating lunch in the boy's locker room, and I was missing life back in Australia. I had friends there,  no one treated me differently like they did here, and I certainly didn't have to eat in a stinky locker room. Before long, the day came to an end and I could barely wait to get home.

I walked up the steps to my house, my bag over my shoulder and with more than a few tears brimming at my eyes. I saw my parents, and my dad immediately spotted me.

"Hey Johnny, how was your first day?" he asked with a smile on his face.

I barely choked back a sob, shook my head before heading straight for my room so that I didn't have to cry to my parents about how terrible my first day really was. But, I'm John Deacon! I don't let anything get the best of me, so I completed my homework hoping for a better day tomorrow.