Heartbreak High: New Hope

6

     As I settled into the group, the conversations began to spark back to life.
     "So, Lucas," Jazz began to speak, directing her friendly and curious tone at me, "I heard you just moved. Why'd you come all the way to Seacrest in the middle of September?"

     "Well, my dad's a doctor, and after the hospital he was working at got closed down, he got another job offer out here. And that's all it took for him to decide it was time to go,"
     I replied.
     "So, what was life like back home?"
     Stephen leaned in, intrigued.

     I hesitated for a moment, my mind briefly wandering through memories of my old home. "Life back home was-" I started, my voice trailing off as I reflected on the past but the only thing I could remember about it was him and I wanted to think of him as less as possible.
     "Pretty normal, I guess."

     Ethan, who was listening intently, chimed in warmly.
"Well, you're gonna love it here in Seacrest, there's always something new happening and lucky for you, we know everything that goes on here, so you've basically hit the jackpot."
     As we chatted away, my attention was drawn to Alec as he was walking by, heading towards an empty table. Intrigued, I gestured towards him and asked,
     "What's the deal with him?"

     "Oh him?—that's Alec Sterling,"
     Ethan replied, offering a piece of the puzzle.
     "The school's mystery boy."
     Jazz chimed in, her tone hinting at secrets, "No one really knows much about him, He transferred here last year."

     "The guy would be a total chick magnet if he wasn't gay, which is alright, but still, what a total waste of potential."
     Ethan added,
     "He's...gay?" I asked, "Yeah," Ethan replied, "The kid got outed a few months ago; he's been a loner since, not that he wasn't a loner before but still."

     I found myself feeling sorry for him; my gaze involuntarily shifted in his direction and our eyes met for a split second, a connection made that was filled with unspoken questions and a hint of tension before I quickly glanced away.
     The conversation within the group flowed easily, and before I knew it, the school day was over. As I made my way back home, the memories of the day lingered in my mind.

     Pushing open the front door, I dropped my bag and exhaled, the weight of the day slowly dissipating. In the kitchen, I found my mother unpacking groceries, and I greeted her with a simple,
    "Hi, Mom."

     "Hey, honey. How was school?"
     She looked up with a smile, her dark curls tied up messily into a bun.

     "School was better than I thought it would be," I replied, relief in my voice. Her smile widened. "See? I told you it would work out."
     "Yeah, I guess,"
     I said, still coming to terms with the idea of moving my entire life into this new strange town.
     "You haven't seen your brother have you?"
     She asked.
     "Not since lunch."
     Her face grew concerned but it was evident as she tried to shake it off.
     "Come on, help me with the groceries," she said, motioning to the bags on the counter.

     I nodded and started to help, putting away items in their respective places. Once we were done, I grabbed my bag and headed to my room. Flopping back onto the bed, I stared up at the ceiling for a moment before reaching for my sketchbook.
     With my sketchbook in hand, I headed outside where I found a comfortable spot sitting on the soft grass leaning against a sturdy tree. The sun painted warm hues across the sky as I started sketching, my pencil capturing the image of a bird perched on the light post.

     I was lost in my sketch, pencil in hand, when suddenly a basketball smashed into my lap, knocking my sketchpad to the ground. Startled, I looked up to find Tyler rushing towards me. As I picked up the ball and stood up, Tyler flashed an awkward apologetic smile.
     "Sorry about that...again,"
     he said.
     "Is this gonna be a recurring thing?"
     I replied jokingly, Tyler chuckled and replied, "It's really not my fault, to be honest, the ball just seems to have a mind of its own."
     
     "Yeah, I'm sure the ball just has some weird vandetta against me." I couldn't help but chuckle.
     "Maybe but don't worry, I'll talk to him for you"
      He joked. Our gazes locked for a brief moment, sharing the humor before he then bent down to pick up my sketchbook, letting his eyes scan through it.
     "Did you draw all of these?"
     he asked curiously.
     "Yeah."
     I admitted, shyly. "These are really good," he praised, with a genuine look. "Thank you," I replied.
     "You should really think about joining the school arts club," he suggested before adding, "After you join the basketball team."

     I couldn't stifle the laugh that threatened to erupt from my throat, "Basketball really isn't my thing, maybe when I was younger but I'm sure I must've gotten rusty by now."
    He persisted, his grin unwavering. "Rusty!? come on, you totally kicked my ass in gym class today."

    I smiled back, teasingly, "That was just a lucky shot." He chuckled, insisting, "Yeah, well, I don't care what it was. We could really use it on the team, so you should consider it."
     "Sure."
     I sighed, giving in. His face lit up as he exclaimed excitedly, "Yes!" I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
     "Can't wait to have you on the court,"
     Tyler added.

     I grinned, but then quickly interjected,
     "I said I'd consider it, I didn't say yes,"

     He playfully covered his ears, pretending to shield himself from my words, and then walked away with a grin.
     "I'll see you at practice, new kid."

     I rolled my eyes, letting out a breath as Tyler's departing figure disappeared. After I finished my sketch I tightly squeezed my sketchbook in my palm and headed inside. Flopping back onto my bed, I let out a deep sigh, my heart still racing from the day.