Unspoken Colours

Chapter 3

It was yet again another day at school. It felt like honestly, every day was yet another day at school. Weekends seemed to represent a quick drunken blur, and then school signified the bad hangover that never failed to appear the morning after. Not that I'd know anything about that- as if I would risk getting drunk to then stumble home into the arms of Dad. Sobriety, despite its realistic gloom was by far, the safer option.

It was lunch. Tom and I and a few other guys were sat at our usual table in the canteen, having the usual food for a Wednesday, broccoli flavoured with mushed up crap.

"Coach has seriously got it in for us this year," said Eric, the guy who plays mid-field on the football team, his mouth half full of crisps.

"I know, and we hardly do football it's just all exercises and press ups and running round the pitch and shit," said Tom.

"Yeah, but that's so we get fit," I explained. "It's all well and fine if we can play football, but what if we haven't got the stamina to run up and down the pitch?"

"Sherlock's got a point," Tom grinned. "That is why he does it. Anyway, so..."

"Oh my god, the wind from the door literally just blew Amy Althorn's skirt right up," Eric gawped.

"Bullshit," I said. I turned round even so and saw Amy Althorn surrounded by other girls in the lunch line, including Beth who caught my eye and smiled at me. I smiled back to her then turned back around.

"You know, if all the other girls disappeared and it was just that lot left, I wouldn't mind to be fair."

"Who's that?" Tom said, looking pretty shocked and still staring at Beth's group. "What the- is that that new kid?"

I looked over and sure enough, there was Alex stood in the lunch line chatting to the same group of girls we were looking at. He was laughing as some of them tried on his purposely large, geek-style black glasses. Then, when he'd picked up all his lunch he paraded over to our table.

"Hey Michael," he chirped. All the guys on our table looked at him and looked at me for some explanation to why he was talking to me, but Alex didn't seem at all fazed or bothered by their looks and just stood smiling.

"Hey,"

"So," he turned to Tom, "Today we're doing that football thing that the coach wanted us to do, right?"

"Huh?" Tom grunted. "Oh, shit is that today?"

"Yeah,"

"Oh man, err, yeah well the think is,"- Tom leant forward, a mournful expression on his face- "I can't be arsed." And he leant back, sniggering and continued eating the mushed up crap.

"Tom, don't be a dick," I said, then thought for a moment. "I'll do it with you,"

"Really?" Alex said, smiling at me and not even attempting to hide it. "Thanks,"

"Yeah,"- I glanced at the lads then back at Alex- "In fact let's go now, we can eat lunch on the court, it's really hot in here anyways."

I got up with my tray of food then walked off out the canteen with Alex. We got to the football field and sat down on the bank just over it and ate our lunch.

"So err... how you finding the school?" I asked, aware of the silence that choked us.

Alex looked up thoughtfully. "I can't find my way round at all,"

"Nah, I can't either. You'll get used to it,"

"Yeah, so do you wanna do this football thing now?" Alex asked, looking down at the mused up crap before us both not even attempting to eat it.