1/. Will Thorne bad boy extraordinaire
“Will, do you have everything? My anxious mother asked me for the third time since I arrived at the train station. My answer again was silence. “Will, I know you don’t want to go but I’m sor-“, my father cut her off, “Don’t apologise to the boy, Alice, he needs this school, it’ll turn him around… besides, he’ll get a better education than at that shitty rat hole of a school he went to before.” My mother ignored him, “We’re sorry” extra emphasis on the ‘we’, “but you went too far this time… be glad for this chance, do you know how many people applied for that scholarship?” I glared at her “Well how many?” I asked. She sighed, she clearly didn’t know, “Enough to make you a lucky person William. Try and make the best of it William. I hated to see your talents wasted.” “Okay Will, most of your things have already been delivered, remember to go to the dean’s office to pick you your uniform and books. Practice your instruments okay!” “The train arriving now is the 7:35am train to NYP.” The announcement pushed my mother to the brink of tears.
I look at my mother, pride and sadness dominated her expression, my fathers’ was more impatience and boredom. “Right son, study and write at least once a fortnight, alright… I don’t need your mother thinking you’re dead.” His ruffled my slightly to long dark hair and pointed me toward platform 9 “Don’t you dare miss that train… that ticket set us back 150 dollars.” “Okay dad.” I walked toward to the platform. “Bye.” I said not turning around. “See you at Christmas.”
The ride from Chicago was lonely… I sat and for the first 3 or so hours… I wouldn’t be arriving in New York ‘til tomorrow at 4. I fell into a dreamless sleep after that.
The sound of the train pulling in woke me; I was in New York, alone… I picked up my bags and made my way out the door, the air was different form back home, heavier, busier, and alien. I saw a man carrying a sign, ‘William Thorne.’ It read, I walked to him, “I’m Will Thorne” “you’re going to Blakely, Right?” he had a thick jersey accent. “Yeah”, He looked impressed, “Jesus, you must be loaded” I bit down on my tongue to supress my rising laughter. Us, Rich? I wish. “Your parents already paid the fair, okay.” I nodded, knowing if I spoke I’d burst into hysterics. I followed him to a yellow NYC cab.
“In you get, sir”, I looked at him, shocked, “no need for the sir or any of that buddy, I’m not the fucking president.” He laughed at that. For the most of the ride we just talked about random crap. I started watching a movie on my iPod when we pulled into traffic. I did so until, he nudged me, and I looked up. I saw the school for the first time, it was a huge building partly covered in still green ivy, despite it being late august. There were kids and parents standing by insanely expensive looking classy cars and designer luggage, fathers were left lumbering with the dozens of boxes their children brought, as they left to talk about the summer they spent in Nantucket or Cannes or where else it is old money, preppy kids spend their holidays. Everyone was gorgeous, tanned, and happy. I wouldn’t fit in here at all. I was pale and awkward, I wasn’t ugly… I mean girls had always liked me back home, but some of these guys were Abercrombie model material, that aside, I was barely middle-class and the anti-social carrier of one too many police warnings, not exactly Ivy League material.
I hopped out of the taxi, my dad’s old leather suitcase in hand I waved a silent goodbye to the taxi driver whose name I had never asked, and stepped forward to my new life…Yay (!).
The walk to the dean’s office was slightly awkward, yet confidence boosting. A gaggle of three girls, who looked about my age walked up to me, “hey are you new here?” “Yeah” I said, hopping to get this pointless conversation over with. “Why?”
They grinned at me, “there’s a party on tonight, wanna come?” the girl who seemed to be their leader asked me “eh… why?” she grinned at me, “well, duh. We think you’re cute, I mean, seriously! Leather jacket over hoody, dark wash jeans, band tee!? You’re like the poster child for rebel without a cause.”
