Chapter 2
A new place saves face or so I'm told,
I'll be the new kid, on an old block.
The chalk outline on a playground black top.
Alex
I jolted awake and choked out a sob, tears flowing freely down my face as I sat up. I grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it tightly, muffling my sobs into it as the scene from earlier replayed in my mind.
That wasn't just a nightmare. Parts of it were reality. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, whimpers escaping my lips and I found myself breathing rapidly. Okay Alex, calm down. They won't hurt you again. You've transferred to a new school. Just stay low and don't talk to anyone.
I took in a deep, shaky breath and wiped my tears with the swipe of my arms, the liquid seeping into the fabric of my long-sleeved shirt. I brought my knees to my chest, resting my arm and head on top of it as I collected my thoughts. That was a dream. That was a dream. It's okay. It's over. It was a dream. It's okay.
My tears stopped before I realised it and I slowly brought my head up, blinking a little. I shifted my gaze to the ringing alarm, vibrating on my bedside cabinet, before slamming my hand onto the button on top and the noise ceased. I placed my pillow aside and got up, grabbing my towel as I stumbled towards the bathroom. The dripping noises made me panic and I hurriedly rolled up my left sleeve and examined my arm before letting out a sigh of relief. I wasn't bleeding. That's a good thing. I haven't been cutting myself ever since the holiday begun. Or, at least, I had no reason to. 'It's an improvement, sweetheart, and I'm proud of you,' my mum would always say, and my dad would pat me in the back.
I glanced around for the source of the dripping and my gaze fell on the sink faucet. I probably didn't turn off the tap properly last night. I ignored the dripping water and hung my towel on the rack before I went to shower.
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I put on a random shirt and accompanied it with a pair of jeans before grabbing my phone and sliding it into my pocket. I walked downstairs and I saw my mum preparing to head off to work and my father sat leisurely on the 'comfortable' armchair reading the newspaper. He glanced up when he saw me arriving and said, "Good morning, son," which caused my mum to exclaim, "Morning sweetie! First day of school today!"
I mumbled a greeting back and sat on the dining table, eating the breakfast prepared for me. Once I was done, I headed off, telling my parents that I was about to leave.
"Remember to see the therapist after school, sweetheart!" my mum reminded me. I groaned internally and sighed before closing the door to my house and walked to school.
Therapy was kind of okay, considering it got me out of my old school. To be honest, I kinda feel like it's a hell load of bullshit. You pay a person to listen to your crap and they just give you a sympathetic smile, with looks of concern printed on their faces, when in reality they probably don't give a flying fuck. Well, they probably do since they got me transferred to Dulaney High, but really I'm pretty sure they're doing this for the sake of earning themselves and their family a living. Can't really blame them though, that's the way life works. I found their sympathy rather annoying, but I've pretty much gotten used to it. Plus, I managed to find a 'method' to avoid staying in the building for a long time.
I soon reached the outside of the school building. It wasn't really spectacular -- it looked like no one bothered to renovate the school. Paint was peeling off the walls and moss was growing on the crack of the cement, climbing up in order to reach out for sunlight. Sighing, I joined in the crowd of students bustling into the building before heading straight for the General Office.
When I entered the office, I walked up towards the counter and coughed slightly to get the receptionist's attention. She looked up at me and pursed her lips, but said in a sweet tone, "How may I help you?"
"Um. I'm new here," I murmured, unsure of what else to say.
She nodded and pulled open one of the drawers. "Are you here for your schedule?"
I nodded and replied, "Yes."
"Your name?"
"Uh... Alex Gaskarth," I muttered.
I watched as she scanned through the slips of paper before handing one over to me. "Your locker number is stated at the bottom right corner," she said. I took it from her and thanked her before heading out, looking through the contents as I did so.
English was first, huh.
...
Fuck. Was it a deja vu?
I froze at the thought of it before shaking my head. It can't be. Of course not. It can't be. That was my old school. It shouldn't be.
...
I don't want it to be.
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A/N: Yeaaaaaaah this chapter was crappy as hell. Bleeeeeeh. The Jalex bit will come in the later parts. Yeah.
Yeah.
I hope you enjoy it!
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(Jalex) The First Step Towards Repair
FanfictionAlex Gaskarth transfers to Dulaney High after certain incidents. The generally quiet, sad boy changes when he meets Jack Barakat.