four walls (breathe out)

chapter one: dull

JOSH'S FEET slap against the damp concrete of Brighton's Private School for Exceptional Boys, his tie swinging in the wind as his calloused hands stay buried in his coat pockets. His hair, a dull shade of brown, lays flat against his forehead. The grey of his suit jacket and his pants, his socks and his gloves, make him feel anything but exceptional.

Josh Dun is the definition of dull. An average guy with an average family and an average home. He doesn't stand out, he's no bodies' favorite. He's just...dull.

Does he love it? No. Is he going to try and change it? Probably not.

He carries on, his black dress shoes bringing him to room 407 where he'll check out a noise complaint. Being a prefix at an all-boys prep school probably isn't the most exciting thing, but it gets him to shower first and when you're a senior hot water is all that counts.

He knocks on the door, the sound of Disturbed's 'Down with the Sickness' seeping from under the frame. He knocks louder when no one answers and soon the door is being swung open. Smoke pours from the room, Josh coughing and waving a hand in front of his face as a very unamused boy stands before him.

"Can I help you?" Josh shuffles from foot to foot before looking to the boy.

"Uh, yes, I got a noise complaint from a neighbor of yours. And, um, also BPSEB has a no smoking policy as you should have...read in the...entry pamphlet." He says slowly as the boy flicks his joint, ashes burning into the carpet as he looks at the badge on Josh's coat- a gold circle with a P written in dark blue- and rolls his eyes.

"Well Mr. Prefix-"

"It's just Josh."

"I solemnly swear to turn my music down." Josh nods.

"And uh, the-the smoking?" With a grin the boy throws the joint to the carpet, stepping on it to extinguish the flame before stepping back.

"I just quit." Then he slams the door and as Josh walks away he swears the music cranks louder.

As much power as being a prefix gives him, Josh has nothing compared to Pete the lead prefix at BPSEB. He was the first freshmen to get the title three years ago and ever since has held a very scary stance over all the students. Well, that and the fact that his mother is the Dean.

Once Josh gets back to his dorm- one that he shares with five other prefixes- he plops onto his bed, his head in his hands.

"Rough day?" Asks Joe, the boy who sleeps in the bed next to him. Joe has wild brown curls and very steady eyes, a dorky guy, someone you can trust.

"You could say that. Hey, do you know the guy who lives in room 407?" Joe thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nope. New arrival I think. Why?"

"No reason. Where's Pete?"

"Lunch hall."

"Thanks."

"No worr-" But Josh doesn't have time to hear the rest of his gesture as he's out the door, his gloves being pulled back onto his hands. The walk is short as they lodge right by it, another perk to being a prefix. Once he enters the cafeteria he spots Pete's black quiff, hurriedly making his way towards him.

"Pete!" He yells when in ear shot and said boy turns around in identical clothing. He smiles.

"What's up Josh?"

"You know that noise complaint you had me check?" Pete laughs.

"Yeah why? Too much for you?" Josh rolls his eyes as he shoves his shoulder playfully.

"I think you should check it out." At this Pete stops laughing, his eyes narrowing curiously.

"Wait really? What happened?" Josh sighs.

"The dude was smoking pot and was a total dick." Pete laughs again.

"Weed? Are you serious?"

"Triple serious." He waits for Pete's reaction, for what he should do.

"I'll handle it." He pats Josh on the back. "Thanks bud. You can go." With no resistance, he does.

Josh knows that the other prefixes think lowly of him. They know he's a good guy but despite his grim expressions no one takes him seriously. He's the errand boy, the one who does the work and keeps the tabs and most of the time he doesn't mind.

Find a problem that's anything more than a clogged toilet or a noise complaint and he brings it straight to Pete or his second in command Patrick.

His feet once again slap against the concrete of the school, signup sheets for extracurricular activities and volunteer hours hang on all the surrounding walls.

He has class bright and early tomorrow and even as he's not looking forward to it he tries his hardest to get the day to move quicker. If he's honest, he wouldn't mind the next five years going by quicker.

Because it's on days like this that he feels stuck, useless, not only to the other prefixes but to his friends.

His typical group of friends consists of four other seniors, Brendon, Ryan, Mikey and Hayley. Even with limited people he still feels like the odd one out, the letdown, the party pooper, the boy no one shares secrets with because he tells his momma everything.

Only he's not a goody two shoes or stick in the mud, that's just the reputation he's got. The reputation being dull gave him, one he doesn't plan on shaking.

Life is easier when the attention isn't on you, when no one expects you to speak up or cause conflict. Sure sometimes it's suffocating, keeping his true colors hidden under his pretty badge, but it's worth it.

Or at least that's what he keeps telling himself.

"Josh!" He hears the familiar voice of Hayley running towards him, her green hair tied up with a pencil, her black skirt slapping against her thighs and her button up slowly coming out form where it's tucked. Knee high socks are a shade of navy blue to match her tie and as she skids to a stop in front of Josh she smiles breathily.

"Hey Hayley." She places a hand on his shoulder to catch her breath and when she finally does she speaks up.

"So, how has your day been?" Josh raises a brow.

"You ran all this way to ask me how my day was?" When Hayley visits the campus she has to run across three sets of train tracks as the girls school isn't that far away.

"Actually no, smartass. It's called being polite you should try it out sometime." He rolls his eyes as Hayley places her hands on her hips. "But I actually came to ask you something."

"Oh?"

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Josh sighs at this, his hand running through his hair.

"Probably studying or-"

"Perfect! Meet me outside the café down the street tomorrow after your classes." Josh groans. He would usually have no problem agreeing but his grades are seriously dropping and he really was planning to study.

"There's no way I'm getting out of this?"

"Nope."

"Alright then. Tomorrow it is." Hayley grins in triumph before standing on her tippy toes and kissing Josh on the cheek lightly. Then she's skipping away and Josh Is lugging his way to his dorm room.

Hayley's lipstick print is making it impossibly hard to be dull.

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thIS IS Another book that i probably won't finish that's cool