pink skies [joeck au] // discontinued

prologue

joe hates school. he hates it when he has to pass through the sea of bodies in the hallway to get to his locker. he hates it when he has to listen to his teacher ramble on about things that he has no interest in. yet he has to do
it.

now there's no deep meaning behind why joe thinks he should attend school, nothing like him being afraid of turning into some uneducated person, whom he has never encountered because his family is very well educated with his parents running a healthy business and his sister's grade's being no less than A*.

he has to attend school because if he doesn't, his father has sworn to take away all his electronic devices and games, a fear that haunts joe everyday and so he finds himself standing in the middle of the hallway of a place he dreads.

however, it's not that much of a dreadful day because his best and perhaps only friends are leaning against the lockers infront him with the same expressions imprinted on their faces.

"when will summer vacations start?" the tallest of the group groans, his ginger hair disheveled probably by the amount of times he ran his hand through it.

"school started a week ago, josh." the second one reminds him, his voice matching the latter's tone. "i'm already counting the days to christmas break—"  the shrill noise of the bell rings throughout the building and within minutes, the whole mass of bodies disperses and the hallway is empty as the group of friends walk to their class together.

joe feels like a valley between two mountains as he walks next to his two tall friends. he believes it's not his fault that he was born with such a structure. he was meant to be petite, and no body building and eating could turn him into a macho-man. so he didn't bother caring about how much shorter he is than his friends.

just as he opens the door to his first lesson of the day : ap english, he sees a face he doesn't recognise. it's a boy about his age, almost the same size as him just a little broader by the shoulders. he has brown hair, curled by the top and blue eyes. he has to be new, otherwise joe must have seen him before.

"mr.sugg? do you recognize mr.maynard from anywhere?" the annoying voice of the teacher stops his train of thoughts and he flushes before shaking his head and taking a seat, the latter two following his lead.

even throughout the class joe keeps staring at the back of "mr.maynard"s head. he has no idea why, but he flushes the second time when the boy turns in his seat and passes him a small yet warm smile. "hi, i'm conor!" his voice is soft, and joe wonders if he sings. because if he does then that would be something joe would listen to.

"joe." he answers, his voice not as smooth as conor's, rather really scratchy and rough.

"look, mate, i don't want to be rude, but between me and you, staring is rude." and with that he turns around, leaving joe flustered.

joe stops looking at the back of his head and pays  attention to the class.

—

"joe! stop it!"

"not until you give me a slice of pizza!"

"come on! you know that's never happeing."

"caspar! it's just one slice."