Sorry. I don't speak stupid.

In which I introduce myself and everyone else

In the beginning, there were six - four boys and two girls, always together, always getting themselves into ridiculous situations that required a bit of fast talking to get out of. They never really let anyone else in, not because they were snotty; they simply liked it better simple.

 

And then the new kid showed up.

 

*****

Well.  That was cryptic, wasn't it?

Sorry.

Please, before you exit this story, and/or throw your poor innocent internet device at a wall, continue reading.  I explain everything, more or less.

 

*****

We were younger, probably in about eighth grade, when it first began.  Before that, we had been separated, each in our own little friend-group – yet, somehow, never fitting in.  We were the weirdos, the nerds, the kids who smiled as they plotted their enemy’s deaths.  Sure, some of us were better at fitting in than others (Lou was always in the popular crowd), but we never felt truly at home.  There was always that need to act.

Then that summer between eighth and ninth grade, everything changed. 

It began with me and Lou, I think.  See, I had to lifeguard at the neighborhood pool, and he just always seemed to be there.   Eventually, we started to have conversations, everything from the pro’s and con’s of Mexican food to world peace.  I got to know some of his other friends, (Liam and Niall), and I brought one of my old friends (Zayn), and bit by bit, we withdrew from normal society.

That was the best summer of my life.

We hung out at the local pizza place, jumped off of docks that said “No Swimming”, found a new island, played airsoft in the park, scared little kids, got drunk around a bonfire in my backyard, and for the first time, felt free to truly be ourselves.

Then in our freshman year, I met a girl who was a little bit broken.  She needed a friend.  Friends, plural.  So we adopted her.

And then there were six.

*****

Obviously, I’m the narrator here, but in order for the story to work, I got everyone to tell me what was going on in their lives before we got together.  Then I typed it.

Good?

Good.

*****

Louis’ Story

[The fuck am I supposed to say Janie, this is bullshit – the recorder is on?!?  Fuck you, fuck you so -]

“Ahem.  So.  Ok, so I’m supposed to tell this hunk of metal what my life was like before we banded together?  I guess?

So, uh, I was kind of popular I guess, like I made people laugh a lot so they liked me.  But no one really paid attention to me when I was serious except for Liam and Niall.  And I was kind of caught up, I guess, in the idea of having a lot of people like me, so I just went with it.  Not really much of a tragic backstory, I’m afraid, but you’ll have to just deal with it motherfuckers.