DIRTY LAUNDRY - ALEX GASKARTH

1

september 7th, 1993

i walked into the laundromat, practically dragging my laundry basket behind me.
ever since my dad got angry for whatever reason and threw my record player at our shitty washing machine, i've been having to go here and waste all my money i had been earning at the diner on getting clean clothes.

i could do what my brother, little sister, and father had been doing, aka wearing dirty clothes that had been washed in the sink.
but we all knew i already got enough trouble at school as it is, so i wasn't going to make my problems any worse.

i set the laundry basket down and looked down at my dirty pink converse then back at the washing machine.

i crinkled my freckled nose, confused, as i got on my tippy toes so i could reach the place where you're supposed to insert the quarters.

i put one in and threw in a collection of jean skirts, floral shirts, tank tops, and high wasted jeans, closed the little door, and hoped for the best.

i jumped up on the machine and swung my legs, my long white socks that went up to my knees falling down occasionally.

the door opened and let in a cold breeze, making me pull my denim jacket closer to my body.

"JACK THEY DONT HAVE THE CANDY MACHINE ANYMORE! CAN WE LEAVE!!!?" an annoyed voice said.
"RIAN I SWEAR TO GOD!!!" a voice screamed back
"guys shut up, if you don't hurry up and realize that THERES NO CANDY MACHINE we're gonna miss jurrasic park when it plays at the drive in!" another voice said
"alex is right guys!" an annoyed voice said.

i laughed slightly and went back to watching my clothes spin in the washing machine. i had no idea if they went to my school, considering it was my first week there (wednesday night). i had just moved to baltimore after my mom passed away about a month ago.

lets just say the kids at school weren't very welcoming

"excuse me?" a voice said
i turned around to see a kid with brown hair with a crazy blonde streak in it wearing a led zeppelin shirt jeans.
"yea?" i asked in a small nervous voice, scared that he was going to say something rude like all the other kids had been saying ever since i moved here.
"i really like your hair." he said, laughing and pointing to the blonde streak in his.
i laughed slightly, "t-thanks"
eventually three other guys were sitting around us on the washing machines, all wearing band t shirts and jeans.
one had really big muscles, one had a buzz cut, and one had really nice brown eyes.
the one with the brown eyes was admittedly very cute.

"are you new here?" the muscles guy asked
"yeah, you don't look familiar" the brown eyed guy added
"oh uh, um yeah i just moved here from out of town" i said.
"well i'm rian" the buzz cut kid, or rian, added
"im alex, and that's skunko" the brown eyed person said, pointing to the kid with the skunk looking hair.
"im jack"
the muscle guy said his name was zack, and for a second it was all quiet.

"well um- we're all going to the drive in to see a movie, you wanna come?" alex asked
"i um-" i said awkwardly
"wait what school do you go to?" jack asked
"i just started going to Dulaney High on Monday." i said
"oh cool that's where we go, i'm surprised this conversation didn't come sooner!" the rian guy said, flashing a genuine smile.
"how old are you?" zack asked, continuing the bombarding of questions
"s-sixteen. seventeen in a few months" i said
"oh cool we're all seventeen!" alex said

i smiled awkwardly and nodded.
"so, you in?" zack asked
"wha?" i said
"wait what's your name?" jack asked
"jasey" i said
"alright jasey get your clothes you can keep them in the back on the van" alex said
"WHAT?" i said, freaked out
rian laughed, "you're coming to the movie, right? it's gonna be awesome!"
"w-what movie?"
"jurassic park!" alex said excitedly

"oh that's like my favorite movie" i said, laughing a bit
alex's jaw dropped
"please come" he said

i considered the fact they could be murderers
but if they did kill me, who gives a shit right?
but then i remembered my dad would probably beat me to a pulp if i went out with four random boys on a school night.

"s-sorry! maybe another time" i said awkwardly, grabbing my clothes and putting them in a plastic pink hamper and then running out to my brothers car, where he was waiting.

"who were they?" he asked

"just some kids from school" i said, and he drove away, almost confused i could actually communicate with people