Marley Meets Josh

(1)

J O S H • P O V

Senior year. It symbolises the beginning of the end, and also the beginning of the beginning.

The end is high school. The end of home work, tiresome teachers and self absorbed students.

The beginning is the rest of your life. College, even more home work than you've ever known, jobs, interviews, bills, families and more responsibility than we can fathom.

For me it symbolised more than this. It symbolised the chance for a fresh start. The chance to redeem my high school experience and possibly leave on a high note instead of ending it with a bad taste in my mouth.

I assessed my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the tie and combing my fingers through my thick dark hair so that it wasn't a total mess. Just a tidied mess.

I was pulling my blazer on but decided that I preferred not to wear it, when my cousin, Blake, appeared in the door frame with his bag hanging from his shoulder. "Are you done pretty boy?"

I gave him a sarcastic smile and snatched the back pack hanging from the bed post in the spare bedroom that was no longer 'spare' but my own. It didn't feel like it. Nowhere seemed to feel like home now. I pushed past Blake and started towards the kitchen with him following close behind, causing the morning to feel even more painful with his incessant blubbering.

"I don't wanna be late, it's the first day."

"As if you care."

"I'm working towards a scholarship this year. I can't be late."

Blake picked a bagel and his keys off the countertop in the kitchen before we headed out the front door and into the sunshine of Hamilton, New Zealand.

"I don't have rich folks that can pay for my university fees like you," Blake added with a playful jeer.

"Give me a break, you're hardly a third world citizen," I tapped the top of Blake's Audi to drive my point home before I slid into the passenger seat.

"How do you feel about being back?" Blake questioned as we started the short distance to school.

For the last two years I'd been in Australia with my parents. They invested in a postal business that took off and is earning them. . . a lot.

I hadn't minded the move initially but due to certain circumstances I'd pleaded with my parents to let me come home for senior year. So I now lived with Blake and my Aunt Jess and Uncle David.

"Indifferent," I shrugged. "As long as this year doesn't shit on me, I'll be happy."

"Na you've got me this year. I got pretty popular since you left, ya know? Being the rugby team captain and all. Everyone loves me." He delivered his 'modest' speech in a mocking tone, but I suspected it wasn't a joke and his ego was taking up all the space in his little two door.

"Your heads pretty well wedged up your ass isn't it?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, not bothering to deny it.

Blake and I had been close growing up. But over the last few years during my occasional visits, I'd noticed his ego had blown up. He'd turned into an egotistical jock with a devious attitude. He oozed a charismatic charm that seemed to draw in everyone around him.