INK [ongoing]

1: Edenton

In Edenton, today is the epitome of a stereotypical late-August afternoon. The blue skies, the buzzing bees, the intense heat: it's a small town which some would call heaven.

Not Andrew Stan.

The troubled Senior in High School hates the towns isolation in the mountains, along with the nosy neighbors that surround him. He's never quite fit in to the towns old ways. He's always wanted to socialize amongst people other than the small cliques in high school, maybe even meet a guy who shares in his interest of other men (a concept which the elderly in town don't really take a liking to). Nevertheless, college is approaching-- and he figures that's his golden ticket out.

Yet, there he sits on the first day of Senior year, waiting for his last class to end. He vaguely understands what the teacher is talking about. Ms. Rafferty, the english teacher, started off discussing her syllabus but soon go carried away with the thought of English Literature. Even as charming and sweet the old woman seemed, Andrew kept his eyes glued on that clock: counting down each second until the bell rang. When it did it was like a siren singing to Andrew's ears. The classroom only filled with a handful of students suddenly bounced up out of their seats joyously.

"You all have a wonderful rest of the afternoon!" Ms. Rafferty smiles and waves the children goodbye.

The bleached blonde boy only replies with a small smile and nod before turning around.

"Oh, dear!" The teacher's voice stops Andrew in his tracks.

"Yes, Ms. Rafferty?" His words roll out innocently.

"You do know the school's rules on, um..." Rafferty's shaky finger points to the small, bland silver ring under Andrew's nose, "those piercings, right?"

Andrew puts on a confused look, "Oh, are we not allowed to have septum piercings?" After four years in the same school, he knows the rules well enough. He's told the same lie over and over again. "Don't worry, Ms. Rafferty. I won't wear it during classes anymore."

His fake polite attitude seems to warm up the old woman's soul, "You're a good man." She leaves him the chance to flee after she pats his back and moves away.

The hallway, similar to the classrooms, is small. Nothing about the school is large. But with a growing population in the town and an outdated school campus, the crowds of people in these small hallways are growing larger and larger. But the hallways get blocked up mostly because of the large crowds against the lockers and the ignorant couples displaying their affection publicly in the middle of the hallway.

There's no way in hell Andrew would even think about going through that mess just to put a few notebooks away. Instead, he darted straight to the door to escape the cage-like walls. Stepping through those doors and into the sun was almost a religious experience for the boy. Even though he detested warmer weather, anything is better than confinement.

"Andrew!" A familiar girl's voice catches Andrew's attention. Finally, a face he wants to see.

Aubrey Haith. The two couldn't be anymore different; Andrew flew under the radar while Aubrey is almost an icon. Everyone in town knows her name, partially because of her kindness towards the community but mainly because she's the first black cheer captain for Edenton High.

"Where were you this morning?" Aubrey asks with a concerned expression, "I looked all over the school for you!"

"Sorry, Aubs. I was late." He grins at his own mischief.

"Late? On the first day?" The girl sighs but releases a small smile, "Anyways, I was going to tell you that the seniors are planning a bonfire behind the football field tonight."

"And you think I'd be interested in going to that because...?"

Aubrey straightens her cheer skirt as she stumbles upon what to say, "Well... Sean and I are going so I thought you should come to."

It's strange that the two had become friends. If it weren't for their mothers working as nurses together in the hospital, the two could be complete strangers to one another.

Andrew thinks of a response to counter Aubrey, but she persists. 

"If Sean, of all people, is willing to go then you can definitely go too."

Aubrey does have a point there. Andrew might be more secluded and isolated from his classmates, but his social skills are fine. Sean, on the other hand, is a boiling pot of anxiety.

"Don't you have other friends to hang out with at the bonfire? You know, your cheerleading pals or that line back douchebag, what's his name? Brent?"

"Brant." Aubrey corrects him, "And no. Sitting with them during lunch is enough exhaustion for one day."

Andrew can't help but snicker at the joke. "Fine. I'll go, but not for the whole time." The boy turns around to go get his bike that's chained to a stand. He then turns around and adds, "AND I'm showing up late."

"Whatever, Andrew. See you tonight at 9. I'll text you when I get there." Aubrey heads towards the school parking lot with her keys in hand.

Andrew unchains his bike and quickly slips on, kicking off and rolling down the sidewalk while slowly peddling to a good speed. For a town with so much woodlands, the buildings here are so compressed. One road almost has everything they need to survive, a grocery store, the school, a tool shop, the hospital, an old neon diner-- all it's missing is the actual houses. Of course there are plenty of shops and buildings on the outskirts of the town's center, but Andrew's never felt the need to go anywhere but this one road. The closest neighborhood is only about a mile or so from the center, close enough that Andrew doesn't need a car like Aubrey.

As Andrew makes the turn off the road on into his neighborhood, a loud, deafening, noise like whips beating through the air catches Andrew off guard. He pulls his bike over to a stop and shoots his eyes up towards the culprit of the sound. A helicopter, not too far from the ground, quickly hovers past him and continues on. It's definitely an odd occurrence in a town like Edenton.

Maybe it's just a tour of the mountains in the area? Or maybe someone rich and important is finally here to give the town some notoriety? Whatever it may be, there's more important things for Andrew to do than be amused by a helicopter.