Hometown Heroes

Chapter Two

The afternoon with Zack, Rian and Jack had been fairly good - I got to watch them play around on the large garden that surrounded the school building, and then I even went to each of their bedrooms, which were very near my own.

We went to Rian's first, and, upon entering, I saw the room any boy with my music taste - but clearer past - would beam at: walls a dark blue and covered in band posters, a LCD to die for, a drumset in one corner... obviously, Rian's family was living well.

After that, we went to Zack's room, which happened to be right beside Rian's - the 'Merrick' plaque stuck in between Rian's, an expensive looking piece of gold that said 'Dawson', and a cheaper looking one that said 'Flyzik' - and his room consisted, pretty much, in his basses all over a corner - yes, more than one! -, a computer on top of the desk in front of his single bed, and that was it... which was still awesome.

Walking just a tad bit further down the hall, we reached Jack's room - just beside mine, curiously - and I was quick to enter, once the door was open, because, honestly, I didn't want to know if the plaque next to Jack's reminded them of something.

"Sweet room, Barakat" Zack said, analyzing Jack's walls - that were a deep crimson colour and had guitars hanging on them -, just as Rian literally squealed at Jack's videogames, and I looked through the many photos on his closet doors.

"Well, I'm going to have to stay here for two years, may as well make the most of it, right?" He laughed off, crossing his arms before his chest as he walked to meet me, leaving the two of us staring at the photographs. "You like the pics, Gaskarth?" Hr questioned me, his shoulder brushing against mine suavely; then I felt his gaze on me, so, I nodded, still not taking my eyes off the digital memories. "Y'k now, I haven't heard you speak all this time" he pointed out, and I googled my eyes, 'cause, fuck, I really didn't want to explain to him everything, yet - I wasn't ready to do that.

"Alex, shall we go to your room, now?" Rian asked, saving me from some awkward moment with Jack; I took that as my chance to escape and quickly walked to the door, hearing them following me.

I stepped out of Jac's room and stopped in front of my own door, trying to be as quick as possible to take my keys out of my pocket, so they wouldn't have much to think over my last name; however, luck wasn't by my side, because, somehow, my earphones cable had messed up over the keys and it wasn't letting me get my keys out properly... And I guess that my trembling hands weren't helping, either.

When I unfumbled everything, they hadn't said anything, so I felt rather victorious, and, enthusiastically, opened my room for them, even though my room was really plain - just a king-sized bed and a desk with a black laptop, with my guitar in a case next to it.

"Gaskarth... that rings a bell" Jack said from behind me, and I tenses, not even turning to look at him and ask him to shut up. "I think our dads went to school together, or some shit" he finished, and I released a breath I hadn't realised I was holding.

"Oh, I remember seeing a... damn , what was the name?" Rian asked, probably wanting me to help him, but I just turned around with a questioning - and very scared - look on my face. "Peter! That's his name! I remember seeing a Peter Gaskarth on my dad's highschool yearbook!" He finished, triumphantly, with a smile. "That's your dad, right?" He asked, noticing my tense face, and I was quick to nod. "Cool."

"Hey, Alex, you have a brother, right?" Zack questioned, and, right then, I knew I was fucked. "'Cause my bro told me he used to be best friend's with this Gaskarth kid, Thomas or something, and he used to come over sometimes, on the weekend, but then he disappeared completely... What happened to him?" He questioned, totally unaware of the tension he had caused me.

Luckily, a loud bell rang outside, and I knew it was time for dinner, even before the headmaster's voice reverberated through the toom, getting the other boys' attention, who took off running at the thought of food.