Family Ties. (A The Strokes Love story)

Chapter 1

June's PoV

"Heya, Mom!" A familiar voice boomed through the downstairs floor of my house. My mom responded to the voice cheerfully.

The voice belonged to my best friend, who was racing audibly up the stairs. He burst through the door, his curly hair flying wildly around his face. He threw himself on the bed, nearly knocking me off.

"HEY!!!" I exclaimed, frowning and writhing underneath Albert. He smelled like fresh smoke, and toothpaste. I finally got out of his grip, and then sat up, and groaned. My eyes shifted to my alarm clock, which had not yet gone off.

"C'mon, June. It's our first day of sophomore year, remember? You should be excited. C'mon." Albert bellowed, dragging me out of bed me shoving me into the bathroom. I splashed water on my face as I heard Albert lay back on my bed.
I've known Al since preschool, when he gave me the remaining glitter for a god-awful art project. Ever since then, we've been joined at the hip for the rest of our primary school days.

I came out of the bathroom, wearing a Led Zeppelin shirt with the Union Jack flag on the bag. My hair was slightly damp and curly. I wore my favorite distressed jeans with holes in the knees. I slid on my new black Converse, which had white and grey laces.
I threw my bag over my shoulder warily, and Albert threw his arm over my shoulders as I exited the bathroom. As we passed the kitchen, Albert lit a fresh cigarette, and I gave him a warning look that was out of my mother's line of sight.

He missed the message, and I sighed as my mom clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Oh, Albert! You shouldn't be smoking; especially not in my house!" Mom scolded him lightly. Albert shrugged as smoke flowed out of his nose. Then, she sighed as she got that familiar, depressed look in her eyes and I watched as she pulled put her own cigarette out of her bra. Albert easily handed her his lighter, knowing the routine already.
This isn't the first time we've went through this before.

"But no one's stopping you..." She sighed, smoking with him. Albert morbidly blew out smoke into the morning air, and I watched quietly. I tugged the cig out of his mouth, and inhaled. I didn't smoke as Albert or my mom, but a quick drag of light menthol could ease the before-school jitters. I took an extra long drag, the menthol constricting my inhibitions and making them disappear.

I looked past my mom as she smiled - looking helpless to the smoke.
Before this summer, she would have never dreamt of smoking. Or let Albert start smoking in her house. Let alone, me.

But then again, things have changed.

Before I could get too deep into my thoughts, I grabbed my book bag, and walked out with Albert. Our high school was only 4 blocks away, so it was better to take the extra exercise.

"Ju-Ju." Albert poked me, calling me by that stupid nickname he gave me.

"What..?"

"Is it about..."

"Just drop it, Al."

"June Danielle Sears."

"Albert!! Shut the fuck up!"

"Okay, chill, asshole! We don't have to talk about it." Albert said, slightly hurt. I smiled as I elbowed him in the ribcage lightly.

"So. Think we'll have the same classes together?" I asked, even though we both knew the answer to that question. Our school was pretty much self-governed; the principal pretty much actually gave the students the classes they actually wanted.

"Mm, yep." Albert responded, accompanied with a nod. I stared at the sidewalk as we approached the old building that the school was.

Teachers greeted students on the entrance to the main right wing of the school. At the entrance to the left wing, a million students crowded around the schedule lists. Albert and I walked past, into the right wing, both of us knowing that our teachers would give us our schedules in homeroom.

We learned that the hard way last year, long story short.

Silver and blue lockers lined both sides of the hallways. Albert and I walked side by side, giving each other glances occasionally as we entered our homeroom. Albert and I chose two desks near the back of the classroom that were right next to each other.

Albert leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the desktop and taking out another cigarette.

"Albert, not in here! At least, wait until lunch or something."

"The teacher's not here, yet, June. C'mon. Take one."

I shook my head, and I noticed students start to leak into the classroom.

I noticed four boys come into the room, all of them obnoxiously loud.
The seeming leader of the boys took a seat next to Albert, and the rest surrounded us. Albert casually breathed out smoke, and the boy leaned over, tapping his shoulder.

I got a good look at him.

Half-lidded, light brown eyes that almost looked green in the light. Shaggy, chocolate brown hair. Nonchalant expression.

Then, he looked back at me as Albert turned to answer him. I quickly broke eye contact, and stared around the room instead.

"Hey." The boy spoke.

"Hey, man," Albert answered.

"Mind if you bum me a cig?"

"Sure thing."

Albert slid each of them a cigarette, then turned towards me.

"June?"

I looked at the cig between his fingertips, and sighed, taking it. I took a lighter out of my pocket, and lit the cigarette. One of the four boys came towards me.

Shorter than the rest. Hispanic. An Afro similar to Albert's. Adorable face, and big eyes.

"Hi!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly. Aw.

"Hi there, cute one." I responded, with an amused grin.

"My name's Fabrizio, but call me Fab. Can I use your lighter real quick, beautiful?"

I flushed lightly, and rolled my eyes. I slid him the small orange lighter, and I watched as Fab lit his cig.

Fab fidgeted in his chair as he smoked his cigarette, and I felt eyes on me. Fab would rock side to side, and spontaneously giggle out loud. I tried my best not to turn and look at the other boy.

"Um, guys?" The tallest one warned, his chin-length hair bobbing as he spoke, looking out of the doorway.

"Teacher," he said, as we all frantically snuffed our cigs, and fanned the smoke out of the air.

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Albert and I moved to our next class after the short orientation, which was Gym. We parted our ways, and I quickly got changed into my gym clothing.

When I walked out, I was surprised to see Albert standing with two out of the four boys we met in the class before. The boy that asked for the cigarette, and another, who had magnificently blue eyes and really long hair.

I tried to keep my distance, and go unnoticed, hiding behind a group of giggling girls.

Coach Mathias walked out, his presence silencing the entire gym.

"Welcome, students, new and old." His voice booked through the gym, and I peered over at the boys. They didn't notice me.

"Let's kick off our year with a nice, intense game of dodgeball!! Split up into two teams. Mr. Hammond Jr! Mr. McCann! Team Captains!"

I cringed internally. I knew Albert, and I knew who he was going to pick as well.

Damn it, Albert..