Nearly Almost Dead But Not Quite

That's Not Very Punk of You

//John Lauren's POV//

Waking up to my dad screaming at our maid was not a rare occurrence, yet still a very unpleasant one. Henry Laurens, my overbearing, homophobic, sexist and racist father (or a very poor excuse for one) ran some big corporate company which had been passed down from his father.  This position he holds makes him believe that he runs the world and every one has to bend to his whims upon command.  

I'm in my junior year of high school and I want to pursue my art career, my father however has other plans for me. When he realized that my mother was pregnant with a son, he made damn sure that i would be the ideal male child. Good grades, after school clubs and football. Once I reached high school, I gave him hell because I didn't want to be his perfect son, I just wanted to be me and to be able to freely express myself. My mom passed away during childbirth leaving me alone with the bastard and our live-in maids.

My freshman year of school, I made two best friends: Hercules Mulligan and Marie-Joesph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de LaFayette, Marquis de Lafayette or "Laf" for short. Hercules is a muscular guy who is way too loud and his mother forces him to take an economic's course in our school. He he claims to hate it but Laf and i both know that he secretly loves the class. Laf on the other hand is a baguette. A french transfer student who is very funny and has the nicest looking and smelling hair you could ever see on a guy.  Funny enough, Herc and i can only understand him half the time because of his thick accent and how half of his words are in french. These two quickly became my partners in crime aiding me in bringing some anarchy to the school. We became known as "The Revolution Squad." My father was not fond of my new found friends.

In my sophomore year of school I gathered the courage to tell my parental unit about what I wanted to do with my life, let's just say he didn't approve in the slightest. He shouted at me saying that he doesn't understand why I'm such a screw up and why i have to be a homosexual. He told me that my art was shit and it wouldn't get me anywhere in life, that my mother didn't die for her son to become a failure and freak. I loathe this man with every fibre of my being and I honestly cannot wait until I can move out.

Today was Monday which meant that I had no classes with Herc or Laf today besides lunch. Getting out of bed, I grab the nearest shirt and pair of jeans off my floor before heading off to the bathroom to get ready for the day. As I put my hair into it's signature ponytail my phone began to buzz. Checking what the notification was I realized that it was Laf sending a picture of his outfit of the day over on the group chat to ask Herc his opinion on the pants. Sometimes I will never understand those two.

"New message"

French Baguette: *INSERT PHOTO HERE*

I NEED NO INTRO: I stg Laf if you wear those pants i am not going to let myself be seen in public                                          with you.

Turtle Boii: Y'all boiis need to chill. i agree with Herc tho. Bad pants

French Baguette: Désolé mais je ne suis pas d'accord avec votre culture américaine!!!

Turtle Boii: I will see you in lunch boys, gtg

After the brief conversation with my friends I threw on my doc martins and headed off to my bus stop. Once there, I put in my ear buds and shuffled through my music, regretting leaving my house without a jacket. It was a rather cold day and this thin hoodie I was wearing wasn't going to cut it. Alas I cannot return to my house to grab a jacket cause I will most definitely miss the bus. Oh well, gotta wait this one out i suppose. 

Fifteen minutes later the bus finally pulled up and I plopped down into my usual seat at the back of the bus alone. I don't mind being alone because I can listen to my music in peace and do whatever i please for the twenty minute ride to the school across the city. As the killers began to play through my ears, I doze off only to be awakened by the buzz making a loud SCREEEECHHH when it finally reached the school.

Breezing through my first four classes without much thought, I completely forgot about how I needed to stop by my locker to grab my sketchbook. When the bell rang signifying the end of class, I sauntered through the crowded halls towards my locker saying "hey" to familiar faces as I passed. Just because I only have two friends doesn't mean that I am anti-social and hate everyone in my school. Okay... maybe i do act that way, but it's just a facade. 

The sketch book that i keep in school is full of my favorite works and I always keep it at the school in fear of my father getting a hold of it. See, he has no idea that I take three art classes... I may or may not have not printed out a fake schedule for him to see back when the year started this way he thinks that I am taking his choice of classes. Heh, that would be really funny.

Drawing and painting is the first art class I have and when I reached the classroom, I was shocked to see a new student sitting at the desk next to mine. I payed him little mind since there are always new kids changing to and from the school. Pretending not to notice him, I pulled out my sketchbook along with my Prismacolor pencils and began to sketch my one pet turtle named Diva. She is my pride and joy back at home.

Diamondback Terapins are very satisfying to draw because of their muted colors and smoothly rounded body. Oh god I just absolutely love turtles with everything in me. I mean give a guy a break, if Herc can be weirdly obsessed with sewing pants, I can very well have a damn good time with turtles. They are just very cute and smol and I want to be the first person to start an all turtle military regiment. Just let a guy have his dreams, okay?

Twenty minutes into the period, the new kid next to me tapped my shoulder, startling me. I pulled my earbuds out and gave him a questioning look. He gazed back at me for a few seconds before saying "I like your turtle drawing." 

I just looked back at him and replied "Uhhh, thanks?"

"no problem, I'm Alexander by the way," He said sticking his hand out for me to shake.

Taking his hand in mine, I asked him "How long have you been in this class, I never noticed you before? John by the way."

"Today is my first day in the school and I noticed that you were in my first couple classes today. I figured that maybe I could use someone to show me around?" He asked with an optimistic look.

How could i say "no" that face, he just looked so lost and unsure of himself.

"Alright! Well as I previously said, My name's John Laurens and i'm a junior. I like turtles and I have a really good feeling that we will wind up as the best of friends." I flashed him a smile

"Sounds good to me! And call me Alex," He said with a humongous smile on his face.