A John Constantine Story

Gaz

This chapter took me so long. I hope it's at least almost as good as in my fantasy. Enjoy and leave a comment if you like it. Also there is an easter egg to the Hellblazer Comics (because I can't put everything from the Hellblazer Comics in here because it doesn't fit the timeline I created for this story). So I only put it as an easter egg in it.

Liverpool, 1996

When John closed the door behind him, Chas was already waiting at the fence in front of John's house.
"Hey."
"Hi", John answered and took out a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches. He took a cigarette and tried to light it with the matches.
Chas patiently looked at him while he tried to light the cigarette. "Do you need help?"
"Do you have a lighter?"
"No. Why are you even doing that?"
"Why not?" John asked and smiled when the cigarette was finally lit. "My dad's doing that too."
"Right. Because he's the perfect role model."
John sighed and started walking towards school.
"By the way... Where were you yesterday?"
"Why?"
"You wanted to come to my house, remember?" Chas asked.
"Right... Sorry, I forgot that..." John explained and looked to the ground.

That wasn't true. John would never forget to meet his best friend. Yesterday when he was about to leave, his father was there. He usually was only at home to sleep and not in the middle of the day. Or he slept in the middle of the day.
"Where are you going?" he asked when John walked towards the door.
"To Chas..."
"Did I allow you to go there?"
"I didn't even know that you're here."
"You're not going."
"Why?"
"Because I told you so!"
"Yeah whatever. I'm going anyway."
"You're NOT going!" his dad said angry and threw an empty bottle of beer at John which crashed against the wall right beside John's head. "You're not going", he repeated again. "You're bringing me a new beer from the kitchen and then go to your room again."
John went to the kitchen and brought his father the beer.
"Now go back to your room."
"But..."
"No but! Go to your room!"
"I just want..."
"What do you want?!" John's father got up and punched him in the face. "I told you to go back to your room! Why are so disrespectful?!" He took his cigarette and pressed it on John's skin. John clenched his teeth's because otherwise he would have screamed because of the pain and he learnt that this only makes his father even more annoyed.

John took a deep drag of his cigarette.
"You okay?" Chas asked.
"Yeah sure."
"Okay..."
John could tell that Chas didn't believe him. But he didn't say anything.

John and Chas were the last to enter the classroom. The guys in the room were talking about some soccer-related things and the girls about shoes and clothes or something else John wasn't interested in. Annie got part of the cheerleader team, 3 years ago. Since then she always brought more people in their group of friends. Meanwhile there aren't only John, Chas and Annie anymore. Now there are also her Cheerleader friends Stacey, Maria and Renee and now also Maria's new boyfriend Tom and his best friend Terry. John didn't like they're group growing so fast. But at least now there are 4 hot girls at his table at lunch time so he's not complaining.
John sat down and looked through the room again and then saw that guy that always was alone. He just sits there, drawing something on a paper. Since the first day of school, he was always alone. John didn't know anything about him even though they were classmates.
"Hey Chas. Do you know anything about that guy over there?" John asked and looked over to him again.
"No. But maybe Annie. She always knows everything about everyone", Chas answered.
"Good idea", John said, walked over to the girls and jumped on Annie's table.
"John, what are you doing??"
He looked for the most comfortable position to sit on Annie's table and then looked at her. "I have one question. That guy over there. Do you know anything about him?"
"Of course. That's Gary Lester. He is weird because he is always so quite. But Renee says that he is pretty smart but even when they have to work together for a project, he's almost not talking. And a big rumor is that he might be... gay..." She said the last word like she was assuming that he was a murderer. "But I already told you those things", Annie said and sighed. "Are you ever listening to me?"
"Nope. Most times I'm just starring at your boobs."
"John Constantine sitting on a table. Why am I expecting nothing else when I enter this classroom?"
Ms. Evans appeared right behind him and smiled.
"Good morning, Ms. Evans", John said.
"Go to your table, John. And there you sit on the chair."
John grinned, jumped from the table and sat down next to Chas. He looked over to the quite Gary and saw him looking back at him. John smiled at him and Gary looked away immediately.
"Well today I have another partner work for you guys", Ms. Evans said smiling.
"Hey, Chas. Okay if I work with soneone else today?"
"Why?"
"I just wanna work with someone else for once. You can work with Renee instead."
Chas looked over to the blonde girl with a pair of glasses on her nose who looked at the other girls who already had a partner. "Mh okay. But with who are you working instead?" Chas asked and looked over to John who was already on his way to Gary.
"Hi."
"H-Hi...?" Gary looked up and into John's brown eyes.
"Mind if we work together?"
"Wh-what about your friend?"
"I guess he's fine working with Renee for once."
"O-okay..."
John smiled and sat down next to Gary. "So, your name is Gary?"
Gary nodded.
"That is a pretty boring name. Do you have a nickname?"
"My brother sometimes calls me some but they are never nice..."
"Oh okay. Well I will figure out a name for you."
"Okay..."