Enter Rou

Chapter 2 - The Catalyst

lMonday had come, it was 6:30 when Rou's alarm went off, She hated monday's, especially Monday's that envolved early starts because she was starting school today. Rou dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom, after an hour and a half of getting ready, she left the house with headphones in and bag thrown over her shoulder, the walk to school was long and cold but she had her thoughts to keep her occupied. "that's the sound of another door shutting in, in the face of progress in the face of progress" she sung as she walked through the park - a shortcut to school - listening to Enter Shikari triggered her memory of yesterday and her lips curled up into a small reserved smile thinking about the Ollie kid she met the day before, 'i wonder where he went yesterday?' she thought to herself, but before she could think of anything else, she was there, at her new school.

As soon as Rou walked up to the big grey building, she knew that she was in for a treat, every kid that walked past gave her a different look and after a while, she started to feel uncomfortable. Rou made her way to reception, the inside of the building was even gloomier than the outside, she walked up to the desk at reception and automatically got disapproving looks from the receptionist "...errr... i just started here, today...? i'm Rou Clarke...?" Rou said to the receptionist, the receptionist let out a sigh then proceeded to say "the headmistress; Mrs Barker wants to see you in her office first, i'll get someone to escort you there now" her voice nasal and annoying, Rou just stood awkwardly in reception waiting for someone to escort her to the head's office. "ROU!" a familiar voice yelled, Rou spun round at the sound of her name to see the one, the only; Ollie. A smile started to spread across her face as she finally recognised someone in the alien place, "do you go here!?" Ollie asked Rou excitedly, "ermm... yah! i think? well i start today? apparently i'm getting escourted to the head's office or something?" said Rou, "aaaaaahh! that would be me!" said Ollie, "well, i'm not the head but i've been sent to excourt you haha" Rou just smilied and peered down at her feet awkwardly, "soooo... LET'S GO!" Ollie announced as he showed Rou to the office.

Rou stood outside the head mistresses office, knocked on the door, "enter!" a voice from inside beckoned, Rou took a deep breath and walked in. About 20 minutes later, Rou walked out with an annoyed look on her face, "you have to take your piercings out and dye your hair, don't you?" asked Ollie (he had been waiting outside the office for Rou) "it's an absolute piss take!" said a very annoyed Rou, "hahah, you're going to look so different, so normal!" teased Ollie "urgh, normal's boring!" protested Rou "hahah, come on you freak, I'll show you to your first lesson" said Ollie, he held his hand out, Rou thought about it for a moment, then took hold of Ollie's hand while he guided her through the halls, Rou started to blush when he squeezed her hand tighter.

Hours later, Rou was walking home from her first day at her new school (which she hated by the way) with Ollie, it turned out that he lived near her and walked the same route home. Once they got to Rou's front door, Ollie asked "well aren't you going to invite me in?" "... you want to come in...?" questioned Rou, "I'd love to Rou, thank you!" Ollie declared as he motioned Rou to open the door. Rou just sighed, rolled her eyes and twisted the key in the lock.

Rou's house was modern, it had a warm feel about it, with warm colours (baige, cream, dark red, light browns) all around and everything was relatively neat. Rou walked into the kitchen and Ollie followed "so It's just you, your dad and little sister right?" Ollie asked as he read the letters/notes/pictures held onto the frigde with magnets "yup, that's right" Rou answered, whilst dumping her bag on the table and scooping her cat up in her arms, "what happened to your mum...?" Ollie asked curiously, "she left us for another guy and moved to Canada or something? I haven't heard anything or seen her since I was 9" Rou answered "ah well, it's her loss!" Ollie replied, still scanning the front of the fridge, "who's Routhe?" (said like Ruth) asked Ollie, "Hey! stop being nosy!" snapped Rou, "so that's what Rou is short for" said Ollie gleefully, happy now that he had something to tease her about, "urgh, just come on" Rou said walking upstairs with Ollie following behind, "you do know that Ollie's short for Oliver, right?" questioned Ollie "err, yeaahh...?" replied Rou, "okay, just wondering" said Ollie.

The two got to Rou's bedroom, it was a normal 16 year old bedroom really, a bed, a desk, wardrobe, millions of posters all over every inch of the wall, A few film, fashion, animal posters/pictures but mostly bands from the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Asking Alexandria, Your Demise, Metallica, Blink 182 and more. Ollie was amazed at the amount of posters on her walls, Rou then rumaged through her desk, "what are you looking for?" Ollie asked while sitting on her bed "piercing retainers... wait, how come you don't have to take your lip ring out!?" Rou questioned Ollie, "my auntie works in reception, I get away with murder at that school" Ollie said with a smug look on his face, Rou huffed while she unscrewed her lip studs and nose ring, she hated taking her piercings out, she felt so insecure. Once the only bits of metal left in her skin were in her ear lobes, she sighed deeply looking in the mirror at the sight of her and at the thought of her having to dye her much loved bright red hair a boring colour.

"what are you going to do about your hair?" questioned Ollie, "I'll have to dye it dark browny black, I guess?" said Rou through a sigh, she slumped on her bed next to Ollie, feeling so low about herself with the thought of not looking the way she wanted to, "what's up?" Ollie asked sympathetically, "I just hate the way I look when I'm not wearing my piercings, I look boring and just disgusting" Rou stated, Ollie looked Rou up and down and said "I don't see anything wrong with you?" Rou looked up at Ollie surprised, "all I see is a beautiful girl with, beautiful hair, beautiful pale white skin, beautiful pale green eyes, a beautiful body and even beautiful holes in her skin, even without pieces of metal in them." he continued, Rou was stunned by what Ollie had just said, she looked at her feet, biting her lip and blushing like crazy, trying to hide the biggest smile, she then felt Ollie getting closer to her, she looked up and Ollie cupped her face gently as their lips connected, Rou then looked down again biting her lip through the smile again, trying not to be embarrassing, "you're beautiful Routhe" Ollie said.