Youth and Whiskey

These words are burning inside of me. Spent years in liquid harmony.

Jake’s POV

September 3rd, start of the new term in school. I peeled my eyes open, it was too early to be up; 6:30. I planned my outfit the night before so I could quickly get dressed. I wiggled into my ripped black jeans, a plain black t-shirt and my converses and at the same time I stretched. I went into the bathroom, did my business and returned to my room. I straightened and teased my hair, applied a small amount of eyeliner just in time as the doorbell rang. 

“Oh it’s you…GAY BOY!! Your friend is here?”

I faintly heard him call as I continued my journey downstairs.

“Hey Jake bro, come one!”

“I’m coming!” I put my messenger bag over my shoulder and left.

“Dude. Did you hear?”

“What?”

“There is a new math teacher in school.”

“Oh…I hope they’re good, math is one of the subjects I am actually doing good in.”

Distantly I heard a call, “Dudes! Where have you been?” It was Andy.

“Here.”

Once we got to school we were immediately confronted with Mr Purdy. 

“You guys are late, again! First day of the term as well!” He preached. 

“You know Sir, our legs don’t move as fast as your car!”

“Andrew, I’ll see you in my room at lunch. Great start to your final year.” He swiftly turned of his heels and left.

“You’ve already started your fling with Mr Purdy this year, Andy!” CC lightly punched Andy’s arm and jogged away before he could hit him back.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure something will happen this year!”

We parted as usual as we are never in the same classes, I headed straight to the administrations office to get this years timetable. I quickly scanned it and noticed that today I had double math, ‘Well at least I get to meet the new teacher.”

I went to my locker and got my math textbook out and headed to my math room.

I peered in, no one was in there yet, great, I could choose my seat, top right hand corner, as always. I popped my earphones in as the class slowly entered the room. It wasn’t long before the teacher entered, and my god, it took my breath away.

“Alright guys, take your seat, we are about to start.”

His voice mesmerized me.

“Alright class, I am the new teacher, Mr Ferguson”

A jock at the back of the class quickly laughed at the slightly nervous teacher. However Mr Ferguson quickly picked it that he was in laughing and a slightly unexpected side of him came out and the jock was in for an immediate detention. However, we quickly locked eyesights and he gave me a wicked grin.

I replayed that moment over and over, ‘What could that mean?’

I sat alone at lunch and thought about that moment. He didn’t seem that much older than me, I didn’t think he was old enough to be a teacher, maybe 22? His body looked toned in a fitted black suit and a purple tie, he looked quite mystic. I think I started to drool a little bit.

“Jake dude, what’s up? Wait, are you drooling? Dude!” I heard CC roar.

“Man, I wasn’t drooling!” I quickly defend.

“Whatever you say!” Andy teased. “Guys I started a new song, it’s called Youth and Whiskey.”

“Well that’s an interesting name, I like it.” I told Andy.

“Well, I wrote half the lyrics but I can’t quite get a riff.” Andy explained back.

“I’ll work on it.”

Us three spent lunch in the music department as usual, the only place we could be ourselves. I sat quietly picking at a sandwich while the boys pigged out on their lunches as usual.

“You know, Jake, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat a proper meal.” CC dictated.

“Or a full sandwich!” Andy laughed.

The buzzer went off at 2pm sharply and the last period was the longest one, an hour and a half. I was quite excited but nervous to face Mr Ferguson again after the previous encounter earlier that day.

We said our farewells, that day we were not meeting after school for various reasons, Andy had a dentist appointment and it was CC’s Grandmother’s birthday, so he was visiting her.

After leaving, I quickly placed my earphones into my ears, turned the volume right up to a guns ’n’ roses song and tore through the swarm of children in front of me. I swerved a final person before entering the class. I walked quickly in and took my seat. I sat there for a while before having a feeling that something wasn’t right. I looked up and saw the whole class looking at me and Sir standing next to me looking quite unimpressed, I cautiously pulled out my earphones.

“After school detention, with me, today.” He softly whispered into my ear.  He turned around and continued preaching about trigonometry, which was a bore as I had learned it a couple of years ago from my mother as she was a maths teacher.

The class was readying themselves to go home after a long first day, I joined them, hoping he forgot that I had detention. 

“Before you go guys, i’ve got one problem for you to solve for homework.” Sir piped up.

He wrote a long but not particularly challenging problem on the board, I finished it before the final buzzer went. I packed my notebooks and my pencil case into my bag as soon as the buzzer went. As I sat at the back of the class, I was the last to leave, typical, the moment I quickly wanted to leave, I couldn’t.

I reached the door but was quickly stopped with an arm reaching in front of me, calling for an immediate halt. 

“Please remain.” He said sternly.

I sat back down towards the middle of the class, he trailed behind and sat on the chair in front of me, leaning on the back of the chair. It was awkward.

“So, I don’t even know your name. What is your name?” He started small talk, what is worse than small talk.

“Jake, Sir.” I said quieter than normal.

“Jake.” "Jake. I like that name. Please don’t call me Sir, I really hate it, call me Jinxx.” He said with a comforting smile.

“Okay Sir, I mean, Jinxx.” He moved his hands slightly closer to mine, I didn’t recoil my hands.

“So, I heard you playing earlier in the music room. You are really good.” He paused. “This may sound weird but, do you want to come back to mine and work on that song?”

Without thinking, I jumped in to answer “Yes!” I looked down, “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

He smiled softly, touched my hands and swiftly stood up, just in time as another teacher walked in. 

“Hello, you must be Mr Ferguson. I’m Mr Jenkins, Chemistry department.” He welcomed himself. 

“Hey, Mr Jenkins.” “Alright Jake, you can go I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I swiftly left the school, placed my earphones in, once again and left towards my house, unfortunately.