I probably should have mentioned that this story is told from three different perspectives as I hope you noticed in the first chapter. Though the story is about Josh and Rob, Michelle is present to give some insight from an outsiders perspective.
Disclaimer: All characters, events and places described in this story are completely fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locations are completely coincidental.
You can email me with comments/questions/whatevs at brawlinauthor@gmail.com
Chapter 2 -
Josh:
"Who the hell was that guy?" He found himself wondering, as he moved through the lobby of Langly, out into the now bright morning sun. "How is it possible for someone to walk in almost forty-five minutes late and the teacher not even bat an eyelash?"
However, the guys tardiness wasn't the only thing concerning Josh. When they had looked at one another, it was, odd. It was as if the guy had been completely caught off guard by Josh's presence. Only for a split second had Josh noticed it, but it was definitely there, and it sent shivers down his spine.
As he continued to contemplate the "late kid", as Josh was now refering to him, he noticed he had wandered aimlessly into the middle of the main lawn.
"Ugggg! I don't even know where in the hell I'm going!" Josh sighed, in frustration.
"Need some help?"
"Oh, sorry... I didn't realize anyone was near enough to hear me" Josh said, slightly embarassed, as he turned to face a petite girl with shoulder length brown hair.
"I'm Jenn, and you are?" The girl asked.
"I'm Josh... Josh Holt... the new guy"
"Ah... thats right you were the one who gave the cute little wave in Mr. Savages class last period" she replied, with a grin.
She looked to be a bit younger to Josh. Maybe a sophomore or possibly a junior. She carried a large canvas under her arm and an oversized flannel shirt draped across her shoulders. He could only assume she was headed to some type of art class.
"Yeah... that was me, let me help you with that" Josh said, as he took the canvas out from under her arm.
"Thanks, don't worry about being so careful with it. It's blank. Where ya headed?"
"Dagget Hall?"
"Oh, thats where I'm going. It's the art building... well art, music, drama, journalism. Basically Nerd Hall"
"Yeah? I'm taking chorus" He looked around feigning nervousness as he whispered "so does that make me a nerd?"
"Depends... Can you sing and if you can is it exclusively showtunes or gospel music?"
Josh was beginning to notice that this girl was pretty blunt. He liked it. Since moving here it had seemed to him that everything spoken was somehow sugar coated. It was refreshing to hear a question asked and not a question implied.
"I play guitar mostly but yeah I sing a little too... rock, alternative, indie." He shrugged his shoulders
"A musician type... hot" She said, nodding her head. Josh blushed, maybe her bluntness wasn't so refreshing after all?
"So what brings you to BFE Josh?" They were nearing the building now.
"My mom got a job offer up here after graduating college last year. She'd been taking courses at the local college for as long as I can remember and finally finished. I'm pretty proud of her. She's raised me on her own, no help from anyone, worked two jobs and took courses at night and online." Josh said, beaming, he really was proud of her.
"Wow, thats impressive"
"Yeah... graduated with a really high GPA too. Like almost a 4.0! She didn't even apply for this job she just got recommended by one of her teachers!"
"Really? Where is she working?"
"T-something or other, I think?" Josh was a little embarassed by the fact that he had just claimed to be so proud of his mother and yet he had no idea of where she was working or even what she was doing. He had been so focused on the move and relishing in his last few weeks of Gavington that he hadn't taken the time to really talk to her about it. He suddenly felt very selfish.
"Thought so... most peoples parents work for Tilton Enterprises. Rockshire is their main headquaters." They had paused outside of the building. Josh looked at his watch noticing it was only two minutes until the bell. He didn't want to be late but he also didn't want to be rude to Jenn. He figured he would have been late anyway if she hadn't helped him out so he continued to listen to her explain the basics of Rockshire.
"A big chunk of their lawyers, marketers, computer people and lots of others live here" She explained.
"Wow... so like its a big company?"
"Pretty big... they've got their hands in a lot of different things. Software development is what they started out in back in the 90's but now they have ties to things like green energy and stuff."
"Crazy" Josh hadn't realized his mom was working for such a prestigious company before now "Soooo, wait, that guy who came in late to class just now Mr. Savage had called him Mr. Tilton..."
"Yeah, Robert Tilton, Lydia Tilton's son, she is the CEO of TE"
"Well that explains a lot" Josh realized now why the guy had got to walk in so late and not have a single comment made about it. Must be nice being the richest kid on the block.
"Yeah, Rob sort of gets the run of the place but he is a great guy!"
"I'm not really a huge fan of spoiled rich kids..." Josh had said the words before he'd even realized they were coming out. His mouth often times had a mind of its own and tended to land him in trouble more often than not.
Josh couldn't tell what kind of an affect his comment had had on Jenn. She almost seemed amused.
"Well we better get to class... spoiled rich kids might be able to get away with being forty-five minutes late but we certainly won't be able to." Jenn smirked as she turned to walk up the stairs to the entrance of Dagget as Josh trailed behind her.
"It was nice meeting you Josh... I'm sure I'll see you later tonight" She winked, before grabbing her canvas from him and heading up the stairs, "It's Friday, we do Friday's big here in BFE, you'll see!"
Josh head into the auditorium reflecting on the fact that it was turning out to be a pretty decent first day. Or at least it seemed like it. He didn't really have much to compare it too, he guessed. Yet, it was a good sign that he had just got invited to a party wasn't it? Well, actually, could he really call that an invitation?
Rob:
"So your mom is out of town, right?" Jenn asked, as she sat down across from him.
"All your eating is that rabbit food?" He asked, staring at the salad devoid of ranch dressing, bacon bits and cheese, all aspects of a salad which he felt were necessary before even attempting to pick at the "green stuff".
"You know I'm a vegetarian..."
"And you know that being a vegetarian is more than just eating salads and french fries right?"
"You're avoiding the question" She said looking annoyed.
"Yes, we can have a party..." Rob sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Excellent, because I've already invited half the school"
"I know, I've already got three texts since second period asking if there will be a keg... What kind of question is that? Has there ever been a keg?"
"They're idiots..." Evan said, placing his tray beside Jenn's across from Rob "where's Michelle?"
"She's got first lunch this year man" Rob answered, "You know cuz she's in those smart kid classes this year"
"I think they're called AP courses" Jenn said, rolling her eyes.
"That sucks! The four amigos have never not had lunch together... well except freshman year before Jenn got her"
Jenn, Rob, Evan and Michelle had been inseperable for all of their high school careers. As Evan said, they were the four amigos. A strange bunch in a way, Jenn was wild and artsy, Evan was a muscle head quaterback with a heart of gold and Michelle was the beautiful social butterfly (who also happened to be incredibly intellegent). Together they had survived the rollercoaster of youth, and it certainly had been a wild, wild ride so far. Rob clung to them. They were his lifeline, his true friends in a sea of people who only saw him as an extension of Tilton Enterprises. Yet, he wondered today, and not for the first time, what they really saw in him. He didn't have a clue.
"Well I don't want to dwell on it" Jenn said, "So what about the new guy in yall's grade!?"
"What about him?" Rob said, trying to sound bored, he didn't want to think about the new guy. More specifically, he didn't want to think about the feelings the new guy had brought about in him.
"Well other than the fact that he's super hot... he's also really nice. He should definitely be invited to the party tonight."
"I already told Michelle she could invite him" Rob began picking at his so called meatloaf trying to end the discussion quickly.
"Is this the Josh Holt kid?" Evan asked, joining the conversation now that he had sufficiently scarfed down everything on his tray.
"Yesssssssss" Jenn answered.
"He's apparently a pretty spectacular football player" Evan said, "like, he may replace Luke as our main running back."
"Huh..." Rob said blankly.
"Yeah, yeah... I know, you could care less Rob" Evan continued, "but what you probably will be interested in is what I heard the coaches talking about this past week at our last summer practice."
"Go on" Jenn said, apparently very eager to hear what Evan had to say.
Rob stared at him trying to appear way less interested than he actually was.
Evan leaned down to whisper to the two of them "I heard he got in quite a lot of trouble at his last school... for fighting."
"Really?" Rob said softly, his interest piqued now, "Jenn, make sure you bump into him again before the end of the day and get him to the party tonight"
"Leave it to me" She replied, smiling.
Josh -
It had been a long, confusing day but Josh was finally on his way to his last class: Algebra II. He was absolutely dreading it. Math was by far his worst subject by a long shot. In fact, he had failed alebra II the first time he had taken it his sophomore year. Because of scheduling he had had to go on and take geometry last year at his old school and was told he could make alegebra II up his senior year. Thankfully, Rockshire seemed to be on board with that plan too. Except there was a slight problem; at Rockshire Alegebra II was a freshman course, so after a major flop in his Chorus class (finding out there were only five other people enrolled) and a silent lunch period he now had fifty minutes remeniscent of his mornings bus ride experience. Joy.
However, there was one silver lining, Rockshire's seniors weren't required to take a seventh period class. He would be home free after this class every day. Not that he was really sure of what he would do with an extra fifty minutes before football practice started at 4:00 each day but he figured he could get a jump on his homework or squeeze in some extra work out time in the gym. In the spring it would be awesome though because he could pick up more than just a weekend job.
"HEY! New guy!" Josh heard from somewhere off behind him.
"Josh! Wait up!" It was Jenn, frantically sprinting to catch up with him.
"Hey Jenn" He was a little confused as to why she seemed so desperate to catch up with him.
"Why were you ignoring me!?" She was panting.
"Uhhh I wasn't ignoring you... you shouted twice"
"Yeah, which means I shouted once too many times!" Her bluntness was starting to phase him a good bit less now so he simply smiled and shook his head.
"Did you, uh, need something?"
"Just wanted to make sure you were coming to the party tonight"
"Um... was I invited?"
"Sure you were... I invited you dummy" She cocked her head to the side as if questioning his sanity, "I won't take no for an answer Josh, your coming, you need to meet people." She reached into her pocket for her iPhone, handing it to Josh. "Put your number in there and I will text you the details and address."
"Just one problem. I don't exactly have a car." Josh informed her, slightly embarassed.
"Oh you're hopeless aren't you? I will find you a ride then." she turned away from him and began heading off, "Text you in a few asking for your address. Don't you dare ignore me!" She yelled as she scurried away waving.
"I think that girl might be crazy" Josh thought to himself as he watched her walk away. He had known her all of ten minutes and yet she seemed concerned for him getting to know people? It seemed fishy. She seemed nice but not that nice and he hoped like hell she wasn't interested in him. Though, he was getting the feeling that she might be. Unfortunately for her she wasn't Josh's type. Too smart. Josh knew that Jenn was the type of girl that would see through his facade eventually and that was far to risky.
He wondered how he might get her off his back as he made his way to Ashford Hall, impressed with himself that he was finally getting to know his way around the campus. Ashford was slightly different then the other halls of Rockshire. From the outside it looked exactly the same, brick exterior, rows of windows and a large stone porch with the main entrance leading to the lobby. Ashford, however, was the science and math building, so upon entering Josh realized that the lobby was much smaller than the other buildings he had been in throughout the day. The main floor was flanked by four large science labs instead of the usual auditorium and the large stairwell that Josh had been accustomed to using in the buildings across campus was absent. It took him a few moments but he eventually found the stairwell tucked away a door at the end of the hall to the right. He made his way up to the second floor and into another uniform classroom taking a seat near the back adjacent a window. Looking around he noticed that he had been absolutely right, this class was most certainly going to be a rerun of his bus ride.
"I heard Gallow is in this class... again" A smartly dressed boy said who sat two seats up from where Josh was sitting.
"Isn't this like the third time he's had to take this? How is he still here?" A girl with blonde hair replied.
"You know the answer to that. He's one of the football stars"
"He's absolutely vile" Josh couldn't see the girls face from where he sat but based on her tone he could only assume he expression was pure disgust, "He beat up poor Tim Barnes last year"
"Tim Barnes is a fag..." That word made Josh's blood boil. For all the times he had heard it in the locker room and on the field you would think he would be used to the word being thrown around, yet, still every time it made him want to punch whoever said it. He wanted to see the look on their face after a "fag" had beat the shit out of them. His fists clenched as he continued to listen.
"You stop that Jimmy West... Tim is one of the sweetest people on the planet and he was defenseless! Just because Luke is one of those brawler boys does not give him the right to hurt whomever he pleases simply because they don't agree with him"
Josh was beginning to wonder where the teacher was. He was getting tired of this conversation very quickly. Whoever this Luke Gallow person was he didn't like him and the more he heard the more he knew he would end up sticking his nose in where it didn't belong.
"Speaking of 'brawler boys' tonights recruitment night y'know. You going?"
"Don't tell me you are... you aren't going to try out for one of those groups are you?"
"So what if I am?"
"Jimmy..."
"So sorry I'm late everyone!!" The teacher stormed in in a complete rush placing a large mound of papers and a coffee cup on the main desk at the head of the room.
"I am Mrs. Heart, as some of you may realize, I'm not a faculty member here. I've been brought in because the school was a little short staffed this year and I was asked to fill in."
Mrs. Heart wasn't very old. She looked to be in her late thrity's. Not much older than Josh's own mother probably. She had a very frazzled deamenor to her, looking a bit frantic in her course overview and absolutley terrified when going through the roll. She joked several times about never possibly being able to keep up with everyone's names and Josh had a feeling that she was being absolutely serious, despite herself. Yet, beneath her manic disposition, he could tell, was a very kind woman. Josh had a keen sense when it came to teachers. He always knew on the first day whether a teacher would be good, bad or mediocre, and for some reason that sense was telling him that Mrs. Heart would be a good one regardless of whether she could ever remember his, or any other students, name throughout the year.
As the period dwindled to an end Josh decided that it would be a good idea to go and introduce himself to Mrs. Heart. They were both "new kids" in a sense weren't they? And the way Josh saw it new kids should stick together.
"Hi Mrs. Heart, I'm Josh Holt, I'm new here at Rockshire too"
"Oh Josh! Thank you so much for coming to speak with me its as if you were reading my mind." She said, looking a little relieved.
"I'm sorry?"
"I meant to ask you to stay after to speak with me. I wanted to talk about the fact that this isn't your first time taking this class." Josh was beginning to regret coming to speak with the woman.
"You see... I know you aren't supposed to have a seventh period class. However, we've arranged for you to get some extra help during the next period with a peer tutor. I suggested it a week or so ago to the guidance counselor and she agreed on the condition that I found someone and I have!" She was beaming, obviously thrilled at her accomplishment to Josh's dismay.
"So I have a seventh period then?" Josh asked, already aware of the answer.
"Yes dear, I've arranged for you to start Monday. We want for you to succeed and Algebra II is required for college admitance!"
"Th... Thank you Mrs. Heart" though what he really wanted to say was "Are you fucking serious?" but he figured she was only trying to help him in the best way she knew how.
"Oh I can tell your not happy. I promise she is cute" She said with a wink. Josh wanted to roll his eyes desperately. If only she knew that that made such little difference.
"Thanks again Mrs. Heart... It was nice to meet you" Josh said, wanting to make his escape.
"Have a good day, Josh"
All he could do was hope that this party he was invited too turned out better than his day had been.
Michelle-
"Where is he? I've been waiting for twenty minutes..." She stood outside of the admin building waiting for Rob as she tapped her foot and glanced at her watch for what felt like the millionth time.
She couldn't help but wonder why he had asked to meet her here when it was clearly on the other side of campus from the senior parking lot.
"Robert Tilton!" She said, staring holes through him as he walked up the stairs of the building to join her on the landing. She could see her reflection in his aviator glasses.
"What?"
"You said to meet you here after 6th and 6th ended twenty minutes ago"
"Did it?" He looked up at the sky away from her, "I'm sorry... Evan and I had to talk about tonight. I had Jenn invite your boy by the way." He said, smilling at her.
"Inivite him for what reason Rob?" She said, totally serious now. He simply grinned at her as she followed him into the building and down the hall stopping just outside the records office.
"What are you up to Rob?"
"Just a little research" He replied, grinning.
"Research?" She looked at him completely dumbfounded.
"Excuse me miss?" He said to the woman behind the counter, ignoring Michelle.
"Ah, Mr. Tilton, what can I do for you?" The older lady sitting behind the counter replied.
"I was just wondering what it would take to possibly get a copy of Josh Holt's records..."
"Well Mr. Tilton I'm afraid that is completely against school policy. I can't just hand over confidential records like that to a student"
"I understand..."
"Could you two watch the office for a few moments for me? I need to run down the hall to the supply closet for a moment" She said, looking at Rob as if trying to get a message across to him. "It won't take me more than two minutes" and with that she left the office.
Rob was reached across the lady's desk and searching through the files she had out in a flash.
"What are you doing!?" Michelle gasped.
"I told you research"
"She told you no!"
"Oh come on Michelle she practically handed the damn thing to us. She had it out on the desk and was making eyes at it the whole time before she said she was leaving for two minutes." Rob never looked up from the files he was thumbing through.
"Oh no you don't Robert you are not dragging me into this... I'm going outside" Michelle said as she turned and head out the door.
"What in the hell is he up to!?" She thought to herself before taking a seat in one of the chairs in the hall, "this is crazy... even for Rob."