Chapter Text
The morning hit him like a freight train with no intentions of letting loose anytime soon. He threw himself into the air, leaving an indentation within the mattress that had kept him grounded throughout the night's periodical performance. This was the last time that his dark locks would meet those silky pillowcases for awhile. The way he'd scrambled to his feet that morning almost seemed aggressive, in a huff, as though he'd just finished arguing with life. Internally though, his mindset was not of anger but more so a feeling of misplaced consciousness. Had summer really passed so quickly? He thought to himself as he begrudgingly placed two pieces of stale bread into the toaster of his family home. The home itself feeling more like a place of temporary leave from school rather than a space of welcome. Though, the dormitories of the school did not whisper for his presence either. Summer had been strange. He felt as though one should reminisce upon their days of freedom before returning to the imprisonment of education that was Ridgeview Creek's School for Boys, but he struggled to locate an interesting memory from the stinging hot season. His intrusive thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the soft nudge of his cat. She'd always read the boy like a book and known when to insert herself in between him and his tireless brain. Her snuggles were enough to get him dressed and into a tattered leather seat on an esteemed Ridgeview bus. The fragments of broken leather underneath clawed at his unexposed thighs, but he chose to ignore the sensation and instead admire the journey to his new living space.
The ride to school was repetitious and dull. Each time the bus stopped, another sweaty boy would saunter up the steps carrying some amount of bags, probably none accommodated for deodorant, and say some phrase that was almost identical to the person before. Something along the lines of "Guess who's back boys" or "I know you missed me". Every student that entered the vehicle looked the same as the year before, disturbingly masculine, hormone speckled skin, and some hellish haircut. George himself had grown a couple inches over the summer, finding himself noticeably toned and athletic looking, but he still felt naturally awkward being merely eighteen. He sighed as each individual failed to surprise him, already preparing his response to the nightly expected call from his mother beckoning for details of the day. -That is, until one boy approached the aisle of the bus. He recognized this individual as Clay, from the year prior. George and Clay withheld different mutuals and had never spoken to each other, but the new occupant was intriguing to say the least. The boy had messy blonde hair with an annoying piece that seemed to stick up in the back through multiple attempts of repair, white sneakers, and a dark green collared shirt that accented his jeans. His cheeks were speckled not only with spots of puberty, but dusty freckles. A couple whistles sounded through the vehicle as the blonde made his way past the seats, George had to agree that he had gone through quite a positive change in appearance since the last year. Clay seemed to have grown into his face, his testosterone coursing through his biceps as well, but before George had the chance to examine the rest of the boy's physique, Clay had plopped down beside him.
"Always a pleasure getting sliced in the ass by these seats, huh" He said as he shoved his bags in between the two.
"The spirals of green within the foam of the seats really exemplify Ridgeview's charm. Maybe we'll even leave with a cool scar" George quipped.
"British?" the blonde asked with an excited expression.
"No I just prefer speaking in Old English to surprise people, some even say it's more attractive."
"You're funny, name's Clay."
"George" the brunette smiled as he held out a hand for a shake.
Instead of accepting the brunettes offer though, he positioned his fingers into hand scissors and metaphorically sliced George's gentlemanly gesture in half. George liked this.
It wasn't long after Clay had boarded the bus that George's friend Karl arrived in the seat a few rows back. Karl had become one of George's best friends over the previous school year, but they hadn't spoken since. Perhaps the heat of summer had kept them apart, perhaps they had the type of relationship that works best in enclosed spaces. Either way, the two boys were happy to see each other again.
Not long after, Clay recognized one of his friends in which he introduced to George as Nick, though he really didn't need to. Pretty much everyone knew Nick as the school genius and the top of the class. Despite his incredible GPA, Nick somehow managed to grip onto a personality, making him a true scholar. Most of the boys at Ridgeview lacked depth, one dimensional. George could understand why Nick and Clay got along.
The bus continued to screech across the ever-moist asphalt of the Florida roads. The ride was tantalizing, but Clay's presence teased even more. After nearly three years, the bus arrived at the Catholic school, senior year hitting the four boys like a freight train once again. George couldn't tell if the feeling of whiplash was metaphorical or just a symptom of the journey, either way it acted of the same nature. Each bag was picked up and the boys were guided through the large wooden doors.
Though the boys had entered those doors many times, the interior of the building never failed to make the group look up and take in the architecture. Grand arches and religious paintings coated the walls in nostalgic gloss.
Moments after the initial shock, the crowd was thrusted up the endless winding stairs, mournful cries of old wood clobbered by sneakers. Seniors always got the top floor, two people to a room. The school wasn't incredibly small, but the expenses refined the amount of attenders. The crowd began to clear as George climbed higher and higher, legs beginning to feel the burn that he yearned for. Soon enough, he walked side by side with Karl. They exchanged slightly awkward greetings before falling back into rhythm. Apparently Nick had met Karl over the summer and the two had become great friends. George was happy to welcome another friend into the group.
"So, who do you think you guys are going to get roomed with year?" Nick asked.
"Oh god." George groaned. Last year hadn't been a fantastic experience for him. His last room had been left with nearly 20 holes in the walls from his horrendous roommate.
Karl giggled before explaining the incredible stories from the year prior and the destruction.
As if the whiplash hadn't hit hard enough from the completed activities of the morning, the boys were quickly being sent into rooms. A professor yelling random numbers along with last names in every direction, refusing to repeat them if you had missed it the first time. George was quickly jostled into a room by the command "Davidson, 26!" and was feeling a little less than settled in. The room was small, plain. It looked like a blank canvas and unfortunately, the board refused to allow customization. The brunette though, had a history of disregarding many rules... including this one. Almost as quick as he had been propelled into the space, he had begun taping up posters on the walls.
After a few minutes, a sound rushed through the door in a huff. The brunette repositioned only to be met with a face of bewilderment covered by blonde locks of hair. The blonde threw himself passed the doorway and slammed his back against the door, closing it in disconnection from the bustling hallway. The way he gripped onto his pillow and leather bag was endearing in a way, like he'd planned to go on vacation.
"I see you are one for an entrance, Clay" George said. The blonde scoffed in amusement.
"I see you are one for ambience" he responded as his eyes flicked through the array of posters attached to the walls and ceiling. George couldn't have been happier to be rooming for Clay.
"I try." he smirked.
Football tryouts were later that day, and it's something that George had been training for throughout the summer. He'd never played on the team before at Ridgeview, but he was determined to give it a shot. Throughout the heated break, the brunette had gone from a pretty scrawny boy to a man with a desirable muscular physique. Karl had commented on it when he first saw him. None of his growth came easy though, he reminisced upon days under the brutal sun by himself. Quickly, the conditioning became a good outlet for his emotions and hidden energy. Getting to present his new self to the school senior year was something he valued greatly. This year, there would be less of a veil keeping him from his true interests. Senior year, this is it.