Chapter Text
Todd Anderson could hardly control his shaking hands as he sat at the opening ceremony at Welton. It was hard enough for Todd being the new kid at school, but a preparatory school was a whole new level. Todd was recently expelled from Balincrest, and transferred to his older brothers old school. This new school was supposed to be a new start, or at least that's what his father told him. But Todd deep down knew it was just another feeble attempt at trying to make him more like his brother. Todd knew he could never be like Jeffrey. He was his class Valedictorian and a national merit scholar. It seemed those words followed Todd like a cloud over his head. Taunting him for never being good enough.
While Todd’s mind wandered to other places, he didn’t notice as the boys around him stood.
His father nudged with his elbow quietly urging him to stand as the boys around him repeated, “Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence.” They seemed as excited to be here as he was.
Todd watched as his parents shook hands with his new headmaster, Mr. Nolan.
“Hello Doctor Nolan, this is our youngest, Todd.” His mother exclaims, smiling brightly.
“Mr. Anderson.” The headmaster responds in a monotone voice to Todd.
“You have some big shoes to fill young man, your brother was one of our finest.”
“Thank you.” Todd responds quietly, quickly walking out behind his parents. Todd knew he would never be like Jeffrey, his parents even knew this. They seemed to think that sending him to his brother's old school would make him like his older brother. Maybe they even thought that after getting kicked out of Balincrest, Welton would make him more normal, like the other boys his age. Yet Todd was never normal. When he was thirteen, his father had signed him up for baseball when Jeffrey was the all-star player on his team. His father would tell him how he needed to stop acting like a little girl and that Todd needed to “toughen up”. But after a few months of playing, Todd ended up being so bad at Baseball that his dad let him quit.
Todd thinks that was the monumental moment when his parents gave up on him. Not that Todd minded. He honestly gave up on himself way before they did. He has never liked the way he acts. Too shy to even order his own meal at restaurants, having such bad panic attacks before presentations, he would throw up in the bathroom before class. He always wished to be like the other kids. Maybe then he wouldn’t have been picked on everyday when his stutter was so bad he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.
Throughout his elementary and middle school years, Todd only had one friend, William. William was the kind of kid everyone liked. Perfect grades, handsome, and confident. In many ways he reminded Todd of his brother. But William was different, or at least he used to be. He always stood up for Todd, but in the back of his mind Todd knew he only did it rooted in his pity for Todd.
Todd's parents were in a rush to get out after the ceremony ended. Something about an event that Jeffrey’s college was hosting. Not like Todd would have been invited anyways. Without saying goodbye they got into the car and drove away, leaving Todd alone in the parking lot.
Todd lugged his heavy suitcase with him as he walked to grab his schedule and dorm room number.
If Todd was going to be honest, sharing a room scared the shit out of him. The prospect of being in close proximity as someone else for the whole school year was terrifying. He preferred his personal space. Even at home he had his own room and was mainly left to his own devices. It’s not that Todd likes always being alone. He has always craved just to have friends, it's just that being out and about drained him. He needed his time alone.
Todd looked out into the school's courtyard, it was honestly beautiful. Trees lining the outside, and flowers lined up against the walls. He thought about drawing it later.
From behind Todd he hears, “Hey, I hear we’re gonna be roommates.” Todd turns around and looks at the boy that spoke. He looks to be about his age, with dark brown hair and soft features.
The boy held out his hand to shake Todd’s, “I’m Neil Perry.” He smiled.
He shakes his hand back and replies, “Uh, Todd Anderson.”
They both walk side by side out into the courtyard.
Neil stops for a moment and asks, “Why’d you leave Balincrest?”
Todd wondered how Neil could have known about his old school. He assumed things spread around as quickly around here as it did a Balincrest, which was never a good thing in his case.
Todd decided for the partial truth. “M-My brother went here.”
Neil looked over at him with a smile on his face,“Oh so you're that Anderson.”
“Y-yeah, did you know him?” Todd asks nervously.
Neil looks at him and smiles, “Yeah a bit, everyone kind of knows everyone here you know?”
Todd gives a half smile and nods.
Neil decided to show Todd up to their room. He led the way as they weaved his way between the crying younger kids, saying their goodbyes to their parents before they headed off. At the top of the stairs Todd could see that there were about twenty boys in the hallway, and a few parents saying their last goodbyes to their sons. But they seemed less sincere then the ones Todd heard downstairs.
He was left behind as Neil pushed his way through the other boys and into their room. Todd could see from the end of the hall a boy with vibrant red hair was standing outside of the room talking with Neil
“Hey Neil, study group tonight?” He asks, smirking.
“Yeah sure.” Neil answers, looking over at the boy as he put his suitcase down on the bed.
The boy went to walk out but turned back around.
“Hey I heard you got the new kid, looks like a stiff.” He laughs.
Todd looked down as he pushed his way through the door looking at the boy as he passed.
“Oops.” He smiled with a not very apologetic look on his face.
Neil stepped back and let him though, as Todd set his bag down on his side of the room.
“Listen, don't mind Cameron, he was born with a foot in his mouth, know what I mean?” He laughed, hitting Todd on the back with his rolled up schedule.
Oh and yes Todd very well knew what Neil meant. There were plenty of boys like Cameron at Balincrest. Most of them would decide to use Todd as their target practice when they would play soccer.
Four new boys crowded into the doorway of their room.
“Rumor has it, you did summer school.” One of the boys smiled pointing at Neil.
Neil smiled back and held out his hand to shake the other boys, “Yep, Chemistry, father thought I should get ahead. How was your summer slick?” Neil asked the boy.
“Keen.” He smiled, walking into the room and flopping down on Neil’s bed. The other three boys followed in after him, shutting the door behind them and finding places to sit around the room.
Todd really hoped this wouldn’t be a regular thing. Even though it was his room now, he felt out of place.
Neil stood at the head of the room and declared to everyone in the room, “Gentlemen, what are the four pillars?”
The five boys chanted in a whisper, “Travesty, Horror, Decadence, Excrement.”
Todd couldn’t contain a smile.
“Oh yes boys,” Neil lightly hits Todd on the back. “This is Todd Anderson.”
Todd awkwardly looks over his shoulder, “Hey.”
“Todd, this is Charlie, Knox, Pitts, and Meeks.” Neil conveys, pointing each of them out.
The one Neil called Meeks, held out his hand to Todd, “Nice to meet you.” nodding his head.
“Y-yeah you too.”
“Todd’s brother was Jeffrey Anderson.” Neil tells the rest of them.
Charlie kicks his feet up onto the bed saying sarcastically, “Oh yeah Jeffrey, Valedictorian. National merits scholar.”
“Ooh well, welcome to Hellton.” Meeks laughs.
“It’s every bit as tough as they say, unless you're a genius like Meeks.” Charlie adds shooting a look at Todd.
Meeks laughs, “He flatters me, that's why I help him with Latin.”
“And English, and Trig” Charlie coughs.
While the other boys talk about their adventures during summer break, Todd sits on the edge of his bed messing with the dials on his clock. After a few minutes there is a knock at the door. Charlie scrambles to put out his lit cigarette as Neil stands calling out, “It’s open.”
A short balding man whose scowl looks like it is permanently set on his face walks into the room, eyes scanning over everyone.
“Father.” Neil looked surprised shuffling at his spot, “I thought you left.”
“Fellas, excuse us for a moment.” His father announces promptly and walks out of the room.
Neil gives everyone a glum look and follows him out, shutting the door behind him.
The other boys get up and crowd around the door, putting their ears up to it trying to listen in. A few moments later there's scuffling outside and they go back to their original positions around the room, knocking things over in the process.
Neil looks upset as he walks in alone, sitting back down on the bed. “He’s making me drop the school annual.” He conveys with a fake smile.
Charlie pats him on the back, “Man I’m sorry Neil.”
Neil puts his head in his hands, “I just wish he would stop controlling my life.” Neil sighs. “ It's always what he wants, but never what I want.”
Todd felt awkward in the group as he perched on the foot of his bed. It felt like he was intruding on a personal moment between the friends. So Todd quietly sets the clock on his desk and slips away, shutting the door softly behind him.