Chapter Text
A warm October morning, the same as any other. Jason Moore woke up to his radio alarm, playing the ‘Oldies’ radio channel on full blast. The fourteen-year-old had always felt a connection to fifties rock ‘n roll – Elvis, Chuck Berry, all the classics – but he never knew why. It was the only thing keeping him sane in the chaos of moving. Tulsa wasn’t much, but it had some nice sunsets, and he couldn’t help but gaze into them every evening.
Jason had heard some… unsavoury rumours about Tulsa’s high schools, especially – and unluckily – the one he was being forced to attend. Rogers High School still held its old habits of rich vs. poor, classy vs. trashy. Greasers and Socs were a thing of the past, but the divide wasn’t. There were rich kids, normal kids, and hot garbage. Jason fit in the latter category, much to his dismay. He tried his best to rid himself of the label, but the rich kids had a chokehold on it. Anyone less than them didn’t deserve to see the light of day.
Everything about Tulsa felt too familiar. It was like they’d planted their asses down right in Uncanny Valley, OK. Everywhere he looked, his memory flipped on itself and told him he’d been there, done that. Too bad Pitbull didn’t have songs yet to explain it to him.
“Jason? Come on, you're gonna be late!”
With a start, the very time-blind Jason realised he had been lying down staring at his ceiling for a good half-hour. A Pop Tart popped, a Jason-nado ripped through the house, and after ten more minutes, all that was left was to get dressed.
A black t-shirt with a blue button-down thrown over it, and a pair of dark blue jeans. He hadn’t come up with the outfit, despite its simplicity. His mother suggested it, and he happily took her advice, considering his poor taste. He would’ve worn a striped shirt with polka dot pants if left unchecked.
After getting dressed, and trying not to look in the mirror at his messy hair – if he didn’t see it, it didn’t exist, right? – he brushed his teeth, then started running to grab his shoes.
“I’m ready!” Jason shouted out, not receiving an answer.
“... hel-” He was cut off by the whir of the car starting.
Damn it, she’s already in the car.
…
Arriving outside what would be his new school, Jason stepped out of the car. Staring at the tan bricks, he felt an odd sense of deja vu. The sight of the school’s doors made an image appear in his mind, of a girl with bright red hair. Her face was obscured, and the odd memory was accompanied by muffled sentences.
“Will you go up to see-...”
“No, I couldn’t…”
The images escaped his mental grasp before he could fully understand them, but the odd feeling lingered. He couldn’t shake it, and it was irritating him.
“Bye, mom!” Jason waved goodbye to his mother, trying to distract himself.
“Have a good day sweetheart! I love you!”
“Love you too mom!”
Jason felt like a fish out of water as he walked through the halls, quickly realizing that the layout of the first floor made it near-impossible to find the main office. He needed to find the vice principal to get his schedule, and a tour of the school. On his noble quest to find a teacher that might help, he spotted a boy who was seemingly around his age, and he caught his eye for no particular reason. Otherthanmaybebeingalittlepretty but he wasn’t gay, he would never be gay, right? … right?
The boy had tan skin, and a dark red birthmark that covered his temple and eye, then stretched down to his cheek. His dark black hair had been cut in a way that was meant to be slicked back, but it had grown out and now fell over his eyes in shaggy bangs. He felt familiar in a way that Jason couldn’t describe, but his internal conflict about his sexuality and memories would swiftly be cut short, as his face planted itself into a teacher’s back.
“Watch where you're going, young man,”
“Ah, sorry! I was looking for the office, and I’m new, and I-” Jason sputtered, feeling embarrassed.
“It's down the hall and to the left.” The teacher cut him off curtly.
“Okay, thank y-” Before Jason could finish, the man walked away, and he was left standing like a lost child in a Walmart.
…
Jason knocked on the door to the office, and was soon greeted by a short woman with flame-red hair, and eyes that pierced him with how green they were. Thankfully, they had a kind warmth to them. Her features reminded him of the girl in his out-of-place memory, but aged.
The woman let out a small gasp, covering her mouth. Jason gave her a confused stare. He didn’t mean to be rude, but it caught him off-guard.
“Sorry, you look like someone… nevermind. It's not important. You must be the new student?” She seemed a bit sad, her eyes bearing guilt, but Jason decided not to say anything.
“Uh yes, I'm Jason. Moore. Are you Mrs…” Jason blanked on her name for a moment. “... Mrs. Valance?”
“Yes, yes, sorry. That’s me, I’m just going to give you your schedule and show you around.” Mrs. Valance quickly took Jason’s schedule off the desk behind her and handed it to him, then led him out to start looking around.
…
After the brief tour of the school, Mrs. Valance took Jason to his homeroom, and quickly knocked before entering and letting him inside.
“Mr Campbell, this is the new student, Jason.” The teacher looked up from his paper, seeming a bit startled. He seemed new to teaching, looking to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Jason spotted that same boy again in the very back corner, and he didn’t seem to be talking to anyone.
“My daughter, Peony, can help you with any questions you have. You have plenty of classes together.” Mrs. Valance said with a smile.
Jason nodded and sat in the row in front of that familiar boy. When he looked behind him, trying not to be too obvious about it, his eyes immediately wandered to him. The boy was reading a thick book. Jason couldn't tell what it was, but it was clearly interesting, as the boy still hadn’t moved to look around.
Before Jason could ask him about it, the bell rang. The boy got up and ran out, the only word escaping him being a mumbled ‘shit.’
Not bothering to go after him, Jason instead looked down at his schedule.
“Math first?... great.”
Feeling someone looking over his shoulder, Jason looked up and saw someone who could only be Mrs. Valance’s daughter.
“Ooh! We’ve got math together! I’ll take you there.”
Peony had deep brown eyes and Mrs. Valance’s bright red hair, the waves chopped at her shoulders. She sported a half up half down look that was very neatly done, and she wore expensive looking clothes. The light freckles across her cheeks were eye-catching, but he couldn’t help but wonder how they’d look on the boy he’d spotted…
“Yeah, I guess we do. '' Jason smiled awkwardly at her as he spoke.
How do you have that much fucking energy at nine in the morning…?
Jason struggled to keep up with Peony’s pace as they walked, his legs not warmed up after a summer off from doing track-and-field. On the wall, a plaque with a newspaper caught his eye. Slowing down to examine it, Jason could see that it read: “Rogers High School Heroes!” It was from 1965, and it was about a group of boys who’d saved children from a fire. One of the boys bore a striking resemblance to himself. Before he could finish reading, or process how he felt about the similarity, Peony dragged him off eagerly.
“Come on, we’re gonna be late!”