Chapter Text
Thomas Edison
“Thomas, I will not ask again!” His mother shouted from the bottom of their twisted staircase
“Just give me a sec, okay!” Thomas yelled back tying the shoelace on his converse trainers which he should have had on 15 minutes ago
Gladesville was as perfect as any town could get. The American dream one may even say. Thomas Edison would disagree; he despised his town and its perfectness. He longed to leave and explore the world and all its glory’s, it was his plan ever since he was a kid, well explorer did not sit well with his pre schoolteacher but when you live in Gladesville you must start somewhere. And so, he has, no one knows but Thomas began saving for his trip since he was thirteen. He had a brown shoe box under his bed with a map and nine hundred dollars, yes, he knows its not enough, but he still has two years left of school and with enough convincing he could use his college tuition for his trip. Well, that is if his mom lets him.
“The neighbours our already unpacking let's go please” She bellowed pack impatiently
Ah yes that bring us to today, where his family had new neighbours. Ugh. Nothing worse in the world than a stuck-up perfect family. They had two kids, a son and a daughter who would be attending his school in September. Thomas hated most of the guys at his school, he did not need one tormenting his home life as well. He tolerated them since he did track but some of the things they talk about are disgusting. And now he must introduce himself to some pretentious prick. God, he can not wait to leave
Thomas trudged down the stairs where his mom and sister waited. Theresa was a year younger than him; they had a typical sibling relationship. His dad was the sheriff that is why he could live in one of the richest neighbourhoods in town, his mother and father did not seem in love, like the way most couples are. Its like they just choose to live together, have two kids, and live in some perfect simulation of small-town America.
“You could not have put something a little bit nicer on Tom?” His mother asked looking him up and down
“Im sorry is it the president moving in next door?” He joked sarcastically, something which his mother did not enjoy
She sighed and her children followed. A moving van was placed in front of the house to their right. Various people walked in and out of the house carrying boxes and other pieces of furniture. A man with blonde hair walked out of the house, hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.
“Oh, hi there! We just moved, Im Andrew Sander’s” he said in a British accent
“Hi, Julie Edison” his mom said shaking his hand “and these are my two kids, Thomas and Theresa”
“Nice to meet you” he said, and we shook hands “my kids are the same age as you two I believe”
Oh great.
“Yes, my daughters in the driveway, Sonya” he pointed, and Theresa smiled and followed
“Can I go please” He whispered to his mother, turning to go
His mother began to answer until a boy came running out of the driveway smiling.
He was blonde and the same height as Thomas, he held diverse types of paint brushes in his hands. He laughed and his smile instantly stuck something inside of Thomas alive. This boy.
“Dad! Have you seen my sketchbooks? Sonya is claiming there still in the-” He began but stopped and met Thomas’s eyes. They were emerald and enthralling. His accent was the same as his dads.
“Oh ha, I’m sorry” he laughed embarrassed
“No don’t be” Thomas smiled back. Oh my god why the fuck did he just say that
“Newton these are our new neighbours, introduce yourself” Andrew said to the boy
Im sorry? What was his name?
“Nice to meet you” he said to my mother sweetly
He walked up to me. I was at a loss for words, what was this stranger doing to him.
“Hi, Im Newton but you can just call me Newt. We just came from London. And you are?” He smiled
“Im uh Thomas” he stumbled
“As in Thomas Jefferson?” He asked laughing playfully
Oh, my lord he knows history, fuck me.
“Hey Im, not the one named after a lizard” Thomas joked knowing he could take a joke
He smiled “amphibian actually”
“Ill note that down” he said gazing at this new perfect stranger. Starstruck how one so unique could live in a hick town like Gladesville.
“Is your wife around I would love to meet her” Thomas’s mom asked
Newts face dropped from his smile.
“Oh, its just me and my two kids. My wife recently passed” Andrew replied
Thomas felt his mother's guilt from where he was standing.
“Oh, Im so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked” Julie replied
“No worries” he said
He felt bad for ruining his strangers perfect smile and asked him.
“Hey, so you’re coming to Gladesville high right?”
He instantly lifted from his bad mood and tried to crack a smile.
“Uh yes! Me and my sister are. I heard they have a good art classroom” he smiled
“Yeah, they do!” Thomas laughed “I could introduce you to some of my friends”
“That would be great, but I need to look out for my sister first, shes a year younger than me and she can be shy”
“Well, I bet my sister can help her, there in the same year I think”
His smile returned, bright and mystical. How could a teenage boy living in Gladesville be so, amazing. He thought he would be some arse who is cruel to everyone he meets like most guys.
“Really? Thank you, you do not know how much that mean to me” Newt replied
He looked down at his hand and found a pen amongst his paintbrushes.
“Can you hold these for a second?” Newt asked smiling. Thomas hated getting paint on him but in this moment, he grabbed the brushes instantly
Newt grabbed the pen and studied Thomas.
“Do you have anything I can write on? Paper or something?” Newt asked
Thomas panicked, needing Newt to like him so out of nowhere he put his arm out for him to write on.
Newt smiled and shrugged as he began to write various numbers on his arm and then his name. When finished he looked up.
“That is my number, so yes text me?” He smiled grabbing his paintbrushes back “well, see you around Tommy”
Tommy? He had heard Tom and Thomas numerous times but Tommy? He loved it. As watching Newt walk away, he noticed him limping a little on the right side of his leg. This new stranger enthralled him, and he had no idea why.
When he got home that night, he typed Newts number into his phone. He looked at his instagram and found he posted pieces of art, pictures of London and picture of him and his mom. He followed him, and a minute later Newt followed him back. He was stunned by Newts quickness, he hoped Newt liked him. But why? Why was Thomas so mesmerised by this blonde British boy was was fantasised by art, history, and the world. Then Thomas came to the conclusion that this boy was his type. Type of friend? No more, much more. Fuck you Newt Sanders.