Chapter Text
Todd Anderson has always known he isn’t the favorite son. Jeffrey, the sparkling golden boy, is everything their parents had ever hoped for. He’s an academic powerhouse, bold but never disrespectful, ambitious, high-achieving. And then there’s Todd, whose 4.3 GPA isn’t good enough because it means he didn’t get A’s in all his AP classes last year. Todd, who’s too shy to speak loudly and stand out in a group. Todd, who hasn’t been accepted into Yale University, but that’s not even his fault because he’s just starting his senior year and applications aren’t even open yet. Who could never escape his brother’s shadow.
So naturally, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had decided to move closer to Jeffrey’s new college. We don’t want to be too far away, they had said. What if he needs something? But what about what Todd needed? He certainly didn’t need his whole life uprooted right before his senior year. Gone were his familiar surroundings, his routine, his friends—acquaintances, anyway. Todd was sick and tired of living in Jeff’s shadow.
Todd can be mad at his parents later. For now, he just needs to survive his first day at a new school.
Todd is grateful for the extra half-hour he built in to orient himself, because he’s already managed to get turned around on his way to the front office. Yes, the building between the street and the rest of the campus, set apart to show it’s different from the halls full of classrooms. Yes, the building with “OFFICE” written across the front of it in big bold lettering. Todd isn’t quite sure how he had managed it either. Call it first-day anxiety distracting him.
He makes his way into the office, shaking his head and trying to laugh off his early misfortune to cut off the spiral of his internal monologue. That was so stupid of you. You’re useless, Todd. Would Jeffrey have gotten lost?
Todd is pulled from his thoughts before they can snowball into a panic attack by an “I can help you over here,” reminding him he’s next in line. Shannon, the office lady’s name tag reads, is probably only in her thirties, but her round face, glasses on a beaded cord, and already-graying long curly hair give her a motherly (or maybe just librarianly) appearance. Todd decides he likes Office Lady Shannon.
“Hi,” he opens quietly, before clearing his throat and trying to sound confident like Jeff as he continues. “I’m new here, and I need a copy of my schedule. The school district hasn’t given me an email address yet, so…” he can’t quite figure out how the rest of that sentence was supposed to be phrased, but Office Lady Shannon understands him anyway, nodding her head.
“Alright, I’ll get that right up for you,” she says brightly. “What’s your name?” Todd tells her and she types it into her computer. She clicks a few things on her screen and the printer behind her starts to whir as it processes and starts to spit out the document. Office Lady Shannon smiles as she holds out the paper for Todd to take. “Okay Mr. Anderson, one more thing before you go. The new transfer students normally come to orientation with the freshmen, but I see you were unable to attend that,” Todd nods along, remembering the chaos of the last week, scrambling to finish the move before the school year actually started. “Instead, we’ve arranged for a representative from the Associated Student Body, one of the guides from orientation, to help you throughout the day, like your own private orientation.” Right on cue, a boy walks into the office wearing a garish red t-shirt with WHCA ASB printed across the front in two lines. The black letters don’t have enough contrast against the background, and Todd’s head starts to hurt just from trying to read it. “Here he is now. Mr. Perry, this is our new student, Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson, Mr. Perry will be your guide today.”
“Hi,” says the boy, extending a hand, “I’m Neil Perry.” Neil Perry’s smile brightens the whole room, but it’s soft and inviting, beckoning Todd and the whole world to bask in its warmth. Todd can’t help but smile back at him. There’s a sparkle in Neil’s eyes too, the kind that says he sees beyond these water-stained walls, to a bright future somewhere far away. Neil Perry looks like the kind of person who sees the world as it could be instead of just the way it is. In this moment, looking at his new classmate in the slightly dingy office building of Welton-Henley Charter Academy, Todd is struck by the strange feeling that Neil Perry is going to be very important in his life.
“Todd Anderson,” he replies quickly, finally remembering his manners, hoping he wasn’t staring for too long. He shakes Neil’s hand with too much energy and not enough strength, internally cursing himself for forgetting his father’s most important lesson. If you want to be a real man, you’ll need a real handshake. Luckily, Neil doesn’t seem to mind Todd’s effeminate-according-to-Mr-Anderson handshake.
“Let me see your schedule,” he says, stepping close to Todd to read the document without taking it from him. “Oh, this is great! We have almost all the same classes. I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other then.” Neil smiles at him again, and Todd hopes that prospect is as exciting to Neil as it is to him. “Now come on. I’ll give you the quick version of the tour and then we should head to class. We’ll have time for the more in-depth stuff later if you want, local legends and whatnot, but Mr. McAllister’s been known to take attendance before the bell.”
Neil starts walking and Todd falls in step with him like it’s the easiest thing ever, which is a strange thing to think considering that Todd’s been walking for sixteen years now and walking is always easy, but Todd thinks it anyway. He imagines it’s a sign that things are about to start looking up for him. That the ease of walking with Neil, following him, listening to him talk, is an omen signaling the start of a good friendship.