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Chapter 1 - Lewie's morning
6:53AM on a cold January morning,
Peaceful sounds of music, adorned with perfectly timed trumpets echo through Lewie's ears. It was early - earlier than he was currently used to waking up - on the first day back, for the remainder of his 4th year at Tirapor School. His headphones played a familiar song by The Beatles; the song that had never failed at the seemingly impossible task of bringing his spirits back up. The music continues to gently brisk his eardrums whilst his eyes are softly shut, giving them one last rest before it all slipped away.
All signs of tranquility shred away from Lewie as he hears three loud bangs on his bedroom door, startling him just enough to make him instinctively tear his headphones from his ears. The door swiftly swings open after a moment of silence from the other side.
'It's uh... it's time for school bud'
Lewie had always disliked his father, but felt a sense of guilt for it, as it was more than clear that he was trying his best to be a good dad. Don't get me wrong, there were many ways that his father had failed him throughout his childhood but it was never really those moments that caused this resentment. It was his father's everlasting attempts to do the right thing for him. Lewie appreciated anyone's many tries to support him - he was well aware that he wasnt easy to take care of - though it had always been obvious to him that his fathers love came from a place of social expectations, rather than a natural love and care for his son.
'Yeah, i'll be down in just a minute', Lewis sorrowfully releases the words, with a scratch coming from his throat due to not drinking yet that morning.
As the door acquiesced in its closure, he reached down towards his shoes and began to tie the laces. Whilst the song was playing in his headphones (which he was quick to put back on his head once he was done with the conversation), He struggled with the strings of his shoes. Never fully understanding how people could easily tie them, he eventually gave up, pulling them as tight as he possibly could and pushing them down inside the boot beside his feet.
After many failed attempts at convincing his father to let him stay home - Just for this one day, although thats what he always said - Lewie gave in and drowsily walked to the bus stop.
Windows of the bus clang in small movements, back and forth due to the bumpy, un-cared for, pothole-ridden midlands roads. His head is held up wearily above tired, fallen shoulders, as it slowly becomes filled with thoughts of what was waiting for him back at school.
He knew what it was like; how it wouldn't be easy for him. School was a lifelong struggle for Lewie, not the actual academic work, but because of the people it was filled with. Students viewed him as a rude, disrespectful kid with anger issues - most of them knew who he was because of previous incidents in which he snapped on somebody, outbursting with violence due to his lack of control regarding his emotions. Yet there was always one student in particular who had a specific, different way of getting under his skin - Lukas.
Lukas Spall was a boy in what felt like every single one of his classes, seemingly haunting his every moment in that asylum. The many ways in which Lukas just managed to irritate him were the key to Lewie's dislike of the place - although he could never admit it. Despite his constant disdain for everything about Lukas, he was more alike to him than he accepted. Both were viewed as 'weird kids', but not in the same way as many other weird kids at their school. A majority of these kids had developed a hatred from Lukas and Lewie, due to many reasons (but most prominently, because lots of them were queer).
These thoughts of Lukas pained Lewie's brain, making him far more nervous for the school day than he already was; he could stand thinking of Lukas as much as he unadmittedly did. This feeling had many times been drawn back to his passionate hatred towards the boy, never once considered to be anything more than that.
After this emotion had taken a sickening control of Lewie on that wintry morning, he resorted back to his original plan of focusing on the scenery, forcing the return of his gaze to set upon the withering, soft white covered trees. This plan grew less and less possible throughout the journey, as the many inconsiderate noises of a high school bus crept through his headphones.
Bus rides were a constant fear of his, not in any way to do with the actual vehicle, but for what they had consistently been filled with throughout his life at school. Whilst trying to once again have a peaceful moment listening to The Beatles, he seemed to still be interrupted by those on the bus.
It was as if he could never have true security, or peacefulness, no matter where he was, or who he was with.
A group of boys at the back of the automobile had their eyes set on Lewie this morning. They hadn't seen each other in weeks due to the winter break, and were more than ready to start targetting quiet, 'different' pupils such as him. Throughout the journey, Lewie focuses his mind on the wind, bursting past the windows at a speed he couldn't possibly comprehend. The snow sped past his eyes, and it was as if he could feel it breezing on his rough skin in the moment, until-
The back of his head feels the sharp impact of a BIC pen. Countless laughs across the double-decker bus unfold whilst he tries to block out the rage he feels inside; he has always experienced issues with anger, never fully being able to keep it in for long. Cold air adorns his tightly clenched fists, as if there was a ball of frustration inside just waiting for an outlet.
For the rest of the bus ride, Lewie kept his head low. The realisation that he had still forgotten to have a drink before going to school didn't help his current state in any way, as his throat burnt alongside all emotions.
His ability to contain his pure rage was about at its limit, when he stepped off the bus and saw Lukas making his way into the school.