Work Text:
I.
Simon had just been transferred into his new school, in the middle of year no less. He sat in the principal’s office with his mother as they chatted, mostly just about worries that his mother had. Simon could tell she was nervous, just by the way her leg bounced quickly, and how she kept playing with her bracelets. Of course, the principal reassured her that Simon would be fine. Simon wasn’t really listening, he stared down at his hands.
They’d finally finished talking, and stepped out the office, and into the main hall. Simon’s mother hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek before leaving.
“Well, Simon, do you know where to go?” The principle said, Simon shook his head, he didn’t pay attention much when he first visited the school.
The principal nodded, and looked around,“That’s fine, hm. Oh, Merridew, come here, please.”
Simon then noticed the red head sitting on a bench outside the office. He stood up and walked over to them.
“Merridew, this is, erm, Simon. He’s new, and a bit shy, I trust that you will show him around. You have the same classes.”
The redhead—Merridew—nodded. “Do this, and your off campus privileges will be reinstated.” The principle added, whispering it to him. Merridew didn’t show much emotion, or interest.
The principle then left, leaving Simon and Merridew in the hallway alone.
“You know my name, I know yours. Let’s go then.” Merridew stated, leading the way to their first class—Simon’s first class, atleast, it was midday. Simon trailed behind him.
“I don’t actually have a class, it’s lunch. You’re free to stay in the cafeteria, and eat.” Merridew said as they walked, and the chatter of boys could be heard more clearly.
“Do you, uhm, not eat?” Simon asked from behind as Merridew walked passed the cafeteria.
“No, not really.” Merridew answered. Simon didn’t say anything afterward. Another boy waved to them, or maybe just Merridew, as they made their way outside, and nearby some tables.
“Jack! Whose that following you?” One of the boys shouted, he was wearing a black cloak similar to the one Merridew was sporting. Or Jack? Simon wasn’t sure.
“He’s new.” Merridew said, leaning against the school wall with another boy, wearing the same black cloak.
“I’m Maurice!” The boy who waved to Merridew said, reaching his hand out to Simon. He smiled.
“Oh, I’m Simon.” Simon smiled back, and shook Maurice’s hand.
“You already know Jack, the guy next to him is Roger, there’s Robert too.” Maurice introduced everybody, and Simon observed them.
Simon was about to ask about the cloaks they all wore before Roger spoke, “We’re in choir, in case you were wondering about the cloaks.”
Simon bit his tongue, and nodded. Merridew chuckled a bit before whispering something to Roger.
The bell rang, and they all dispersed. Simon followed behind Merridew to their class. It was chemistry. Roger was there too.
“Oh! Merridew, is that the new student?” The teacher asked, having to bend a little over her desk to see Simon behind Merridew. Merridew nodded, and turned to go sit with Roger.
The teacher signaled for Simon to come over, and so Simon did. "I understand that you were homeschooled, yes?" Simon nodded. "Well, we're learning about molecules, it's fairly simple, Merridew is quite smart, you can sit with him and Roger." She smiled, and Roger walked his way over to where Merridew and Roger sat. They paid him no mind.
The day went by slowly, and then it was finally over.
"Those are the dorms, it says your dorm 5. That's with, uhm, somebody named Ralph, I think." Merridew said, pointing over to the dormitories. "You're in building A, I'm in B. So this is where I leave you, I guess." Merridew shrugged, and handed Simon the paper that listed Simon's schedule and such. And then he left. Simon folded up the paper, and made his way over to his room. They hadn't given him a key yet, so he just knocked. Luckily his roommate was there, and opened the door for him.
"Oh, hi, you must be Simon, I presume." The boy—Ralph—had fair blonde hair, and brown eyes, like a deer. He was still in his school uniform. Simon nodded, and Ralph moved out the way for Simon to enter.
"They already got most your stuff in, I think, we have dinner at 5:30, and lights out at 8:40, your usually allowed to leave campus after school is over, just be back before 8, since they close the gates at 8:30." Ralph listed. Simon nodded, and sat down on his bed. Ralph's side of the room had been decorated with just a few things, his desk had books, notebooks, and a lamp, some pencils and pens too. His wall had two posters, movie posters, Simon assumed.
Simon's side of the room was empty, save for the boxes of his belongings. Faint grey rectangles painted the wall, probably from posters had been there from the previous students who had his side.
Ralph helped Simon unpack his things, Simon didn't have many things. A striped grey cat plush, books, his houseplant, and his clothes. Despite not having much to unpack, by the time they finished, it was already time for dinner. They both made their ways to the messhall, Simon noted how Merridew, Roger, and the others from earlier were in the same place from lunch.
Simon wasn't hungry, so he went back to dorm once Ralph waved him goodbye, and went to sit with his own friends.
Simon got out his pocket book, and wrote down what happened today.
Jack Merridew, 12, 5'7? Maybe, most likely taller, quite lanky. Freckles. Red head.
Roger ?, 12, looks about 5'5. His hair is long, down to his neck, like a shag.
Maurice ?, 11, Roger's height. Kinda looks like Jack, or Merridew?
Simon closed his pocket book, and laid it by his night stand. He wondered where the bathrooms were. He stepped out his dorm, and started wandering around the campus, searching for the bathrooms. The sun was setting, and he heard Jack's voice from behind a building, he couldn't hear what he was saying though. It was followed by Roger's voice, nobody else seemed to be with them.
Simon wasn't ease-dropping, he was just in the area. He noted what they talked about, and silently made his way back to his dorm. He turned the knob, and it was locked. He'd remembered that he didn't have a key yet. He sighed, and knocked on the door, he heard some shuffling from inside, and then the knob turned.
"Oh, Simon. You really shouldn't go out by yourself, you know? Since your new, and don't have your key yet." Ralph said, Simon nodded, and slipped into bed. Ralph sat at his desk, and studied, Simon presumed. Simon went to sleep before Ralph did.
II.
It'd been about 3 months since Simon transferred, Jack seemed to have forgotten all about Simon, Simon didn't mind. It made it easier to track Jack. This instance was Simon sitting the church, watching him, and the others, at choir practice. Jack hit C sharp, Simon noted that, that was his 3rd C Sharp of the week, somebody should remind Jack to take care of this voice, Simon thought to himself.
The practice went well, and they all exited. Simon left after everybody else did, and when he stepped out the church, Roger was waiting for him.
"Simon, I've noticed you." Roger said, Simon bit his tongue, and shakily nodded.
"You should join the choir, if you really want to keep track of Jack." Roger offered, throwing Simon one of the choir cloaks. "Jack may have not noticed you, but I have, and Jack is my responsibility, but I'll humor you."
Before Simon could respond, Roger left. Leaving Simon with only himself, and the choir cloak.
Later, Simon crept over to where Jack and Roger usually hung after school.
"You remember Simon, right?" Roger asked.
Jack nodded, "Uhm, yeah, I think so."
"I invited him into the choir," Roger stated, there was really no emotion in his voice, Simon couldn't pinpoint Roger's reasoning or motive.
"Why?" Jack asked, same question Simon also had.
"He's like a lost sheep, it'll be good for us to add somebody." Roger shrugged, he didn't bring up the fact that Simon was stalking him.
Jack didn't question any further, and they walked off together back to their dorms. Simon headed back too.
III.
Simon found his pocket book to be half filled within 6 months or so, most of those entries were about Jack Merridew, funnily enough.
It was really just out of curiosity, Jack Merridew was nothing but boring. Even by his own standards, he paraded himself, always making sure that people knew who he was.
Simon learnt a lot about Jack within his first months at school, things such as: his favorite fruit (plums), his favorite subject (history, though he was also good at math), and that Jack spent most breaks alone at the school. Simon didn't mean to learn that last one.
Spring break came, and most of the other boys went to visit their families, naturally. Ralph left, he waved Simon goodbye. Roger too left. Simon stayed, so did Jack, a few other of boys did aswell. There wasn't much to do, so Simon found himself staying off of campus mostly, Jack apparently did the same as Simon often spotted him at the park and the shops nearby. Simon wasn't stalking per se, he just so happened to always end up in the same spots Jack also visited, it was a small town after all.
Simon returned to campus much more earlier than Jack usually does, Simon's mom wrote to him quite frequently, she apologized for how he couldn't be home, but she was in America for the spring, and perhaps summer too, so he wouldn't be seeing her for a while. Jack's mailbox always stayed empty, that didn't stop him from checking it every morning, and night though.
After tonight, Simon did not see Jack for the rest of break. Simon awoke in the night, it was dark out, maybe 1am. Simon couldn't see much, but he saw Jack's outline within the dark, and a car by the gates. Jack had a bag packed, and he entered the car.
The rest of spring break dragged by slowly without Jack, Simon grew quite bored, but he was contempt.
IV.
Spring break had ended 2 days ago, Jack was still not back. Simon frowned when he saw Roger alone, usually he and Jack walked out of their room together. Simon approached Roger, Roger already knew what he was going to ask, but he still asked.
"Where's Jack?"
"Wouldn't you like to know." Roger was smug, he was amused by Simon's interest in Jack.
Simon pierced his lips, "Yes, I would."
"His parents sent him to the loony bin, apparently," Roger shrugged, Simon didn't know what to say. "Don't worry your little head off, he'll be back soon, and you can go back to monitoring him."
Maurice appeared behind Roger, jumping him on his shoulders, "Hi guys! It's been a while, hasn't it? Say, where's Jack?"
"Still with his folks, I presume." Roger answered. Simon smiled at Maurice, they walked together to their classes.
Choir practice after was, to be quite frank, empty without Jack there. Jack was usually there to yell at anybody who was even slightly off-tune. Simon found this practice to be boring.
Life went on, Jack would be back, Simon thought. He wondered why he did get sent to a psych ward though, sure Jack was a tad bit unstable, but it wasn't noticeable to the average, normal person, most would just write off Jack as an arrogant brat (which, by no means, Simon wasn't saying he wasn't one).
V.
Jack returned a week later, Simon saw him get out of a car, and Roger helped him with his bag. It was far too humid to be wearing their choir cloak, Roger and Simon surely weren't wearing it, but Jack wore it with pride. Simon walked back to his room, and wrote: 'April 10th, Jack returns,' in this pocket book. Simon watched Jack closely the next week, he seemed off.
Simon returned back to eavesdropping on Jack's and Roger's conversations when Jack returned.
"Can you believe them? They put me on some dumbarse medication! They think I'm crazy." Jack grabbed Roger's arms, and shook him.
Roger rolled his eyes, "You? Crazy? I would've never thought."
"Oh c'mon, I was stuck in there for what, 2 weeks? All because of a little hissy fit." Jack let go, and started pacing back and forth within the small area.
Roger laughed, "Well, my mum said to watch over you. What meds did they even put you on?"
Jack digged in his cloak pocket, and threw over the pill bottle to Roger.
"This is some seriously good shit." Roger said, reading the bottle label.
Jack crossed his arms, "Well, take all you want. It's not like I'll be taking it."
Roger walked over to Jack, leaning up to give a small peck to Jack, slipping back the bottle into Jack's pockets.
"Well, maybe you should. We wouldn't want that to happen again."
Simon made a peep sound, Jack didn't seem to have heard, but Roger did. Simon quickly retreated, and walked back to his dorm. He didn't notice he'd dropped his pocket book.
+1
Roger turned his head at the noise by the bushes.
"What's wrong?" Jack questioned.
"Seems like we had a guest." Roger said, they both walked over by the bushes. Jack spotted a small notebook by one of the bushes, he picked it up, opened it up, and read through some of the entries. Most were about him, creepy, Jack thought.
"Find anything?" Roger asked.
Jack pocketed the notebook, "Nope."
They walked back to their dorms.
When Roger slept, Jack read through the notebook, it logged what he did each day, his favorite things, and some personal entries. It was started the day Simon enrolled, so it wasn't exactly hard to pinpoint who his admirer was.
Jack kept it close by him, always in his cloak pockets at all times.