Chapter Text
The rain trickles against the window, creating a soft banging sound. I stare outside, bored out of my mind. The new school year at Welton starts tommorrow.
I'm not looking forward to all the homework and studying involved with attending Welton, but at least I'll see all my friends.
Outside my window the street seems dead quiet and dark, until a young couple comes running through, holding hands and laughing. I look at them and wish I had something like that, and not just with anybody.
There happens to be a particular someone at my school, my class even, who I've been eyeing for at least a year now.
We've been good friends since our friend group formed, but it was only then that I realized what I was looking for was right in front of me:
. . .
Summer break was starting in just a couple of hours. The whole friend group is laughing together, reminiscing the moments of this year, anticipating what was about to come.
After the ceremony everyone is about to go home and we say goodbye for now. Steven Meeks, the friend I've had since forever, who I've never looked at romantically, now steps under a different light.
As we were hugging everyone goodbye as a group, Meeks tells us all that he can't hang out the whole summer, as he's going to some sort of camp for smart people like him. I can't remember what that camp was about, I usually don't get every word he says.
As he's about to leave, he tells us all that he'll miss us, and that he can't wait to see us again after break. Then, before walking away, he looks at me, and I look at him. On the surface, there was nothing unusual about it, but to me and hopefully to him, it just felt right.
It felt as if I truly belonged.
. . .
This summer was a long one. I mostly sat around at home, playing card games by myself, and drawing. I also sat on my porch a lot and just thought about things. About him.
I hung out with my friends a lot as well, but mostly they hung out amongst themselves in couples.
Karen and Charlie, menacing around town,
Pitts and his girlfriend Patricia spent a lot of time chilling at home,
Neil and his girlfriend Anne Marie, or Annie as we call her, went to a bunch of plays together,
and my good friend Donna Miller from another school who I've known since forever was hanging out with Sticks from my class.
Since I had a lot of time on my hands, I replayed that last moment between Meeks and I a thousand times. I couldn't wait for school to start again so I could see him.
. . .
I make my way through the bustling school yard glancing across the crying faces of the new students saying goodbye to their parents.
Here I am again, at Welton, ready for a new year of boredom.
I look to see if any of my friends are around, but in the back of my mind I know I'm looking for Meeks, specifically. I want to know if I'd still feel that same warm feeling of belonging I did when he left.
"Y/N! " I wake up from my thoughts as a familiar voice calls for me.
"Over here! " I turn around to the source of the voice.
"Hey, Karen! How was your summer? " I ask her eagerly while walking up to her.
Karen Jones is a good friend of mine, best friend even, and Charlie's girlfriend. They're the perfect match for each other, both wild and fun.
"It was great! I had so much fun with Charlie! "
We hug and start walking towards the entrance of the school.
"So, what about you, Y/N"
"Not much, since everyone was too busy hanging out with their soulmates " I reply mockingly.
"What, so you did nothing? You could've gone to the city and found yourself a guy!"
《But Meeks is the guy I want》
"That's not how it works, Karen"
"Yeah, but-" She starts, but is interrupted by Pitts.
"Hey, girls. How was summer?"
Patricia Davis, his girlfriend comes with him and says hi aswell.
"Hi Pitts, hi Patricia! Did you guys spend a lot of time together this summer?" I ask the two lovebirds.
"Yeah we came from my place, Pittsie slept over." Patricia replies, twirling her long blonde hair and placing her free hand on Pitts' chest.
"Of course he did. Your parents are so calm about your relationship." Karen remarks genuinely puzzled by it.
We walk through the doors and meet Charlie and Meeks.
Karen kisses Charlie as they meet again.
"It's been so long, baby. Happy to see you" Charlie jokes as he holds Karen by her waist.
"We hung out yesterday, Nuwanda!" She giggles into his shoulder.
"Look, it's Mr. Meeks! How was your nerd camp?" Pitts rubs his fist on Meeks' head and I lock my eyes on his beautiful smile.
"It's not a nerd camp, Pitts!" He insists and pushes Pitts' hand off his head.
Suddenly a beam of joy enters the room.
"Yayy! How's it going guys? Ready for another year of fun?"
Anne Marie Brown, perhaps the happiest student at Welton, dragging his boyfriend behind him by his wrist.
"Annie and Neil! Y'all sleep together like these two last night too?" Charlie asks sarcastically pointing to Pitts and Patricia.
"Hey we never said we slept together, he just slept over!" Patricia insists.
"Well, hello to you too Charlie." Neil jokes. "Todd, Knox, and Cameron not here yet?"
"No. I guess we'll talk to them after the ceremony."
. . .
"Gentlemen, what are the four pillairs?"
Ugh, not this again! They ask us that question every year, but honestly, who cares? Let's just get to the endless school work, since I'm already thinking about it.
"This is so unbelievably boring, right?" Meeks taps my shoulder and whispers from behind.
"Gosh, I really thought I was the only one thinking that, Meeks!" I reply sarcastically and turn around to see Meeks smirking back at me.
I guess I lingered on his attractiveness a little too long, when he looks back at me and shakes his head forward while opening his eyes bigger; gesturing a "what are you looking at?" face.
I blush just a little and turn right back facing forward. God, I hope he didn't see that.
"Shh!" My mother shushes me and urges me to pay attention and places her hand on my thigh.
I just roll my eyes.
. . .
After the ceremony us girls make our way to the dorms. Karen runs ahead, eager to see who she's bunking with.
"Holy shit, Y/N! We got the same dorm!" She jumps around and I join her.
The roommates are different every year. I'm not sure if they are strategically decided by the whole school council, or just picked from a hat. Either way, it didn't matter, since I'm rooming with my best friend.
Patricia and Annie are both bunking with some other girls. They exhange some slightly awkward hello's with the two girls and start unpacking their clothes and such.
Karen and I go into our dorm and sit to share a cigarette. The room is dim in itself, though the sunlight illuminates the room in the daytime. There are two wardobes, two desks and two single beds on both sides of the rather small dormroom.
"Hey, quite good luck this year, am I right, roomie?" She asks offering me the cigarette.
I take it and giggle: "Ha, definetly better than last year with Eliza, she was studying all day, and snoring all night!"
"Didn't she also smell horrible?"
"I think my nose got conditioned to it, but yeah, she did."
"Well, my roommate wasn't much better."
"Who, Iris?"
"Yes, Iris! She was such a tighthole. I had to be in the room strictly on time, every night, and her alarm clock was waaayyy too loud!"
"Oh, of course, Iris."
The hours of complaining I had to endure from Karen about her strict roommate, just recurred to me.
We smoke the rest of the cigarette and converse about the up-coming year along with some more shit-talking.
"Hey, girls. We should get back, classes start soon and I want to talk with the boys first." Patricia opens the door.
"Yeah we didn't even talk to Todd, Cam or Knox yet!" Annie peeks out from behind her.
Karen and I rise from the bed and walk the hall towards the group of boys.
"Who'd you girls get as roomies?" I ask Patricia and Annie while making our way past the countless doors of the other students.
. . .
"Girls, hey!" Cameron waves to us.
"Jesus, how many clothes do you have for it to take that long to unpack them?" Knox asks a bit passive aggressively. We just rolled our eyes and hugged them.
"Hey, guys." Todd greets. "Where were you before the ceremony? I didn't see you anywhere."
"Where did you look? We were right by the doors, Todd." Meeks says.
"All of you?"
"Yeah, except Knox, Cam and you."
"Oh alright. I was looking outside, so.."
The bells ring loud, interrupting Todd.
"Okay, I guess we should get going!" Neil states gesturing to the staircase, now ridden with tons of students.
The group starts walking down the stairs and Meeks and I are at the back of the line, side by side.
"Chemistry! You excited?" He asks sarcastically.
"Oh, totally!" I respond with that same energy. I feel my chest tighten and my cheeks get warmer as our shoulders brush.
I can only hope he gets the same feeling about me.
. . .