Chapter 1: New Kid
Being the new kid was a starring role Sherwin Quinn had become very accustomed to playing. Since the day he had been born, Sherwin and his entire family bounced around from one state to another, never staying in the same city for over two years. Once those two years came to an end, Sherwin and his family were forced to uproot their whole lives and start anew in some random state across the country.
Over the course of thirteen years, Sherwin had attended eleven different schools, thus making him the residential new kid eleven different times. The reason he and his family moved around so often was because his father, Paul, was enlisted in the air force. Throughout his life, Sherwin was never given the opportunity to create real, long-lasting friendships. The fact that he moved around every two years was a large contributing factor to that, but Sherwin knew the real reason he couldn't get close to other people his age was because he was too shy and socially anxious to do so.
For better or for worst, the constant moving was about to come to an end. For good.
Despite his best efforts to block out the painful memory, Sherwin could still vividly remember the day his parents announced to him and his siblings they were getting a divorce.
Apparently his father had started an affair with a woman fifteen years younger than him, and he was abandoning his wife and children to marry her. Sherwin's mother, Christine, did not take the news well. Within the time span of a week, Christine had managed to freeze Paul's back account (after she removed half of the account's funds), sell the family car (she kept all of the profits for herself and her kids), and book six one-way flights to Golden Falls, Connecticut, her hometown.
For the family's first two weeks in Golden Falls, they spent their days living in a single motel room, desperately trying (but sadly failing), to pick up the shattered pieces of their broken home lives. Sherwin's mother cried herself to sleep almost every night, unable to explain to her youngest child, Lukas, why they had to move again and leave his daddy behind.
After two weeks of absolute hell, Christine found a new job and was finally able to move herself and her family into a beautiful six bedroom home located in one of the richest parts of town. The woman was starting to smile again. Sherwin's life was starting to feel somewhat normal again.
For the rest of the summer, the family relaxed at home, slowly forgetting the struggles that had once nearly destroyed their lives.
~Time Jump~
"So Winnie," Sherwin's older sister, Melissa, started. "Are you excited for your first day of high school?"
The ginger haired boy laughed nervously. "Are you serious, Mel? Come on, you know I'm not. What is there to be excited about, anyways?"
The older girl laughed and playfully ruffled the shorter boy's curly hair. "Don't be such a Negative Nancy. You're super smart, Sherwin. School shouldn't be an issue for you."
"It's not the educational part that I'm worried about," he admitted sadly, unable to meet his sister's curious gaze. "It's the social aspect that's making me feel nervous."
Melissa gave him an understanding smile, silence filling the room as she thought about what to say next.
"Well, just look at it this way," the blonde haired teen began. "Ever since you were a baby, we've always had to switch schools. Now that you're older, and we know we'll be staying here for a long, long time, you'll finally have the chance to make some real friends. Doesn't that sound nice?"
"I'm not like you, Melissa. People don't automatically like me or want to instantly be my friend," Sherwin sighed.
Although the sixteen year old girl would never admit it out loud, she knew her brother's words were somewhat true. Melissa was blonde, skinny, nice, and she had blue eyes; she possessed all the perfect combinations to make her a stereotypical popular girl. Sherwin, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He had curly, wild, impossible red hair, freckles were splattered all across his back and face, and he was much smaller and thinner than most boys in his grade.
"Don't look for superficial people who only care about looks and social status, Winnie. Those people aren't real friends. Look for someone who's nice, genuine, someone who really sticks out to you."
"Yeah, I'll try," the younger boy replied weakly.
"Good," Melissa smiled brightly. "Now come on, let's go! We can not be late for the first day of school!"
And with that, the two siblings exited the home and traveled down the long driveway. Melissa unlocked her beautiful red Jeep Cherokee (a sixteenth birthday present her mother had gifted her over the summer), and they quickly climbed in.
"You're really not excited to start your first day of high school?" she asked again.
"Not really," Sherwin said. "I don't have any friends. I'll be all alone."
"It's the first day of school, I bet loads of people will be alone without a friend in the world. Please, just try at this school Sherwin, please? For me and for mom? You know it'll make her life a whole lot easier if she knew you had friends to talk to and spend time with. This is going to be our home for a long time, and I want you to be comfortable here. You need friends, especially in high school."
"That's easy for you to say, Mel. You already have friends here."
Melissa sighed, incapable of countering her brother's statement this time. Over the summer, the blonde haired girl auditioned for the cheer leading team and was immediately accepted. For weeks she had been texting her cheer leading teammates, hanging out with them, going to the local mall, and even inviting them over to the house several times a week.
"I know, I know Winnie. But don't focus on that. Just listen to what I'm saying now. Find someone who's really nice, try, actually try, to be friends with that person, and see where everything goes from there. And if push comes to shove and you can't find anyone to be friends with, know that you can always fall back on me and my friends."
"Okay, fine," Sherwin responded, crossing his arms in the process. "I promise that I'll try."
"Awesome!" Melissa cried excitedly.
After everything that's happened, all Melissa wanted was for her little brother to be happy. She couldn't stand the idea of him being alone in his classes. She knew Sherwin was the kind of kid who was content with isolating himself, reading a book in the corner of a crowded room, and eating lunch by himself in the bathroom or the library. Melissa knew that was no way for her brother to live his high school life. She wanted him to go out to crazy parties, hang out with friends after school. The blonde haired girl even wanted Sherwin to find himself a pretty girlfriend and spend some private time with her.
~Page Break~
When the siblings arrived at Golden Falls Academy, one of Connecticut's most prestigious private schools, Sherwin was feeling more than overwhelmed.
"Come on Winnie, let's go," Melissa said, breaking the boy from his terrified trance.
"Y-Yeah," Sherwin stuttered. "I-I'm getting out now."
"Hey, don't be nervous little brother. I'm just a text message away, okay?"
"Okay big sister," he replied, but the worry still wouldn't go away.
Melissa and Sherwin walked towards the school together. If anyone asked the thirteen year old if he enjoyed his sister's company, he would instantly deny it, but deep inside of himself Sherwin knew he couldn't be doing any of this without her.
At that moment, a flock of popular looking girls approached the siblings. Sherwin glanced down at the ground, refusing to meet their stares. What if they made fun of him? What if they didn't like him?
In the past, Melissa was friends with a lot popular kids who were not too fond of Sherwin. In fact, the autumn eyed boy believed many of them actively hated him. They would ruthlessly tease him behind Melissa's back, saying he was an ugly loser compared to his gorgeous sister. At school they would trip him in the corridors as he walked by or spread awful rumors about him.
When Melissa found out her so called "friends" were bullying her younger brother, she cussed them out and coldly cut them all off. After the pretty girl ceased communication with the group of jerks who tormented Sherwin, the bullying only intensified.
If you ask Melissa, or his older brother, Dylan, how many schools they've attended, they'll answer eight. As for Sherwin, he'll answer that he's been to eleven different schools. In the past, he had to leave three of his former schools due to excessive bullying. Melissa still hasn't forgiven herself for exposing Sherwin to bullies.
"Melissa!" one the girls shouted, breaking the sixteen year old's train of thought and suddenly bringing her back to reality. "Oh my gosh, you're finally here! I am literally so excited and stoked to see you!"
"Jaime!" Melissa shrieked, pulling the taller girl into a tight hug. "I'm so freaking excited I found you girls! You all remember my little brother, Sherwin, right?"
Of course they don't, Sherwin chided to himself. In their eyes I'm probably just your nerdy, ugly, loser of brother.
"How could we forget him?" another member of the group, a sweet girl named Nichole, asked kindly. She was short and thin and had a bunch of dark blue streaks in her long black hair. "He's such a cutie!"
"He takes after his older sister," Melissa joked, striking a silly pose that made Nichole laugh. Sherwin couldn't help but smile.
"So Sherwin," Vanessa, another friend of his sister that actually seemed like a decent person, began. She was above average height, had light colored skin, and her short hair was dyed completely pink. "Are you feeling nervous? Excited? Or do you feel like turning into a butterfly and escaping before class even starts? Trust me, if it's the third option, there will be no judgement on my part!"
"A little bit of all three," the short boy admitted, finally lifting his eyes off of the ground to face the group of cheerleaders. Melissa couldn't help the shining smile that appeared on her face; her little brother was making good social progress! However, neither sibling, nor any of the other girls in the group, noticed the disgusted frown that flashed across Jaime's pale face.
"Don't be nervous," Vanessa smiled at him. "But if you get super scared and turn into a butterfly, make sure to find me!"
Sherwin laughed loudly, something he hadn't done in an incredibly long time. "I'll try to stay human for the rest of the day."
"If you can't find anyone to sit with during lunch, just come and find us. We'd love for you to join us," the pink haired girl added compassionately.
A genuine grin swiftly plastered it's way onto Sherwin's face. "Thank you."
"It's no problem, sweetie," Nichole interjected. "We know how hard high school can be, and we wouldn't want to keep you and your sister apart for too long. We know how close you two are, and I'm sure she'd like to have you around so she can look out for you."
"Which is super awesome, by the way. I wish I had a sibling like that!" Vanessa stated.
Melissa's smile grew even wider. She couldn't believe her three best friends were this amazing and understanding.
"Well Sherwin, it was great talking to you, but me and my ladies should start heading to class," Jaime cut in. "The bell's about to ring any second now, and the ninth grade classes are all the way in the southern wing of the school, and our classrooms are in the northern wing."
Nichole looked at the time on her iPhone 7, a small scream escaping her throat.
"Okay little one, we have to go, like now! I have Mr. Porter this year for homeroom, and he'll kill me if I'm late to his class! He freaking hates me!"
"Why does he hate you?" Sherwin asked curiously.
Nichole chuckled and awkwardly pushed her long hair back. "Let's just say he caught me doing something extremely inappropriate last year in his classroom, and ever since then, he's had it out for me!"
"What did you do?" the ginger haired boy pushed.
"Oh no no no!" Melissa shrieked. "You are so not telling my little brother that story!"
Nichole gigged. "Yeah okay, whatever you say. Now let's get going! Like I said, I can't be late to Mr. Porter's homeroom! Getting detention on the first day is not apart of my New School Year Resolution!"
"New School Year Resolution," Vanessa mouthed, causing the siblings to laugh. Again, no one noticed Jaime roll her blue eyes in annoyance.
"I'll see you later, Winnie," Melissa declared, pulling the boy into a tight hug before letting him go and sprinting off into the school.
Maybe his sister and her friends were right. Maybe this school year will be fun.
With a new sense of confidence coursing through him, Sherwin danced into the school, a hint of hope pushing him forward. He marched towards the school's eastern wing, searching for room 302, his future homeroom. When he peaked into the classroom, he realized the room was filled with seniors, not freshman.
The ginger haired boy quickly pulled out his class schedule, trying his best not to have an anxiety attack. After all, Sherwin hadn't experienced one since they left his father behind in Florida, and if he broke down now he knew he wouldn't have the emotional strength to fix himself. As his eyes scanned the page, he realized that freshman classes were held in the western wing, not in the eastern wing like he had been informed.
I'm so stupid! he screamed at himself. So, so stupid! Why did I trick myself into believing today wouldn't be an absolute disaster? I'm literally on the other side of this gigantic school, there's no way I'll make it to homeroom on time! I'm going to walk in late, and all the other kids are going to make fun of me like they always do!
Sherwin was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. He felt tears threatening to spill over, his hope and confidence for the new year now completely obliterated.
"Hey," someone called from behind the mortified boy.
Sherwin didn't bother to turn around. As if anybody would be trying to talk to him.
"Hey," the voice repeated.
Before Sherwin could turn around, he felt someone place a soft hand on his shoulder. The person holding onto him slowly turned the shaking boy around. Sherwin's autumn colored eyes met those of a dark haired boy with deep sea blue orbs. The boy, who looked to be around his age, had lightly tanned skin, a small perky nose, perfectly arched eyebrows, and amazingly styled hair that reminded Sherwin of his favorite character Brad Foxworth, who was from an old 1950's TV show his mother loved and binge watched quite often.
"H-Hi," Sherwin stuttered anxiously.
"You look lost," the dark haired boy stated. "I'm guessing you're not a senior?"
"You guessed correctly," Sherwin admitted. "I'm a freshman, but I'm directionally challenged and managed to get lost on the opposite side of the school."
"What homeroom are you supposed to be in?" the boy questioned.
"I'm supposed to have Mr. Harrison in room 302."
The other boy smiled. Sherwin felt his palms get sweaty. Why was this guy making him feel so weird?
"It looks like we have homeroom together. Come on, I'll help you get to class on time."
"How?" Sherwin asked. "We're all the way on the other side of the school. Plus, class starts in a few minutes. What are you doing all the way over here?"
"I enter school through the eastern wing every morning," the mysterious boy explained. "It's the closest entrance to my house."
"Okay, but I still don't understand how you expect us to get to the other side of the school from here?"
"Don't worry about it. Now, I don't believe you ever gave me your name."
"My name's Sherwin," he answered a little too eagerly.
The taller teen grinned and extended his hand out to the now blushing boy. "It's really nice to meet you, Sherwin. My name's Jonathan, but if you want, you can call me Jonny."
"Okay, Jonny," Sherwin said, nodding his head, shakily taking Jonathan's hand into his own.
Before the ginger haired boy could add to the conversation, Jonathan tightened his grip on the trembling thirteen year old's hand and started racing down the corridor.
"Woah!" the autumn eyed boy shrieked, his short legs having trouble keeping up with Jonathan's pace. Judging by the dark haired teen's speed and ability, he was clearly a student athlete. "Where are you taking me?"
"It's a shortcut!" Jonathan shouted over his shoulder. "Just trust me!"
From that moment on, Sherwin did just that. Jonathan led him into a hidden corridor the shorter boy never would have discovered on his own. It was concealed behind a bookcase that Jonathan had to shove aside before they could enter it.
"What is this place?" the shorter boy spoke.
"A secret passage way that runs through the entire school," Jonathan explained. "Don't go around telling people about it though! Remember, it's supposed to be a secret!"
Sherwin smiled as a small blush unbeknowingly spilled across his pale cheeks. This boy, who he had just met, was being nice to him. He was sharing something with him that was meant to be a secret. In some odd way, he felt special, even lucky.
"I won't," Sherwin promised quietly.
In under two minutes the two freshman boys had managed to cross from one end of the school to another, a feat which would have normally been impossible. When they reached room 302, Sherwin realized that he and Jonathan were still holding hands. For some strange reason, he couldn't bring himself to break the contact. Not yet.
"We're right on time," Jonathan noted, his grip on the shorter boy still not loosening.
"When we get in there, do you want to sit together?" Sherwin asked abruptly.
"Sure," Jonathan replied simply.
Sherwin grinned from ear to ear. Melissa was going to be so glad to hear that her little brother found a nice, genuine person.
End of the first chapter!
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~Naya