A/N: Okay, I found this account, since I have two, and realized I had a whole other story on here that I have long since been neglecting. I edited it a bit, changed the title, fixed typos, all that jazz and reposted the chapters.

Let's see how this goes!

Crazy Train

Chapter 1

Back in Black

The first day of school was always an exciting time of the school year. Why it may not be the most favorite to some, there was something about the opening week when students just had a drive to be there.

The nerds excelled in making themselves at home within their classrooms, racing ahead to seemingly robotically meet their newest teacher and make themselves known as the brains of that particular class. They were always first seated and best marked.

For the jocks, it was a new year to make highest scores on the sports scale. But when it came to academic classes, their seats were better off left empty. As valiant as their efforts might be, cheating was, and always will be, their first plan of action.

The preps strived to show off the newest line of Aquaberry fashion and taunt those they considered beneath them. They did just as well as the typical geek would academically. As to whether it was true brain or the purchase of test answers was lost to most.

The bullies were satisfied enough with the start of a new school year in terrorizing fresh meat and continuing the taunting on their like aged peers. The lot of them could use some tutoring, but they did not care enough to take the time to even bother.

The greasers were all ready to start a new year on their cars and bikes. Applying modifications, giving tune-ups, testing out their wheels. All that on school time. But they were more likely to skip their classes for a good, old-fashioned street race.

The prefects were more than happy to bust the miscreants, anyone who dare step an inch over the line. Mostly their excitement was spurred from the new group of kids on campus. Just more innocent kids that they could prove that they were the bosses on campus.

To Jimmy Hopkins, a boy in his own division, the start of a school year was the start of a battle with himself to not get expelled. Though he started out his sophomore year at Bullworth a bit rough, he still managed to moderately smooth out those edges by the close. To him, all he had to do was just enough to pass. And with that, he'd be content and on his merry way doing as he pleased.

This was the longest he had been at any school and though it was a complete, stereotypical dump, he felt at ease enough here to call it home. So he decided he would tough it out for another year, only changing his priorities up a little.

His junior year at Bullworth he opted to halt his chase on popularity and just take what friends he had – the highest number he could ever remember having. However not everybody liked him and whenever they inanely chose to show that, he put them in their place with a swift punch. Nonchalance about a fight was his trademark and his fairly violent demeanor was his best upkeep. He no longer fought to prove power over a group, but rather to keep someone off his back, at least for a short period of time.

Jimmy did not like being disturbed.

As his third high school year at this establishment trudged along, with him in tow, he made one of the toughest decisions he would ever have to. After days of requests for advice from his closest friend Pete, after hours of taking in, reevaluating, and understanding his previous rule. Once all that was taken to mind, the choice was entirely obvious and a final conclusion was reached.

After once being overthrown, he decided it best not to risk another revolution against his being and chose not to resume his position as Bullworth Academy's king. One coup d'état was enough and he could not take on a school full of usurpers again.

Thus making him just another face in the crowd at school, who would stand up for himself and his friends if needed. He did not mind though; he found being in the limelight gave him very little time to just do what he wanted to do, but now he had more than enough time for that.

On the last day of school of his junior year, his heart had for the first time been broken. He never imagined that the girl that he loved and been with for the past year would suddenly reveal to him of her moving with no more than a three hour notice. She claimed it would be less painful if they did not talk to each other again because the chances of her return were unlikely. He found that to be a load of crap though. Because he hurt worse than any punch, kick, slap, fall, or even the occasional car could ever harm him. But he left it as it was and went through the grieving stages throughout the summer and only just now was he beginning his slow climb back to the top.

And here he was, now seventeen and at the start of his senior year and fully prepared to make the most of it.

He was again left alone here. His mother and his newest stepdad were again leaving on a honeymoon, for the next six months. His previous stepdad has been gone for the last seven months, and his mom remarried within five. They were married not a week ago and he was dropped off, once again, at the front of the school – a replay of his very first day here. At least this time around he was able to wait it out here with old friends and quite possibly new ones.

Jimmy entered the auditorium, walking tall with an air of authority surrounding him. Just from his looks, the newcomers knew not to bother him. Standing at six feet and once inch tall, he exceeded the height of many of the freshmen and sophomores, but was at least now more equal in height to his similar aged peers. His cheeks still had the boyish tint of red to them but his facial structure held more masculinity. His freckles had long since melded together with the color of his cheeks. The redness of his nose had gradually disappeared as he aged and colorized into a peach hue, matching the rest of his skin tone. His hair was chocolate brown and cut in the smart style. Slanted under his hairline was a scar, starting at his part and ending at his right temple.

His demeanor exuded danger and his posture solidified the notion.

Freshmen who were filing into the room were purposely avoiding him as much as possible, fearful of the boy who they assumed would rip out their bowels with even a wrong step.

Jimmy was fully conscious of their trepidation but he decided to pay them no mind, knowing full well that he would not harm any one of the newest students. Unless, of course, they deserved it; though the chances were they would not.

He found a seat next to Pete and briefly smoothed out his brown leather jacket before sitting.

"Where's your uniform?" Pete questioned, giving him a quick glance up and down.

Jimmy only shot him a bored look, figuring the answer was obvious.

"Right." Pete said, figuring he should have known better than to even bother asking.

He would wear the uniform on occasion, but not generally. He liked the school, but he did not like the uniform. Nonconformity was just another trait the boy had.

He pulled at his dark jeans, giving them more slack, and crossed a brown booted foot over his knee. He slung his arm over the back of the chair and hunched slightly, finding a relaxing position for him to sit through the new school year's meaningless greeting.

Doctor Crabblesnitch suddenly walked across the stage and assumed his position behind the podium. He cleared his throat loudly before beginning his brief speech to the student body. "Hello students! To the freshmen, welcome to Bullworth Academy. Sophomores and juniors, welcome back home. And seniors, welcome to the last year of your high school careers!"

Immediately, a loud holler roared across the auditorium, knowingly coming from the seniors.

"Alright, alright; quiet down now." The hoots and whoops died down gradually and the speech continued. "I am Doctor Crabblesnitch, the principal of this fine establishment, and I wish to see you all excel this year – in academics, in sports, in social and school activity! Here at Bullworth, school spirit is high and is a definite must!" To this, Jimmy rolled his eyes.

The man had finally caught on to the fact that there was bullying, but not as much was done about it as should have been since it still persists today. The principal's reasoning was that he did not want to risk the high school spirit, that the ruffians showed theirs that way, so for the most part it was left alone. Jimmy had dealt with plenty of bullying issues in his time and he was largely the cause of its downsizing. But it was still blatantly present in the school with a rather high enterprise.

"I truly hope your school year is full of fun and exciting activity and remember to keep all of your noses clean!" The principal directed his stare to Jimmy. Even though Doctor Crabblesnitch and Jimmy got along quite well, Jimmy still did have his times when sent to his office and stuck in detention. "I hope to see you students only for good reasons in the near future. Let the new school year commence!" He put emphasize on the last word and the nerds erupted into fits of cheers, along with a few non-clique students, while the rest clapped slowly with disinterest or did not make any reaction at all.

"Well, now that that's over, I'm gonna' go see some of the new kids around here." Jimmy stood up from his seat and looked at Pete. "You wanna' come?"

"Sure!" The still small boy stood up and followed Jimmy out of the auditorium. "Are you going to look around to see if any new, decent, and properly aged girls have enrolled this year?"

"That too." Jimmy shrugged casually, but really that was what he was most excited for. Zoe took a toll on him and now it was his chance to get back in the game; if not for love and commitment, at least for play and pleasure. He will be a player like before.

Jimmy leaned against the metal railing and looked around the grounds, not many were out of the building, just some smaller kids and most the prefects. They would exit soon enough and then he would get to examining his choices.

Jimmy and Pete stood quietly amongst each other while they waited. Within a minute of silence, the doors opened and the noisy chatter began. A rush of students quickly walked out of the building's doors and went down the cement stairs and they dispersed on campus, giving Jimmy and Pete alike a good view from their elevated position.

His brown eyes scanned the grounds quickly, taking in as many new students as possible. He easily picked out most the freshmen in the batch but he looked for the girls who were older. There were not very many, the usual at Bullworth, but of what he could tell of them, they were not too great either. Too chubby, too lanky, too geeky, or too snobby – the mental list went on. He was not usually one for being picky, he will take what he can get, but he was curious to know as to where all the pretty girls chose to go to school.

Then he remembered, Bullworth Academy is a dump.

He turned around from the railing, his elbows resting on the metal bars. But it was his dump, more or less. And he was satisfied with it. He would woo every halfway decent girl in the school and he would call it a day.

"Any ones that you like?" Pete piped up, searching around for his potential preference.

Jimmy sighed, deeper than he intended. "Not in particular."

The shorter boy looked up at his friend. He did not miss the apparent dejection in his heavy heave. "So any of them are fair game?" He already knew if he were to tell Jimmy of the individual that he liked that his friend would, for the most part, keep his hands off of her – literally. He had heard conversations of girls he passed by of how much a great "lover" Jimmy was. He tried to block out the images and the memory of catching wind of it.

Pete knew Jimmy was not a backstabber, if anything he was the one who always had the knife sticking out of his back. He knew that Jimmy, his best friend, would always treat him fairly since he was the only one who always stood by his side, faithful to him as ever. But there was still the minute chance of him doing something with her.

Jimmy's response was concise. "Pretty much."

They slipped into silence again, Pete contemplating whether or not he should bring up the memory of his ex-flame. "You miss her." There was no question to it. He knew him enough to be able to read his emotions, no matter how well he masked them behind his stoic façade. Jimmy was human and still had emotions. And as reluctant as he was to admit it, he, too, knew he did.

The taller stared ahead, eyes glazed slightly from thought, reminiscing about the time he had with her. He finally responded. "Yeah…"

"I thought so." Pete looked down at his shoes. "Sorry to bring it up, but you just have been acting so much more on impulse as of late, Jimmy."

"I've always acted that way." He replied dumbly, giving his friend a strange look.

"Yeah, I know." He quickly stated. "It's just…I know." He paused, wondering if his companion knew what he was referring to. "About all the girls. Over the summer…"

Jimmy stared at him blankly before pushing off the rail, changing the subject completely impromptu. "Let's go get some breakfast. I'm starved. Maybe it would be nice to see Edna again." He almost choked on his last sentence as he walked.

Seeing Edna was about as nice as finding half a rat in your stew – which was what she chose to be last year's end of the year special.

"Yeah, okay, Jim." Pete quietly said, following suit.

They entered the main school building and went straight to the cafeteria, ignoring the insults from the prefects. Jimmy was used to them and it was easy enough to block them out at this point in time.

"Hey Edna." He greeted across the room.

There was a hacking cough before a gravely, threatening voice called out from the kitchen. "Which one of you brats is interruptin' me cookin' my special?"

Jimmy sat on the end of the long table and picked up an apple from the fruit basket, the only thing that he somewhat trusted to eat in this health inspector nightmare of a cafeteria, before coolly responding to the upset old woman. "Me."

"Me?" Her voice perceptibly bristled. "If you could be a little more –" she stomped out of the kitchen, ladle held high showing her aggravation. She stopped her rant when she caught sight of who it was. "Well if it isn't the lit'l troublemaker, Jimmy Hopkins!" She laughed. "Didn't recognize ya' voice at first, 'see it's gotten deeper over the summa'! You were a bit of late bloomer, tha's for sure!"

He chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah." He feigned hilarity at her statement, him more disturbed at it than anything. He looked at Pete who apparently shared the feeling toward what she said. Jimmy shuddered.

"Well, boy, how ya' been doin'? Good summer in all, I hope!"

"I've been alright and yes, it was a good summer." He replied.

"Now don't that just warm my belly to hear! Or is that my medication kickin' in?" She paused shortly to contemplate that matter. "Ah, well! C'mon in here boy and help me with my special!"

"One batch of sneezed-in stew, comin' up!" He hopped off the table and waved for Pete to come along. "You heard the lady, come on!"

Pete sighed before following. And to think, he used to eat here.

A/N: (1) Smart Style – the hair cut you receive in the richer part of town.

(2) Jimmy's scar – yes, I gave him a scar. I mean, c'mon…he fell through a glass window; he has to get some kind of injury. And it needed to come from Gary. So that was it.

I think I got all the typos; there were quite a few here. I hope you enjoyed it!

-Ariel.