Chapter 1: Summer's End
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
I slam my hand down on the alarm clock as I slowly swing my legs to the edge of my bed, I look towards the window of my room to see the bright sun glaring at me. I slowly yawn as I drag a hand through my hair, my fingers trailing through my locks. I flick away the few strands of blonde hair that seems to get stuck to my fingers, I grab my glasses from the bedside table as I slowly get up instinctively scratching my stomach as I yawned again.
I go through my daily rituals of washing up and then getting dressed. I didn't bother taking a bath but instead I chose to roughly fix my hair with some water from the sink, spray cologne all over my body and quickly brushed my teeth. After getting dressed I look at myself in the mirror with my Polo Ralph Lauren Hanford Trainer, ripped black jeans, white shirt and black fleece. I smirk arrogantly in the mirror as I look at myself, while not bulging with muscle like some of the muscle heads in my high school, I am instead toned from the many different activities I do such as parkour, mixed martial arts and the one thing that most people laugh at is drama.
So firstly, to introduce myself, my name is Thomas 'Tommy" Argent, I'm about 6ft. I don't really belong in high school due to the fact I don't really fit in, you see I'm not really one for all the social politics that come with being in high school, I'm more of a do what I want because life is too short kind of dude. I love acting and dancing, it makes me feel so alive! But that is only a small part of what I do, I have a small job down in a nightclub on the far end of town. For most of my shift I'm usually cleaning out the back or on the bar, having recently turned 18 this September I'm mostly on the bar, but after about 8 a few of the other guys from my high school and I join up and we are the live music for the night.
Now two of the questions I'm frequently asked is one, why do my parents let me do this? And two, how can I balance everything every day for weeks on end. I'm a straight A student who works a job where I end up working until early in the morning as well whatever social events and so on that I would go to. Well I'll be honest I don't do social; I keep up with some of the guys from our make shift band, still working on the name but other than that I don't go out. I enjoy myself, mind you but other than that, I work. The first question about my parents is a harder pill to swallow, my dad was a bit of a prick. He left when my brother and sister were born and I haven't seen or heard of him since, my mom tried her hardest but with my little brother and sister being new-borns, I don't really hold it against her, they had me when they were 18 and had my siblings when they were 34.
So, I knew my father and it was just as much of a shock to me as it was to mom when he left. I got the job as soon as he left and I just work on making sure my mom is proud, I'd give all the money I earned if I could but she won't let me, we came to a compromise and she gets most if not a great deal of it and I'll keep the rest for myself, it may not be a lot but I can tell it helps and that makes me happy. I'm in my final year at Hillbrookes High, if you asked anyone there who I was they would ask you who. It doesn't bother me really, I'm either studying, practicing, working or reading. I haven't really got much need for stress or worry on what others think. I feel bad for those that do to be honest. I'm really only friends with two people, a dude named Mateusz as well as Sam. Both dudes are a bit special, but they are my friends.
As I quickly fry up a quick egg sandwich, I look around for both my phone and keys. After finding them I slowly walk towards my bike gradually finishing up the sandwich, I gaze lovingly at my motorcycle. A 1963 BMW motorbike otherwise known as the Great escape customised by French Blitz Motorcycles with 594 cc Boxer twin engine. This is my pride and joy, all the little amounts I keep from my monthly pay checks over 2 years finally payed off. Summer break just ended, and my birthday was yesterday, had a little party with my family but not much else, just the way I love it. I climb on to my bike and as I hear the engine roar, I let out a little laugh as I start to speed down the streets, smirking as I see people gawking at me as I zip past them.
As I slowly approached the school, pulling into the parking area, cruising towards my regular space, i see Mateusz and Sam waiting there for me already having a little argument about another topic full of nonsense. I slowly pull up and as i park my bike and take off my helmet, I notice that my presence was still not noticed. Locking my bike up and attaching my helmet to my bag, I decided to announce my presence with a quick slap to the back of both of their heads. "Hey!" they both shout as the stop their argument to look at me.
"Well hello to the two of you too." I smirk as I slowly walk past them, now Sam is the typical army boy, lanky but slightly muscular and way into first person shooter games and Mateusz is the anomaly from two different groups, not only is he lanky and a bit of a nerd who is also tall and part of my mixed martial arts group. The three of us are a bit of a group of oddballs, complete serious pricks in public but when alone we are the biggest goofballs you would ever meet. I suddenly stop causing both of them walking into my back.
"What's with the hold up?" Mateusz calls out as Sam smirks. He sees where my eyes are looking. As I slowly get tunnel vision, I hear him say.
"It seems lover boy has seen his crush." I can't bring myself to deny that. Walking past me with her little group of friends is the one girl my eyes have always been for since we first met in kinder garden. Her name is Monika Salvatore a 5'7 bombshell of a beauty, top of her class, president of the track team as well as a member of many sport related clubs, Brown hair that comes down to her waist and the most mesmerising eyes you could ever find. My eyes wouldn't leave her and that seemed to be in her benefit, as time seemed to slow down as I saw a nearby American football flying on a direct approach towards her.
As time seemed to stretch on and the ball seemed to get closer I leapt into action catching the ball in one hand before it could hit her, as my eyes found the eyes of the dude the threw it I paled on the inside as I saw my bully since the start of high school. A douche by the name of Michael Stevens, captain of the football team and head of the Jock group. As he approached, I stood my ground staring right at him, my hard eyes and impassive face staring into his smirking visage.
"Look who it is boys… Little Tommy Boy, seems he's put on a bit of muscle and height and now he thinks he can stand up to me." He smirked as he let out of few chuckles with his group around him joining in. I remained silent as I held the ball out to him, his smirk seemed to fall off his face as he gained no reaction from me. We stared at each other for a while neither of us seeming to want to give in, slowly people seemed to gather in the chance that a fight would happen. Suddenly the bell started to ring, and he looked away first before turning to his friends.
"It seems it's time for us to leave boys" he smirked as he looked at me.
"This doesn't end here Tommy boy." Inwardly I let a sigh before I was shocked as suddenly I was jumped by my two best friends.
"What the fuck happened to make you so cool!" Sam seemed to be bursting with energy as Mateusz nodded with him. I Smiled before shrugging at them.
"I have no idea what you mean my dudes." I smiled at them but our conversation was interrupted when I felt someone tapping my back. I turned around slowly to see Monika and her friends looking at me, some in disinterest and some in ways I wish they didn't. Monika herself seemed to be just smiling at me and I felt the breath catch in my throat, accidentally I missed what she said, barely catching the end of the sentence.
"-and I wanted to thank you!" she spoke before turning to Sam confused as he had laughed hearing him mumble at me being too busy staring to hear her. I elbowed him in the side as I looked at Monika, piecing together what was said.
"Haha, h-h-honestly it was nothing." I stammered out, red splashed across my cheeks from embarrassment. She seemed to giggle before turning to her friends giving me one last smile before walking into the high school. As she walked away occasionally her eyes would meet mine as amusement danced in her eyes. A smile graced my face seeing her smile at me and I found her smile to be really infectious.
"Beautiful…" I whispered but not too quiet it would seem.
"Oooo someone's got a crushhh, oh wait we already knew that. Him and most of the hot-blooded males in this school and others." Sam called out with Mateusz laughing along. I hit the two on the head before choosing to ignore them and head inside the high school, but as the doors opened, I wasn't ready for the stares.
"Well it seems you standing up to Michael has got around quickly… or did you get a new haircut?" Sam smirks as he laughs. I gulp as we slowly walk through the hall with myself avoiding eye contact with everyone, Sam flirting with anything with tits and a pulse and Mateusz on his phone messaging his girlfriend who lives in another state. I nod at the two of them as we split off by our lockers, I quickly grab my books and place my helmet in my locker before making my way towards my first classroom of the day, Calculus. I step into the classroom nodding at the teacher and receiving one before sitting in my seat. The day seems to pass by quite quickly as I go from class to class, meeting up with Mateusz and Sam for our breaks and everything goes smoothly until we reach the end of the day.
I meet Sam and Mateusz by the English block and we slowly walk out to the parking lot, they turn to me as we are about to split.
"Hey dude do you want to join us for some mountain dew and pizza, we are going to play some Apex and you know we need a third player?" They both seem to ask me as is top by my bike.
"Sorry guys maybe another time, I've got work right now and you know I'm not into video games. Why don't you guys pop down around 8. I'm going to be playing with the guys most nights." I receive a nod and a handshakes and a 'We will think about it bro.' As they leave I follow, heading towards the club. The owner Steven was like a second father to me, his club 'Hill's Peak' is where I grew up when my Dad left. Cleaning and helping around and now finally playing my guitar and singing. He's always tried to help and I feel like him and my mom are getting a lot closer as time goes on. As I pull up outside and wonder 'How has today gone so smoothly.'