Arthur looked out his bedroom window with the same bored expression he always had. The wind blew through the trees making the same shallow noise they always made. His alarm clock ticked away at the same frequency it always did. Everything was the same in Arthur Kirkland's life. He lived with his brother Francis who always made the same insults and his mother who always told him the same things. "You are very special Arthur. No one can ever tell you different, yeah?" He mimicked her as he returned to that night's homework. The old, worn out desk creaked as he leaned on it.
Arthur just wished he could have something nice to show off.
Ever since he was a little kid, Arthur had been getting Francis' hand-me-downs. "But mum! I'm older than Francis!" he would complain. It was the same answer every time. Francis was much bigger than Arthur. Everything Arthur ever got was worn out and dull by the time he had gotten it.
Arthur sighed from the feeling his memories gave him. After finishing his homework, he laid out his clothes and took his socks off like every other night and got in bed. After lying in bed for a few minutes he rubbed his eyes realizing he wasn't falling asleep any time soon. When will something new come along? Will I always be stuck like this? The thought of always being just average frustrated Arthur. He wanted to have the exciting life of someone else.
Someone like him! A new boy from America was leaning against the wall asking the teacher where he would sit in the class. The teacher had told the class previously that they would have a new exchange student coming. Arthur had been excited every day after that. He was ready for the new change! But what he felt now looking at the boy... was not happy. It wasn't excitement. It was the thin feeling of… jealousy? Well it makes sense Arthur thought to himself. He probably has lots of exciting stories of America! And just look at his clothes!
The new boy was tall with a tousle of hair that nearly stuck straight up in the front. His eyes were sky blue and reminded Arthur of the ocean he had only seen in movies. He had thin, stylish glasses with no rims and a look that screamed energy and confidence. He wore a grey undershirt and a black and teal cardigan over top. His jeans nicely fit down to the ankles where they bunched over his brand new converses. He had a leather messenger bag that looked nice enough to be imported from Italy.
Arthur tried not to stare as the new boy took the seat directly in from of him. He could smell cologne coming from the boy's body. It smelled so sweet; he almost leaned over to take in a better whiff. He blushed at the thought. Everyone in the class knew Arthur wasn't the straightest shooter out there, but it would just break the peace if he acted it. Some of the girls in the class turned to watch the American take his seat. They would giggle when he shot them a smile. "Okay class, this is Alfred Jones. He will be joining us from now on," informed the teacher, dully.
Throughout the class, Arthur watched Alfred as he did his work. What kind of stuff does he like? What does he not like? What is his family like? Will I ever get the chance to talk to him? All of the questions raced through Arthur's mind, but he acted on none of them. Better to let Alfred come to him. Scaring someone off on his first day of school is generally frowned upon. But even with all these impulses, Arthur still felt a pang of jealousy over this boy. With every question Alfred got correct, the jealousy slightly grew. What was bothering him?
Alfred could feel the eyes boring holes into him from all sides. Especially the pair behind him. For most people, this would faze them. But not Alfred. He thrived under pressure. Every question the teacher hurtled at him was answered right on beat. Every girl that looked at him got his charming smile. Even though the class was particularly boring, Alfred had perfected the art of seeming interested at all times. With Lawyers for parents, it was an easy trait to acquire. Throughout the day he picked up someone to call a friend or two, but not anyone he was actually interested in. It took something special for Alfred to notice someone.
Alfred's family had just moved from Washington D.C. for a promotion at law firm in London, England. On the surface, it was the perfect picket fence family. A confident, hit-em-hard lawyer father, an intelligent and dignified lawyer mother, and their two beautiful, blonde twin boys lived in large flat just outside of downtown. Life was easy. Friends came flocking. Grades were never below B's. Everyone was always smiling.
On the outside, at least.
Alfred felt so artificial it made him sick. No one understood that he was forced to be the way he was. He was constantly under the spotlight of his parents, being dissected. Every one of his flaws were put under a microscope and burned with a laser. His parents coached every aspect of him, and if anything were sub par, there would be hell to pay.
So, deep down inside, while everyone was smiling and waving at the perfection that was Alfred Jones, he felt nothing more than empty. The path his parents had set him on was cold and lonely. It was the kind of place you imagine lost things going. It's the place you put things you wouldn't miss. Alfred often thought of himself as a nice painting. He was something someone else created, something people admired for a while, and something of no value. And so on the walk home, Alfred thought back to all of the people he had met that day. There was a nice girl in his math class. She had accidentally bumped into him and looked genuinely sorry when she apologized. There was a teacher that had actually been sympathetic to him starting half way through the year. But the one thing he really remembered, the one thing that seemed the most real to him, was the pair of green eyes that burned the back of his neck in first period.