/Author's Note: Greetings, we bring you our first chapter story./
Chapter 1- Foreign Boy
Ryan's Point of View-
The first thing I see when opening my eyes that morning is a raven perched on a branch on the tree outside my window, it's eyes seemingly staring straight through me.
What comes to mind when looking at it is the symbolic meaning behind that particular bird, something I read in one of the many bird books I have collected from my bird watching hobby.
The Raven is a teacher, or a reminder of God's love.
According to lore, catching it's eye conveys that a lesson will be taught, and the person on the receiving end will be tested. Of course, I didn't believe all that superstitious nonsense, but something about the way the bird was staring me gave me a sense of dread.
Feeling uneasy, I had the urge to cover my head with my comforter and go back to bed, skipping school for the day. But, feigning being sick wouldn't work as an excuse on my perceptive mother, she would notice right away that I was lying.
Simply telling her I had a bad feeling would probably work, but it would only cause her to worry. She had enough on her plate with having to work overtime to support us without me adding onto it.
Deciding to suck it up, I groaned and pulled myself out of bed, ignoring the bird's intense stare boring into me as I got ready for the day to come, dreading it already.
Heading into my classroom, I took my seat in the far back beside the window, draping my bag across the back of the chair. I was the last person inside, and everyone had gone quiet as soon as I had entered the room, still silently staring at me.
It was the type of silence that was somehow loud and unbearable for others to be in for too long. This was nothing unusual, it happened every day, but I didn't really care if they liked me or not.
They avoided me like the plague, and whether out of fear or disgust didn't bother me. The feeling of distrust was mutual.
My mom once asked me if I felt lonely, since I didn't really spend time with friends and decided to stay home and read or work a part-time job instead. I told her no, not really, and it was the truth. I just left out the part of me not having any friends to begin with, so it wasn't much of a choice.
I rather be alone anyway. I never saw the appeal of having 'friends' who would just talk shit about you behind your back, and that is the only type of friendship one can have here at this stuck-up school.
One wouldn't think men could be like that, but here they are all so self-absorbed and so full of themselves. And the girls were no better, their personalities were dull and petty with no regard for people who they saw as 'less than' them.
If everyone was fake to your face and rude behind your back, then I rather be alone.
I was too caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice the door to the classroom opening and closing, when the teacher started speaking. I didn't bother to face forward to see the teacher talking, deciding to just look out the window and listen in.
"Alright, listen up. I'd like to introduce a new student who is joining us. Introduce yourself to the class, and say a little something about yourself."
"Hello, my name is Felix Kjellberg. I was originally born in a small town in Sweden, but had lived in the UK for the past 3 years." There was a small pause before he added with a smile in his voice, "I hope we can all be good friends."
'Huh, so the guy's a foreigner. Must be nice, being to different countries. If I remember correctly, the national bird of Sweden is the Blackbird Turdus Merula, or the common Blackbird. Though, of course, since he is a Swede he would know it as the Koltrast.'
I was too absorbed by my thoughts that I didn't notice anything different until I heard a new accented voice speaking to me.
"Could I sit next to you?" Turning my head, I looked up and into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. They seemed to sparkle, like sunlight dancing on ice. The kind of pale blue that reminds me of the Eastern Bluebird in snow, their feathers a soft and delicate sky blue against the blank sheet of crystalized water.
I could only nod in answer, my throat suddenly tight with the urge to ask if I could photograph his eyes to later paint a picture of a bluebird using that as reference. I slowly and unwillingly looked away to again stare out the window, glad he can't see how captivated I was by his light colored irises.
I heard a quiet thanks before I heard the chair beside mine move as the new guy sat down. It was strange, someone speaking to me directly and as if I were a human being, and not treated like dirt or some strange mystery that scares and intimidates people.
Strange, rare even, but not entirely unwelcome as it was a nice change of pace. Perhaps it's because he's new, and hasn't yet grown to like or dislike anyone. Maybe, but I like to think he was genuinely a nice person, or maybe blind at least.
Can't be intimidated by someone scary looking if you can't see.
Even with the strange urge to take a picture of some guy's eyes, the class period passed by rather quickly. As soon as the bell rang for lunch, everyone naturally gravitated toward the handsome foreign student, asking him questions of his interests and hobbies, the clubs he was interested in, and what his home country was like.
And of course, the girls did what they always do toward good looking guys: giggle and blush, looking for attention from the fresh piece of meat put up on the market. I got up and, grabbing my lunch, quickly made my way out of the classroom and to the roof where I usually ate my lunch.
No one ever ate there, since I was the only one who had a copy of the key. The school nurse is pretty nice and understanding, so she got me a copy so I wouldn't have to eat in the classroom. She said she wouldn't mind me eating lunch in there with her, but I rather not intrude on her private time.
Sitting down on the roof floor against the fence, I sighed heavily and opened my bento. My mother use to make my lunch until I decided to learn to cook. I wanted to be more self sufficient and independent, even if just a little.
When opening my bento, I heard the door to the roof open and close behind someone, and realized with a sense of dread that I had forgotten to lock it behind me. I drew my knees closer to my chest, hoping that if I became small enough I would suddenly disappear or become invisible.
Unfortunately for me, neither of those things happened, and I heard someone walk toward me, coming to a stop before asking, "Hey, mind if I sit here with you?"
Glancing up, I saw the new student from class looking down at me with an expression that could only be interpreted as curiosity. He didn't appear to be hostile, and sounded nice enough. That didn't mean I should trust him, but I'd bite and remain neutral for the time being.
"Sure." I answered cooly, having decided that it couldn't hurt to let him sit with me. I would just remember to lock the door tomorrow, so he wouldn't be able to get in.
He grinned a Cheshire-cat smile and said, "Thanks bro." Then sat down right next to me, too close for comfort.
"You don't need to sit so close." I stated, picking up my bento and beginning to eat. His eyes were twinkling with held-back laughter as he kept smiling and answered back, "You looked lonely sitting by yourself, so I wanted to cheer you up."
"Not really." I looked intently at this strange foreign student, asking curiously, "Why do you think that?"
"You had that look, bro. The look that says 'I wish people would like me'. I wanted to make friends with you." Getting up, he again smiled widely and held out his hand as if offering it, saying, "So, what about it? Wanna be friends?"
Ah, this again. This feeling of being pitied, and seen as someone who needed free hand outs. The nerve of this guy. Slapping his hand away, I boxed up my bento and got up, saying coldly, "You seem to have read me wrong. I have no intention of becoming friends with you, or anyone else for that matter."
Walking away, I couldn't help but wave over my shoulder at him and saying sarcastically, "See ya, 'bro'."
/AN: This is the end of the chapter. R&R giving your feedback, helpful criticism is welcome. Enjoy your day./