Disclaimer: All properties and companies belong to themselves or their respective owners. Same with the people. I own nothing. I wish I did though... Summary: Best friends? Not at first. It used to be the only type of comfort available and needed. Now it's years later...where exactly do they stand?
Summary: Best friends? Not at first. It used to be the only type of comfort available and needed. Now it's years later...where exactly do they stand?
A/N: A new story! And for the sake of it we are going to pretend that Rene is six years older than he really is.
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December 1992
"We're here."
Looking up from the clasped hands in his lap the young boy in the passenger seat of the car looked out the windshield nodding slowly.
It was his first day.
"I know."
The answer was so quiet, so weak, so timid, his father almost missed it.
"Aren't you excited son?" Mr. Goguen could not hide the excitement creeping in his voice as he thought of the day his young boy could and would possibly endure.
He just knew he'd love it here.
Rene loved the idea of school. Emile could see his son. He would be a straight A student, he'd be one of the smartess among the smart, he'd loved to get involved in school clubs and activities, he'd do extra credit when he could, he'd liked to come up with new ideas for things, he'd loved to think, he wouldn't be to keen on the sport activities but nonetheless he would not be among the non-active.
He would be...
"Dad...I don't want to go."
The smile dropped from Emile's face a little, only for a small fraction of a minute before he recovered it. It was a moment to late because Rene saw it.
He couldn't stop himself from attempting to huddle in the small corner by the door upon seeing his father's face darken for that small moment.
His father never got like that. Or he at least attempted to never let his kids see him like that.
They needed the smiles.
Rene's father was always the glue of the family. He was the one that wanted to make things better for others, he loved to love life, to make others happy. He went out of his way do things for other.
For goodness sake he was a therapist!
Yet these days..he had a hard way of making things better for his son.
He just wish he could sometimes..
He'd never remember how his family's life had gotten so lost, so wrong.
Despite the recovery, his father gripped the steering wheel in his hands tightly, clenching his teeth together, almost as tightly as his hold on the steering wheel.
This was not what he wanted for his son. He needed to go to school. To make some friends, to have some fun, get out of the house..god only knew he needed to get out of that house.
Mr. Goguen let out a little sigh releasing his hold on the steering wheel slightly turning to study his son for the moment. "Why..why not? Why don't you want to go in," He asked quietly.
Looking away to watch as the kids all piled their way into the school, the snow falling all around them Rene took in a deep breath preparing for the worst.
"Because of Kiana," He answered. "Because mom.."
"Rene.." His father's heart nearly broke at the unfinished statement.
He knew his son to well.
His kid, the oldest of his two, this sixteen year old boy shouldn't have had to worry about his sister the way he did, shouldn't have came to fear his mother like he did.
He shouldn't have had to deal with all the stuff he did.
Yet he did..
If his dad didn't know him like he knew him he'd think he was truly something special, a really strong person, one of the gifted, truly perfect beyond belief, he'd only have the good, he'd live great. He'd look up to the young one. Idolize him. Hell, he knew most of and did this now.
To everyone though..as soon as he'd enter the building, somehow, someway for some reason, he'd be labeled as the new kid, the guy with the glasses, the guy with the weird accent, the quiet one, the shy one, the young one, the nerd that loved school, a geek, a cutie, a teacher's pet, a papa's man, a sister's dad, a rough one..
He'd be labeled as many words as they'd want to give him, he be known as this and that..yet he wouldn't really be known at all.
It would only be his first day in the school building.
"Would it make you feel better if I walked you in?"
So his father chose to ignore his comment. That was nothing new.
He chose to ignore a lot in his time.
"Dad..I want to go home."
Reaching over his son, Mr. Goguen grabbed the door handle opening the passenger door. "You'll have fun. I want to hear about everything when you get back. You hear that? Everything."
He thought he was making everything better but he wasn't.
He really wasn't.
"Would you really walk me in," The young boy asked his gaze reaching his father's for the first time that day, his appearance worst for the wear. The tears threatening to fall.
His father kept his composure.
Rene was taking his father's approach at leaving the subject alone for now.
Just for now.
"I would son." His father gave a curt nod. "I really would."
Moments later they were walking, roaming the halls in search of the main office.
The hallways were empty, the evidence of recent activity lingered in the air, on the ground, in the classrooms. Everything felt alive, felt like it could in time be potentially right..yet it was and could be so wrong.
"Dad.." He sounded so unsure, so scared, so out of place.
Reaching over to go squeeze his son's hand to let him know he was there for him at the moment Emile kept up the brisk pace him and his son had. His hand never did quite reached his son's as he had planned for it to."Keep walking 'Neigh, keep walking."
"Am I..can you..do I look ok? Will they see anything?"
His father came to a complete stop standing stock still, his body going rigid. He looked straight ahead, to the left, to the right, anywhere but at his son.
"What?"
They never talked about this, never acknowledged it. They didn't have to because it simply didn't happen. They never worried.
"Did you cover up?"
"Yes.."
"Then don't worry about it."
"I'm just feel like-"
"Rene! Don't.." His father mumbled and the young teen's face dropped. He pulled away from his father somewhat.
"I..I..."
"Look." Emile sighed running a hand through his dark hair. "Can we focus on now and think to the moment. You're starting school Rene. You're really here. You're going to meet new people and fall into things, get aquatinted with others. It'll be a chance for you to grow since we moved..I really think you should worry about school now."
"Ok."
They reached the main office moments later. Pulling the door open Rene's father guided him in and about four pairs of eyes found their way onto both people in the doorway.
"Hi. May I help you two," The female, the only one currently in the room, the person closest to the counter a few steps away, asked.
Finding his way into the room Emile watched his son take a seat by the other two kids on the bench by the door and frowned. "Yes.." He turned his gaze from his son and studied the woman at the desk.
She was a nice looking woman. A little on the short side, seeing as how she was standing, her cheek length golden locks fell randomly on either side of her head shinning in the sun. A nice black white striped work suit with a lose button showing a white silk shirt underneath accentuated her look as her bluish-green eyes sparkled while she looked on at the two new participants of the room. Emile couldn't help but gather some of that happiness she had and smiled. From what he could tell she was a naturally happy person.
'She must be the principal.'
His gaze quickly went to the man a few feet behind her, his hand poised above the keyboard as he to looked on. He was fairly young. Actually he looked like he had just made it out of school himself. Twenty something, graduated from college and gotten a job immediately. Now here was man that looked as if he worked in woman run environment but took care of his part perfectly. Working under women didn't bother seem to bother him. He really looked young for the job though. Like the woman in front of him he too was dressed up nicely. To the nines. Some glasses, a simple white buttoned down crisp shirt with some black slacks and tie was all he wore. His brown shoulder length hair was slicked and pulled back into a ponytail.
'Secretary?' Rene's dad wondered.
Another woman exited one of the rooms from the right carrying a small stack of papers in a small hand as she looked around the room curiously.
'Why was it so quiet?' She wondered.
Now this one was the school nurse. She was another young one. Her lose spirally red curls fell around her small face, a white folded hat was atop her head. A white lab coat was all anybody saw her wear most of the time.
These people looked to be a good lot. Emile was proud.
'Rene should do good here.' He thought.
There didn't seem to be a lot of people in the office at the moment though? Where was the counselor? The assistant principal? The other people that just littered the room at the beginning of the day and at the end?
"Sir?"
Snapping out of it and realizing he had been staring Mr. Goguen met the woman's gaze..the one that had asked if they needed anything earlier and nodded. "Yes, actually..yes. It's my boy's first day," with a quick flick of the finger Emile pointed his son's way looking at him for a second.
Rene shifted, trying to create as much space as he could between him and the others on the bench. He was basically huddling in the corner. He really didn't wanted to be here. These people looked to happy for his taste. How could anyone be so happy when there was so much badness in the world? It saddened him. It was like no one cared about the others..the people that had to suffer everyday. The people that struggled to even make it a few steps a day. It was really disturbing.
It really didn't help that the two students beside him keep flicking things his way.
He wasn't sad. He loved people. But he wasn't lying when he had said he'd rather be at home. School was not the place for him right now.
He watched as he dad chatted away showing up the family name and he shuddered.
"Dad. Please," He muttered.
"Look at old four eyes. He's shaking," One of the boys beside him whispered and his face grew grim.
Finally after what seemed like hours Rene's father held out a piece of paper, the offending material nearly hitting him in the face.
"Your schedule."
Rene slowly stood up stretching and his father led the way.
Seconds later they were in front of Ms. Barbara Lucy's class, World History, Rene's first class of the day and both stood there quietly.
"Well?"
"Dad?"
"Rene," The voice that answered back was worried, somewhat defeated yet it was determined. "You'll have a good day ok?"
"But I-"
"Ok?"
Rene just sat there.
"Ok?" Emile's voice hitched a little higher and Rene drew his brows together.
"Could you open the door for me," Rene whispered, he wouldn't look at his father. He had asked the question so meekly. He didn't want to like this place. He didn't want to leave the only thing he had known for a while. He just knew he'd pay for it.
Even though his mother had been the one to suggest public school after so many years of home schooling.
A part of him already told him it was to late to hate this place.
His father slowly opened the door and the darkness in the room greeted Rene as did about thirty or so curious eyes along with the teacher's. They had been watching a back to school introduction.
He inhaled a deep breath quickly. Here went his new life.
He just hoped he could make this work out..
End Chapter One
A/N2: Here we go again! Tell me what you think, I'd really like to know. ;)