Chapter 2
"Oh my God, Jack!" Ralph exclaimed. He scrambled to his feet to help the other boy up.
"Watch where you're fucking going, you fucking dumb ass!" Jack retorted, but then stopped dead when he looked directly into Ralph's big cinnamon eyes. He instantly fell in love. "Here, let me help you," Jack said, half blushing, for 'love' was on the rise. Jack hurriedly scooped up Ralph's books and shoved them into his arms, so he could grab one of his binders to cover the ever-growing bulge in his shorts.
Ralph was surprised at Jack's sudden change in attitude towards him. "Are you okay?" Ralph inquired to his blushing friend. A few people snickered as they walked by realizing that Jack had found a new fuck. "I didn't know you went to this school"
"Neither did I," Jack responded. "I mean, about you going here." Jack was really flustered. "What do you have first period?"
"Umm..." Ralph flipped through his mess of papers in his arms looking for his time schedule. "Instrumental music,"
"That's in corridor four. Jack showed Ralph on the map that was attached to his time schedule. "I have vocal after your class, second period." Jack's azure eyes studied the features in Ralph's face. His soft, pronounced lips (that he longed to kiss), his neatly styled hair (not a single hair out of place), and his big cinnamon brown eyes (which he was melting over). "I'll see you then," Jack finally said, after Ralph noticed that Jack was starting to drool, literally. Jack wiped his chin, then rushed off in the other direction, leaving Ralph all alone in the rush of people, now making their way to their classes, for the first bell had rung. Ralph rushed off to the music room.
He paused at the door to pull himself together, and then opened it. Eyes scanned the room for any familiar faces. One stood out. The eyes were brown and so was the hair, these features belonged to Roger. He glared at Ralph intently; it sent chills down his spine, down to his very soul.
Ralph sat himself between two people, one was a girl, and she had dark chocolate hair with blonde highlights and soft green eyes. The boy beside him had crimson hair, his eyes masked with purple contacts.
The girl turned in Ralph's direction, "So Shawn, are you psyched for vocal class this year?"
"Nah not exactly"
Ralph interrupted, "Vocal? Isn't this instrumental?"
The girl glanced at him, "No, there was something wrong with our timetable, we got sent to this class, I think the classes are going to he held in the same room."
"Oh..." He looked in the other direction.
"Where's Jack?" Shawn asked.
Ralph looked up as soon as he heard mention of Jack's name. "Jack who?"
"Merridew, by the way, who are you? I haven't seen you around in the halls" replied the girl.
"I'm Ralph Varley, who are you?" He responded.
"Laura" she replied and smiled, gingerly playing with the fishnet shirt sleeves she was wearing.
"And I'm Shawn"
"Hi" said Ralph warmly; he was finally making friends.
Just then the door opened, and in came Jack. A smile spread quickly across Ralph's face as soon as he caught glimpse of Jack's blonde hair. He sat himself behind Ralph and tapped Shawn on the shoulder; they turned around and whispered quietly.
"So, how do you know Jack?" Laura asked for the sake of making conversation.
"Don't wanna talk about it" Ralph replied quietly," Besides, you would NEVER believe me, even if I told you."
Laura giggled, "Nothing surprises me anymore. That boy behind me told me that he was stranded on an island with Jack." She pointed to Roger.
Ralph tried to keep himself from a nervous laugh.
"He's such a loser" she finally said, giving him a menacing look.
"Yeah, I know" Ralph said, trying to fit in.
Suddenly, he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. It was Jack. "What are you talking about?"
Ralph turned around to face him "I was-"
The teacher interrupted him. "Calm down class, I have news"
She was tall, with long black hair pulled back into bun; she was thin and bony. She picked up a piece of white chalk and wrote down 'Ms. Berg' on the blackboard.
"I'm Ms. Berg." She smiled, "this year, since the budget was cut for the music department because the school invested in new computers, the school has decided to have both music classes in one period. I want vocalists on the right hand of the room and instrument players on the left side".
Shawn raised his hand, "what if you play an instrument AND can sing?"
"Then sit somewhere in the middle of the class", Ms. Berg responded.
The students got up in a chaotic and disorderly fashion and began to switch chairs. Ralph still sat between Shawn and Laura; he found this odd. Jack ended up beside Shawn on the right side.
"So why are you in the middle?" Shawn asked Ralph.
"I'm not!" he pointed to Laura, "I'm on the left of Laura, she's a singer... I think?"
Laura didn't respond. Ralph's logic didn't even sound logical to himself when he said it out loud.
Shawn laughed. "Okay, whatever"
"Alright Instrument players get out your instruments while the singers warm up", Ms. Berg instructed with confidence.
Laura got up and sat beside the piano, while Shawn and Ralph got back to their seats, both holding beautiful mint condition silver flutes in their hands.
Ralph walked over to the piano, "You're not a singer?"
"I am. I play piano too", she said plainly in an arrogant attitude.
Laura noticed Ralph was suddenly staring off in a different direction, feeling as if Ralph didn't hear she retorted, "Hello? Am I talking to a wall? Or has your brain gone out for a temporary vacation?"
Ralph was staring. Staring at Jack. Then he snapped back to reality, as he heard 'temporary vacation' from Laura. Slowly he found himself back in the classroom, listening intently to Jack warming up his voice.
"What?" he blinked.
Shawn caught on before Laura did and walked over to the piano, "he's a good singer isn't he?"
Ralph nodded absent mindedly, "Yeah, he has talent. I remember when we were twelve he said he could sing a C sharp."
Shawn laughed, "A C sharp? He's a baritone, three years can change a person, IF you know what I mean."
"What do you mean?" Ralph asked, puzzled at Shawn and Laura's giggles.
"Don't you know?" Laura asked, trying to keep a straight face, which for her was impossible.
"Obviously not," Shawn stole Ralph's answer, before he could even process the question.
"What about Jack?" Ralph asked, his brow in a furrow.
"Yea, what about me?" Jack asked, as he made his way over to the trio over at the piano.
"Ralph here doesn't know Hun." Laura answered Jack.
"Yeah, well, unless I'm sucking his cock, it's none of his business." Jack repeated his new motto he had gotten from the television show Queer as Folk.
"Jack..." Ralph whined. "What do you mean by that? Are you gay?"
