Okay before you read there is drug and alcohol use in here. And just so you know... I've never written someone as drunk before or high so bare with me if it's bad okay?
Part 64
It was time for it once again… Sectionals. But this time it was different, at least for Wes. Because this time it meant that he was officially a Dalton Academy Warbler because he was in high school now. Last year he was officially a Warbler by age… but now it was more than that. Now he was doing this for real… and without backup. When there were two leads one of them could help the other if he faltered. Now Wes was alone… and hoping he would sing Spanish nicely. Wes was practically shaking he was so nervous. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped.
"Whoa buddy easy", Otto said gently and smiled. He had made it his personal mission today to watch Wes and make sure he was okay. Otto knew something Wes didn't though. Wes didn't know that except from Joseph and Austin all the Warblers from Wes' first year at Dalton were there, in the audience.
"Sorry", Wes stuttered out and brought Otto back from his musings. "You scared me."
"It's okay little buddy", Otto said and Wes glared at him. "Sorry, you're not little. You will do perfectly."
"No I won't."
"Yes you will." Otto turned his head. "Come on buddy." He patted Wes on the shoulder. "Showtime."
Wes took a deep breathe before going out on the stage with his friends. The Warblers started with the backup and the audience watched as a tiny little Asian guy stepped out from the mass of boys. He closed his eyes and then opened his mouth to sing and some of the more religious people in the audience could swear it was an angel singing. The boy was a tenor and some people said he was nearly a countertenor. The boy sang:
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
You been out ridin' fences for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin' you
Can hurt you somehow
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She'll beat you if she's able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is walking through this world all alone
Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine
It's hard to tell the night time from the day
You're losin' all your highs and lows
Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?
Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late
The audience cheered loudly and the boy bowed before joining his friends as another boy took centre stage and the performance went on. Wes was still shaking so badly he was afraid it would affect his 'dancing'. But the older boys kept throwing him smiles of reassurance. He smiled back, it was a last minute decision to add in a third song in their program but Nathan was pulling off the performance perfectly. The dance was nothing advanced because they hadn't gotten time to prepare anything. They did what they called the two-step and some simple movements. They'd done that for Desperado as well.
Wes looked at the front row and saw five Dalton uniforms there. He grinned when he realized it was his friends Benjamin, Samuel, Gabriel, Kevin and Cory. All five of them looked like they really were enjoying it and they all made thumbs up for him. As the number came to a finish the audience was cheering loudly and Oliver slowly moved off the stage when the boys lined up and suddenly Otto brought the whistle out and started whistling in it while the other boys clapped their hands, snapped their fingers or stomped their feet. Before they started with the backup singing. Wes looked out at the crowd and sang:
La vida es
Pura pasión
Hay que llenar
Copa de amor
Para vivir
Hay que luchar
Un corazón
Para ganar
The crowd cheered and the boys started the just slightly more advanced choreography. Most of their best dancers and gymnasts had already graduated so the boys had no one that could do the really advanced stuff anymore. Wes grinned widely as he sang, he knew Alvaro, Juan, Alexander and Austin would all be so proud if all of them could see him sing in Spanish.
Como Cain y Abel
Es un partido cruel
Tienes que pelear por una estrella
Consigue con honor
La copa del amor
Para sobrevivir y luchar por ella
Luchar por ella (sí)
Luchar por ella (sí)
TheWarblers sang the chorus in different harmonies, Wes had helped creating them so it sounded amazing.
All: Tú y yo, ale, ale, ale
Go, go, go, ale, ale, ale
Arriba va, el mundo está de pie
Go, go, go, ale, ale, ale
Wes: La vida es
Competición
Hay que sonar
Ser campeón
La copa es
La bendición
La ganarás
Go, go, go
Tu instinto natural
Vencer a tu rival
Tienes que pelear por una estrella
Consigue con honor
La copa del amor
Para sobrevivir y luchar por ella
Luchar por ella (sí)
Luchar por ella (sí)
All: Tú y yo, ale, ale, ale
Go, go, go, ale, ale, ale
Arriba va, el mundo está de pie
Go, go, go, ale, ale, ale
They finished by doing the backup from the brass instruments themselves and struck a final pose. The audience cheered loudly and Wes grinned. The Warblers took a bow before heading off the stage and into their greenroom.
The Warblers were all sitting and talking happily when there was a knock on the door. Otto smirked and opened it. He grinned and stepped aside to let the big group of boys and one girl walk inside. But he told them to do so quietly. A few of the boys were sleeping and Wes was one of them. Otto kindly asked everyone except for the seniors and the newcomers to leave until Otto called them back. Reluctantly the other agreed and headed out to do something while they waited for the rest of the teams to finish and a winner to be appointed. Otto tiptoed over to Wes and shook his shoulder.
"Hi baby wake up", he said. "Someone's here to see you…"
Wes groaned, rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up.
"What", he grumbled and opened his eyes and they widened almost comically.
"Hi kiddo", one of the newcomers said and Wes' face split into a grin.
"Jerry!" he cheered and jumped into his friend's embrace. Jerry embraced him forcefully and spun him around in a wide circle happily. Wes grinned at him and soon felt his feet leave the ground because of how Jerry spun him. When he later got his feet down on the ground he looked around the room and grinned even wider. They were nearly all there! He hugged them all one by one.
Mark Connors, his big African-American brother was there and enveloped him in a giant hug and almost refused to let go before his little buddy asked him to. Next person he hugged was Scott Crawford. They hugged so forcefully that Scott's glasses flew off, but Mark managed to catch them. Bastian Nolan was there with his neon red hair. He handed Wes and the others a photo book each with pictures of his paintings that he'd had at the exhibition that not everyone could attend sadly. There were portraits of all Bastian's Warbler Brothers in wolf form and Wes gave him a look when he saw that he himself was a grey puppy. Bastian just giggled and hugged him and when Brad Raymond asked to hug him Bastian said that he was reluctant to let go of his pup. Wes rolled his eyes and hugged Brad closely. The next person he hugged was Fredric Fitzgerald who gave Wes his boyfriend's love as well. Then Wes hugged the platinum blonde Richard Diamond.
"Looking good taking over my spot", Philip Peters joked as Wes hugged him and Peter Phillips at the same time. Wes stuck his tongue out at him before being pulled into Michael Abrams' arms. Michael tells him that he has a song composed inspired by Wes when he first arrived and promised to send it to Wes later. Charles Owens might be one of the boys that hugged Wes the hardest. This was because every now and then Charles felt guilty for causing the whole crash and burn incident Wes' first year at Dalton, even though Wes forgave him a long time ago. Brad Sullivan had asked Otto about the whistle and when Otto couldn't find it Brad hugged Wes… before he slung the younger, but now just as tall as himself, boy over his shoulder so that Jerry and Otto could search him. This brought hysterical laughter from Wes as he got tickled. But they didn't find the whistle so Wes had to be released. Ethan Hughes saved him and gave him a big hug. He said that his little brother said hi as well from the UK. Wes then hugged Lucas and the older boy whispered in his ear how proud he was over Wes… and asked him how his studies were going. Wes slapped him playfully before turning to the "sophomores".
He hugged Tom Bedford first and then got squished in a big group hug by all of them. When Wes thought they were going to let him go that was not their plan. While William Holmes and Malcolm Nolan held his arms, Reed Morgan and Roger Smith held his legs, Matt Jonson brought them a chair and Justine tied him to it before kissing his cheek.
"Let me go!" Wes objected and then his eyes landed on Justine. She pulled a pair of scissors out of her purse. "Oh hell no!"
His older brothers laughed. Wes did not want to cut his hair even though Justine and Mitch complained almost daily, at least on Mitch's case, about it.
"Darling you are starting to look like a junkie", Justine scolded and handed the scissors to Mitch along with a comb and a little spray bottle with water. "This will not do!"
"Mark there has to be some law about forcing people to cut their hair!" Wes said and looked at the giant of the Warblers.
"Probably", Mark said. "But I can pretend to not see it since I'm not in school today."
"What a great police you'll be", Wes said sarcastically and Mitch started to comb his hair. But Wes was not going down with a fight. He was moving his head out of the way. He was ducking, rolling his head out of the way for the comb and leaning one here and one there.
"Wes!" Mitch scolded. "Sit still.
"Never! I won't go down without a fight!"
Mitch crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.
"That rat's nest has to go", he said sternly.
"Never", Wes challenged with a smirk.
"Wes."
"Over my dead body."
"Don't force me to use plan C."
"Plan C? What happened to plan B?"
"Nathan forgot the neck brace."
Wes stared at him and Mitch went for his hair again but Wes moved his head around.
"Okay", Mitch said. "Plan C it is."
"What's plan C", Wes asked curiously.
"I'm so happy you asked… Connors."
Wes' eyes widened as Mark took off his jacket. He looked back and forth between Mitch and Mark. He looked horrified.
"Hey wait a minute!" he said when Mark rolled his sleeves up.
"You got a choice here kiddo", Jerry said. "Plan C or sit nicely on that chair."
Wes glared at him.
"Never", he growled. Jerry shrugged. Mark walked behind Wes and untied him. Wes kept glaring at Justine and Mitch and didn't move. Mark picked him up from the chair before sitting on it himself. Wes was on his lap and Mark held him still by having an arm around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides and on arm around his neck. Wes glared hatefully at various Warblers throughout the procedure. But everyone was just grinning and Mark chuckled every now and then and Wes could feel it because his arms vibrated around him. After a bit the rest of the Warblers came back and they stared at the spectacle in front of them.
"What's up", Otto asked.
"It's um time for results…" Oliver said. "The lights in the greenrooms aren't working so everyone is being told in person."
"Well we need to go", Mitch said. "Justine can you finish up for me?"
"Hell no I'm not missing the result show!" Wes objected and struggled in Mark's arms… it didn't show. "Mark let me go!"
"No we're not finished here."
"Oh come on I wanna see if we went through!"
"I'm done", Justine said and Wes tried to look up at her. "All cute and handsome again." She smiled gently and Mark let Wes go. He flew up and hurried to a nearby mirror. He stared. They hadn't cut off as much as he thought. His hair had an almost bedhead look to it and looked… fluffy. Wes looked at himself and chuckled. He looked cute and not as depressing as before. He looked at Mitch and Justine over his shoulder in the mirror.
"Thanks", he said.
"Anytime darling", Justine said, hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.
"Oi!" Nathan and Otto objected. Justine sighed and looked at Wes. He smirked and to the utter horror of Nathan and Otto and the big amusement of everyone else Wes kissed Justine fully on the mouth.
Nathan and Otto by some miracle managed to collect themselves as they stood onstage waiting for the result. Nathan held an arm around Mitch's waist and one around Wes' neck. Everyone was watching the head of the jury talking about something no one really cared about. They all wanted to hear the result. And when it came everyone cheered loudly, especially the Warblers. They'd made it past sectionals. Wes hugged Nathan and Mitch and then everyone else.
When their cheering were calming down Wes ran up to the stage edge. The Warblers of the First Age as they called themselves thought that he was coming to them but he didn't… instead Wes jumped off the stage and landed in front of his freshmen friends. Jerry stared in shock as Wes happily hugged the five boys and talked to them. Jerry was standing by the edge of the stage and felt someone tap him on the head. He looked up and noticed Nathan crouch down there.
"What", Jerry asked.
"We're losing him", Nathan said. Wes then ran up to Jerry and hugged him tightly and all the other former Warblers. Then he turned to Jerry.
"I told Ben you're my brother", he whispered and Jerry nodded.
"So?"
"Jerry can I go home with Kevin tonight? I mean it's Friday evening and Kevin's family lives in Westerville and we kinda wanna hang out."
"Yo Wes are you coming or what we wanna celebrate your victory!" a boy that Jerry thought looked slightly familiar yelled. Jerry looked at Wes.
"The Warblers always celebrate together Wes", he said. "You know that."
"But Jerry please let me do it, just this once", Wes begged.
"No."
"Come on! This is the first time I actually have real friends and classmates outside of the Warblers. I just wanna spend some time with them Jerry. Please!"
"No", Jerry said and Wes smirked. "What?"
"Well technically you aren't my brother."
"Wes."
"Jerry please let me just do this", Wes asked. "It makes me feel normal for once."
"What's that supposed to mean", Nathan asked.
"Look I love you guys, a lot", Wes said. "But I finally have friends my own age… can't you just let me have this evening… please?"
"We-" Jerry began but Mark covered his mouth and smiled.
"Go ahead little buddy", he said with a gentle smile. "Go have some fun."
Wes grinned and gave Mark a big hug.
"Thanks Mark!" he said happily and then hugged Jerry. "Thanks Jerry!"
Then he ran off to his friends.
"But you have to be back before midnight!" Nathan called. "Curfew!"
"I promise!" Wes called back before hurrying out with the other freshmen. Nathan glared at them.
"I hate those guys", he growled.
"Not that it really is any of our business", Bastian said as all the other Warblers, former and current, sat in the Warbler Hall celebrating. Most of them were drinking and some were already a little tipsy, Nathan being one of them.
"Wha isn", Nathan slurred.
"But why do you guys hate those little freshmen so much?"
"S none of your business", the Everetts grumbled.
"Guys seriously", Mark said.
"They're stealing Wes from us!" Nathan yelled. "Simple as at…"
"That", Jerry corrected. "And I mean come on… how bad can they be for him?"
When arriving at Kevin's place the boy introduced his friends to his older brother Paul. When Paul saw them he grinned. Paul was home from college for a week to keep an eye on the house while his and Kevin's parents were out of town. But he didn't really intend to stay around with some little freshmen. Paul was one year older than Bastian, Jerry, Mark and co so he didn't know who Wes was.
"So how'd it go", Paul asked. "The the Warbler kick ass?"
"Yes", Kevin said happily.
"Good, I left beer for ya all. I'm gonna head out with some friends. I'll see ya later kiddo oh and I left a package of smokes as well if ya wanna have some fun."
"Okay", Kevin said and his brother left. Kevin turned to the others and grinned. "Let's party!"
"But Kevin we're underage", Samuel said as they walked into the kitchen. "We can't drink beer."
"Oh come on guys we're in high school", Gabriel said and took a bottle and popped it open. "I promise that nearly all seniors have been drinking these things when they were freshmen."
"True", Wes mumbled to himself as Kevin handed him a bottle.
"What's that Ley-Ley", Kevin asked.
"I was just thinking aloud Kev", Wes said. "But I mean… if I'd gone to the Warbler party the guys would've let me drink I mean… we're in high school and I know most of the Warblers drank when they were underage… a few times."
"See", Gabriel said and handed Benjamin a bottle while Kevin served Samuel and Cory. When all bottles were open Gabriel raised his. "To Wes for his victory today!"
Everyone cheered and they drank. Wes nearly gagged at the taste. He thought it tasted like rotten apples that were sour or something. And by the looks on everyone's faces they were feeling the same. They all swallowed and then looked at each other… and started laughing.
"Oh my God that tastes horrible", Cory laughed.
"People actually drinks this because they like it", Samuel asked. "What's wrong with people?"
"Maybe if you take a second swig", Gabriel asked and did just that and then gagged. "No, not better." All the boys laughed again but took the beer with them into the living room and sat down and started talking and playing video games. A few hours went by and the boys drank a lot actually because the more they drank the beer and the more tipsier they got… the more they enjoyed. They started to play games like truth and dare and never have I ever.
"Okay", Samuel said. "Never have I ever had sex."
Wes and Gabriel drank and the others cheered happily and Gabriel and Wes had to tell them, when and where. Wes was drunk but he still managed to say that it was in his dorm in middle school instead of Dalton. He got awed looks from the others except from Benjamin.
"Yo Benny what's up", Gabriel asked and nudged him slightly. "You're blushing like a girl."
"Um… can you guys keep a secret", Benjamin asked. When drunk… he got very braver.
"Sure", everyone agreed.
"I'm… kind of gay?"
"Really", Cory asked.
"Yeah…"
"Cool beans", Samuel said happily.
Wes smiled.
"Do you have a crush on someone Benny", he asked and Ben blushed.
"He does!" Gabriel teased. "Oh let's play truth or dare!"
"Okay", the others agreed.
"Benny truth or dare", Samuel asked.
"Truth", Benjamin said happily.
"Who are you crushing on?"
"No fair!" Benjamin whined and the others laughed.
"Say it!" the boys chanted.
"It's a senior", Benjamin blushed and everyone made ooooh noises. "He's in the Warblers."
"Oh do I know him", Wes asked.
"You're in the Warblers idiot", Samuel said and shoved him slightly.
"Doesn' mean I know all of 'em", Wes grumbled. "I'm the baby ya know. They don' respect me…" he then grinned happily. "But I love 'em all… and you too."
"Aw", everyone cooed and they continued to laugh.
"Now Benny fess up", Cory said and tried to point at Benjamin, but he was seeing four of him so it was hard. "All of yous."
"What", Benjamin asked.
"It's four of you. Nice to meet the other Bennies."
The guys all laughed at him and Cory grinned happily.
"Well I can't speak for the other Bennies", Benjamin giggled. "But this Benny thinks that Mi… Minnie… no that's a mouse… um the shorty one… Mini Warbler?"
"That's me and I'm not a senior", Wes objected.
"No you the baby Warbler", Gabriel said. "The mini Warbler is… um it's… the… that tiny White Tiger guy."
"You mean Mitch", Kevin asked. "He's cool…"
"That's the one!" Benjamin said happily, his grin was a mix between goofy and dreamy. "He's so cute." Wes smiled sadly.
"Benny he's got a", he began and then fumbled for the world. "Post… postive… posetive… positive… pessos… passesos… posselevive…" He gave up. "His boyfriend is greedy."
"He's got a boyfriend", Benjamin asked. "Awwwwwww who?"
"Naff… Nick… Niff… Natalie…"
"That's a girl's name", Gabriel objected and swatted drunkenly at Wes.
"'is name is um… Nathniel… Neff… Naff… Nate. His name's Nate."
"Is he a Gargler too?" Kevin asked.
"What's a Gargler", Samuel asked.
"Wes is one", Kevin said as if it made perfect sense. "And Benny's crutch."
"Crush", Benjamin corrected.
"'s what I said… crutch. Anyway is Net a Gargler too?"
Wes giggled and nodded.
"Net is a Gargler", he giggled. That's when Kevin remembered the cigarettes his brother had given them. He took one out and lit it before offering them around. Everyone but Wes took one. But after being urged by all of them he took one as well. But they had to instruct him. Wes chocked a few times and coughed a lot. All of them did. At first most of them thought it was disgusting but then they started to feel… strange. Happy. It felt like all the troubles in the world were gone. It felt like they were floating and as if they were lighter than air. Wes giggled.
"Net is a Dragon", he added.
"I'm a Dragon too", Benjamin said happily. "Hear me roar! ROWR!"
Wes roared with him.
"Nooooo", Kevin whined. "Tigers roars."
"But you're a baby tiger", Samuel said and swatted at imaginary cat ears he saw on Kevin's head. "Baby tigers purr and nuzzle."
Kevin pouted but then made a purring sound and curled into a ball.
"Hey no fair", Gabriel whined. "Turtles hide their heads."
"Yeah", Samuel said and hid his.
"Not Ninja Turtles", Cory giggled. "What does Venom Birds do?"
"They fly", Wes said. "And sing."
"I can sing!" Cory said happily and started to sing the national anthem loudly. Loudly and badly. It was in that moment that Kevin's older brother burst through the door. He had given his brother his own weed cigarettes by mistake and when he realized that he hurried straight back. But he realized he was too late. The six freshmen were all drunk… and high. Paul cursed himself and slightly panicked. He knew Cory, Samuel and Gabriel were to stay the night. But Wes and Benjamin were going back to Dalton. Paul panicked but drove the two boys back and dumped them on the grounds. Before taking off. He had four other high and drunk underage kids to take care of so those two weren't his biggest problem.
Otto was for once sober after a Warbler party. The Warblers of the First Age had gotten permission to share rooms with the Warblers of today and everyone but a very few had gotten a little tipsy or drunk. Otto was sober because he had to do rounds in the Dragon. He was walking out from the kitchen when he heard the door open and he heard two people giggle and stumble around near the staircase. He got out there. It was 1 am for God's sake. Otto then stared as he saw Wes and Benjamin in the pale light from the lights up on the second floor. Just by how they moved Otto knew they were drunk… and late. When he noticed both boys struggling to get up the stairs, Benjamin nearly falling and both laughing happily he walked up to them.
"Do you two know what time it is", he asked angrily. Wes and Ben looked at him. Wes grinned widely.
"Otto", he said and hugged Otto close. "I love you."
'Okay so Wes is a happy drunk', Otto thought. His anger melted away a little after all… had Wes been at the Warbler party he would most likely have gotten drunk as well. He was about to hug Wes back when he felt something smell… other than alcohol. He knew that smell. He'd felt it around junkies. Wes had been smoking pot! Otto pushed Wes back and noticed the off look in his eyes.
"You've been doing drugs?!" Otto growled.
"Noooo that's bad", Benjamin said and swatted at Otto lazilly. "Never mix alcohol and drugs. We know that right Wessy?"
"Yeah", Wes said. "Benny where did the other three yous go?"
Benjamin looked around, lifting his feet to look underneath his shoes. He looked in his pockets and underneath his arms too. He even did a little spin on the step he was standing on. Then he pouted.
"Awww we must've forgotten them at Kevin's", he said.
Otto was just staring at them, he couldn't believe his eyes. Wes was still hugging him and pulling on the string of his sweater.
"Otto your hair is so pretty", he said.
"Uh… thanks", Otto said.
"Can you give me a hug? I need some love."
"Hey Wes do you think we can fly if we jump off the stairs", Benjamin asked. "We're dragons after all."
"Okay that's it", Otto said and gripped both boys by the back of their collars and marched them up the stairs. Benjamin and Wes both whined and objected but Otto had lost his patience with them. This was bad, it was really bad. How the hell could these freshmen get both drunk and high?! And where the hell where the hell were the other four? Otto sighed and got his freshmen into their room and made sure the windows were locked. One never knew what they would do. He made sure they got into bed before he left, locking the door behind. He wasn't taking any chances. He then left to go to his own room, calling the prefects of the other dorms one at a time to ask about the missing freshmen. Wes and Benjamin would have it coming the next day. Otto would see to that personally.
TBC Well it's a bit longer...
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