Chapter 1: A quite unusual Friday
T'was a long and boring ass day at school today. But that is to be expected when you think of school at all in the first place. If anything, it's kind of like slavery and you get in trouble with the cops if you don't go for a while. The whole thing is a major waste of time and pain in the ass that no one liked except those nerds you think are stuck up but in reality are actually friendly and popular.
Anyways, I'm getting off topic; bottom line is, school is a piece of shit. And for Ray Astor, this was no exception, his least favorite thing was school. But as luck would have it, starting tomorrow, school would be a thing of the past where he would never have to step foot inside a classroom ever again. Fuck that place lowkey; the final bell was mere minutes away from ringing, freeing him forever, never to hear that wretched bell again.
As a senior at this time of year, its blatantly obvious to know what he did during his year. He was busy with getting ready for graduation despite his unwanting to do so. But as this time came, where he tended to be different than other students, this day and time, they all shared the same set of emotions of excitement and fear.
Happy that they're excited to be free of school and go onto college or do whatever they want to do with their lives that they think is worth it in the end. Scared that they are adults now and they have less support than ever, no people to guide them in the right direction. All decisions they make are now up to them, and only them. Well… some help from parents but y'know.
The graduation ceremony was perfectly planned by the student body association to be later on in the afternoon, said to be going into the evening. Usually, the official graduation date would be at least a few weeks after the last week of school but when you're at this school located on the coast of Los Angeles, the influence from the school and the fact that they seniors wanted to be one and done with it said otherwise.
Now, Ray was rather on the terrorized side of the reaction to ending school, yet he wasn't unhappy. After all, who wouldn't be happy about their own graduation? But he knows that afterwards, he will have to live his life instead of being kept up in his room much to his displeasure. He personally doesn't particularly know what he wants to do with his life, it's been mostly games since he doesn't like going out much.
Perhaps he could pick up the family company from his dad, then he'd be more than well off, especially since they own one of the biggest tech giants in the nation. In fact, his parents have kept urging him to take them upon their offer as they would like it best if the ownership was kept in the family. If it was a bad company, then he wouldn't be going to one of the best high schools and have his own estate in Malibu and Beverly Hills.
There is one person that keeps Ray tied down to earth as a person. That would be none other than his closest, maybe only friend that he really has, Don Pierce, a popular and talented young man from Orange County. They have close ties and go way back, but Don's the kind of kid that knew everyone on the streets, good or bad.
But it's pretty funny because it wasn't always like this you see; it used to be quite the opposite in middle school. Ray was the one who knew just about everyone at school where Don had his own handful of friends he hung around with. It's not quite sure what caused Don to have a 180 and become such an outgoing guy, but as for Ray, anime was his cure and poison. Kind of fell off with people in general and come high school, which wasn't like the middle school they went to, so he didn't bother.
Don often tells him that he is wasting his nice features of fair textured, black hair and soft, blemish free skin, with his compromised social skills. Despite everyone at the school knowing who Ray was, the hoes didn't approach him due to his lack of response every time they approached him. "How about you stop getting anime figurines and start getting some bitches on yo dick." Is what he told him one day; and now that Don and Ray are graduates now, he can properly start again on the social scene, maybe in a romantical one.
And so there they were, at one of the fanciest hotel in California, the entire place rented out for the night, with a crowd of all the students' parents and extended family who came to be there for such a glorious day. The graduates could be spotted in a different room that lead to the stage behind the ballroom, waiting for their big moment.
"You know, you should be a lot happier right now Ray. Our time is coming soon, in mere minutes too!" Don nudged his friend. "I am, can't you see?" Ray responded, forcing a smile on his face. "Uh no, I can't see. You look like someone ran over your dog; sad as fuck." "Well… After all this, we have to be adults and face the real world. You think I'm ready for that? Hell to the no."
Don rolled his eyes a little bit before opening his mouth again, "We're all going to be fresh out of high school. We, well, most of us don't have work experience, but you? You got it easy." "Easy? I'd say you got it pretty easy too, with your full ride scholarship to that culinary school you wanna go to." He responds with a smirk.
"Well, it does seem easy, but it was very hard to get it. If anything, you probably don't have to do much work a day in your life. I recommend you pick up your family's company. Haven't your parents been telling you to do that too?" Don asked.
"That again… I don't know… I could, but then I'd just be known as the son that picked up their daddy's company with no merit to their name. I don't really want to be known as the heir to a multibillion dollar company; I want to make my name known for something else first and foremost!" Ray exclaimed, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Don nods his head after thinking it over in his head, "Well, I'll support you in whatever you pick. Clearly your brother didn't want it, so it's practically yours on a silver platter. What if you choose to take over the company after you've accomplished something cool that makes people know your name?" "So like, I become known for something and then have it all? That's not a bad idea assuming there's no real time constraints-" Ray starts. "See, but the real issue first is to find whatever you want to do." Don continued.
"I do have a lot of time on my hands, but… I don't know if I of all people can do something like that yet. Everyone knows my name and my face so it's pretty hard to make a name for myself." Ray sighed before getting punched in the arm by Don, "You ass, what do you think I'm here for? I can be your trainer!" "Trainer?"
"To help you around people." "I don't need no damn trainer! I'm fine as is with people!" Ray hissed. Don couldn't help but laugh his ass off at that comment, "Haha, no. You're accepting it." "Ugh…"
Ray reluctantly agrees and takes on Don's offer. After all, it could be his chance to do something to leave his mark on the world. Of course, the issue of finding what exactly that is, is still the problem they have. What does this guy like to do? Well not much right now I suppose, but ig part of life is finding yourself, but don't take it from me, this is a wattpad story, after all.
As Ray received his diploma and went to his seat by his parents, he could really only stare at it. He stared at it for a while, rereading the few lines inside of the it. That was another step taken to being a real adult.
"Ray dear, look at you, you're so grown up now! Your father and I are both proud of you." Mrs. Astor said with tears of joy forming in her eye. "Thanks mom, but I still don't really know what I want to do after. But one thing's for sure…" Ray began. "What's that?" His mother asked. "I want to make a name for myself first before I take the company over."
A light chuckle from his father was heard as he put his hand on his son's shoulder, "That is quite admirable, you see, your brother wanted to make a name for himself too, albeit he didn't have any interest in the company." "Yeah, I guess when you're already famous because of your parents, it'd be natural to known for who you are."
"Well spoken Ray dear. We trust you'll find that something but we do have a bit of a request of you. A little something to work on while you're making yourself known." "What's that ma?" He asked, his attention not entirely on the conversation, some of it on the stage below. "You should look at finding a proper woman for you."
Ray chokes on his own saliva upon hearing that, "ACK! ACK! I know mom! Tell me something I don't know." "Well Ray…" She says, starting to talk about all the things that girls supposedly like. These kinds of talks are boring and are usually unhelpful since it won't work. Instead, he tunes her out and searches for Don in rest of the ballroom. He on the other hand has plenty of success in the romance field. So while they weren't paying attention, Ray gets up from his seat and goes to find his friend.
After a minute of walking, Don spots him first and calls him over, "Yo! Ray! Come over here, I think you might be interested in this." "What's that?" Ray answers. "Some of the students and I are coordinating with another high school to have a big grad party later at a nightclub one of the students' parent's own. In other words, we're going to party!"
"N-No way, I'm good thanks." Ray awkwardly laughs before Don puts his arm around him, "Don't be like that. If it's about being underage, it's a private club and we all made fake IDs just in case. Speaking of, here's yours."
Ray looks down at his hand and sees the fake ID in his palm and looks for an excuse, "B-but…" "No buts. I'll come get you at your place after the ceremony. You better be ready to go. Otherwise, I'll throw rocks at your window."
Later…
Having been a little while since the ceremony ended, Don was true to his word and pulled through the gates of the Astor's main estate to collect Ray. He's chill with all of the staff so they let him in no questions asked. Every time he comes to Ray's house, he's still blown away by it's size. And when I mean by house, it's really just a mansion that's called a house to make the residents feel more humble about the place they live in.
"Get in the damn car!" Don shouts from the car, watching Ray hurriedly stumble down the steps to get there. "The fit could be better but I think you get a pass knowing your tax bracket." He comments as Ray steps inside the car before speeding off downtown.
Now outside the night club, Ray was starting to get nervous as he approached the entrance, "I can't do this." "Don't be such a worry wart. This is your chance. The first opportunity to be with people again." Don reassured, dragging him through the doors, "Don't make an idiot out of yourself and stand still the whole time, find the mood to groove." "What even is that saying… Whatever, I'll stay around for a bit then."
"That's the spirit! Let's go find the organizers, I've gotta introduce you. Should be easy with the decorations they said they were going to put up when they got here." Don suggests, already on the move between the waves of people busting it down to music, Ray following closely behind him.
The two of them walk around the club, Don occasionally having to drag Ray's hand part of the way through the crowds, loud pop music blasting and bright lights flickering on and off in fast flashes. Their first taste of adulthood. Well, maybe not a good first taste but it is a taste.
Don was a little put off by the fact that Ray wasn't doing much but following him so he had a bit of an idea and dove under the sea of people to vanish from sight, causing Ray to immediately panic, bumping into someone on accident while stumbling around, "Ouch… S-Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Oh, it's no issue, I was too busy looking for my friends and didn't notice you. If anything, it's my fault. My name's Camille, Camille Brandt. What's yours?" A feminine voice said. "My name? Ray, Ray Astor." "Astor, Oh, you must be the son of the head of Astor Enterprises, what a cool coincidence."
"You think so? Now that I think about it, your name sounds familiar too. You must be the daughter of the head of Brandt Technologies." He concludes. "I'm surprised you know about my family's company." She said back in a bit of an accusing tone. "S-Sorry! I don't mean to sound like a stalker. It's just that I know your family works in the same business as mine. Like a rivalry."
"You think so? You're right though, I couldn't begin to tell you the things we do, as do you to me, but the contracts haven't been coming in recently ahaha… Seems they love all American Astors."
As it turns out, Brandt Technologies and Astor Enterprises shared some similarities on what they do, but Astor expanded further to tap into new markets, something that Brandt hadn't caught up with. Knowing this, Ray felt like he had to apologize, even if he didn't know what for.
"What are you apologizing for? It's simply because your family does it better. That stuff shouldn't affect us right now. We are still just kids right now." Camille winked at him. "I guess you're right." Ray smiled back.
Later…
"Ray! There you are, I was looking for you." Don said, almost out of breath, also having to pretend that losing him was his idea in the first place, "I was beginning to think you left the party-" Don stops mid-sentence upon seeing who he was with, "H-Hey. Ray, a minute please." "Yeah of course. Just one sec." Ray said before returning his attention to Camille.
"Seems that your friend came to collect you. I should be finding my friends too. But…" Camille starts, tearing a piece of paper off of a sign and took out a pen in her pocket, "I'd like to chat with you more. Talk to you later Ray." She then opens Ray's hand and gives him the paper before Don dragged him away.
"What did she give you?" Don asked with concern. "She gave me her number! Don, a girl gave me her number!" Ray cheered. "Yeah yeah, impressive, cool. Were my eyes playing tricks on me or was that girl Camille Brandt?" "You've always had a fine pair of eyes Don, they're never wrong. That was Camille." Ray happily says, Don's nail biting saying otherwise.
"What can I say… Ray, she's crazy from I heard from the students of the other school. I don't know what she wants, she might be trying to get insider information about your family, I don't know. But the bottom line is, lots of people are wary of her and I don't want to find out why." Don warned before shifting his tone, "C'mon, let's enjoy the rest of the night while it lasts." "I- But- Fine…"
Don and Ray spent the rest of the night with people familiar with them. But knowing Don, their small crowd gathered more people until it turned into a rave that shook the club, with who else than Don Pierce at the front. After a long while, it got pretty late and Don took the hint to go home for the night as to not drag anything out for too long. Especially since one of his friends reported that someone went to the cops.
In addition, the rain was coming down and Don wanted to beat the storm before it really started coming down. But Ray? Ray was in a pretty good mood tonight. It was rare that he had fun at a social event for once, and still had a smile in the car. "Looks like someone had a good time." Don smirked.
"W-What?! Well maybe I did, just a little you know. Shut up and drive you dolt." He snapped back in embarrassment. "I will, I will…" Don said, his tone getting quieter as he started focusing on the road in front of him, "It is coming down really bad… Looks like I misjudged the timing."
He continued to drive through the rain which just seemed to get worse the further they went but that wasn't all of it. "Hey, those head lights seem to be getting bigger, are we in the right lane?" Ray nervously asked. "Of course we are, that guy must be blind or something." Don joked
When it rains super hard, the lines on the road become nearly impossible to see from the water and the lights of oncoming cars. In this case, Don and Ray were in the right lane, but the same couldn't be said for the other driver. "Hey uh… Don. Make sure you avoid that guy, don't wanna end up on his windshield you know."
"I'm aware, just relax-" Don started, before suddenly turning the wheel as another car came out from the blind spot of the oncoming's own. "DON WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" "CHILL!" "DON THE GUARDRAIL!" "OH SHI-"
Car_crash_ 4
This is the story of two friends that set out one night to begin the road of helping one find a name for himself, turned to an unexpected journey in a new place where they come across new people. Hopefully here they will find the answer they were searching for. A lot about living and a little 'bout love.