Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Back in Time

“But daaaad, I don't want to go to prom.”

“Begging wont work and trust me you'll like it.”

“Why does begging work when Barry does it?” she said in a whiny voice

“He's a child honey. You're sixteen.”

“I won't like it.”

“You're going.”

That's when her mother came into the room, radiant as ever with her ring glimmering in the fire-light. Her long brown hair flowing, her sweater covering most of her arm and conveniently hiding her tattoo. She smiled and my heart sang. “Ryan, what are you saying to our daughter?” she said with a grin looking at me. “She doesn't want to go to her prom. Tell her she has to and she'll enjoy it.” she sighed and stared at me before saying: “Our daughter can choose what she wants to do and she doesn't have to go to prom.” she stared and I lost. “Fine you don't have to go honey.” she made a face and said “Aww, but now I want to go.” she got a text and made an excited squeak of a noise. “OMG Sam asked me to go! I love you dad! I'm going right now!” she beaming and bursting into silent giggles and embraced me with a hug but couldn't get out fast enough.

“I will never understand her.” I said as Hannah chuckled “You were just like her growing up, yet you always remind everyone but me because you insist it will be your best story, and even though I've asked you a gazillion times you insist you have to tell me on our 5^th anniversary of being married-” she faltered like she just realised something and I chuckled and grinned widely “That's today.” her eyes lit up with anticipation after I confirmed it and she ran into the kitchen probably to make popcorn. She came back in with a little blue bowl and sat on the couch, sitting on the backs of her legs. “You haven't told me this story just for this moment now please tell the story now because I have nowhere else to be.”

Well I suppose we should start at the beginning just like any story. I was sixteen in high school with our little group of misfits: Will, Ezra, Aubrey, Lola and me. We all went through school just like anyone but we only met at fifteen and that's when school became fun and I am forever in debt to these people for making school that bit easier. I suppose we should start with everyone's favourite old grouch Mr. Aresto our business teacher and he was a strict old man who obviously had favourites in his classroom and none of us were in THAT class. In this part of a long journey we were in the class and Will was having a bad day. What's that? Oh, well at the time Will had this kinda curly ish brown hair, taller than any of us. Will had an ambition to end poverty having grown up in it himself so business was indeed necessary but Aresto's idea of school was very different to Will's so they always locked horns, this was one of those times:

“Graham I expect your entry soon and yes Max I see you pretending not to see me and...what do you want Kilmer?” Aresto said as Will raised his hand slowly and smirked as Aresto dropped his pen and took his question.

“Well sir the bell went so can we go now? Will said as Aresto opened his mouth and Will cut him off. “Yes, sir I know it doesn't dismiss us but that also means it can't tell us when to get to class so take off my late mark or let us out, your choice.” oohs and giggles filled the room as Aresto's face went fully red and veins almost popped out his skull which was covered with white wisps of hair on his head looking near to falling off. “Listen here boy, you leave this room and you leave it now and the rest of you be quiet and finish your work! Go to the principals office!” he spluttered as everyone shut up and Will swaggered out with a strangled cheer from someone in the front row who was glared at and immediately the cheer was silenced. Will got many detentions mostly from Aresto and he was snarky in other lessons too but rarely. Next was Ezra who was good at P.E but was a nice guy and the only nice one on the football team. Ezra was also taller than me just not as much as Will. He looked sporty and had short blonde hair at the time. Yeah I knew you'd remember! Anyway his little story.

“Hey Ezra come on ditch the losers and get over here.” some jerk said to us talking before Ezra's big game. “Hey Jack ditch your girlfriend for her birthday she deserves it!” he said in mock politeness as Jack went white as a ghost and mumbled to his friends after walking off. “He forgot her birthday guys.” he said silently bragging about his excellent hearing before adding “Told you she deserves it.” he said and smirked before glancing at his watch. “Wish me luck guys.” as he went in. His team won 4-2 and Jack never showed, turned out his girlfriend dumped him so karma sucks huh Jack? Moving on to the girls starting with Lola, her mother was a flight attendant and she was a great student but still didn't enjoy school because she just wanted to work on her business and school brought stress and pressure along with it.

Lola's story takes some explaining, so she was dating this dude in high school who stopped caring and she dumped him a little later and he became The World's Biggest Sweetheart and she stayed with him for another two years but on the day she broke up with him again at some party he tried to kiss her and wouldn't stop and Ezra knocked his lights out. That's how they met and she became a part of the group. Lola at the time? Umm...ooh! She had short curly brown hair! No im not sure. I have a picture one second. Aha! See! I'm a genius. Why do you sound sarcastic? Hmm okay. Keeping an eye on you Allen.

“Listen David I'm sorry but we have to break up-” she was stopped by him grabbing her and pulling her in, she couldn't pull him off so she jabbed a high heel at his shin which buckled him but he kept going, Ezra entered and ripped him off as he rolled across the room and went to help Lola. David returned and him and Ezra circled.

“Why you trying to mess with my girl?”

“Was getting your hands off her.”

“Yeah? Bull. I'm going to kick your a*s.”

“Have a go.”

David lunged as Ezra caught him with an uppercut on the chin and conk! Out goes the dim lightbulb. A few days later Ezra introduced us and Lola joined. On to the final member besides me. Aubrey. She was a girl next door type with golden hair, glasses and a winning smile. She was an incredibly nice girl who helped us on occasion with school being a science nerd. Aubrey and I knew each other for a long time before high school and she was my first friend of the group and we then added Ezra then Will and then Lola. Let me tell you about this one weekend, im sure you'll remember.

“Ms. Asher I don't think you fully understand the rules of my classroom. No talking and not from you either Xavier or you will both be punished.”

“Sorry Miss, I won't talk.” said Aubrey
“Thank you, now who can tell me the formula for...”

Later in the day, during lunch we entered our designated cafeteria and well at face value it wasn't a nice place. Drab, dull walls with a less than dedicated lunch staff and some of the food was good and some of it was just flavourless (probably being sourced from Jim down the road). However, to us it was the place Will (definitely flawlessly) pulled off a backflip and the place where Ezra celebrated a huge victory for his team. To us, it meant a lot and even though we didn't say it much, we were grateful -heavily- to the lunch and cleaning staff and helped them on occasion. Aubrey and I sat at our regular table with five seats but this time the others were empty as both Will and Ezra weren't in that day and Lola was somewhere else.

“What do we have next?” I said digging into a subpar pizza slice. Classic high school pizza for our area.

“Maths, I know I know. I feel bad for you there. And we have Computer Science afterwards.” she said silently praying I would have cover due to my horrifically strict teacher. Fagan.

“At least we have Computer Science, you think sir is in?”

“I hope so.” she said catching a glance at a girl sitting across from us for a moment too long.

“You OK?”
“Hm? Yeah yeah, just...praying you have cover in Maths.”

“You sure? You seemed like you were in deep thought.”

“Me? Pshh, Naw.” she said with a heavily southern American accent, her ears turning a little pink.

“Why did your accent change?”
“Maybe I want to be southern sometimes, you know, ill be able to sing 'Country Roads' with no-one questioning it.” I laughed as she couldn't keep it in and also laughed. “That song is seriously wonderful though.” she said with a stern look as I nodded in mock horror and her look changed. We were still talking about it all the way to Maths when two guys in front of us were shoving and one went down in front of me blocking our way, I tried to move forward through the crowd of confused people when the guy got up.

“Hey!” The guys started brawling as the crowd mutated and formed in an almost perfect circle allowing me and Aubrey through.

“3 minutes late Mr. Jackson, and you Ms. Asher I expected better, take your seats.” Fagan said continuing with his class. Some girls started talking to our left as we took some seats next to each other.

“You think he knows how obnoxious he is?” one girl said.

“Probably-”

“What have I said about talking in my classroom?” Fagan interjected, issuing a challenge to us all. “Exactly.” he snarled, clearly proud of himself. “Moving on now to surface area of a sphere...”

Maths went well...badly mainly because we stayed for 10 minutes due to being 3 minutes late. Fagan special. Moving on to computer science. Me and Aubrey sat at the back with a couple others. Our teacher was a nice one who bent the school rules cause he “didn't give a f-” sorry for my almost profanity Hannah.

“Alright class today I was thinking we learn taxes because the school system's laughable attempt at teaching you guys makes me sad and taxes are very important.”

Turning to Aubrey. She had her pen lid partly in her mouth, looking at her book. “He's so awesome.” I whispered to her. She put her hair behind her ear and looked at me, gave a small smile and said: “I know right?”

“You two back there if you'd please listen? Now?”

“OK sorry sir.” I said, sheepishly

“That's alright now any students who want to learn computer science take a seat at the red marked computers and do the assignments I have left, for you guys taxes are a percentage deduction of...”

We were leaving school after the day had ended when we saw Max outside hunched over near the bench we all liked to sit at. We walked closer and saw Lola sitting on the bench and Max yelling at her.

“You don't mess with my friends you stone cold b-”

“MAX! Leave her!” his friend showed up.

“What about what she did? She deserves it for what she did to you!” his spit flew like shrapnel, blazing anger enveloped him as he turned to Lola raising his hand. Two people crashed into him before he could act as the school security guard grabbed him and hoisted him up.

“You guys OK?”

Me and Max's friend nodded as the principal came out. We walked away but Max's friend ran to his friends and I ran to my family. Aubrey gave me a fist bump and hugged me as Ezra showed up and gave me another fist bump, I turned around into a crushing embrace by Lola as she had tears brimming and she thanked me what felt like thousands of times and ran to her mum. Me, Aubrey and Ezra walked home.

“Damn bro, respect.” Ezra said smiling, I laughed heartily as Aubrey lightly punched my arm chuckling herself. “Watch this.” Ezra threw a great paper ball shot into a nearby bin. Told him I'd never forget that. Ha.

Ezra went home as I walked Aubrey home, she stopped at the door.

“You're a great friend Ryan.”
“Oh thanks, back at you.”

She nodded and put her hand on the door handle when I spoke:
“Are you OK?”

“I-uh yeah I am.” Noticing my look she sagged. “If I feel up to it we'll talk later OK?”

Tears swam in her eyes as she whispered, I said yes and went home myself.

I pulled off a sneak upstairs only alerting Samster briefly but managed to find the will to sleep and charge my phone, before it died I saw messages from Aubrey but couldn't read them before the phone died. I woke up to the familiar noises of Samster....Hm? Oh he was my pet hedgehog at the time. I checked my phone and saw Aubrey's messages:
Listen I know this isn't a good time but I have to tell you because I trust you the most.

I think my grandma is dying, my parents wont tell me...

Don't uh tell anyone but yeah I... I needed to tell someone so thank you.

I responded and tried to take in the info.

“Ryan! Come down!”

My pocket comforted your phone

“What's up dad?”

“You want some cereal?”

“Sure dad but I don't have much time 'till school.”
“Ah OK that's fine, your bag's over there by the way, although I'm ordering pizza tonight so don't fill up on food today OK?”

“Awesome thanks dad.”

“You're welcome, now get out of here!”

I smiled and went outside, got on my bike to go to school, I started biking along the infamous (well infamous to us) wooden path and saw Lola on the path smiling. I skidded to a stop.

“Hello there.”
“I just wanted to thank you for yesterday.”
“Oh come on there's no need.”
“No there is. I wanted to give you this. Found him the other day.”

She handed me a box. No wrapping just cardboard with small holes cut in. She looked in anticipation as I started to open it. My eyes lit up with sparks and tears.

“Lola I...”

“There's no need to thank me. Enjoy it. See you at school.” She smiled heartily as I started smiling in tears. She walked away as I picked up the kitten. “You are Oreo and you are gonna be bad-a*s.”

Making the trek to school and thinking about Star Trek. That was the ad break before school. Stop saying that Hannah I am funny! Damn! I wasn't trying anyway...What do you mean sure?...I always lose staring contests...stop laughing Hannah...

Arriving at school I checked my timetable...

Maths

English

Business

Science

Science

Yay double science I thought. Looking around, I saw Ezra, Aubrey and Will on our bench.
“Sup guys?”

“Heyyyy Ryan fire guy!”

“I still don't understand the reference.”

“You will...Oh... you will... Muahahahaha!”

It took me a while to stop chuckling when Will tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hey Ryan, howzit?”

“Zit's pretty good Will. Howzit for you?”

“You are such a nerd!” Aubrey said giving me a sudden hug and a fist bump.

“You guys see the song I sent all of you?”

“What one?” I said heedlessly.

“Toto �" Africa?” Aubrey said, warningly.

“Nope.”

“God. I feel so bad for you. Listen to it then we can talk.” she walked around in mock anger before she announced her bathroom trip.

Will stood there unmoving, a look of horror on his face.

“Y- You...haven't heard Toto - Africa?!”

“Nopesy.”

“Waiting for love? Country roads?”

After I shook my head twice he said:
“Then by God what do you listen to?”
“Good songs.”

After minutes of looking horrified he stormed off in an outrage.

“That is just lunacy man.” Ezra said

“Not you too...”

“Wow. I see what Aubrey meant. See you in class.”

I smiled and promised myself to listen to all the songs afterward. Pardon? Oh OK give me a sec. Bye Laura! Barry has all his stuff right? And you're sure she's OK with this? I mean tonight? OK just making sure. Your mum better be ready for the waterworks Hannah that's all I gotta say.

I made it to maths just 4 minutes after the bell rang.

“Please take your seat and attempt not to be so preposterously late ever again. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes sir.” I said reluctantly

“Good, now Jackson, What's the answer?” he said furiously pointing at his chalkboard.

“I believe its eighteen x squared over 7ab?” I said after some staring.

“Correct but wrong in your method. There is a faster way, let me show you.” I heard whispers echo throughout the room as Aubrey and Ezra kept passing notes to each other.

“How did he know the method? That's why I'm confused.” I asked walking with Will to English.

“Your method was wrong and he knows because he's the teacher I suppose, he doesn't let us forget it, no matter how hard I try...”

“Eh what can we do? Oh watch out.” Will stopped and stayed out of the way of the paper majestic beast/air plane as it soared over the open air... into a rubbish bin.

“Thanks.” Whoops and shouts roared for the august shot as we kept walking.

We bumped into Ezra who was also walking to English.

“Sup Ezra?”

“Not much ya geezers, do you guys know if miss is in?”

“Nah, what were you and Aubrey on about?”

“Oh right yeah! She is so funny lemme tell ya. She said that Fagan was...” he paused as Fagan strutted along by us talking to Mrs French, the Spanish teacher.

“Yeesh, glad we don't have her any more. But uh yeah...Oh! She drew this super funny picture...the detail...you won't believe-” he said rummaging in his pockets when the bell sounded its bothersome sounds. “Ah crap...OK I'll show you guys at break.” We waved goodbye and ran toward English. One of our good teachers, Miss Taylor stood at the door.

“Please take a sheet and sit down. Your new seating plan is on the board...”

“Miss...the boards blank.” I said

“Yes I know.” a smile spread across everyone's faces.

“Oi sit next to me mate!” we heard as we entered (we being me, Ezra and Will as Aubrey had Art.) We took three out of 4 seats on a table that seemed to be a canvas for the ones before us. One note read:

Jack was here :/

Amanda was here too xx

Frank was here and he wondered why you guys did this. Frank will now clean the rest of the table

Frank did a good job I thought but since then it had been riddled again with the same ink disease.

“Alright people, new year new us OK?”

Everyone mumbled agreement as the door creaked open:

I turned and saw a beautiful woman walk in. she apologised and took the only available seat, next to me. “OK thank you, now everyone is here please open your-” I tuned out the teacher as I whispered to our new desk mate.

“Hey.”

“Oh hi.” she dropped her pen and smiled, looking at me.

“I don't remember seeing you around here before?”

“I'm new...just transferred.”

“Cool, I'm Ryan...Ryan Jackson.”

“Hannah...Hannah Allen...”

“Tell me...did I make it big? Getting in this class?” she asked.

“Oh you definitely have, only good English teacher here.”

“Bing pot!”

“Nice, nine nine.”

“You know it!” she sounded delighted.

“Yes of course.”

“What about-”

“Excuse me! Could you guys stop talking?”

I looked out the window and apparently spaced out for many minutes daydreaming. A pen dropped across the room and I woke up from my slumber. Fear bubbled, I hadn't even started work! I looked down and saw a completed page and a half of work but not my own... I looked at Will and Ezra. Ezra mouthed we gotcha as Will blew the top of his pen like smoke off a gun. A while later, the bell rang. I hadn't done much getting slightly distracted...

No I didn't waste that lesson and several others trying to think on how to approach you...yes you were beautiful... are you kidding me? You are the most beautiful thing in the universe...Oh! Well thank you for the hug...are you OK? Ah gotta love the happy tears. On we go shall we?

I had been a little distracted but I pressed on and went to break later. Getting my subpar pizza slice, I walked over to everyone, but didn't see Lola.

“Hey fire guy! Lola's off ill apparently.” Ezra announced

“Oh that sucks...that reminds me! She got me a kitten for saving her the other day, tiny little thing..”

“What! A kitten! What's it's name?” Aubrey brightened she adored cats but she didn't have one.

“Her name's Oreo.”

“Oh...must be a precious little thing. But what about Samster? How are you going to care for both?”

“I don't know yet, I left her with my dad but I'm not sure where she could go...”

“I got an idea.” Will said. “Give her to Aubrey, see how she settles in for now, you know till you find a home for her.”

“Sure if Lola's fine with it.” I said

Aubrey looked close to tears “If Lola's OK with it I'd love to...but give her to me right after school because I have my ju jitsu lessons at 5.”

“OK awesome!” I replied

“You do martial arts?” Ezra asked

“Yeah, dad says I have to defend myself but it's fine because they're actually really fun.”

“That's bad-a*s. I gotta go out with Emma around the same time.”

“Emma?” we all asked

“My girlfriend.”

I had heard of Emma but didn't know they were together. Aubrey looked happy for him and Will too.

“About the cat though...is she cute?” Will asked

“Yeah all cute and fluffy.”

“Speaking of cute and fluffy...English today...” I never forgave Ezra for this one. “Ryan was talking to the new girl quite uh...extensively.”

“Really?” asked Aubrey, invested.

“One conversation!” I exclaimed in mock horror

“A lengthy one, we didn't catch much but seems like a new friendship is blossoming.”

“Really? Ryan what's her name?”
“Hannah Allen why?”
“Definitely a new friendship.” she finished

“Guys come on...we had one short conversation.” I said glancing at Ezra “About a show we liked and our names. That was it.”

“I'm not buying it.” Aubrey said sceptically

“Good you shouldn't, he didn't do any work for the first like twenty minutes!” Will said, laughing.

“By the way seriously thank you guys for that, that was awesome.” They both shrugged it off with a you're welcome “And it was nothing...”

“Did you enjoy talking to her?” Aubrey asked

“Really did yeah, even though it was like 2 minutes then a long time of me...”

“Staring into space? Cause that's what you were doing.” Ezra asked

“I'm not sure, I was thinking of how to approach her later.”

Ooooohs filled the conversation from Will and Ezra, Aubrey stayed silent.

“Is she in Business with us?” Aubrey asked gesturing toward her and Will.

“I don't know.”

“I hope so.”

“Tell you what guys...I'm not excited for the Computer Science lesson I have now, it sucks I don't have your teacher.” Ezra said

“Excuse me? Ryan?” I heard that same voice as I turned around and saw Hannah standing with her notebook in her hands.
“Oh hey.”

“Sorry to bother you but I don't know where Business is, could you show me round there?”

“No its OK...you have Business now?”

“Yep.”

“Cool yeah you can come with us two.” I said gesturing to Aubrey and Will.

“Awesome thanks.”

“For now you can sit down... if you like?” I asked

“Uh...sure if I can...” she asked everyone

Agreement went through the group as she took her seat.

“So Hannah what else you got today?” Aubrey asked
“Science doubled? Is that good?” she asked peering at her timetable.
“Not especially to be honest.” I said.
“Am I with you guys?” she asked hopefully.

“Yeah most likely in all lessons.”
“I think I'll be OK then.” she said smiling looking at me.

The bell rang as if to purposefully interrupt everything and we made our way to class.

“Hannah have you heard Country Roads?” Will asked.

“Who hasn't? I love it.”

“Me and you will get on just fine then.” Aubrey said happily.

“Africa? Waiting for love?” Will again asked her.

“Yeppers to both!” she said delighted. And Will smiled.

“As long as you've seen The Office I'm happy.” Ezra said.
“I have!” Hannah said.

“No way!”

“Way!”

“Awesome Sauce!” Ezra exclaimed.

“How I met your mother?” I asked.

“Nooo but I've been meaning to.” she said.

“We-You totally should.” I quickly covered up before she realised.

“Maybe some day.”

Ezra said his goodbyes as he trekked off to Computer Science.

“I have an important question to ask you Ryan.” Aubrey said as we waited outside Business.

“What's up?”
“Do you like her?

“I...maybe yeah...” keeping my voice low.

“You should ask her out!”

“No! Well not yet...”
“Oh! Kay...” she lowered her voice as Hannah came over.

“Does it usually take this long for the teacher to show up?”
“Yeah sometimes.”

“Ah OK...do you want my number? So I don't have to run and find you to ask you questions?”

“Uh....” My mouth dried up and bile caught in my throat.

“He'd love it.” Aubrey quickly said.

“Oh! OK cool.” She said, putting her number on a post-it note and sticking it on my hand before walking away.

“I have a bomb on my hand. Aubrey, there is a bomb on my hand...Help...” I looked at her imploringly and she smiled.

“Put it in and call her.”

“OK. I got this...Whoo...I got this.”

“It's just a number.”

“I got this. I got this...I don't got this. Help.”

“You need to get over this fear.” she got my phone and called her before passing me the phone. Hannah reached for her pocket and I heard the buzz when the teacher appeared twelve minutes late...

“Sorry class I was held up with the...general hatred of this class. Why do you have your phone?” Hannah stood, unmoving. “Hmm.” Aresto said before unlocking the door. All of us students barged in and sat at the computers. Hannah sat to my right and Aubrey to Will's right. I turned to my left and passed Aubrey a note: It read: Why do we always have to sit next to each other?!? she flipped it and wrote back: You'll be fine, just start up a convo. I have to get on work.