FINALLY! ========
Much delayed on the original estimate quoted in Part 1, here is Part 2 of New To This State. I want to start, as ever, by thanking you all for your encouragement after Part 1. So, thanks! I swear that the next part will be posted in a more timely manner. Sorry. I was a way from home for a while, which had the unfortunate effect of giving me time to think about other stories, once again I have a ton of ideas which I'm just not going to be able to fit in this story. It may interest those of you who have read Copier Guy (beginnings section) to learn that I've practically finished the sequel to that, told in the words of Scott rather than Mike, and will post it in the fullness of time. Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time, and Drew has stuff he wants to tell you, so here we go...
DISCLAIMER ==========
This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. The author asserts all legal and moral rights (copyright (c) 2000 - ardveche@hotmail.com) to this work and you may not copy it or transmit it in any way except in its entirety and with this disclaimer. This story features descriptions of sex between consenting (all over the legal age, at least in my jurisdiction they are) males:
- if such material is prohibited in your jurisdiction, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you're under the legal age to read such material, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you don't like, or are offended by such material, please DO NOT READ ON.
Now, if everyone who is still here is meant to be here, let's get on with it. All comments are welcome (email them to ardveche@hotmail.com).
NEW TO THIS STATE =================
Chapter 2 - New Home, New School
For most of the rest of the journey, my mind was pretty much in neutral. My mom and I talked rarely and mostly kept to our own thoughts. I think we both knew how big a step this was that we were taking and were mentally reviewing the pros and the cons. So, on we drove. We stopped as and when we needed, for food, for comfort and to sleep; and the road stretched ever onwards. Poetic, huh?
I mean no offence to the intervening states, but everything was pretty much a blur between leaving home and crossing the state line into California. I had never been this far west in my life and was suddenly quite excited. I guess my view of California was a bit 'Beverly Hillbillies' - swimming pools and movie stars! Needless to say, much of what we passed bore no resemblance to this mental image. I was not disappointed, though, as we drove through some absolutely stunning scenery.
When we finally pulled into my grandmother's drive I was feeling more upbeat than I had in days, maybe I really could start a new life out here and be exactly who I wanted to be? The house before us was a substantial wood-framed affair with a sort of stubby tower on the left (more a series of bay windows really, but I liked to think of it as a tower) and a big lawn flanked by rows of fruit trees. This was more like it! We drew to a stop and slowly unbent from the car, I saw an elderly, though sprightly, lady jogging towards us wearing a broad brimmed straw hat. It had been more than ten years since I had last seen her, but I recognized my grandmother immediately.
"Darling!" She called as she approached. "You made it! And you're early." She hugged my mother tightly, then stepped back and looked me up and down. "And who is this fine looking young man? A toy boy?" I flushed bright red.
"Mother! It's Andrew, he's grown up quite a lot since you last saw him." My mother explained with a broad smile born of maternal pride.
"He certainly has! You must be quite the heartbreaker, young man." She took both my hands in hers and gave me another appraising look. "I expect there'll be a few suicides back east now you've left, hmm?" I looked at my feet and shuffled uneasily.
"Um." Was all I could think to say.
"Oh don't mind me, Andrew, I speak my mind and I expect everyone else to do the same. I'm just a silly old woman, you'll get used to me." She smiled gently at me and then suddenly enfolded me in a warm embrace. "It's so good to see you again."
"You too, grandma." I mumbled and tears began to form in the corners of my eyes.
"Grandma? Oh dear, no. That will not do. You'd better call me Lois or, I don't care how big you've grown, I'll break your legs." I couldn't help but laugh.
"In that case, mother, Andrew prefers to be 'Drew', though what's wrong with his given name I will never know." My mother put in.
"Then Drew it is. Especially if it annoys your mother." She said smiling at me. My mother drew a deep sigh but the look on her face said she didn't mind.
"Okay, Lois. Deal." I smiled back, and with that we all headed inside to the big white kitchen and a much-needed cold drink.
I was given a tour of the house and asked to pick one of the empty bedrooms to be mine - needless to say; I picked the one at the end of the hall on the top floor. A sort of attic room which rather than having a bay window had the actual turreted part and sloping ceilings. It was easily the biggest room in the house and even had its own bathroom, which was a big plus. My mother and my grandmother (oops, Lois) were both on the floor below, so I would have plenty of privacy.
"I thought you'd pick this one, it was your uncle Andrew's room, when he was a boy." Lois confided. My mother never spoke about my namesake uncle, who had died in Vietnam when he was only a little older than I am, and I was surprised to hear Lois mention him in such an off-hand way. "You can do anything you want to it, redecorate, put up posters, swipe furniture from other rooms, whatever it takes to make it feel like your room." She stressed 'your' and I felt a surge of fond feeling towards this near stranger who was so unquestioningly and generously taking us into her home.
"Thanks so much. For everything."
"Oh, hush, boy. It'll be wonderful having young people in the house again." She swatted my arm lightly. "I want you to feel that this is your home, nowhere is off limits, and I have no rules at all. Your mother is always looking for order, I have better things to do with my time!"
"I think I'm going to like it here." I replied, and not a word of a lie.
"Good. I know I'm going to like having you here. We have so much catching up to do, I want to know everything about you." We descended the stairs back to the kitchen.
It took even longer to unpack our meager possessions than it had to pack them, and I began to see the folly of picking the top floor as I lugged load after load of my junk up all those stairs. I was busily rearranging the furniture in my room to my satisfaction when I became aware that I was being watched. I turned to see my mother standing in the doorway with a disapproving look on her face and her arms folded.
"I wish you hadn't picked this room, Andrew." She said.
"Lois said it was okay, that she was glad to see it being used again." I said, a little defensively perhaps.
"I know." She looked around the room again, then drew a heavy sigh and turned to leave. I realized that this was just one more worry for her and I remembered my promise to myself, to be the best son I possibly could.
"Look, mom, I'll change rooms if you want." She turned to face me again with her head on one side, as though trying to tell if I was just saying that to shut her up.
"No. Your grandmother's right." Suddenly she smiled and started to walk towards me, "You're a good boy, Andrew. Now let me help you with that wardrobe or you'll give yourself a hernia. And that's the last thing we need right now."
"Thanks, mom."
"No, thank you. This old house has a lot of painful memories for me, but it has so many more good ones, I guess it took a seventeen year old to make me realize that." I was about to respond when my mother started speaking again, and I knew the conversation was over. "You know if you put this against that wall, you're going to block some of the light from the window. How about over there instead?" She's great at that sort of stuff, my mom, you should've seen how she kept our house, she ought to have been an interior designer or something, she was that good.
We worked away at it for hours and finally got the room looking the way I wanted it, my mom's mood improving little by little as we did, as though the work was some kind of therapy for her, allowing her to shake off the worries of the last few days. And the last twenty years too. Finally, she left me to it, to put away my clothes and stuff and said to come down when I was ready and get something to eat. I thanked her again and she ruffled my hair (which I hate, but didn't mind so much this one time) before leaving me to get on with it.
That night, I spelt the sleep of the just. No kidding, a bomb going off wouldn't have woken me. The fact that there was a double bed in my new room helped, I was able to sprawl out down the middle and just luxuriate in all the space. I couldn't help but think what it might have been like to have a little less personal space in that bed, if you catch my meaning, but I was way too tired to dwell on it.
I awoke in a tangle of covers with the light streaming into my room through the windows. Where else would it stream in, right? I was dimly aware of music playing somewhere, but I couldn't identify it. My morning routine was completed in a half daze (I am not a morning person) as I groped my way around the unfamiliar bathroom. Finally, though, I had myself looking pretty cool, even if I do say so myself, gray cargo-pants and sneakers, black T-shirt, gray shirt and just a whiff of silver jewelry to set it all off. I made my way downstairs to face the day ahead.
"Good morning!" My mom called as I walked into the kitchen. "Lois is in the conservatory watering her flowers, what do you want to eat?"
"Um, cereal or something, I guess."
"Ah, your usual informative self. Excellent." She poured me a bowl of cornflakes and added milk and sugar to them, just the way I like them. "So are you ready to enroll at the school?"
"I guess." I mumbled as I munched on my flakes. I am not a morning person. If you ever meet me, and it's before noon, don't try to have a conversation with me. Okay? Promise me.
"Oh my! Now I liked the rumpled, travel weary look, but you certainly scrub up well, young man." My grandmother bustled in from the conservatory, to the sound of Chuck Berry singing Johnny B. Good, with a watering can in her hand and that big old floppy straw hat on her head, she was swathed in some sort of shawl, or toga or poncho or something. I don't know what it was, but it covered her from head to toe.
"Lo-isss!" I whined her name in protest, though I was secretly pretty pleased by all the flattery she'd been doling out. I wondered if that was just her way, or if she was trying to ease the transition to the new house for me. Only time would tell.
"You'll give him a big head, mother." My mother added.
"Ah but it's such a pretty head." Lois replied as she twirled back out of the kitchen.
"Pretty!?" I looked up from my cornflakes and glared at my grandmother. "Thanks, GRANDMA!" I yelled at her retreating back.
"Anytime, handsome!"
"You finished? I'll drive you down to the school if you like." My mom swept the empty bowl out from in front of me and was suddenly all business like. "Now, I know this is going to be tough, halfway through the school year and everything, but I want you to be brave and try hard for me, okay?"
"Woah! Did I just regress to being six? Chill out, mom. It'll be fine."
"I'm sorry, honey, I know you didn't like that last place. I worry about you, is all."
"I know, mom. Thanks. What are you going to do today?"
"Start looking for a job. And a lawyer!" My mom had been a lawyer herself when she married my dad but stopped when I was born. So she might even manage to do both things in one place.
"Well, good luck. And, um, mom," I started hesitantly, "If it'll help, could maybe get a job too, after school, or whatever, I mean."
"Thank you, Andrew. But I hope that won't be necessary. I want you to concentrate on your education and start pulling those grades back up."
"Okay. I promise I will."
"You're a good boy." She looked like she was about to do that hair ruffling thing again, which is one thing late at night before bed, but another entirely when I just spent a half hour styling it, so I fended her off.
"Don't get all soppy on me, mom!" But I hugged her to show that I didn't mean it. I guess I have a pretty good relationship with my mother, but I hadn't really thought about it that much until now. Guess it's just another example of what I said earlier about not noticing a thing until it's too late. Oh well, time to head into the great wide open. As Tom Petty'd say. We bundled into the car and drove down to the school where my mom dropped me off with a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Knock 'em dead, Andrew!" My mother called as she pulled away. Classes had already started so I made my way to the administration offices by following the painted lines (kinda like a hospital, or a military base or something). There was this fat, miserable-looking, old woman behind the counter in the office - her name was Agnes according to the sign, which kinda fit - so I walked up to her and introduced myself.
"Um, hi. I'm Drew, um Andrew Quinn?" Why it came out sounding like a question, I have no idea. I know my own name, I swear I do. "My mom phoned you earlier, I'm supposed to enroll. Um, and stuff." Real articulate, huh?
"Hello, Andrew. We've been expecting you." She beamed at me and her face was transformed completely. "I have to get you to fill out a couple of forms, and then Principal Blackburn wants to see you."
"Okay, sure." I swung my backpack off my shoulder and rummaged for a pen. Which wasn't there. Shit. Good start, huh? I was impressing her now, I could tell, impressing her with what a class A moron I was. "Um, could I borrow a pen, please?"
"Left the house in a hurry?" She asked handing me a black ball-point. "Keep it, I'll swipe another from the supply room." I smiled my thanks at her and set about answering the questions on the form.
"Mr. Quinn!" A voice boomed behind me as I was finishing up the form. "Henry Blackburn." The gray-haired man bore down on me with his hand thrust out for me to shake. I must've looked blank as I did so, as he felt compelled to add "I'm the Principal of McKinley High in all it's sprawling majesty." He guffawed and I tried a weak smile and murmured something about being pleased to meet him.
"Welcome to our happy family, young Quinn. Now, Miss Brooks, please sort out Andrew's schedule for him would you, while I give him a tour of our facilities. Follow me, Andrew, follow me." I followed him, but my mind was on what that guy from 'Catcher in the Rye', Holden Caulfield, said about hating people who acted like phonies! He'd have really loved this guy!
As we walked along one hallway after another, occasionally stopping to peer through glass panels into classrooms full of happy, productive students or into the gym, or the cafeteria or whatever he talked constantly. He told me all about the school, how many students, staff, rooms, lockers (maybe I exaggerate) and interspersed the whole thing with a series of impromptu lectures on responsibility, application and the necessity of being a good citizen and 'Ambassador For McKinley High, Now And For The Rest Of Your Life'. I could actually hear the capital letters as he spoke. What a guy! Finally, after about forty minutes we wound up back at the administration office, just as classes were letting out.
"Ah! The very person, Mr. Vincent!" He laid hold of some guy who was coming out of the office. "Mr. Vincent is one of our bright young things, Mr. Quinn. He'll show you to your next class. Which is, Miss Brooks?" He held out his hand for the schedule and I stood in silence, 'Mr. grinned at me, jerked his head in the Principal's direction and rolled his eyes. "Excellent, chemistry. Well off you go, gentlemen, and drink deep of the wellspring of education, drink deep draughts!" And on that salutary note he departed for his office, leaving me with my new guide.
"David." He stuck his hand out.
"Um, Andrew. Drew."
"Cool. Beats hell out of 'Mr. Quinn' and 'Mr. Vincent', huh?"
"Sure does." I smiled back at him and casually took in his appearance. He was wearing blue jeans and a school colors jacket and had his backpack slung untidily over one shoulder. This was all topped off with a pretty average face, light brown hair and green eyes. He had a nice smile, which reminded me a little of Josh, who I hadn't thought about since I got here. I wondered briefly what he was doing now, drifting off a little, but I was brought back to earth by David's voice.
"What?"
"I said, you'll soon get used to 'Blackhead'. Where did you go? Anyway, let's get to chemistry. You're in my class with 'Psycho' Bates and, man, will he be pissed if we're late. C'mon."
"Psycho Bates?" I asked as we walked along the corridor, following the green line for the science blocks! You had to love this place.
"Yeah, Dr. Bates. 'Psycho', as in the movie? Norman Bates? Bates Motel? You haven't seen 'Psycho'?!" He sounded absolutely incredulous.
"Nope."
"Unacceptable. This weekend, bud, you're coming over to my place and getting some real education. We are going to drink deep draughts of the wellspring of Hitchcock!" He did a pretty fair impression of Blackburn and we both cracked up. I had a feeling I was going to like this guy, and maybe even learn to like the school. In all its majesty!
"Okay. Thanks, man."
"No problemo. I know what it's like being the new guy. No fun, all the groups and cliques are established already and it's a bitch to get accepted. Just doing my bit. Think of it as a community outreach program."
"Gee, thanks."
"Pleasure. Well, here we are, room S14, once more unto the breach dear friends. After you." He sketched a mock bow and indicated that I should enter the room. He followed close behind and did the introductions. "Dr. Bates, this is Andrew Quinn, he's new, Principal Blackburn assigned him to your class." I was presented to a short balding man with the thickest glasses I've ever seen and a lab coat that looked like it was last washed in the sixties.
"Did he? Did he indeed? Well, I expect I'll be told officially in time. Welcome to the class, Andrew, take a seat and we'll get started. If we cover anything unfamiliar to you, reach up with a forelimb and let me know. Now where is there an empty place." He scanned the class and I just stood there, feeling kinda foolish with every eye in the room on me. "Ah, yes, of course, at the back, the gentleman there who appears to have nodded off will be your lab partner for the time being. My apologies." He pointed to the back of the class, where I could see a boy using his folded arms as a pillow so all I could see of him was dirty-blond hair. I started to make my way to the seat and David rolled his eyes and shrugged at me as I passed him.
"Reid! Wake up!" The good doctor barked and the head at the back lifted an inch or so revealing a pair of eyes and a nose. He blinked a couple of times and then focused on me with a sort of detached but direct gaze. I slid into the seat next to him as Dr. Bates started the class on esterification, what joy! The boy was scruffily dressed in faded black jeans and a blue shirt that looked kinda old and a bit frayed, but he smelled clean as I sat beside him.
"Um, hi. I'm Drew. Andrew Quinn." He looked at me briefly, the shadows and his hair hanging down over his face obscured much of it including his eyes, and then he put his head back down on his arms, ignoring my outstretched hand.
"I heard."
"Um, and you're Reid, right?" This was going to be hard work.
"Right." That seemed to signal the end of the conversation, I was beginning to see why Dr. Bates had apologized for seating me there. So we sat in silence throughout the rest of the class; me taking notes, him apparently sleeping. This was obviously not an unusual thing as Dr. Bates mostly ignored him except once to make a joke about him ("I'd ask Mr. Reid, but he seems to be busy"), a joke Reid seemed utterly oblivious to but which everyone else thought was hilarious.
Finally, when the bell rang, he stirred and without a word got up, put his jacket on (an old brown leather three-quarter coat) and left the room, never a backward glance. David drifted over to me through the crowd of students pressing to get out.
"So what did you make of that?"
"Um, it was okay, I guess. For chemistry. Not my strong suit." I replied and he snorted laughter at me.
"And how did you get on with Reid?" He grinned at me as he said this. "Sorry about that, but I already had a partner and 'Psycho' doesn't like us swapping, he loses track of who's who if we change seats."
"No problem. Reid and I got on famously, he's a hell of a conversationalist once you break the ice." This caused David to burst out laughing again and I smiled, pleased that I was making a new friend this easily.
"So you wanna get some lunch?"
"Sure. Lead on." We made our way to the cafeteria and joined the queue. David introduced me to tons of people as we walked, but to be honest I can't remember half their names, I guess I'll sort people out, eventually. Clearly my new friend was pretty popular at McKinley, he certainly seemed to know everybody. When we got our food he led the way through the tables towards one near the middle of the room where a group of guys in jackets like his were already eating.
"Hey, guys. This is Drew, he just started here. Drew, these are the guys, he pointed to each in turn; Brian, Dan, Tyler..." I know he kept talking and named the next four guys at the table, but my mind had stopped on 'Tyler'. The guy who bore that name was stunning. He had the most amazing light-blue eyes, beautifully chiseled features and fantastic blond hair. It was like he'd stepped fully formed from my fantasies. I had the presence of mind to nod and say 'hi' to each of the guys at the table, but I was captivated by Tyler.
"What do you think of McKinley, so far, Drew?" He smiled broadly at me revealing rows of perfectly even white teeth.
"Um, it's okay, I guess." I gave the stock response as I put my tray down and joined them at the table. "Bit different from my last school."
"Where was that?" It was clear that Tyler was the leader of this little group.
"Pennsylvania. Harold Conroy School."
"Private?"
"Yeah."
"So what brings you to California, buddy?"
"My parents are getting a divorce, my grandmother lives out here."
"Cool. So you play sports?" He changed the subject abruptly, either because he could see I didn't want to talk about it or because he didn't care about much besides sport.
"Yeah, I used to play a bit of football, I wasn't that good, but I was on the lacrosse and swim teams."
"Cool, swim team could do with some new talent, huh, Brian?" He addressed the guy next to me.
"Fuck you, Ellis!" So, Tyler Ellis was his name, I filed that away for a later date.
"You wish, you fag!" Well, that wasn't a good sign. But it might just be teenage sniping, maybe he was deeply repressed? And maybe I was deeply dumb! These guys were as straight as the day is long, but I seemed to have been accepted into their group easily enough. We talked back and forth about nothing much for the rest of, my story of meeting Principal Blackburn (embellished by David) got a lot of laughs and we were all getting along real well when the bell rang signaling the return to the 'wellspring of education'.
"Whatcha got now, Drew?" David asked.
"Um, Math, room M6 with, uh..."
"Mrs. Kennedy. Me too, c'mon I'll show you the way." Tyler said smiling at me as he pushed himself to his feet and showing off all of his impressive six foot frame. He was in my math class, this day was improving! He placed his hand on my shoulder. "See you guys later, yeah?" There was a chorus of 'sures' and 'yeahs'. "How about you, Drew, wanna hang out at my place after school?"
"Um, yeah, sure, but I'd have to, you know, call my mom."
"No problem, you can use my cell phone on the way over." And with that he started to propel me by my shoulder, which he was still holding, towards our next class. The sun beat down on me and I felt as happy as I can ever remember feeling at school.
TO BE CONTINUED... ==================