[Or]Innocence faded.

[Puck]

Here goes my sho at 30,000 words wish me luck. Basicly a story about one kids journey through a year of high school, the ups, the downs, and the war that almost tears the entire school in two.

Chapter One: Another Day.

Great I have to do this stupid assignment for English, write a journal for the whole year for what. Whatever I have to do not like I can really afford to lose easy marks like these.

Where to start, I suppose I should talk about my self. I am 16 as of August twenty fourth, and am about 5’11. I am in grade eleven, and don’t really play any sports, nor am I involved in any school functions, for usually I try to stay away from school activates seeing how I am not fond of school myself, but whatever. I listen to mostly heavy music, and some people say my hair is far to long, but I would disagree I like my long hair. I have a few friends don’t really want a bunch usually in a big group of friends most of them don’t even like you so why try.

I guess I was too involved in my stupid assignment to see her, she running right towards me, or more to where I was about to be. Her body, and mine connected full force sending the unlikely new girl away, her body moved forward, and almost fell over the railing into the stair case if I hadn’t shot my arm out, and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Woah don’t kill yourself,” I remarked.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t mean too it was an accident I am new and…” She started to ramble obviously feeling the pressures of a new school.

“Calm down its fine it was an accident don’t worry about it,” I said trying to calm her down.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sir,” That struck me as odd, why was she referring me as if I was a teacher. I guess she just was new to high school, and didn’t know how to act.

“Sir? I’m not a teacher call me Matt,”

“Oh sorry Mat,”

“And stop saying sorry to me honestly I don’t care,”

“Oh sor…” She said catching herself, “I mean it is just weird I don’t want to make any enemies the first day,”

“I understand I was a freshman once before to,”

“Yeah anyways I should get going,”

“Well aren’t you going to tell me your name,”

“Oh sorry,” To that I rolled my eyes so she knew her mistake, “I mean my names Anna see you around,” She said running off down the stairs. An odd girl, but nice at least, better then most of the stuck up freshmen who think there king **** just because they’re in high school. I walked down the direction I was going, to theater arts class that should be a good time I hoped.

As I had suspected it was a great class. The teacher talked most of the class, but she was funny at least, and I knew a lot of people in the class, which was a good thing any class where you make a fool out of yourself it is best to know someone, who will be a fool with you I guess. As I walked out I heard a familiar voice call from behind me.

“You ugly they let you in I thought there was a rule about trash,” My old friend Criss Draven called from behind, lately he was becoming more and more of a jackass, but I guess that is what made him unique.

“Hey did you lose weig…never mind I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up,” I called back to him staring him in the eyes I could tell he didn’t take the remark to heart, which was a good thing because he probably could kick my ass if he wanted too. Weighing in at over two hundred, and fifty pounds, and standing just a little under me, he was defiantly a hefty fella. Yet using that weight he was able to make people afraid of him.

“I’ll remember that remark one of these days,”

“Of course I wouldn’t want to anger you,”

“Damn straight,” He said without a hint of joking in his eyes. I laughed in my head a little, and turned away.

“Really can’t talk right now I’ve got to get to class.”

Math class itself was a bore, fractions, points, and triangles, not like I am ever going to use this crap. The class after that was almost as boring History. We where learning about the French revolution, fantastically interesting stuff I can assure you. Hopefully it gets better. Of course though after that was lunch by far my favorite class.

I dropped my books into the locker, and headed down stairs to the basement, passing by several freshmen with marker on there faces. You see as is custom with a lot of high school freshmen had to go through a ritual of passing which involved seniors writing obscenities on your face. Not the fondest memories of my high school life that’s for sure, but at least it wasn’t as bad as refusing, then they would through you into a local river.

“Man this year is going to suck,” Was what I was greeted to as I walked absentmindedly down to the basement where I usually hang during lunch.

“More then usual?” I inquired.

“Defiantly,” Was my friend Greg’s response, he was a tall blond haired kid in the twelfth grade one high then me. He spoke with a British accent, and had a very unusual sense of humor.

“How so?” I asked sitting down on the floor leaning my back against the wall.

“Those damn freshmen, I am going to kill some of them before this year is out,” he smiled sadistically.

“Mind if I help?” I half said half laughed.

“Sure you chose the weapon, sword, or plasma pistol,”

“Sword, it’ll amuse me more,”

“Ok, but I must warn you all ninth graders this year are equipped with nuclear bombs,”

“That’s what makes it a challenge,” I decided to end the conversation there by grabbing my sandwich, and digging into it. Personally I didn’t find the freshmen that bad a few where a pain that’s true, but for most they just looked like they where trying to fit in. The rest of the lunch went by without anything to note worthy. We played a game of battle Frisbee, which involved throwing a Frisbee as hard as you could at your opponent in an attempt to “kill” them. Some gangster looking kids gave us weird looks, but nothing really out of the ordinary. I met up with my old friend john, and he to got caught up playing battle Frisbee.

After lunch was English class, as I walked there I heard a few stupid remarks about my hair from some gangster wannabes behind me. To show I could take a joke I laughed back then muttered some inaudible sure word under my breath before I walked into class. English class was ok, some jackass started acting up when the teacher left to try, and show how “cool” he is. Of course everyone but a few laughed. His name was Ray something or other.

The rest of the day went by quick nothing happened, but small minds soaking up new information about trigonometry, and the rules of a comma. I took what books I needed from my locker, and headed down the light green hallway to wait for the bus. Home was coming where I could finally relax, or so I thought in reality the first day of school was never a lot of work, but later in the year I would want to kill myself, joking of course.

Walking out I saw a freshmen crying in a corner. I couldn’t see who she was, but I could tell by the books she had covering her face she was a freshmen. It really goes to far when you make a rookie cry like that. Some of her friends tried to cheer her up, but I guess she didn’t want to be cheered up as she shoved them away more or less. I walked by with out second look as was common I high school, you never get into some else’s business whither your trying to help or other wise.

By the time I exited the door out of the building I was greeted with one last familiar face, this time it was one of my oldest friends norm. He was an odd fellow standing well over six feet tall with straggly cut, and oddly colored hair. His clothes usually were baggy with man-made rips all through them. “Man where have you been I haven’t seen you all day,”

“I’ve been around, so how did your first day go,”

“Bad, the worst part was I was at school again which sucks,”

“Tell me about,”

“Seriously though how’s it been”

“Meh ok I guess,”

“That bad huh,” he joked,

“Yeah, nothing really exciting happens in school. Well minus the everyday school hood drama that usually doesn’t get interesting though until half way through the year.”

“Maybe this year you’ll actually get a girlfriend,” he said rising his eyebrows over exaggeratedly.

“Coming from you I’ll take that as a complement,” Honestly I always the way people portrayed a girl friend, as an object a possession that you keep not actually a person. Maybe that’s why I never liked talking about them because I always thought they should be so much more, but as it stands there where few who held the same sympathies.

“Whatever man, I gotta catch my bus talk to you later.

“yeah see you around,” I replied as he ran off. I walked towards some friends of mine to wait for the bus. The day seemed short for some reason like it was moving in fast motion, I didn’t realize it then, but this is something I took for granted. The quick carefree days, sure nothing overly big happened, but sometimes that was a good thing.

I slunk into my house my mind as usual was full of thoughts, question, but never any answers. I called out that I was home as was a norm, and as once again nobody was home to answer my call. My mom, who was my only parent must had still been at work. “Great a whole house to myself, again,” I grumbled to myself as I went searching threw the cupboards to find something to eat. It was almost nine when my mom finally did come home, she walked threw the door defiantly not bursting with excitement.

“Hi mom,” I called from where I was sitting on the couch.

“Hi honey how was your first day at school,”

“School like,”

“That bad huh?”

“Yeah, nothing really exciting, nothing really bad just sorta normal.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yeah normal is a bad thing,”

“Who would have thought,” She smiled unloading some shopping she had been doing into the drawers,” So did you find something to eat,”

“Yeah I made myself a sandwich,”

“Glad to know I can count on you to eat all my food,”

“Our food,” I corrected.

“So did you get any homework,”

“You’ve got to be kidding, obviously not it’s the first day,”

“I know just checking wouldn’t want you to start off on the wrong foot.”

“Like there a right foot,” I remarked sarcastically.

“Well you have a point, I am going to bed it’s been a long day,”

“Yeah,” I answered back even though it felt short, “I’ll be going to bed to I’m beat,” This wasn’t a lie I was for some reason tired.

“See you in the morning, if you’re up before I leave,”

“Night,”

[Puck]

Chapter Two: Much too soon

I opened my eyes, the whole world was a haze, I sleepily turn over on my bed to gaze at my clock. 7:50 it took a few minutes before I realized my bus come at 8:10 meaning I had only twenty minutes. I jumped right out of bed into the shower. No time to wait for my water to heat I had to take a cold shower one of the four things I despise more then anything. It was possible the shortest shower I have ever taken, but I had to run like a mad man. I managed to find some clean clothes, gather up my books, and run to the bus stop just in time. Then I realized in my haste I forgot my lunch, which was another one of the four things I despised. I sat glumly on the bus the day was not going my way. I dragged my self off the bus, and onto the hard pavement of the ground around my school. I walked, no staggered my way up the great many stairs, which led to the commonly used doors.

“Hey, Matt right,” A voice called from my side, I turned to see a flash of blond hair, and a warming smile.

“Anna, yeah its matt how did your first day go?”

“It went alright, but some punks wrote on me with marker I almost cried.” I couldn’t help, but laugh at the sincerity in her voice, “hey!,” She exclaimed mock hitting me, “Don’t make fun of me,”

“Sorry, sorry its just that is a common thing that happens to rookies,”

“Really?”

“Uh yeah,”

“Why does high school have to practice such things, its unfair,”

“Well not really,”

“How do you see that mean seniors picking on freshmen,”

“Well because the seniors had to go though the same thing, so that makes it fair,”

“What about throwing rookies into the brook,” She was of course mention of the small river that encircled the football field half way around before protruding into the forest.

“Ok I have to admit some people take it too far, but the main idea is to initiate people into high school,”

“I guess,”

“See I knew you’d see it my way,” I smiled.

“meanie I have to get going, you should meet me at the cafeteria for lunch,” I don’t know why but this took me for surprise, and I found myself stumbling with my words.

“Uh sure, yeah meet you there,” I said turning around leaving myself to my thoughts. I found that just talking with her made my mood that much better I was no longer pissed at the events of the morning they seemed obsolete. It was an odd feeling, like nervousness, but it wasn’t bad I mean it wasn’t good, well it was, but. Never mind I guess you get the picture. By the time I walked through the doors I was back to my cheerful self it was a little surprising how short that lasted.

“Man did you hear what’s going to happen,” Criss spoke fast which was unusual especially for him.

“Huh no,”

“You know Norm right,”

“I’ve known him longer then you,”

“Yeah, but he is supposed to fight some gangster named Ray or something,”

“What!,” I found myself shocked almost unable to move, “But norm never was a fighter, and it’s been proven Ray is a good one,”

“Yeah I know sucky eh,”

“How did this happen?”

“Don’t know norm said something about ray having a big mouth, and then he went all defensive, and challenged Norm,”

“And if I know his pride he wont back down,”

“Damn straight, a bunch of us are going to be there to make sure Ray’s ‘homies’ aren’t going to jump in”

“I’ll be there,”

“Ok man,” Just as he spoke the five-minute bell that always meant ‘go to your classes or else’. “Meet us outside the gym we are walking from there to behind the ice rink. The skating rink was at the other end of the fairly large school, then we would have to go threw a small path to the place where most fights where held. It would take most if not all of the lunch hour, but it would be worth it to make sure one of my good friends didn’t get jumped. I walked half minded to my first period class sitting down I heard a call from the other end of the room, low and behold it was the jackass ray wanting to speak with me.

“Your friends with norm right,” he said sizing me up.

“Yeah what’s it to you,”

“Give this to him for me,” he said taking a swing at me, but unluckily or him I saw it coming at leaned backing causing it miss me by an inch. Obviously the class was watching by this point so the fat wannabe had to think fast to avoid embarrassment, “Tell him I wont miss,” This pleased the blood hungry crowd for the moment, but it wouldn’t for long.
“I’ll tell him that you have bad aim with your left,” I said sharply.

“Listen don’t talk to me like hat or your next,” This wasn’t helping my mood any as my fist curled up in a ball with his words, but luck would have it the teacher walked in on us causing what could have happened to be stopped. I sat down on my seat no longer with the world of the living but alone in my own world, raging a war inside my head.

Half of me knew I should have hit the bastard, but the other half knew if I did I would have lost the inevitable fight. Yet at least once in every man’ lifetime he would have to fight for what he believed what if this was my time. And then I would have gotten my ass kicked for sure I couldn’t win against him I have never even fought before. My two side argued in my head before I heard a familiar name being called. “Matt,”

“Huh,” I said lifting my head,

“Glade you could finally join us, now would you like to participate or would you rather fail,” the teacher said invoking laughs from the class, as he pointed towards a question written on the board.

“Sorry Miss Pupernickle I don’t know the answer,”

“I would have thought,” She scoffed leaving me back in my own little world. The wannabe leaned back in his chair, and smiled at me, I decided he really needed to brush his teeth. After class I left without saying a word to my theater arts class. Today was the first day in the theater, and we played charades. Normally I would have participated, but my thoughts where absorbing my life at the moment so I just watched. I never realized it them, but this class would end up being the worst one I ever had. The class went by in a flash, and I stood from my seat brushing some hair out of my eye’s it was math, it passed with no words from me. Then it was lunch. I felt a certain uneasiness as I walked towards the gym doors. I was greeted by a large group of people surrounding that tall one with a purple, and blue mohawk, Norm of course.

“Man whatever ever happened to drama later in the year this is a little fast isn’t it,”

“Your telling me,” he said, “Come on we don’t want to be late,” He said marching the group towards the area behind the rink.

“You know you don’t have to do this,’ I said when we where safely away from the pack.

“I do, I can’t back down,”

“Why not?”

“That will only prove we are weak, I am not going to let hem hold that over me,”

“So you’ll rather get your ass beat,”

“Yeah instead of being called a coward I rather be known as courageous,”

“Courage? Man this is a kamikaze,”

“Hell yeah let me go down swinging,”

“**** man you are defiantly on the good stuff,”

“Hell yeah,” He said pumping his fists in the air.

“Your insane,”

“Better insane then a wuss,”

“True that,” I said shaking my head, “Still it’s not fair you hardly stand a chance against him,”

“Know what, whatever if I lose I lose,”

“Good luck, and drop your right,” I said as we exited out of the small forest path, at least two dozen of us where there walking, no marching from the forest. We looked ready for war, ready to kill. Away from us stood twenty or so wannabe gangsters maxed out in exco gear, and bandanas. The too looked ready for war, maybe more so then the mix matched pack of “losers” we had.

“Which one of you are going to get your ass kicked?” norm asked cockily hiding his fear.

“Man you’ll regret those words after I lay you out.” Ray said coming out of the pack. The two stared each other down as the groups made two semicircles around the two not daring to get to close to the other group.

“So you have any last words,” The bastard spat,

“Yeah duck,” norm said half heartedly as he threw the first punch. The groups chanted, and cheered as the first battle of the year began.

[Puck]

Chapter 3: War and peace.

The first punch of the new year connected just above the wannabes right eye, but the gangster threw one right back connecting full force into my friends jaw. Ray no matter how much I hated him was a good fighter. He brought both arms close to his face, so that nothing could get in, but he could see out. Norm on the other hand was not so good. His arms hung loosely by his side leaving him wide open. His face was a look of annoyance as he realized how out classed he was.

Ray rocketed a right punch directly at the face of the Norm. To his credit my odd friend ducked the blow, and managed to squeeze in two quick hits to the stomach making Ray do little more then wince. The point of that was not so much hurt his foe, but to show him he wasn’t about to get his ass kicked so easily. My friend got up straight backing up a few steps out of the bastards reach. He taunted him a little motioning him to come in for the kill.

Norm’s strategy was simple, but effective get his opponent so pissed off he couldn’t think straight. The fat wannabe charged in, but Norm used his quickness, and sidestepped the attack causing Ray to stumble a little bit, and fall once Norm punched him hard in the back. Ray got up quickly brushing the blow off, but one could tell the anger rising in his face. “Come on pussy don’t wanna fight me straight up,”

“Seriously man it’s your own fault if you can’t catch me,” He said hopping from foot to foot mockingly.

“Dodge this,” he said swinging with his left, as if by some sort of natural instinct he leaned to the left getting out of the path of the missile, but the wannabe stopped the punch, and finished it with his other hand hitting him hard, Norm stumbled back a few step almost losing his balance for a second, but he caught his balance as it tried to run away. He steadied himself before realizing he was still in a fight.

A second punch came twice as fast as the first smacking into his eye. It was like slow motion the punch sliced threw the air destroying it’s target. He stumbled back half a step kicking dust into the air. He was looking around dazed as if wondering what hit him. By this time his eye was already starting too swell up. He took a short step forward before crumpling to his knees by a vicious shot to the gut. He looked down at the ground in extreme pain, after what seemed like years he looked up.

Ray rose his fist high above his head, getting ready to land the final blow. Surprisingly enough Norm didn’t look scared he seemed calm as if he was expecting it to happen. I wanted to run in, and help him to save him from his fate, but I couldn’t if I ran in it would start a gang war, and that is something nobody wanted, or so I thought. The crowd was roaring now louder then ever, a mix between cries to get up, and cries to “Break his ****ing face” mixed into one chant for blood, or so it seemed to me.

Sirens where heard from a distance, just then two police men chose that moment to make themselves know jumping into the scene. I could hardly see them with my hair in my eyes but I knew the familiar chant of “Run! It’s the 5 0”. I didn’t take my chances I ran down the beaten path along with two-dozen others. It seemed no matter what happened somebody would, could stop it. I saw Norm running way behind, but a cop grabbed him from behind. He knew better then continuing to fight it, he was caught, and there was no escaping his fate this time. I didn’t stay to see what happened next, watching a fight was almost as bad as being in one.

My feet didn’t start moving till I was safely inside the school, my only safe haven it seemed. I brushed some hair out of my eyes to see Greg standing there almost as tired out as I was. He was standing hand’s on knees red faced, and wheezing.

“Man…di…did you see what happened to norm?”

“Yeah I saw a cop grab him,”

“Seriously that’s not good,”

“Really? It probably will only be a suspension, and a write up nothing big.”

“I hope so that would suck, I wonder if ray got caught too?”

“Probably that fat bastard wouldn’t be able to out run his own shadow never the less some one else,”

“That’s if they knew it was him,”

“They probably saw enough of the fight to pick him out,” I said with a ringing sound partly drowning me out. It was once again time for the dull part of my day, class. I groaned, and headed half-heartedly towards English class. Half way there a thought hit me, Ray was in that class as well if he wasn’t there then he would have had to have met the same fate as Norm, a good thought. I strolled into class the last person as usual, and to my comfort he was not sitting in his seat. I smiled a wayward smile pushed a little bit of hair out of my face, and sat down.

The teacher started with a roll call, he got half way down his list before, “Ray,” he said expecting an answer, “Ray are you here,”

“No he got hauled away,” A voice spoke out from somewhere in the room.

“By whom,”

“The coppers,” Another voice replied from the same desolate corner of the room.

“May I ask why,” The teacher said slightly intrigued.

“I heard he got jumped,”

“Jumped?!?,” My voice was far louder then I expected it to be as everyone suddenly turned to me, “I mean, he challenged the person he fought I don’t know where you get your sources,”

“Stop defending your friend,” Said someone standing up causing his baggy white clothes to sway.

“I am only telling the truth,” I said repeating his action.

“Quiet!” The teachers voice was commanding, and at once we both sat down without a word. The rest of the class was uneventful, except for the fact he wouldn’t stop looking at me stupid grin on his face. I simply rolled my eye’s and got back to work still my mind wandered. The next class was uneventful as usual, so I grabbed my stuff out of it, and headed out the door half paying attention to my surroundings,

“Hey!,” I thought nothing of the voice at first, probably directed at someone else, “HEY!,” It called louder this time veering my direction towards the maker of it. I saw Anna come no smile was on her face this time.

“Uhh hi,” I replied still not paying full attention.

“Where were you?” he voice showed no hint of comedy.

“Huh when,”

“Lunch? If you don’t like me just say it, but don’t ditch me like that again,” panic what did I forget, of course I was supposed to meet her for lunch. I hated myself that moment for letting a petty fight distract me from my promise like that.

“****, I mean wait,” I said as she stormed off.

“If you hated me so much why did you keep trying to be so nice,”

“Now wait a second I didn’t say I hated you,”

“Then why did you stand me up?”

“Hey give me a chance to explain myself,” I said jumping in front of her path.

“Fine,” She said crossing her arms, and looking away, it seemed she really disliked me for doing that, but I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why.

“I had to go to a fight at lunch,”

“What?” Her face showed more concern now then anger.

“It wasn’t me fighting it was a friend,” I explained, “I had to go cheer him on you know,”

“Well,” Her face was starting to lose its angry feel, which I was, thankful for.

“I am really sorry I left you there,” it was one of the most sincere things I have ever said.

“I am sorry to,’ She looked down at her feet,

“Uhh why?”

“I over reacted it was like it was a date or anything just two friends I just have been having a hard time fitting in so I thought,”

“Don’t worry I don’t hate you,”

“I know, but I was worried for a second,”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said gladly regaining the peace.

“So lets try this again, meet me at the cafeteria tomorrow,”

“Ok,” My smile seemed bigger then, then any time before, but I still couldn’t figure out why.

“See you then,”

“Yeah tomorrow,”

“I hope,”

“Hey I said I was sorry,”

“Only teasing,” She smiled holding her book in front of her with both hands, ‘See you later matt,” She said running off presumably to catch her bus. I stood there for a few minutes, just thinking about her, back then I couldn’t figure it out. It was odd it was like being dizzy, well not really. It was like I was floating in clouds, and I couldn’t come back down to earth. My mind raced my heart was beating fast yet I had yet to exercise. My whole body was acting weird, my stomach doing flip-flops as I thought about almost losing her. Losing her, the words sounded odd to me as if it meant something more then I could ever hope to comprehend. I stood there dumbfounded until my bus finally came a few minutes later. I walked slowly down to it each footstep didn’t even feel real. I sat on the bus staring out the window only then did I realize it was raining the whole time. I didn’t know how I could have missed that fact, but it seemed my mind just didn’t care. I listened to the music blaring on the bus, and for the first time all the instruments, the vocals, the lyrics slipped away, and all I could hear was the message the point the meaning of the music it made me think about all that I was missing, now I can’t even remember what I was listening to all I know was it was just another love song.


Total word count. 5,248(Man I an doing so bad,)