Chapter One: The Life and Times of The Happy Dork

School was great. My favourite. No seriously, I loved school and sunshine and chocolate Sundae and maths. Yeah, maths. It was complicated why I liked maths, but I’d just say what any other normal person would say; I’m a logical thinker. The right side of my brain worked more than my left. So you could imagine; I can’t draw. Not for money, not for love, not for world peace, not for the oppressed citizens in Palestine, and not for my life. Just can’t draw sadly. I also disliked fake-ness; which is probably why I hated the ‘home’ I resided in and the other orphans that I had to tolerate.

So anyway, you could tell I liked and hated a lot of things, and I was in a pretty good mood whilst on my way to school. I was a sophomore, and I was sixteen years old. My name is-

“Alex!”

Yeah, Alexander Brooklyn.

The person that had bellowed my name in such a manner was my sibling; Leah, my complete opposite in all ways. Popular, creative, salad-consuming, physically active and um… I wasn’t really what you’d call good-looking, but she was pretty. The amount of once-overs she got on the way to school were probably almost equal to the amount of times I got called ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ in a day; last time I counted it was about thrice every person I met. I think. Plus the extra from the regular bullies.

But I think what we both liked was sunshine. Not the sweltering kind, but the kind that just keeps you warm and sort of happy. It was probably the only thing that we had in common. Even our surnames were different. Hers was Smith. She had a different mum from me, which probably explained why we were the same age. I was older though; an autumn child and she was a spring child.

Today it was the first day of my spring semester and I knew there was going to be something different about this one, which was probably why I was in such an extra good mood.

Leah was applying makeup, and completely ignoring me. I knew that the only reason that she walked to school with me was because she thought I was some suicidal dork; she thinks all unpopular people are suicidal.

Stupid, huh?

Not like I’d be the one to talk her out of thinking it, I didn’t bother because although I cared for my younger sibling, I didn’t like her. At all.

I cast a sideways glance at her; her hair had been dyed from blonde to red for this month. And the contacts were green, but her sky blue eyes made them seem teal or dark turquoise, and there was also the fake tan. I looked away from her and glanced down at my pale fingers. As I walked beside her, I knew that my hair was a mess of jet black and my eyes were amber-gold. I had a thin frame, because of my sudden (and late) growth spurt last month.

I adjusted my bag and she snapped her compact mirror shut.

“Ok, loser,” she smirked. “Don’t fret too much over maths.”

“Whatever.”

She wasn’t going to spoil my mood. No siree.

She’d spotted her friends, who, as usual, hadn’t spotted her walking with me. So, I just continued making my way to school. I walked past the school gates; wide smile etched onto my face. Damn, was it unusual for a person like me to be happy? I think I’m getting more glances than Leah gets once-overs in a day!

Oh well.

I went over to where my homeroom was; there was no point of loitering around the school, because, I mean what is the sense? School is for L-EA-R-N-I-N-G. Is it cool to stay out of class? Oh yeah, it probably is.

I took a seat beside the window in the front row. I preferred sitting behind people because I loved observing, but unfortunately, this was my fixed spot; right at the front of the class. I didn’t mind much, but I seriously wished that my preference would be taken into account some day.

I glanced over at the window, the sun beating down on me happily. Good boy, Alex, it seemed to say. I think you’re going to have a great day!

“Thanks,” I muttered.

The guy two seats next to me glanced over nervously and I grinned.

“First sign of madness,” he mouthed, as if it were a sin for a musician to talk to a nerd. I kept forgetting these rules. How long had I been in high school?? I think the happiness was turning to delirium.

I sat back, looking at him, my hands on the back of my neck and I shrugged.

“I don’t think so, 97 percent of the world’s population talks to itself once in a while, I think another 2 percent are those who can’t talk at all,” the information seemed too much for him and he turned away.

I loved being a talking encyclopaedia, it had such a… High? Good? Inexpressively happy? Whatever, it had a positive feel to it.

It was by approximately 8:36 that the class was full. The teacher began registration about 10 minutes late, which I didn’t really like; I hate, hate being late.

The first thing that was not so good on this good, bright day.

I felt a scrunched up paper being thrown at me; good aim; must be one of the jocks in the baseball team. I picked it up from my desk, fully aware of the teachers gaze, and knowing that even the teachers seemed to take some sort of participation in the system of subcultures in high school that they must have once belonged to. Being as such, I knew that Miss Hermes would not glance over at me for any signs of misbehaviour, nor to ask any questions as she would usually pick on those to whom the answers would be difficult to come up with.

I flattened it out on my desk and almost laughed aloud at the words scrawled upon the lined, roughly torn sheet.

Wanna suck my dick, homo Goth?

Was that even an insult? And who the hell would feel clever writing this crap? I bent over so I sat with my elbows on the desk; I was considering purchasing some glasses, even though I knew that I had an almost perfect vision. At least that way, people would know; I am not a Goth, they may call me a dork, a nerd, a geek, or anything along those lines, but I am not a Goth. With glasses, at least, I’d look the part of a study-indulged adolescent.

I let out a sigh. Jocks were sometimes so stupid that it was frustrating, it didn’t mean that they were all like that, I mean, not all geeks were sad, sad victims of high school bullies; look at me!

Since I ignored the first note, the notes kept coming the whole lesson; I’m not joking. Maybe I should have politely declined the first offer, but the high school ways are not accustomed to polite refusal from the underdogs, so it would have been taken as an insult and I didn’t want the crap beaten out of me on my first day back, so I kept silent.

Sneaking out of homeroom class also kept me from trouble. I’m the invisible guy, so it was pretty easy sneaking around. I think you’d probably noticed that I haven’t mentioned a posse of geeks like me that I belonged to. Well, it wasn’t like I was the only geek in the school it’s just that the rest of them were just so… scared. They got picked on, they hated school, they had all this hate inside them, and they all wished they were like bloody jocks or the drama club or something other than what they were. They really were sad, sad people, and no one that I can actually fraternize with happily, so, I was apparently friendless due to strict boundaries that must be applied to socialising.

Tedious, I’d say.

My next lesson was physics (yes!), which I went to without any further ado. It was radiation today and I think I shouldn’t bore you with details. Then, I had English literature, which I am surprisingly good at considering my lack in creativity. You see, I have a great imagination, why else do you think I am so happy?

Imagination. Makes me feel warmer than sunshine does (only sometimes).

After a two-hour lesson on Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, I had physical education which I (officially) sucked at. I loved running, and basketball, I mean I was tall now; I should play…

But sadly, I am sometimes also a sad cowardly nerd and I hide behind the lines and within my place. Not today; today was different.

I sat on the bench, waiting for our dear coach to arrive, and he did so (on time!). The boys gathered around him like panting dogs, waiting for the signal that would allow them to “Fetch!” and fight over their grand prize (which in this case would be pride and perspiration if I were to be technical). There were approximately twenty people in the lesson, so two different games were going to be played. I sat back against the back of the bench and watched as we were all assigned with our positions.

“You,” Coach Barnsley spat, he checked his clipboard- presumably- for my name. “Brooklyn, you’re the substitute for Hammond.”

Oh, right.

“I’ll just sit here then,” I sighed, slumping back further, arms crossed.

“You say something, punk?” he sneered.

“No sir,” I said nonchalantly.

He snorted and turned away from the Geek-Punk-Goth I had now become. I watched unseeingly as the game progressed, my cursed imagination slowly mingling with the boredom that being a substitute had it’s affect of.

I’d probably like being… phoenix? I was wondering what mythical creature I’d like to be and nope, I think it would be sweltering, and I doing really appeal to being a bird. I mean, the insult bird-brain usually means your thick right? Not me. You could argue that owls are said to be wise, but my point would be that phoenix’s are so not owls. Then it would just go on… werewolves? I like wolves, but um, I don’t think I’d like the mutating every full moon. I think that’d just ruin the whole free world image that the world tries to create.

What else is there?

Andrea Rose Caleb.

She’s so sexy; it’s hard to believe that she’s actually human. Nope, don’t want to be her. I think one word would probably explain why: B-I-T-C-H.

Would that do enough to explain?

Right, this is getting annoying, my boredom is going too far and-

He’s injured! Yes, I owe you Hammond! I sprang up on the bench. Time to show my existent athletic skills.

“Alexander Brooklyn?”

I blinked, my eyes fiery (who dares ruin my near-glorified moment?), then I turned towards the door. A thin, anaemic-looking girl stood in the doorway nervously.

“That’s me,” I stated, standing.

The coach ushered me off, so I made my way towards her and followed her to the main office. We walked in silence; I didn’t bother to ask her any questions about what was going on.

“Are you on-” she paused when I looked at her. “-the team?”

“No,” I answered brusquely.

Sorry for being mean little girl, but this was almost perfect, until you came and-

Why am I here? I have never, ever got in trouble, so why am I here? Don’t panic, the sun soothed from somewhere far away. No, it must be something else; maybe I was getting a scholarship!

I walked over to the row of chairs that were lined outside the office (feeling extremely silly in the basketball player’s attire) and plonked myself down onto one. I folded my arms across my chest, but then I unfolded them. I mean, being outside Principal Porter’s office was bad enough, but being there with what looked like bad-ass attitude would really ruin my geek-rep!!

The door of the office opened, and I watched the mouth of the secretary, which moved as though in slow motion. In such slow motion in fact, that I forgot what she’d said. I stood up, taking a step towards the office; perspiration running through the pores in my body.

I watched as a woman of about 50 years of age made her way into the office. The door was slammed shut before I had taken a step forward. Huh?

That was unexpected. I thought my doom had come. I looked around, realising I was centre of attention. I grinned and stretched my arms, letting out a sigh. The gazes switched away from me (yes! I love my acting skills- I don’t have any…). Then I slumped back down on the uncomfortable seat I was made to sit upon.

Half an hour; I had been waiting for a whole 30 minutes.

Tedium. It was snaking into every possible aspect of my mind. Even the 20 percent that was currently unused.

“Alexander Brooklyn.”

That was me. Everything rolled into slow motion again, my movement, the moving lips of the secretary and, just, basically everything.

I walked into the office, heart pounding with trepidation, every fibre of my being-

Ok, it wasn’t that bad. I sat down opposite the Principal, feeling really dumb now, sitting in a crisp clean office, in front of a crisp, clean man in these clothes. It wasn’t like they stunk of sweat or anything, but I mean, I was in an office.

The Principal eyed me, probably wondering what punishment to give me. Then he leant back on his leather chair, all relaxed and everything; completely decided on what it was going to be.

“Alex,” he said calmly. “I’m sorry, but your father passed away today.”

Blink. Silence. No way.

What is he talking about?! Father?! I’m an orphan; devoid of parents. Parentless. I think I was just staring at him for a couple of minutes; jaw slackened, because he looked really concerned all of a sudden.

“It’s ok, Alex, these tragedies can occur,” he consoled.

“S-Sir,” I stuttered. “I think you have the wrong person. I’m an orphan anyway.”

Smack in the face or what? It was like a staring contest or something, because he was doing it now, except, I think his jaw was slackened more professionally.

I felt really sorry for the kid who was going to receive this news; I mean a complete stranger found out before he did. He should have been the first. The school needed to sort out its system.

“There is only one Alexander Brooklyn in this school, young man,” Principal Porter said calmly.

“But, sir I’m not lying- I don’t have a father-”

-that I know about. My heart was pounding, could it be him? No way, it couldn’t.

The door to the office was pushed open and the secretary came in.

“Sorry sir, the wrong person,” she apologised sheepishly.

Too right, it couldn’t be. I stood up, forgetting my manners and leaving the room. Not like it would have made a difference if my father died now, I mean I didn’t know him anyway. Selfish, selfish, me.

I hate this day. Hell with the sunshine.

I kicked open the empty locker room, and got changed into my normal clothes. I messed my hair up, pulled my bag out of my locker and sat down on the bench. Why did I think this day would be any different?

The answer was plain and simple to me; I had wished it to be different. It wasn’t going to be. Ah well. I leant back, forgetting about the nonexistent back and falling down; head banging against the hard, cold floor.

“Ow,” I laughed.

I think that it’d be better if my life was the same anyway. Right? I glanced at the small ray of sunshine creeping towards me, like ultimate cheesiness. Yep.

I liked it.

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I'm sorta dreading reviews for this one, so I suppose you can be wicked and evil in them!! Just truthful please. XD thanks!!