Shades Of Gray

Chapter One: Cry So Hard You Laugh So Hard You Cry

01022007 - 1312A: Okay, this story is undergoing a MAJOR rewrite... Please bear with me, because that means that parts of the story might not be consistant. Almost nothing changed in this story. Mostly just the first sentence.

I plan to post one or two rewrites per day, so keep checking in with me! Much loves!

XxX

AN: I told you I would return! Sorry for the wait!

For those of you who are just joining me, this is the sequel (it says so in the summary) to my last story, "He Paints His World In Black And White". So while I absolutely love that you chose to read my story, I would love it even more if you would hop on over to read the first one. I promise you'll like it.

Also, because of my current grounded-no-internet status, I am updating at lunch at school so it's not going to be beta'd. I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling errors, but you'll just have to bear with me.

Luvs and X-Rated Thoughts— Luci-chan

XxX

Yes, my first day at university and already thing were not going as planned. This was supposed to be my fresh slate! I was supposed to leave all of the shit that happened in North Carolina! But no. I got blue Slurpee on my shoe (sound familiar?), and then, oh yes, the owner of the Slurpee just happened to claim to be Chris Fresk.

I stared at him for a moment. His hair was to his shoulders and it was dyed green, and he was wearing loose bondage shorts instead of tight pants, but his face was basically the same, just older, more mature.

And that smirk… no one could have mistaken that smirk.

"So Justin, did you come all this way to find your tragically lost first love?" Chris asked, smirking at me.

"Yeah," I answered, smirking right back at him, "unfortunately I just found out he enrolled in another state, so I guess you'll have to do."

For the tiniest second I thought his smirk faltered, but I must have imagined it because when I did my little double-take it was still firmly on his face.

"Well then, do you maybe want to go out this evening?" he asked and I could tell by his smug tone he had assumed he already knew the answer. Well, I would just have to teach him the dangers of assuming, wouldn't I?

"No, I don't think so," I said casually, "I'm still trying to get used to this place." I laughed inwardly as he glared at me for a second before his face cleared and his smirk returned.

"That's fine," he said with a shrug as if it really was fine. He turned to the boy sitting on the other side of him, a small boy with black hair and ice blue eyes. Obviously either his hair or his eyes were fake. "Hey Tommy, do you want to go out this evening?"

My face fell. Oh, he played dirty.

XxX

My roommate showed up around eight that evening as I was lying on my bed brooding to myself about Chris' date with Tommy. Not that I was jealous or anything. I mean, I hadn't seen him in almost four years. I was completely over him and his smirky, Slurpee-spilling self.

Where was I? Oh right, my roommate. He was six-foot-four with long braided blonde hair and drool-worthy long legs. He wore red cargo pants, black-and-white checkered Vans that he had obviously been wearing for a very long time, and a white "Greg the Bunny" tee shirt.

I had watched Greg the Bunny once while I was annoying my mum by purposefully monopolizing the television while InuYasha was on and I was at a complete loss as to why anyone would buy one of those shirts.

He looked at me for a second and then dropped his large suitcase on his bed. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pair of drumsticks, dropped them on the bed with the luggage, and then turned and walked from the room without saying anything.

Well, that was rude.

I sat there for a moment, glowering about the fact that he couldn't even manage to introduce himself before going off to be Mr. Moody-straight-musician or whatever before my curiosity finally got the better of me and I stood and crept slowly to his bed. I found the ID tag on his suitcase and flipped it over, squinting at the untidy scrawl at the space for the name: Gavin Samuels.

The set of drumsticks caught my attention. They looked like someone who was fairly good at both calligraphy and wood burning had gotten hold of them. I picked one up and read the name "Gavy" across the wood in very pretty writing, nothing like the untidy scrawl on the luggage tag. On one side of the name was the Cancer sign and on the other was the date 7-13-88.

I rolled it over in my hand and saw, in writing small enough to fit it all, the quote: "They say I'm in need of some radical discipline."

I recognized the quote. It was from the song "Everything Louder Than Everything Else" by Meatloaf. Mum liked to blast it while cleaning the house.

I sat the drumstick down on the bed and picked up the other one. In the same loopy writing was the name "Heilee", the Aquarius symbol, and the date 1-19-88. On the other side was a quote so long that it took up two lines even in the small script: "I love you is all she heard… I'll wait for you… but I can't wait forever."

I would later find out that this was a quote from the Hawthorn Heights song, "Ohio Is For Lovers".

"What are you doing?" someone asked from the doorway, anger and a British accent tingeing their voice. I looked up to see Gavin standing there, his arms crossed, glaring at me. I gulped. There was no doubt in my mind that he would not hesitate to cause me bodily damage and well, he was at least a foot taller than me.

"I-I was just, um," I stuttered as he advanced on me. He snatched the drumstick out of my hand and then the one off of the bed and shoved them both into his pocket angrily.

"Let's get one thing straight right now. You don't ever touch my stuff," he growled. I took a step back and the back of my knees hit the edge of my bed, causing them to buckle. I fell back onto the bed and looked up at him (even more so than previously) in fear. Oh this was not good, not good at all.

He glared at me for a moment, clenching his fists at his side before he turned and stalked from the room, slamming the door hard behind him.

I love making good first impressions. I'm very good at it, if you couldn't tell.

XxX

AN: Ah, yes, chappy one is complete. Chris and Justin are off to a good start, ne?

Anyways, the next two chappys will be done from Chris' POV. Before you start going on about how it's a bad idea to change POVs sporadically, let me just say, I know. I already have the rough draft of those chappys so I know how much it sucks. But be happy because the reason I'm doing it is to finally give you all a final answer about Chris and Ayden's relationship.

So yes, Ayden and Nicole will be in this story, too.

Please review because if you do I will make a mental note to love you forever!