One Foot in the Grave

The new school loomed in front of him as he sat in the front seat of his mother's blue Sedan. Gerard nervously bit at his right thumbnail as he listened to his mother rattle off a list of reassurances.

"I talked with the principal and she assured me all the teachers have been notified. They're all on the same page on how to treat you in the classroom. If someone slips, you can correct them or go to Principal Victoria. She seems really nice and wants to make sure you enjoy your time here."

Gerard's mom sighed and looked at her son, who seemed to want to sink through his chair.

"It's going to be tough starting over, Gerard. But I'm here, and so is Mikey. I'll be sitting right here after school lets out to pick you up. I start my new job today, but if you need to call me, I will answer." She leaned over to smooth back Gerard's medium length black hair. His dark eyes shifted to hers and he smiled.

"Th-thanks, Mom," he stuttered as he tried to gain confidence to actually leave the car. His left hand held his class schedule tightly, but it was enough to stop his whole body from shaking.

He was starting a new school halfway through his freshman year. All the other kids would be set into their groups and already know each other. Gerard would be the outsider and he was pretty sure no one would want to be friends with him. That was pretty much true at his old school. It was easy to separate him from the crowd of normal children and he even found friends from preschool abandoning him.

Abandoning me and joining the bullies, Gerard thought as he looked back at his new school. It looked nice enough. Westfield High was one of those new modern buildings designed not to look like a prison. Big windows greeted him and allowed him to see a gaggle of students talking to each other before the bell rang. Best of all, it was over a thousand miles from anyone who had thought they had known him before.

The raven haired boy took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his chest. He suddenly felt painfully aware of all his insecurities. His voice was too high. His eyes had dark rings from sleepless nights. He was so nervous, he could feel every fiber of his being. Despite all that, he managed to shoot a hopefully confident smile.

His mom really was the best. He could tell how tired she was from the last minute transplant into a town almost a whole state away from home. But he really appreciated her efforts to remove Gerard from a toxic situation. He wanted to be able to love himself and she was trying her damnedest to make it happen.

Gerard's hazel eyes flicked toward the back seat, to Mikey. His little brother was too preoccupied with listening to his headphones and staring moodily out of the car window. He was not too happy with the move and had barely said a word to Gerard since. Gerard knew his brother accepted him and understood his current feelings. Mikey had friends and a thriving social life back home. It was hard to rip him away from it all during his last year in middle school.

He returned his attention to his mom. She ruffled his hair a bit as he made to get out of the car. Gerard gave a half-hearted wave as he slung his bag on his pack and headed into his first day of a new school. He had been led around here a few days ago, so he felt certain he wouldn't get lost.

Now, where do I go first? Gerard thought to himself as he focused extra hard on his schedule. It helped to distract him from the eyes that seemed to be glued to him the moment he entered the door. Pale, little goth kid definitely stands out here. He noticed a majority of his new classmates sporting brightly colored polo shirts and dazzling hair accessories.

Looking at his phone, Gerard almost happily noticed that the bell would be ringing soon for the first class of today. He made his way to the science block of the building to avoid having to stand awkwardly for five minutes.

His new Biology teacher, Mr. Lin, was ruffling through papers on his desk when Gerard entered. The short and slightly pudgy man smiled at him and gestured to take any seat. Gerard chose a seat in the back, closest to the door, and patiently waited for the day to begin.

Notes

Hi everyone! This is my first piece of writing in awhile, so I hope it looks worthwhile. I'll be getting more into why Gerard had to move in the next chapter, as well as bringing in more of the guys as fellow students.

Hope everyone enjoys! I've been creeping around here the past week and feel inspired by many of the contributors here.

-Bertie