the last kids on earth, but with a twist: season 1

the school

(Jack POV)

you know out of all the middle schools I went too; Wakefield Junior High was one of the worst. yeah, sure it was the place I met Quint, and June, but then again it was the place I was suspended, the place I got my awesome face screwed up, and the place I had my heart broken.

It happened like this. I was just doing my job in the school newspaper, a day or two before me and dirk were expelled, and I thought I was getting some more or less better pictures. it was near the end of the year, so most kids were rowdier than normal. I had a pictures of food fights, teachers and kids getting pelted with spitballs and airplane, and a flooded bathroom, which I may or may not have helped flood. But June wasn't having it.

she said it wasn't going to be approved and might get her in trouble. figures. back then I didn't know she was such a stickler. it well, you'll just have to hear for yourself.

"We can't publish these, Jack!" June snapped "the teachers are going to freak and think we're trying to promote behavior like this!"

"No, they won't, stuff like this happens in the big leagues all the time" I said like the cool, and calm guy I am "we're not promoting this behavior, we're just spreading the news. like we're supposed to."

"No, we're supposed to spread good news, this is the opposite!" she yelled "you're always trying to do stuff like this! make big things bigger, and if I went through with that I'd get in trouble!"

"You won't get in trouble!" I assured her, "I'll take the blame if things go south! you have nothing to worry about!"

"No, you won't!" Junes shouts, flipping her lid to a whole new level "you never take responsibility! you didn't with that group project you did with Alison Hailey, or that big foam explosion in the science lab! this is why you keep bouncing from home to home, because you get in trouble and blame someone else!"

I knew she didn't like me. She didn't really like anyone. But this was different. The way she said this was in a spiteful, vengeful, even hateful tone. for a moment I my heart was emptied of all feeling. just a moment of void. then anger stepped in.

"Jack I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way-" June started, before I cut in.

"Yeah, you did." I say my fists clenching "no one ever means sorry to me. If you want a new photographer, then you could've just said so instead of trying to save face with an empty apology."

I slowly took off my newspaper badge and camera, everything around me seemed to be blinking out, every voice quieted and hollowed in my rage. I walked over towards the door to have someone grab my sleeve. I turn around and they shrivel at my hate-filled glare. I can't remember who it was. some poor kid caught in the crosshairs of a flaming argument. I hear June calling out to me, but I'm already gone far away in my own mind.

"Hey dork!" I hear Dirk say, but his rough voice is weirdly quiet, like my ears are plugged "someone reject you again- oof!"

I slugged Dirk in the gut and when he looks back up at me his eyes are filled with a sort of malicious glee.

"Someone want to fight, eh?" He asks fiercely, "happy to oblige."

after maybe fifteen minutes of a fist fight, we're finally pulled apart, there's an in-school suspension, which lead to us being banned from school grounds until next year. not that I was able to stick around, 'cuz I was booted to Minnesota before sixth grade even ended.

so now when I see June it's different. not with that sixth-grade puppy love, but a somewhat neutral expression. I'm just not myself. I thought the raider was someone else, someone I hoped I didn't know. someone I wanted to save. now, I don't know. might as well take the first step.

"Hey June," I say a little nervously "how's the new photographer? I mean how's the newspaper?"

"Fine," she says skeptically, and a little rougher than I expected, "why? what are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to see me anymore."

"well I just didn't want to be int the same workplace anymore, not to say I thought you were a bad person, just not on my top ten?" I say a little over awkwardly.

"Whatever Sullivan," June says roughly "just say what you want to say and get out."

Here goes, I think, now or never

"Well, I was sort of going to ask, well do you want to live in the treehouse, with me, Quint, and Dirk?"