Kissing Boys (Solangelo high school AU)

Chapter 1 Rewritten

Yes I know I should be updating the actual story but I read some of the old stuff and I don't really like it anymore so here ya go. Have this while I work on 32.

When I woke up it was completely dark outside, which meant my room was also black. Everything was quiet, my bed was a warm haven from the stress of daily life. I wanted to stay in it for the rest of my life, just to avoid everyone and everything.

I considered staying home sick, I had a presentation today that I wouldn't be able to do. It's not like it wasn't finished, just when I was in front of the class it always felt like he walls were closing in on me and I couldn't breathe. If my grade went down the drain I would feel even worse though, so I had to get up.

My body felt heavy, pains spread when I moved and my head felt like it was going to explode. That was kind of what I expected after yesterday though.

I turned my light on and looked across my room in the mirror. My lip was split, there was a scrape on my left temple from hitting the gym floor, and my shoulder was bruised. The tank top I wore to bed was drenched in sweat and so was my hair. I guessed I had nightmares again.

I could rarely ever remember them.

In my honest opinion I looked like shit, sweaty shaggy hair, bruised and cut, and heavy dark circles under each eye.

When looking at myself I could hear Octavian's venomous voice in my head "Get out of the fucking way fag, you might get hurt, pansies are pretty delicate from what I hear."

He said that during PE after slamming me to the floor and stepping on my shoulder on "accident", we were playing basketball, which was not that much of a contact sport.

I was delicate, I bruised easily, scarred easily, and scared easily.

I started to get dressed, putting on a grey button up shirt and tight black pants, then a black sweater. I brushed my hair for a second, then decided against the sweater, I could just wear a coat, the sweater would give Octavian something to say about how gay it looked. It was going to be cold outside, the sweater would be nice but, I couldn't. I didn't want to get hurt again.

I packed my backpack with all I would need for the day, including my note cards that I had written and rewritten at least ten times.

I felt my heart racing from just the thought of the presentation, at least I had Leo in my group, he could do most of the talking.

Snapping me out of my panic was my dog scratching at the door, I let her in and she barked happily at me. Mrs. O'Leary was a completely black mutt, who probably weighed more than me and was taller than me if she stood on her hind legs. I loved her to death. In a world of hatred I knew I could rely on her to be kind, even if she was just a dog.

I pet her head and started out of my room to let her out, returning for a moment to grab my shoes and backpack, then leaving once more. Mrs. O'Leary happily bounced down the stairs and went straight to the door. She barked once then sat down, her signal to me that she wanted to go outside.

I opened the door and started making myself some toast. As I waited for that I grabbed an ice pack and held it to my lip, then my head, then my shoulder. It really didn't do much other than make me numb. The toaster popped up and I grabbed the crusty bread, (that's all toast really was) covered it in butter, and shoved it into my mouth.

That's when Mrs. O'Leary started barking, not an angry bark but and excited one. Someone must have been outside.

I walked out with my toast in hand to see what was up. There was a stranger petting my dog.

I almost dropped my toast.

His hair looked like a summer sunset, golden and warm. He was lightly tanned and covered in freckles which was an oddity to see in winter in New York.

The guy spoke to Mrs. O'Leary in a baby voice, telling her what a good dog she was.

I took the toast from my mouth and just said "um," unsure of what to say to the stranger, it was too early.

"Oh! Hello, sorry is this your dog? She saw me walking around and ran straight up to me," he said cheerfully with a slight western accent, maybe, Texan?

Mrs. O'Leary usually didn't like strangers much "Yeah she is. Sorry."

The guy smiled and stood up straight. Damn he was tall.

I could finally see what he was wearing thanks to Mrs.O'Leary moving away from him, a soft yellow t-shirt with some beat up jeans and high top blue vans. He wasn't wearing a coat and it was forty degrees, then again, neither was I.

"I'm Will Solace, just moved here so I was gettin an idea of that the neighborhood was like. It's such a cool space, not too crowded and there's even a little creek behind it, not at all what I was expecting," he sighed, putting a hand out for me to shake.

I switched my toast to my other hand and shook his carefully "Nico di Angelo, n-nice to meet you W-Will."

I drew my hand away and Will smirked "You in high school? I'm a sophomore transferring to Doctrina High School today."

"Y-yeah I go there, I'm a s-sophomore too."

There was a moment of awkward silence, then Will smiled again and said "Well, see ya at school then! Bye Nico!"

He happily walked off waving, I half waved back with my toast hand.

That was weird.

He was weird, but kinda interesting.