The Less I Know The Better [complete]

14 ;; chips

Muted, pallid light filtered through the window, spilling onto the cluttered desk below it and onto rumpled sheets. The mattress screeched in protest as John sat down on it, sinking under his weight as he lifted up his foot to pull on his shoes; he gazed with blurry, tired eyes at the floor for a few seconds when he had finished, mouth gaping open in a yawn for the fifth time in fifteen minutes. His head throbbed and his mouth felt as dry as sawdust - having had a rocky sleep the night before. He had slept in on Saturday to recover from the party, deep into the day, and was unable to sleep until four in the morning - the night before school began again. 

Mimi had been terribly frustrated with his sluggishness when she had woken him up. Her exact words were; "honestly, John! You should wake up yourself at this point with an alarm or something! I will not have you continuously be late for school." (He'd just blinked at her, still curled up in bed, barely even reacting to it. Party because he was used to it, partly because he was still struggling to stay conscious.)

I don't know if I can even be bothered about wearing my glasses. I just want to see properly for once. He thought to himself as he picked up said pair off of his desk, slipping them on. Blinking, he was relieved that his vision had cleared a bit, and he continued getting ready for the day. Sliding on his jacket, he pocketed all his usual items needed for the day - cigarettes, keys, lighter  - before throwing his school bag over his shoulder. Very typical of him to worry more about cigarettes than schoolbooks. 
He was beginning to feel nervous about going to school; vague memories of the party sprung to mind again, and he thought about when he talked to Ringo on Sunday about it. His friend had been less pissed than him that night, and he told him about what he remembered happened. He had been talking to Paul - he remembered that himself, but what the conversation was about he was a big vague on - for a long time, sitting at the edge of the pier by themselves, and they'd swum around in the water for a while.

I remember the swimming, the talking.. but what was it about? He chewed on his lip as he left his room, losing himself in thought as he subconsciously made his way down the stairs. I think Paul told me something about his mum. That she died? Or implied it? I can't fucking remember, jesus.. he sighed in annoyance to himself. I sort of remember like.. thinking that maybe he was opening up to me. Why is it irritating me so much that I can't figure out what really happened?

"John? You're staring off into space." A voice interrupted him. 
He lifted his head in surprise, snapping out of his reverie to see his aunt standing by the kitchen table, staring at him in slight confusion. "Did something happen? You seem jittery, and you're wearing your glasses without me having to remind you."

"Oh-" he started, licking his lips nervously, trying to shake away the thoughts of Paul again. "nevermind. It's nothin'. See you after school, eh?"

She furrowed her brows ever so slightly, which John knew was Mimi Speak for "we'll discuss this later," before she waved him off, saying her goodbyes and disappearing into the lounge room.

Sighing again, he adjusted his Buddy Holly glasses before trudging out of the house, the door clanging shut after him as he went. Realising that there were people outside walking past, he quickly shoved said glasses into his pocket, his worries about seeming nerdy rising again. With that, he began his hike to school; the weather was a tad windy, but not too cold - the clouds above were a frosty white, eventually evolving to grey in the distance, meaning that it would probably rain later on. The ground was littered with slowly rotting leaves finding homes in gutters and the edges of footpaths. It'll be snow in a few months, he noted. 

He'd been ambling on for a few minutes, making his way to the usual spot where him and Ringo would meet up, until he heard a familiar voice call his name as he neared it.