First Sight

One

Do you believe in love at first sight?

What if that love is something you've been told is wrong your entire life?

My parents are very conservative Christians. Ever since I was a kid, we would always go to Sunday school. Even if I was sick, my parents made me go because if I didn't take the sacrament then they told me I would be condemned to hell. For seventeen years I grew up with this shit.

Sorry. Crap. If my parents heard me swear, I would be forced to put soap in my mouth to clean the unholiness.

When we first moved to Ohio, my parents enrolled my sister Claire, my brother Peter, and me into a charter school. They found out that my sister had been "messing around" with some of the boys and transferred her to an all-girls school. Then one night, while Claire had a friend over to study, my parents caught them making out. She was immediately kicked out of the house, and I haven't seen her since. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

My parents were worried about their reputation, so we packed up and moved too. This time, Peter and I are attending a regular public school as the expenses were too high. Peter is in ninth grade, and I'm in eleventh.

We do everything in our power to please our parents. Peter does it with ease; I, on the other hand, do not. As soon as I graduate, I'm out of this house. As much as I love my parents for raising me, I hate the way they did it. I don't believe any of the things they taught me. Specifically their political views (religious views are still up for debate).

I leave my room and go downstairs to the kitchen, where my cliche family is doing their cliche routines. Mom is making breakfast, most likely waffles, eggs, and bacon. Dad is sitting at the table on his phone, probably reading some fake news from Facebook. Peter is across from him, drawing an intricate scene of mountains and a river flowing by.

"That looks really good, Peter," I say and ruffle his hair. He glares at me, fixes his hair, and goes back to drawing.

"Morning Sean," Dad says without looking up. I almost don't say anything until I go against every teenage angst cell inside my body and tell him good morning.

Mom finishes breakfast and places it along with plates, silverware, and cups on the table. We pray and start to eat. Afterward, Peter and I get into my car and I drive us to school.

This is our first time here, and the place is huge. We end up parking a couple of blocks down the road in the parking lot of a church. Peter has his list of classes, and I have mine. I pat him on the back and wish him good luck.

"Text me if you need anything, okay?" I tell him as he walks away.

My first class is English. I find the room after several minutes of wandering and walk in. A few students sit in some of the desks and talk to each other before the bell rings. I choose a seat in the back, away from everyone else. I swear I can feel their eyes on me. I pull out a book and read, hopefully to distract my mind from them. After a few short minutes, I notice someone leaning against the desk to my right. I know he's looking at me, but I choose to ignore it.

"You're new," he states plainly.

I look up from my book. The guy is tall, and has blonde hair that's longer on the top and cut into a fade style. His eyes are dark, and I can't tell if they're a deep blue or brown. He has black earrings in both ears, and he looks fit. "Um, yeah."

He smirks. "That's where I usually sit."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I'll―"

"No, it's chill." He smiles wider, and I can see just how white his teeth are. It makes me jealous. "Don't worry about it. I'm teasing you."

"Oh." I put my stuff down.

He slides into the desk he was previously leaning against. "What's your name?"

I put my book down. "Sean," I say. "What's yours?"

"Grant," he says. "Where are you from, Sean?"

"Columbus," I say.

"What brings you here?"

"My parents just needed a change I guess," I said. Partially true.

He nods. He opens his mouth to say something else right as the teacher starts the lecture. I don't pay any attention though.