Two and a Half Decades

"Kurrrzzzz Kurrzz Kurrzz Kurrrzzzz" the unmistakable sound of my alarm clock waking me up at 7:30, groggily getting up I made my way to the bathroom, pulling my towel from the stairs railing where I always leave it to dry. "Morning mum" I yelled downstairs the sweet scent of cooking food wafting throughout the house. Walking into the bathroom and switching on the shower and taking a quick pee while the water warms up, stepping into the hot steamy power shower gently massaging me awake. Taking my average 15minute showers and brushing my teeth, I walked out the shower with a towel wrapped around me as I made my way back to my room. Opening my wardrobe I picked out a random pair of jeans and t-shirt to wear for the day, I never really cared much about my appearance.

I began my daily morning routine, switching on my computer and unhooking my phone from charge to check if someone has messaged me. One new message was shown on the screen, unlocking the phone I opened the message.

"Hey bro remember its induction day today it starts at 11pm send me a txt me back if you're going" read the message from my best mate Jaymesh.

I put the phone down as I heard the very welcoming sounds of the windows start up music. I instantaneously loaded up my freeserve (Internet service provider) program and started up my dial up modem. The sweet sounds of the modem connecting echoed in my ear, loading up Ventrilo (online voicecoms program) and connecting on the server and putting on my headset.

"Wassup Phage" The sound of my guild members spoke out to greet me.

"Yooo! Any champ spawns up?" I asked them in excitement as I began loading up Ultima Online (Very old MMORPG).

"Yup some Trammies trying to sneak an early coon!" Abbarosh answered me.

"Ohh how long?" I replied, my eagerness to smash some noobs in PVP filling me up with excitement.

"They're on the 4th spawn so not too long now" Macros answered.

"I'll be at despise any moment, just gotta gear up and stuff" I added.

"Where's your bro?" Abbarosh asked.

"No idea he's at boarding school but I'm sure he will be on soon" I answered.

An hour passed as our small but effective guild came swooping in and stealing the Champ kill at the last moments that they spent hours to spawn. A part of me felt a little guilty for stealing it off them, but that was the way of the game, get good or get murdered.

"Big pay check?" I asked as we protected our bounty to safety.

"Only a couple 120's, no 120 magery sadly" Abbarosh answered.

"A good 40 mil each maybe?" Abbarosh answered.

"Whoop Whoop that's my game time for the next few months" I said gleefully, sadly I didn't have a credit card as I was 16, and the game required a subscription, so paydays like these were always a highlight for me. I spent my remaining free time chilling with my guildies and slaying some more noobs.

"Hey Phage don't you have to go School today?" Macros asked.

"Yeah I got like maybe 30mins before I have to jump off" I answered.... "In second thoughts ill log off now and do some other stuff, cya guys" as I bid them farewell.

"Later bud" they both answered as I disconnected from the server.

Buzzz buzz my phone on silent rang next to me, "Hello?" I answering the phone.

"Dude why didn't you txt me back?" Jay asked from the other side of the phone sounding annoyed.

"Ahh yeah sorry I got abit busy….. " I answered him.

"On your stupid game again? With your robot friends?" He said sarcastically.

"Dude they are people on the other side of the computer." I laughed since he was clearly annoyed at me. " …. "Don't worry I haven't forgotten I'll see you there bud." I answered him.

"Cool see you there." He replied putting down the phone.

Putting the phone in my pocket, I put on some socks and went downstairs.

"Hey son, has school started yet?" my mum asked as she tended to her flowers around the house.

"Not yet it starts late today 11pm" I answered her.

"Need a lift?" she asked.

"Nah I'm okay I need to learn the route to get there anyways" I answered her.

"Okay well come into the kitchen I'll show you what I made for dinner all you need to do is heat it up" she instructed and I followed her into the kitchen."So I made Salmon and braised in Tomatoes and Braised Pork Belly. Just turn the hobs on low and let it boil for 10 mins. Have a nice day at school" she said kissing me on the cheek and went back to her gardening.

Grabbing my bag and putting on my trainers I decided to head off a little earlier in case I get lost, I know the closest station but form there on I just know the general route. Hitting the local new agent to get a bottle of coke and a snickers reserving them for later I reached my local train station. Didn't bother paying for a ticket because I quite literally spent the last 2 or 3 years of secondary school not paying because they never check for tickets.

Changing train in-between the journey I got extremely nervous, I dislike going to new places an old haunting memory of the time I got lost as a kid still filling me with dread, if only there was a way to have a map to use without actually using a big folded up paper and looking like a tourist. Luckily for me on the train I saw a very pretty school girl who was also taking her little brother to school, she had a beautiful smile with brunette and blonde hair, a big part of me wish I went to a mixed school, I don't even know the first thing about girls or how to talk to them.... 'I guess I could low key just follow her, because I'm enrolled to a 6th form so I guess she's going to the same school as it is both an all-boys and all-girls school and a 6th form.' Luckily for me she actually got off on the same stop I did, a good sign we would be attending the same school.

Following her and her brother at a distance looking down at my phone now and then so I wouldn't look like a stalker. Eventually we arrived at the school, where she dropped her brother off, and luckily for me I saw a few students wearing non uniforms heading towards another entrance, I followed them assuming they were also 6th formers. The school moderately large, there were three buildings one for 6th form, Girls school and Boys school. The 6th form building looked relatively new and modern design which I prefer over old buildings. The headmaster Mr Robbin was outside greeting every student with a large jolly smile on his face.

"Welcome Mr. Phu, just take the first door on the right into the common room." Mr Robbin said pointing the way with an open hand.

"Good morning" I replied walking into the common room.

The common room was absolutely packed full of new student chatting and laughing in their own little groups, "Yo Paul over here!" I heard jays voice yell to me. Looking for jay I spotted him in a group of friends what also went to the same 2ndary school I went to.

"Heyyyyy it's Paul." Several of them called out to me.

"Wassssuppppp." I replied walking towards them.

Several minutes passed as we talked about our holidays, what we been up to and checking out pretty female students.

My Robbin entered the room, "Welcome new 6th formers, sorry that we are running late, but never mind that now, so on this table here is a welcome package, as well as your timetables for today, upstairs there are several form, on the door is a register so just find your names on the register and that will be your form class for the year." He spoke out to all of us, "So please make your way to your form classes, no pushing a shoving!" he joked.

The room slowly emptied as students began walking out and picking up their welcome pack and time table. Looking at my time table as we followed the crowed up the stairs towards the form rooms, it looks like I have a pretty packed induction day all my subjects being on the same day, where as some other subjects persist through the next three days. Checking down the list I found my name on the third form class, sadly I didn't see Jaymesh on it, but there was Ransford and Zia who were also close friends during secondary school.

"Hey Ransford and Zia this is us" I said to them.

"Ohh cool cool lets go" Zia replied and Ransford followed quietly.

It looked as if we were the last few to arrive, picking the remaining triple seat next to the door. There were probably around 20ish students in this form calls. We all sat chatting in our own groups, until a teacher came in.

"Hello everyone I am Miss Lewis, Nice to meet you all. So I'm your form teacher, if there's anything you want to let a teacher know about I should be your first contact, and generally anything else as well." She informed us with a smile. "So let's take a register to make sure everyone is okay." She said taking out her folder.

After finish with the register the teacher closed her folder, "right so if everyone could shuffle closer together I wanna form a ring, and we can all introduce ourselves and say something cool about yourself." The teacher said trying to get us more acquainted with each other.

'Ohhhh F….. My worst nightmare, There's nothing INTERESTING OR COOL ABOUT ME!!!!!!"