Looking Back

FLASHBACK

SAM

"Come on kiddo,"

"I'm coming," I sighed following him out the door.

"Oh, Sammy don't forget your lunch," my grandmother came running after us.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Enjoy your first day," she smiled brightly.

"I'll try," I nodded.

"Do you need anything from the store doll face?" My grandfather winked at her. They had been married almost 50 years and I think they are just as in love or maybe more so than they were when they were dating.

"You'll need to buy more butter if you're wanting me to make shortbread," she said hands on her hips.

"You got it, my love," he waved pulling out of the driveway.

I let out a sigh, I wasn't exactly looking forward to a new school, it wasn't like I wasn't used to it, I mean my grandparents tried to keep my life as stable and consistent as possible but with my grandfathers work sometimes it wasn't possible. On the plus side, he was more or less retired now and this was supposed to be the last time we move, or at least the last school I would have to start new at. I only had 3 years of school left so they didn't really have a choice if they wanted my grades to be good.

"Are you looking forward to your new school?" He asked me, he had a smirk on his face, he knew I wasn't but he liked to poke fun at me when he had the chance.

"I'm so thrilled," I nodded.

"I'm sorry about all the moving bud, but you won't have to move school again, I promise,"

"I know,"

"Also, even if your day is bad, can you tell your grandmother that it was okay. She feels so guilty about moving you again and I think she might just cry if she knows your first day went badly,"

"I can't lie to her, I will just make sure that it doesn't go badly," I gave him a small smile.

"That's my boy" he nodded pulling I to the small deli.

"I best get the butter before I forget,"

He came back five minutes later with a bag of cooking butter and a bouquet of roses. He opened the back door placing them on the seat gently.

"How much butter did you buy?"

"6 blocks, you know how she gets, she'll start with the shortbread and then decide to make a cake or some slice," he shrugged.

"Now let's get you to school,"

***

"This is where your first class is, " the vice principle directed me to the sports class because apparently, I have sports first on a Monday.

"Mr. Jeffries, this is our new student Sam, "

"Do you want to introduce yourself,?" The sports teacher asked casually.

"Not really,"

"Take a seat, were playing football today, Matthew and Drew you're the captains pick your teams,"

"Sir," one of them whined.

"If you're on the same team the other team doesn't try because they know they'll lose, Matthew, you pick first,"

"Come on new kid, let's see what you've got," Matthew ushered me up.

***

"Dude, that was amazing! You should think of joining our team," Matthew praised me. He was thrilled we had beat his friends' team and apparently he was giving me the credit for it.

"Yeah?" I responded more out of politeness than interest.

"Yeah, we could really use someone else who can actually play,"

"You have a team of people who can't play?" I raised an eyebrow.

"They try, some of them really aren't that good, but you can't fault them for trying," he shrugged.

"Where are you next?" he asked.

"Ah, math I think,"

"With Mrs. Quills?"

"Sounds right," I shrugged.

"You're with me, come on. See you at recess bro," he called back to Drew.

"You know you don't have to show me around?" I commented, Mr. Jeffries had told him that he should be my guide this week.

"Dude, I'm just going to math. You happen to be in the same class," he smirked.

"Okay," I nodded.

I followed him through the campus, into a large building, and up the stairs.

"Yo!" A blonde nerdy looking guy called from the top of the stairs.

"Awe, are you waiting for me?"

"Kind of, I'm more avoiding going into class without back up,"

"Why?"

"Because half of them are talking about how your not-girlfriend is attractive and how they would like to hook up with her. I swear I'm going to throw up," he visibly shuttered.

"To be fair she does look pretty good," I shrugged.

"That's disgusting, who's the new kid?" he nodded towards me.

"Right, this is Sam,"

"Are you adopting strays again?"

"He has the same class as us, don't be a douche. This is Jae by the way,"

"Sup," he nodded.

"No one really likes him," Matthew joked.

"Not true," Jae defended himself.

"You're right, Debbie Chow loves you,"

"Argh, can we please just go to math? It's less painful," he rolled his eyes.

"There you are," a girl towards the back of the class sighed.

"I thought you were ditching class," she shook her head at Matthew and Jae.

"Why would we do that?"

"Because Mr. Watson hates you," she shrugged as Jae sat down next to her, Matthew sat behind her gesturing for me to take the seat next to him.

He had been okay so far, I mean Jae wasn't as nerdy and I thought he would be, he did kind of look like chicken little though but so far they didn't seem like people I wouldn't be friends with.

"Hi, I'm Coco," the girl smiled at her.

"Are you two dating?" I pointed between her and Jae.

"What? No," she shook her head, Jae's seemed to freeze, his eyes as big as saucers.

"We're just friends," Jae stated slowly.

"I'm that idiots sister," Coco pointed at Matthew.

"Oh," I nodded as a short fat man waddled into the room his hair, or what was left of it, was white but he didn't seem that old.

"Argh," Jae groaned.

"I heard that," the teacher stated without turning around.

"I hope you two aren't corrupting our new student, you could learn a thing or two from him," he said once he had reached his desk and turned around.

"No Sir," Matthew stated.

"Uhuh, I would be more careful picking your friends Sam," the teacher stated.

"I haven't made friends yet sir, but I think I'm more than capable of choosing them for myself," I stated casually.

"I see they have already rubbed off on you,"

"So where did you move from?" Matthew asked after the teacher had finished explaining what we were supposed to be doing.

"Melbourne,"

"But you're not from there right?"

"No, I'm from Thousand Oaks, California" I shrugged.

"I thought so, he's also from Cali," he nodded towards Jae.

"Can you really sound yourself as being from there when you haven't lived there since you were life 5?" Coco asked.

"He goes back enough and sounds like he is from there to say so," BM stated.

"Can you four please pay attention? I'm sorry if my class is interrupting your socializing, but as you walked into my class door I assumed you wanted to learn math,"

"You know what they say about assuming," Jae commented, Coco smacked him in the arm.

"Sorry sir," she gave him a sweet smile.

"I think he has a thing for you," Jae whispered to her when Mr. Watson just sighed and turned around.

"Ew," Coco frowned.

The class dragged on, or maybe it just felt that way because I already knew all of this. Jae made comment after comment and I understood why the teacher disliked him, BM wasn't as bad but he wasn't any different either.

When the bell rang everyone was quick to pack their books away. BM turned to me,

"Do you want to come chill with us?" he asked. I just shrugged, it beat the alternative, which was sitting on my own getting the new kid looks.

"Who else is he going to chill with? He only knows us," Jae commented.

"He's not wrong," I shrugged again.

"He's wrong plenty," Coco stated.

"Come on, come meet the rest of us," BM patted my shoulder.

"There's more of you?"

"Only three," he shrugged.

"There's Buff two, Chewbacca, and my Brosive," Jae commented.

"Thea will beat you up if she hears you call her Chewbacca," Coco frowned at him.

"And Drew would sulk knowing he is 2nd, but what are you going to do?" Jae shrugged.

"Come on," Matthew lead us down to the courtyard and over to a half wall where a girl with light pink hair and a guy with about the same build as Matthew were sitting.

"Where's Thea?" Matthew asked.

"Probably boning someone in the bathroom," Jae shrugged.

"I have more class than you dipshit," the girl I assumed to be Thea came wandering up the path.

"Here," she handed the girl with the pink hair a cruiser pie.

"Thanks,"

"Oh, give me some,"

"No, I need it if I'm going to deal with you," she shook her head opening the packet, Jae lent over and took a bite.

"Dude, seriously?" she frowned.

"What? It's not like you would have eaten it all anyway,"

"Who is this?" Thea smirked at me.

"Oh right, sorry bro. This is Sam, he is new. Sam this is Thea, Drew, and Charlie,"

"Hey there," Thea smirked. Charlie nodded, acknowledging my being there but not seeming to really care so much.

"Come on, we only have limited time to do this," Charlie stood up,

"Can you guys lock the door this time? I don't want to walk in on that again and I don't think anyone else needs to either," Thea shuddered.

I guess those two are dating, that would be why Coco and Jae were so weirded out when I assumed they were dating. It's probably why she barely acknowledge my being there. I mean, I'm not saying that she should be looking at me or that I'm attractive enough to hold the attention of everyone. But, every other girl in this school including Thea has been staring at me all day.

I also felt drawn to her, I'm not sure why, there was something about her that I felt instantly and it wasn't just because she was insanely gorgeous, which she was. But there was definitely something there.

"Wait," Thea called as they started to walk away. She started ruffling through her bag and pulled out a Polaroid camera.

"Dude, seriously?" Charlie sighed.

"We have to commemorate the day Sam joined our group," Thea stated.

"How long do you think he'll last?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Awe, I don't know. I think he'll be around for a while," she smirked at me.

"Thea, can you not try and not sleep with the new kid?" Drew frowned.

"I'm 100% sure he is already interested in someone else," she looked between in me and Charlie, it was subtle so I'm pretty sure no one but me noticed.

"Just take the photo so we can go," Jae stated.

"Here, can you take it?" Thea handed the camera out to Drew.

"Why can't I be in the photo?" he pouted.

"You take this one then I'll take the next with you in it," she shrugged.

"Fine," he sighed.

"You realised you didn't ask Sam if he wanted to be in the photo, or even if he wanted to join our group? Matthew stated.

"It's too late now, he has already fallen down the rabbit hole," Thea waved him off.

"I'm sorry about her," he shook his head.

"Don't you apologised for me, Matthew,"

"Ohhh," Jae commented.

"Can we just take the photo please, some of us have places to be," Charlie sighed.

"One, two, three," Drew counted then clicked the button.

"Okay, switch," Drew stated.

"No switch, we have to go," Charlie grabbed Jae's wrist.

"Nice meeting you Seth," Charlie waved.

"His name is Sam," Jae commented.

"Whatever," she shrugged.

They got up and left.

"So what do you say, Sam? Do you want to be a part of our little group?" Matthews turned to me.

"Why not?" I shrugged. They seemed like good people, and I felt like they would be a good group to be a part of.

END

I put the photo back in the box and closed the lid.

"Come on, you can sleep in my bed, you can't climb onto the top bunk and you definitely can't sleep with that abomination," Charlie shuddered.

"Are you trying to get me into your bed?" I smirked.

"I'm trying to make sure you're not I'm more pain than you already are," she stated. BM huffed as he walked into Thea's bedroom.

"Right," I nodded.

"Sleep here then, whatever," she shrugged walking into her bedroom, she left her door open knowing I would follow.

BM

"Oh my god," Thea groaned rolling out of bed.

"What?" I yawned.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she left the room.

I frowned after her, she doesn't normally get hungover, and when she does in never more than a bit of a headache. I stretch getting out of bed to follow her, if she really does throw up she'll be a mess.

She was hunched over the toilet dry heaving. I thought maybe she would be okay, as she threw up.

"Maybe that's your body reacting to making out with Jae," I commented out loud. I hadn't meant to say it to her. She frowned at me once she had finished.

"What?"

"You and Jae were fully making out last night,"

"I get it, I drunk too much. You don't need to try and make me feel worse. I'll stop drinking so much," she waved me off.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me,"

"You have no proof,"

"Well actually," I shrugged as she started throwing up again.

CHARLIE

"I told you they wouldn't believe us," BM stated.

"Just because we both got a little drunk doesn't mean we would make out with each other," Jae pulled a face before continuing with his bowl of cereal.

"This is literally the first time I actually agree with him," Thea looked like admitting that caused her pain.

"Good call with the photo," I nodded.

"What photo?" They both froze.

"This photo," BM pulled the photo from the Polaroid box.

"Oh my god!" Thea looked like she was going to be sick.

"Why is that in the box?" Jae frowned.

"Because if we're going to have to have it seared into our brain for the rest of our life, you have to have a consistent reminder," BM explained.

"There is no way that happened," Jae shook his head.

"Oh, it happened," I glared at him.

"Are you mad at me?" he frowned confused.

"Dude, bro code," I stated.

"But you're only mad at me?" he continued to frown.

"I honestly expect this from Thea, she's a hoe, she sleeps with everyone," I shrugged, I mean I was kind of mad at her but she was Thea.

"That's true, also you were getting me drunk," she nodded thoughtfully then frowned.

"Did you get me drunk to make out with me?" she looked at him horrified.

"Oh my god, no!" he looked just as horrified.

"You guys are lucky you only made out," Sam commented coming out of my room.

"What do you mean?" Thea asked carefully.

"If it were for BM and Charlie, you two would have had sex," he shrugged continuing to the bathroom.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Thea almost dry heaved.

"You also made a drunk pact, that if you were both still single at 40, you would get together," BM nodded playing back their drunk recording.

"Oh my god, just shoot me," Thea got up leaving the room.

"I don't feel well," Jae shook his head retreating back to the spare room.

"I think we sufficiently scared them," BM nodded.

JACKSON

"Want to go grab lunch?" I asked casually.

"Sure, why not?" Mark shrugged getting up from the lounge.

We threw on some shoes and made our way down to the street. If I was being honest I had an ulterior motive to having lunch with him. Thea and I had finally agreed to meet next Saturday and I think I would act more like myself if Mark was there. If I'm in my own I'm not or likely to be louder and show off I guess, mostly because of nerves.

I asked Thea to send me photos of her friend, she sent me the link to her Instagram instead. I was hoping it would help me convince Mark to come. Her friend was attractive, and completely Mark's type. Not that he would admit to having a type.

"Noodle forum?" He asked, it was literally two doors down from our apartment building entrance.

"Sounds good," I nodded. We ordered out food and sat down, we were here so offended that I'm sure they would already know our order before we even said anything.

"So have you decided if you want to be a really awesome friend and come with me to lunch with Thea and her friend?" I asked.

"Have you got a photo of her?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Of Thea or her friend?"

"Her friend, obviously," he frowned at me.

"Right, I have her Instagram,"

"That will do," he nodded.

MARK

He handed me his phone with her Instagram up, I opened my own pool home and searched it through my own account. Handing him his phone back.

"So?" He asked impatiently.

"Give me a second to actually look through her account,"

"Oh yeah," he nodded.

She was gorgeous, and I could see that Jackson was probably going to bug me until I agreed so it was just easier to agree. I press the follow button.

"When's lunch?"

"Next Saturday,"

"As long as I don't have to go into the office I'll come," I nodded.

"Thanks man," he smiled at me.

"We both know you were just going to bug me until I said yes,"

"I would not," he defended but the tone in his voice proved my point.

Jackson went to shower once we'd got back to the apartment, my phone beeped, it was just a notification; CharliesDeJaVooo had posted. She was really attractive, even if she looked like she was wearing pyjamas and had just thrown her hair up. I clicked on her name and scrolled through her Instagram properly. She had a lot of followers, honestly it was probably all the naked that she had on here, well, it wasn't naked so much as it was just her showing skin, but it was appreciated. Even when she didn't look like she was trying she was still gorgeous. Maybe having lunch with her wouldn't be so bad.

"What you looking at?" Jackson asked from behind me, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Well if you want me to go on a date with her, then I need to know what she looks like,"

"I thought you looked at her already?"

"Skimming through her photos and agreeing to it so you wouldn't be a pest is different to actually looking through her photos," I defended.

"Whatever you say," he shrugged walking over to the kitchen.