DRIVE LIKE I DO - m.h

2 - secondary school blues

Matty

I shuffled my feet relentlessly as I gazed above me at the rusty, black gates. I kicked a pebble, letting it roll down the street, ignoring the pain that shot through the foot of my scuffed, brown shoes.

Fucking school.

It's bad enough as it is, without having to transfer. This place looked rough. Mostly what I had expected.

It was tall, made out of red-brown brick. Long, slender windows lined the corridors, the white paintwork peeling away from the damp, Irish weather.

My mind buzzed as I contemplated making a run for it. It's not like my parents would have noticed, I didn't seem to exist to them lately.

I looked into the main yard, yet again - boys in navy uniforms and black shoes sprawled across the scene. Half of them holding ciggies between their yellow tinged teeth. I took a sigh, closing my eyes to somehow try to hold back the river of tears threatening to pour at any moment before pushing my silver-rimmed glasses up the slightly crooked bridge of my nose.

I felt an arm brush past mine, but I kept my eyes shut, too scared as to who I might encounter. I could no longer feel the material-on-material contact, but I could still sense the presence of someone or something.

I opened my eyes cautiously, to be greeted with a rather lanky boy with wiry brown hair. He wasn't looking at me, but rather staring into the distance. He too, had a greasy looking cigarette hanging off his lip. I furrowed my brows at him as I wondered as to what exactly he was looking at - still feeling slightly on edge that he was standing so blatantly close to myself.

"Y'new here?" he exhaled the grey smoke, still locked on the view in front of him, causing me to jump at his sudden confrontation. It took me a second to reply but I finally got out an answer.

"Yeah, is it obvious?" I replied, still feeling slightly intimidated by this tree sized boy, who was exhaling more smoke than a steam engine.

"Cool" he replied, dodging my question before letting his cigarette fall to the ground before crushing it lifeless with his hobnailed boot. "See you around."
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The bell sounded and I shook my head harshly, the tall boy disappearing out of view. I walked through the grounds, feeling as though I just wanted the earth to swallow me up. I received a few snickers and odd looks, I probably looked so abnormal with my too-short trousers and brown shoes. I didn't really have much of an excuse for my ankle grazer pants as I wasn't exactly what would be considered, tall.

I hung my head and paced to the principals office as quick as I could, trying to avoid anyone who looked particularly important or like they could potentially beat me up. I was rather small, so that wouldn't be a difficult task.

The halls had mostly emptied as I reached my destination. My heart thudded as I pulled on the screeching, bronze door handle.

I saw a balding, particularly irritated looking middle aged man sat at the worn, oak desk. He was a sporting a black robe with white accents, the usual for most professors. He stared at me through his round glasses as if I had murdered his child or something. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Matthew Healy, I'm supposing?" he barked out, almost causing me to almost jump out of my skin.

My palms were sweaty as I have looked down before returning a short reply. "It's Matty actually." I trailed off rather quietly, feeling disobedient. My voice came out sounding dry and somewhat mousy.

He chuckled, almost evilly, sending a chill down my spine. He abruptly stood up from his desk, before walking around and encircling me.

I spotted him eyeing the outgrown ends of my navy trousers and my brown, scuffed shoes for a brief moment before sitting back into his rickety wooden chair.