Uh...France?{Jeffmads}

References.

three

Thomas watched his street pass by through the bus window, he remained in his seat.
Soon it stopped again, this time at James's street, kids had already stood and filled the isle. Thomas joined then.
As soon as he stepped foot onto the cracked concrete path, he bolted down to James's house.
Seeing the Madison's cars parked out front reassured him that James would be home.
He stopped and knocked eagerly.

"Thomas, hello." James's mother greeted him, she smiled down at him.
"Are you here to see James?"

"Yeah." Thomas nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"He's up in his room, but he's not feeling too well." She stepped aside to let Thomas in.

"Thank you, Mrs Madison." He nodded and headed right up the stairs to his friend's bedroom.
He didn't knock before entering.

James laid on his bed, his back against the head and a book in his hands.
A box of tissues sat beside him on the bed.
He looked up and smiled.

"Hey." He said tiredly, his voice was croaky.

"How could you?" Thomas responded with faux anger. James looked at him, puzzled.
"Leaving me alone on the first day of middleschool.”

"Sorry, but if you haven't noticed- I'm sick." James, frowning, closed his book and sat it aside.

"You're always sick." Thomas complained, dramatically throwing himself onto the bed.
James chuckled.

"What's our teacher like?" He asked, knowing the two were in the same class- Mr Eacker's.

Thomas let out an exaggerated groan, rolling his eyes.

"That bad?" James asked, now a little concerned about having this teacher.
Thomas nodded before sitting up.

"You gotta come tomorrow."
James nodded.

~

When James got on the bus, he saw Thomas saving a seat for him not too far from the back.

"Hey." He said as he sat down, he felt better then yesterday but his throat was still sore and his voice a little raspy.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, a little." James gave a small convincing smile to which Thomas returned.
Somehow they managed to hold a conversation over the obnoxiously loud kids on the bus, both being relived when they finally arrived at school.

Thomas lead James straight to their classroom. Other kids were in the halls talking or just hanging around by themselves. Some kids were sitting on the bag racks.

"Who's in our class?" James asked as a conversation starter.

"Aaron's with us," Thomas said, "there's three new girls- sisters. I dont know their names.
Oh, and Alex."

James frowned and sighed.
"And Alex." He repeated sadly.

"Yep." Thomas said with agreement in his tone.
After that the two remained silent until the bell finally rang.

Students filled the hall and bags filled the racks. Classes were let in.
Thomas and James found seats near the back of the room, Alex and his friend John sat right at the front.
Aaron sat in the middle, next to one of the three girls Thomas had told James of.
He tried talking to her, she looked away.

"Quiet, please." Said Mr Eacker from the front of the room. The loud conversations continued.
"I said be quiet!" He shouted, slamming his role onto his desk.
James and Thomas jumped, as did some other students.
Mr Eacker smiled and began marking the role.

"Aaron?" He asked with a frown, the same frown he wore when reading the other names.
"Angelica, Eliza and Peggy?"

The three girls raised their hands.

"The Schuyler sisters." Mr Eacker said with distaste.
James already knew he hated this teacher.

He gave them homework in the first week and punished them for the littlest things. He didn't seem to have any verbal filter except for swearing.

"I hate this teacher." Thomas whispered, not looking up from his worksheet.

"This year is gonna suck." James said back, Thomas mumbled a sound of agreement.

"Finished, sir!" A voice from the front of the class announced proudly.
Neither James or Thomas had to look up to know it was Alex, beaming with accomplishment and waving his paper in the air.

Mr Eacker snatched it from his hand and scanned his eyes over both sides. With a satisfied grunt he handed it back and proceeded to wall around the room with his hands behind his back.
Occasionally he would scold someone for something but mainly observed silently.

He stopped by Aaron, who'd kept trying his luck with Angelica. He scoffed a little and kept walking, eventually reaching the two boys.

"Yesterday, why weren't you here?" He asked, standing in front of James's desk.

"I-I was sick." James answered nervously, cautiously looking up at the stern teacher.
A hint of disgust in his expression, he turned away.
Both James and Thomas let out a relived sigh then laughed.

"Quiet." Mr Eacker scolded from one side of the room, the two boys tried to stop. They smiled looking at each other, forcing themselves to stop laughing.

The bell eventually went, Thomas, James and Aaron all headed to the oval.
Not too many students were playing there, there was a game of soccer happening at one end.
The three sat somewhere toward the far end, watching the game taking place at the other.
Aaron told them about Angelica.

"I don't think she likes you." Thomas said, making James stifle a laugh. They'd been watching how she ignored Aaron as he tried to talk to her.
After a while their small talk was interrupted.
A ball invaded their small somewhat triangle and hit James and Thomas, who sat a little close to each other.
Thomas grabbed the ball and stood to find who it came from.
Alex ran towards him.

"That hit us." He said sternly, still holding the ball.

"That's not my problem." Alex rolled his eyes. Behind him, John,  Eliza and another girl were slowly making their way to join him.

"Alex, where's the ball?" Eliza asked before seeing Thomas.

"Thomas, can we have our ball back?" John asked. Thomas didn't have a problem with him, he was nice.
"Please?"

Thomas tossed the ball to him.
Alex huffed and turned away. John and Eliza followed, but the other girl stayed a moment more.
She smiled and waved at Aaron before leaving too.
Aaron blushed and beamed.

"Ah, look at Aaron. He's blushing." James laughed.

"Our little Aaron is crushing." Thomas said, Aaron hit them both.

"No, I'm not!" He protested, making James and Thomas only laugh more.

~
References