•••
[The song is Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day]
•••
"Clarissa and Wyatt"
•••
The bell rings as everyone takes there seats for mr Mathews history class. Oliver just pulls his hood down and sinks further down. He could already tell Mr Mathews was going to go off on one about cell phones- based off the poor mobile the teacher had in a depth grip.
"You guys don't connect with each other- It's like you can't exist without these. You use emoticons rather than emotions. You're an unfeeling generation of zombies." Says Mr Mathews instantly causing Riley and Maya to mimic zombies.
"Stop eating her." He turns to the new arrival to address her properly "you're late, Miss Myzell."
"My goldfish died." She replies in a (to put in nicely) dead-zombie-robot-hybrid voice.
"You see? This is what I'm talking about. Miss Myzell has clearly suffered a tragic loss. Yet, she does not seem in touch with her actual emotions!"
Myzell Flatly replies, "Excuse me? I am crying my eyes out. I'm gonna have to leave class early." Before storming out.
Oliver scoffs and mutters to himself "she actually made it out the door this time."
"Oh, she actually made it out the door this time."
'Huh, great minds think alike or some other load of potatoes' Oliver can't help but think.
The door opens and Myzell comes back inside repeating the same fact for the third time.
"Dad," Riley starts, and a rush of annoyance fills Oliver's body- here we go! Oliver had attended this school for one day and it was already crystal clear Riley need to be the centre of attention, weather it was on purpose or not.
"adjust and deal. Cell phones have been around for, like, ever." Riley finishes and Oliver just kind of gapes at the brunette, did she actual believe that?
"It'll amaze you to know that there was a whole world before you and cell phones."
It amazes Oliver some people can be so dense.
"And it'll amaze you to know that I have 394 friends in here." The girl states in a 'I'm right and there no possible chance you can argue with me' tone whilst Tapping her cell phone screen.
"And I'm amazed that you believe that." Oliver mutters not-so-quietly meaning everyone heard. Oliver shoots a quick glance around to find Lucas giving him a small grin and farkle holding back a laugh.
Cory takes control drawing a line across the chalkboard. "This is a timeline of all human existence. Starting here, " he Points at the start of the timeline, "is everyone who ever lived, laughed, loved, and understood the value of life. The cellphone era, which begins right around here," the teacher continues making another line almost at the end of the timeline, "pretty much destroys all of that. Way to go, you."
Oliver lets out a sarcastic whoop, Before giving his best announcers voice; "The human race ladies and gentlemen! Destroying everything since there was things to destroy!"
Lucas raises his hand. "Sir, if I may take a different position?"
"Yeah, save me, Mr. Friar. Do I go too far?" Says mr Mathews.
"Always, sir. I understand your point, but I use my phone to video chat my old friends and to find out what's going on in Texas."
"Yeah." Maya decides to pipe in, "How else can he keep tabs on all the hoedowns?"
"Maya!"
"Don't forget the cattle pageants!" Oliver chimes in and Maya shoots him a smirk.
Lucas speaks, "It's okay, Riley. I'm unaffected by Maya's views and Oliver's comments on country life. As my Uncle Buster always says, 'Be like an eagle and soar above the mockingbird.' "
Riley turns to Maya, "You're the mockingbird."
"I know." She turns to Lucas, "It kills me that I can't get to you."
Lucas gives a bright grin and Tips imaginary hat- "sorry, ma'am."
Maya who just shudders before turning away.
"I'm here all year for you to enjoy my comments as the fan-flipping-tasting narrator!"
Farkles hand raises. And he asked "Farkle time, sir?"
"Oh, I love Farkle time."
So do I, Oliver can't help but think.
The teacher and student trade places.
"With all due respect to history, Mr. Matthews, what's important to our generation will be on this side of the timeline, when Farkle and technology rule." The condemn roll of a boy turns to Riley, "And I will easily be able to make another one of you." He plucks a hair from her head."
"Ow!"
Farkle turns to maya, "And another one of you." He pulls a second hair from the blondes hair.
Maya (Flatly) replies with an "Ow."
Riley speak up "Wait, so now there's four of us and one of you?"
"I've gotta say that's a bit creepy."
"Correction Oliver thats awesome. The future, you can't escape it, I am Farkle!" The boy replies doing some type of shout and bow?
The teacher and student swap again and mr Mathews takes the floor, "The assignment, you can't escape it, I am teacher!"
Horrified at the mans attempt of mimicking Farkle Oliver speaks again, "if you do that again I'm actually going to sue you."
After pregnant pause Mr Mathews starts to talk again, "Okay, so here's what we're going to do, guys. We're going to split into teams and discover whether or not new technology has made us better people. You'll do presentations on your findings. And here's a twist. No computers."
Farkle practically screams what at the no computer rule.
"We're going old school. You're going to do your research at the New York Public Library."
Maya turns to Riley "Where?!"
"And here's another twist because I trust you not at all. Give me your cell phones."
"No!"
"Yeah!" Mr Mathews goes around with a basket, "Come on, hand 'em up, hand 'em up." Oliver pushes his battered flip phone into the basket. "Thank you,thank you. Okay, so our teams for this assignment."
"Maya." Farkle hops onto the blondes lap asking what's up, only to be pushed off.
"And Riley, you will be with... " he looks around finding people already in groups, "No! No!No!" The bell rings and everyone starts to leave.
Mr Mathews asks Lucas, "Why did you have to come here?"
Lucas replies by saying, "Sorry I make you uneasy, sir." Before leaving.
"Oh, Dad, we don't even have our phones. I mean, what could possibly happen?"
The man stares after his daughter for a moment before sinking into his chair.
A cough makes him look up to find Oliver's tall frame opposite his desk.
"Can I help you, Oliver?"
"Uh- Sir, I know how this is going to sound but I need my phone back it's jus-"
"Nope sorry! No can do! I won't make exceptions." Mr Mathews states standing with the basket in hand preparing to lock it in his bottom draw.
"No! It's no like that- i don't want it for me." That caught the teachers attention.
"I'm supposed to be looking after my brother this week and if anything happens he won't be able to get in touch with me! And my other sibling too. Please... I need that phone"
"I suppose I can give you it back. But if your lying I won't help you again."
"Honestly I'm not!! I swear- thank you sir."
Oliver takes the phone before rushing from the classroom and to his science class.
•••
Oliver ended up partnered with Clarissa and Wyatt. They met at
Svorski's Bakery After school to discuss there presentation.
Clarissa had a vanilla muffin, Wyatt ordered a hot chocolate and the pair were quiet surprised to find Oliver wearing a apron behind the counter.
They grabbed a booth and After a quick word with mrs Svorski, Oliver slid in opposite the pair.
"Hey, sorry about that."
"No worries. How long have you worked here for?" Asked Wyatt.
"Literally two months. My family needed some extra cash and mrs svorski was hiring so... Ta da!"
Clarissa steers the topic by asking, "How do you guys want to do this project then?"
There's a moment of silence as each person takes a moment to think before Oliver shatters the silence by slamming his hand onto the table.
"I've got it! Sorry, okay, this might sound weird and I won't be offend if you don't want to but what if we, uh, wrote a song?"
Clarissa jumps on the opportunity- "I play the violin."
"I guess it could work, I can play drums and the keyboard." Wyatt sips his hot chocolate , "Oliver can you play anything? and one of you will have to sing my voice the equivalent of ten cats screeching and a rusty chainsaw?"
"I play the guitar" Oliver replies.
"It's a plan then. Since you don't want to sing, Wyatt , I only really want to do the chorus and maybe the bridge. Oliver would you be good singing the rest? Can you sing?"
"I'm down with that. I guess I can kind of sing." Olive bites his lip before more words spill from his lips, "Ms svorski's been trying to get me to sing something all week- 'cuz I usually sing on Fridays and Saturdays to pick up extra cash. I'll just ask her and you guys can judge me, yeah?"
Wyatt and Clarissa share look, before Wyatt shrugs and Clarissa tells Oliver to go ahead.
Oliver starts to leave before he speaks at a rapid barley understandable pace, "Clarissa, can I call you clary?"
"I don't mind."
"Ok your Clary now. Wyatt would you be offended if I called you y? 'Cuz this one time I didn't ask about nicknames and ohhhh, dang... lets just say someone got jumped. There was a lot- 'an I mean a lot- of blood."
The pair just stare stunned at there classmate who seemed to have spoken at a thousand miles per hour.
"Ehhhh.... sure?" Wyatt now being called y (or why if you want proper pronunciation) offers and Oliver gives a big grin before turning and actually leaving this time.
"I didn't know he spoke that much." Clarissa states after several moments, coming to her senses from that overload of information.
"Yeah... he leaves quiet the impression. How does he have so much energy?"
"Probably coffee. If we do, actually, become friends I hope his energy levels rub off on me." Wyatt states with a small smile.
Oliver turns away and rushes to mrs svorski opening his mouth to ask only for the old lady to speak first- "yes. I heard you conversation-set up the speakers and drag them into here this time, okay?"
"Sure! Thanks Mrs svorski."
Oliver sets to work and in no time he's ready to sing. Unknowingly to him, as he gets peoples attention to announce his special one time show he's vibrating with nerves under the cool mask he's glued in place, a certain Smiley brunette and her blonde best friend stand in the door way.
"Hopefully you all enjoy! Here goes nothing..."
The music fades in and only around half the baker reconise the song. Clarissa stands for a better view, her gaze becoming rather judgemental.
'No pressure then.' Thinks Oliver.
"I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me, and I walk alone"
Oliver started to feel the music now, and his voice flowed more freely, jumping to each note as a trained acrobat would preform.
"I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one, and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a-"
He gradually glides to the counter before spinning with the skill of a ballerina to face his audience.
"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone"
Oliver felt those words really, he hated others worrying about him and no matter how bad things got it he could never burden others with his problems.
"I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the borderline
Of the edge and where I walk alone
Read between the lines
What's messed up, and everything's all right
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive, and I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a-"
He sits onto the booth table of where his now standing group previously sat to sing directly to them,
"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
I walk alone, I walk a-"
That was true he was alone for at least three years being forced to learn what to do and what not to do the hard way .
The guitar solo picks up and Oliver mines along.
"I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one, and I walk a-"
He really felt that, he should've been a better son and maybe he wouldn't of been kicked to the streets.because there the night is a another dimension.
Oliver moves along to end where he started the song,
"My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone"
He was alone for a long while. Just him his hat, and his shadow.
The cafe breaks into applause as Oliver heads back to Wyatt and Clary, "what'ch ya think?"
Clarissa was surprised. Wyatt was in awe. His voice had clearly broke (leaving Wyatt slight jealous due to being a late bloomer of sorts), his voice was a smooth bass which could climb octaves like a person can up the stairs.
"Amazing!" Clary shouts as Wyatt says "your definitely singing for us."
•••
They sat in the booth for five hours (leaving for a few minutes to collect various notebooks and instruments).
When the time for history rolls around the next day the trio were sure there project wouldn't be a total disaster.
•••
[2378 words]
Thanks for reading,
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