BeautifulyBlue: READ DESCRIPTION OF THE STORY FIRST! This takes place 2 months after the events of "Super 8" when school restarts. First chapter, sorry if it's a little slow. But please review!

Joe biked down the empty streets of Lillian. The cool weather and the color change of the leaves was a sign that summer was ending, and 2 glorious days of summer left until he entered high school. He'd heard some pretty intense stories of that school…the one that scared him most was that seniors threw freshmen into trashcans. Orientation was a week and a half ago, the moment he and the gang stepped through the doors, all they saw were crowds of giant people. He was happy with his schedule, a class with Charles here, another with Cary there,

Then homeroom with Alice.

He hadn't talked to Alice in a while, he didn't catch her at orientation but there was no doubt he'd see her at school. Although the feud between his dad and hers was over, that didn't necessarily mean they were buddy-buddy.

He biked past Charles' house, meaning his own would be around the corner. He lived in a small neighborhood. When he said everyone knew everyone, he meant it. When he pulled up his dad's car was gone…meaning he'd have to scrounge his own food to eat. His chocolate Labrador Lucy immediately hopped off the couch to greet him,

"Hey Lucy," he petted her head, then he noticed the calendar on the fridge was way off. He marked off the last two weeks, then he noticed the date, August 22 was circled. It was too close to that days date for his liking. The one thing he hoped was he could start fresh this year, as if nothing happened…at all.

When he biked to school two days later, he squeezed his way inside of the freshman building. Hallways scrambled with 'excited' students, he looked around hoping to find someone he knew, then an unbelievably loud voice called,

"JOSEPH LAMB!"

It was Cary, he had just walked in through the main doors. Joe smiled, "Hey. Have you se-"

Cary grabbed his shoulders, he was always dramatic on the first days of school, "Why is no one here? If Charles doesn't get his butt over here, I'm going to have to skip first hour ALONE!"

"Why would you skip? It's your first da-"

"Don't you remember? The tradition?"

Joe smirked nodding, Cary's brother (who was currently a junior) Nathan skipped his first class on his first day of high school. Before that it was their cousin, their uncle…and their father. Cary was never one to break tradition. Cary could see Charles looking at his schedule then around the hallways confused, he immediately ran,

"Bye Joe! CHARLES!"

Joe grabbed Cary's bag, "Wait! Have you seen Alice?" Cary turned at him, an unsurprised look,

"Really Joe?"

Joe laughed, letting go. His true intention was to walk with her to homeroom, but there was no sign of her even when the first bell rang. He started to walk to his new locker, putting a few unneeded items inside to get rid of some weight in his bag. He stood there waiting to see if she'd pass by some more. He began to remember that Alice mentioned living close by to the high school and he figured she'd be sitting in home room by now. When he arrived there were a few other classmates he had known for a while sitting at various desks. Then there was Alice, supposedly starting on the morning assignment written on the board. He took a second to himself and worked up the gut,

"Hey, Alice."

She looked up, moving her bangs out of her eyes, "Hey Joe." she smiled. He sat in the desk next to hers, he looked at the board. With English as their first hour, the warm up was to write seven pros and seven cons about themselves. Joe thought that was somewhat petty, but took out a sheet of paper anyway. He kept looking at her every few seconds, hoping to have small talk before everyone got to class,

"So…how was the rest of your summer- after we made the movie I mean."

She smiled, "Good. My dad and I went to Sanibel."

"Down in Florida?"

She nodded, Joe's eyes widened, he heard how irrevocably hot it was. That would explain why Alice's pale skin was turned golden. He heard the door slam and a tall woman with pale skin and poodle-like red hair walked in,

"Hello, welcome to the 9th grade, for starters we'll be sharing what you wrote on today's warm up-"

Joe leaned over to Alice, "I-I'm glad that we got a class together." he whispered as sincerely as possible. Alice smiled, she pushed her hair behind her ears as it kept falling in her face,

"Me to."

The second bell rang.

Martin and Preston were placed in the AP classes. They'd be together for yet another year. They sat bored in their Algebra class, ready for it to be the end of the year even though it had just begun. Preston tapped Martin's arm who had his head down,

"Hey, why aren't you copying the notes?"

Martin looked at him like he had woken him from his nap, "We learned this in 1st grade Preston, and I didn't get to sleep in this morning." Preston smirked,

"Back to school blues get you already?"

"Is there anything you'd like to share with the class…Preston?"

He smiled nervously, "No sir. My friend here just asked me a question."

Martin had then sat up in his desk, he leaned over whispering to Preston, "Listen, we need to talk after class."

Preston raised a brow, "About what?"

"What are you two going on about now?" The entire class turned to them once again, Martin talked this time,

"How…interesting, this lesson was…sir."

The teacher folded his arms, "Once more word and detention for the both of you."

They both put their heads into their binders, "Yes sir."

While Charles and Cary should be in their P.E. class, they were out in the hallways, Cary continuing the family tradition as he should, getting a soda from a machine.

"Cary, please remind me as to why I agreed skipping first class with you?"

Cary smiled, "Because you're a great friend?" He was horrible at sucking up. The machine spit out his dollar for the fifth time and he finally pounded it with his fist, the bang echoed down the halls.

"C'mon man! Don't do that what if we get caught?"

The soda finally fell, and Cary kept his dollar, he looked at Charles, "You really think we're gonna get caught?" he sipped it nonchalantly,

"If you keep making all that noise-" Cary held a hand up, an expression of boredom and pointed to the security camera down the hall, he looked back at Charles,

"I think if the staff cared, we would've gotten caught by now." Cary smiled and waved at the camera. He heard an aggravated sigh from Charles.

Then they heard a door from down the hall open.

"Oh shit!"

The two ran down to the end of the hall and hid behind the wall. They could hear multiple footsteps and Cary elbowed Charles, "You check it out." He peeked out to see a woman, and a teenager around their age, he looked normal enough. It was apparent he was a student with the pass in his hand.

"It's just a guy and his mom." They stepped out, Cary got a good look at the boy, glasses, longish hair with a beanie, regular jacket and jeans. He looked at them from down the hall just before disappearing.

"Well that was interesting." Cary sipped his soda more, Charles looked at him, remembering he was broke,

"I want some."

"No way, I paid for it." Cary started backing away, holding the can as far away from Charles as his arms could.

He made a grab for it but failed "Paid? It spit your money out!"

They were circling around the hallway, "Well… I got my dollar crumbled up for it!"

15 minutes later the bell rang and homeroom was over, Joe caught Alice before she left the room, "So, where's your locker?" she walked about an inch down the hallway,

"Right here." she giggled. Joe watched as she turned the dial,

"So uh, our film, it won 2nd place." Alice had left to Sanibel before they got the results of the film festival.

She looked up, "Really? That's great!" she grabbed a binder from her locker. Joe just stood there, not sure what else to say,

"Yeah…but uh listen, I was wondering…maybe you'd…like to hang out this week?"

Alice's smile faded, "Oh…well, I don't know." she tucked her binder under her arm, "I mean I'd love to, it's just I don't know if I'm busy or-"

"Oh no! It's fine." Joe was able to keep the smile, albeit disappointed. "Just let me know as soon as you can." Alice smiled back and he walked off. However once he was gone, Alice lost her smile completely.

Cary and Charles had Earth/Space Science next, when they stepped in the class, Cary tossed his empty soda can, "You know…the tradition wasn't as…awesome as I thought it was gonna be." he remarked, emphasizing 'awesome'. Charles rolled his eyes,

"Bummer."

They stopped through the door, they saw someone quite familiar at one of the desks. Glasses, longish hair, beanie…

"Charles, isn't that the guy we saw in the hall-"

Charles shushed him, he wanted absolutely no hint that they skipped. The kid looked up at them, he was actually much creepier up close than a few feet apart. Pale skin and emerald eyes with no expression. He looked more ghostly than he did human. He looked back into his book.

Cary and Charles sat down, "Do you know him?" Charles nodded,

"Nope."

As if all that wasn't creepy enough, Charles looked at the kid again to realize he was staring at them again. However the moment Charles looked at him the kid's head shot down into his book again. The two got an uneasy feeling as the second bell rang.

Preston and Martin were assigned a group paper on "Meiosis vs. Mitosis". As Preston tried to read through the book Martin kept talking on and on,

"I've been telling you Preston, high school is supposed to be our year, the year that we shine?"

Preston held back a laugh, writing down a few notes, "The year that we shine? More like competition for valedictorian."

As much as Preston hated it himself, he and Martin weren't exactly 'popular' material; they didn't have the guts to skip, and were clueless when it came to girls. If they were lucky, they'd get the attention of a 6 year old girl. And they couldn't even do that.

"I'm tired of being stuck in the academics corner."

Preston looked up, he snorted, "Academics corner? You mean the people who have a higher chance of a successful life?"

"You get what I mean? I'm tired of being…a nerd."

Preston still had an entertained smirk, albeit an offended look in his eyes, Martin waved a hand,

"You get what I mean."

Preston continued to laugh, "Well look," he put his pencil down, "We've got our own little group; you, me, Joe, Charles and Cary. Isn't that enough?" Martin sighed, he got Preston's point. It was the sheer fact that they didn't have a shot that bothered him.

"I guess so."

Preston patted his shoulder, "Good, now can we finish our assignment before its due?"

Martin laughed and opened up his text book.

In Cary and Charles' class, Ms. Yingst walked around calling attendance,

"Jodi Merchant?"

"Here!"

Charles kept peeking back at the boy as Cary doodled firework patterns in his journal.

"Charles Cusack?"

Charles raised his hand, "Right here miss." she checked his name. As she called other students Charles tapped Cary's arm,

"That kid's creeping me out." he whispered.

Cary was to focused on his drawing, to truly pay attention to the conversation "Why is that?"

"Look at him! His eyes are like…dead-"

"Cary Scott?"

Cary raised his hand, "Here!" going almost directly back into his drawing.

"But I'm serious, he keeps staring at me, like he's gonna kill-"

"Richard Alexis?"

Richard Alexis? Never in all the years of knowing everyone's name by heart had they heard that. The two, along with the rest of the class looked at the kid. He looked at all of the other kids before raising his hand,

"Here." he muttered in the weakest voice possible. Yingst looked at him and checked his name off.

How did he not creep her out?

Then again…creepy teacher, creepy kid. Made enough sense. While the rest of the class went back to chatting and chewing their gum, Charles and Cary were the last to turn away.

Cary whispered, "I think his name's Richard."

"No shit, I guess he's new in town."

"Well…that doesn't explain why he keeps staring at us." Cary was still creeped out, peering over Charles's shoulder to see if Richard was looking again. Not this time.

Then Charles had it, "Maybe he thinks we're bad kids."

Cary winced in confusion, "What?"

"Think about it, he saw us skipping. Maybe he's one of those goody two shoes people who can't stand kids who do that-."

"Your being paranoid Charles." he went to outline the details of his drawing. Charles finally shrugged it off and began copying the notes that she was writing on the board.

-X-

At 1:45 the students walked to the cafeteria for lunch. The 9th graders all ate lunch together as Joe searched for the rest of his group. He found them at a table by the a window, they were already sharing their day so far, with the exception of Martin who was copying a few extra notes he missed from Preston and Cary who was playing his electronic football. He dropped his bag sitting down,

Preston lifted his apple, as a joke to greet his presence "And we have Joe!" Joe was about to talk until Preston continued, "Please tell me you have a normal story 'cause I cant listen to this guy anymore." he said eyeing Charles.

"I don't really have anything to talk about."

Preston sighed in relief, "Thank god!"

Martin finally put the binder down, "Oh my god. I hate AP."

Charles leaned across the table, "Joe! We've got, the creepiest kid in our science class," as he continued to talk, Joe eyed Alice with some of her girlfriends sitting at a table together, he looked at her laughing with her friend for a second before turning back to Charles,

"Sorry what?"

He sighed in frustration, "Never mind."

Cary finally put spoke, "Can you drop it Charles and shut up so I can win this…," he lifted his head up, "Oh hey Joe."

He tried his hardest not to laugh, "Hey… Cary."

Martin was done putting his binder away, he saw something on the other side of the cafeteria. Someone vaguely familiar, "Preston," he pointed to them, "Who does that look like to you?"

He turned around, "Holy shit! That's David Veach!"

Cary was half-listening back into his game, "The nerd?"

"Not anymore!"

David Veach was a geeky computer nerd for as long as the groups known him. Big hair, large glasses and he's had braces since fourth grade. But what they were seeing now was an attractive, and now apparently popular young man. He was sitting with a couple of well-known jocks and next to him, a blond, leggy girl wearing a tank top with her stomach hanging out.

Martin and Preston stared in wonder while the others didn't give much, "How the hell does he go from cyber dork to football jock over one summer?"

Martin suddenly smirked, "I'd like to find out." Preston didn't like that, he stopped him from standing up,

"Dude, forget it, he probably still hates us for bashing him in the 6th grade." He pulled Martin back down into his seat. While Preston went to eat his lunch, Martin was planning to get some 'advice' from this guy.

Charles tapped Cary's arm. He would not move at all completely focused on his game, he smacked it, "Ow!-"

"Look."

Richard was sitting at the detention table. At orientation, they learned it was only for kids who receive in-school suspension. How does one get in-school suspension on the first day? Creepiest part, he was all alone with the exception of one of the security guards.

"Why is at the I.S. table?"

Charles gave him a frustrated look, "Why would I know that?…why is there a policeman with him?"

Cary shrugged, "Hope he has fun with that." the beeping of his game was getting on Charles' nerves, he made a grab for it,

"Will you turn that off?" Cary held it far away as possible. Scooting aside,

"No!"

"That thing is annoying-"

"I'm so close to beating my own score!" They fought for it as Joe laughed.

"Lunch and a show…"

After the two more hours left of school, the hallways crowded with kids eager to get home and back in bed, Joe found himself lucky and caught Alice by her locker, she was the first to greet him,

"Hey." she was grabbing her English textbook for their home assignment,

Small talk! He thought, small talk!

"You missed a funny show today at lunch. Cary and Charles had a fight over an electronic football."

She laughed, "Wish I could've been there, my friend Madison begged me to sit with her."

Joe smiled, "It's cool…hey,"

"This Friday, the five of us are planning a 'we survived the first week of high school' bonfire at my house and…maybe you'd like to come?" her smiled faded again, which was starting to bother him,

"Well…I don't know." the hallways were getting emptier as she stood there for a while, "My dad's…been having some problems lately ever since…you know."

"Yeah…" Joe scratched the back of his head.

"And a summer away didn't help much…I want to be there for him as much as I can."

He nodded, "It's fine. I understand."

She smiled and she turned to walk away, "If you need anything…let me know!" he called. She nodded and walked down the hall. Joe was a little disappointed…after everything he'd thought her father would recover. But all this time in his gut he felt he'd get worse.

Preston and Martin's class were the last to be released and they exited the freshman building,

"That was the longest first day I've ever had. If every days going to be this long please kill me now." he realized Martin wasn't paying attention, over on the other side of campus he saw David talking to the same jocks they saw earlier.

"Martin. Forget it. There's no way he's gonna talk to us." then he saw his 'I have an idea' smirk.

"Lets see." he left Preston standing at the steps and walked over. After watching them chat for a second or two, Martin waved him over. Much to his surprise. When he walked over he realized how much the jocks towered over him.

"Preston," David spoke, "I haven't seen you since 6th grade when you called me a nerd."

Preston gulped, "Sorry about that." good move…

Martin looked up at him, "But that's all in the past. Right Dave?"

Dave?

He saw a smile, which Preston found highly suspicious, "Right…" he shoved Martin towards Preston, "You know since it's 'all in the past' why don't you two get us sodas?"

Preston didn't say anything, but Martin couldn't keep his mouth shut, "Sure!"

As he went toward the vending machine, he grabbed Martin's arm "What? We are?"

Martin whispered, "Yes!" he gritted through his teeth in hopes they wouldn't hear him. Preston smiled at the jocks awkwardly before running after Martin,

"You see? I told you he still hates us."

Martin didn't listen as he shoved a dollar into the machine,

"Are you listening?"

"Can you lend me another dollar?" he expectedly held a hand out. Preston just stared in confusion and handed him a five.

"Thanks."

Charles and Cary were grabbing their bikes, "I still can't get over that kid. It's creeping me out."

"Can we stop talking about it Charles?" he grunted as he struggled to unhook the chain on his bike.

"And he's going to school with us for the next four years! I'd at least like to know why he had to sit with a security-"

"Why'd you two skip?" Their heads flinched at the sudden voice to see Richard. The two looked at each other and Cary stepped up,

"Why do you care?" not very intimidating due the fact Richard towered over him.

"Because I want to know." he replied as simply as possible.

Cary and Charles stood there not respondent. This kid was weirder than they thought. Since Cary was so 'brave' Charles pushed him closer,

"Tell him Cary."

"'Cause…there's a tradition in my family. Every guy skips his first class on his first day of high school." After an awkward stare down between the two, Richard spoke,

"Weird."

He was calling Cary weird? Charles stepped up, "We have a question to."

Cary shuddered, "We do?"

"Yeah," he pushed Cary back a bit, "Why were you at the I.S. table?"

Richard stood there for another five seconds, "Because my mom says I'm not aloud to interact with anyone."

The two were confused, "What?"

"My mom doesn't want me getting 'close' to anyone so I have to…sit alone at lunch."

The two felt bad for him. It was only a kid who wasn't aloud to have a social life. Apparently this was his way of having a 'conversation'.

Charles looked down in sympathy, "Oh…we're sorry."

Richard nodded about to walk away. Cary called him,

"Hey! R-Richard!" he forgot his name for a second, "We're getting milkshakes after school tomorrow. Maybe you can come?"

Richard turned around, touched, "Sure." then he walked off.

The two felt good inside for a second…then they lost the feeling.

"Cary…"

"Charles?"

"Why did you do that?"

Cary shrugged. After Cary finally unhooked his bike, they went home.