The Homeroom Bunch

 by: Miguel Sanchez

© 2005-2008 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 1

Shawn was a happy lad growing up in the sun of southern California. Even though he had lived in the states all his life, he had picked up the deep Scottish accent of his parents. He had everything a boy his age could want. He had the latest computer equipment, a super cool bike and many other things a boy his age could want.

Shawn was also a popular boy at Wilson Middle School. He had many friends who he would play and hang out with but with all this, he couldn’t say he had a best friend. He saw others who would go off in pairs just to spend time together on their own. Each time he would see this, he would just shake it off and find a few of his other friends and hang with until it was either time to return to class or go home.

Just before spring break, Mr. Williams said he had an announcement to make. “Class we have a new student joining us. I would like you all to meet Colin Ferguson and take a few minutes to introduce yourselves to him. Above all, I want you to make him feel welcome to Wilson. It is difficult enough coming to a new school but having to do so near the end of a school year is even harder.”

Colin stepped inside the classroom and quickly began to look at all his new classmates. His head quickly dropped to the floor because he felt himself begin to get frightened at the prospect of having to meet so many new people. There was an open seat between Maggie Roberts and William “Billy” Boyles. Mr. Williams pointed this out to Colin and he timidly walked over and sat down.

Ray Matthews looked at Colin and a smile quickly came upon his face. Lance Roberts glared at him and immediately slapped his leg to bring his friend back down to earth. Ray just smiled and winked back to Lance.

Another kid looked at the new boy and definitely was not about to welcome him to “his” class. Mark Kelly, for some unknown reason had his own measuring stick and if you came up short, life could be rough.

Mr. Williams gave his class a few minutes to all say hellos to the new boy. Maggie was the first to shake his hand followed by William. Ray and Lance each patted him on the back as a friendly gesture hoping he would relax.

When Shawn saw this timid little creature, he knew that he would have to keep an eye out for him from Mark. He knew he would never measure up to his standards but this was one kid he wasn’t going to use as his doormat.

Shawn was the first to speak to Colin. He extended his hand to him as he said, “Hi, my name is Shawn nice to meet you.”

He looked up at the boy and saw that Shawn was smiling in a truly friendly way. Colin was a bit unsure of what to make of this but he knew for once is his meek life, he was going to have to try to make at least one friend. So, mustering all the courage he could, he took Shawn’s hand and said “I’m Colin nice to meet you too.”

Mr. Williams saw what he thought was a friendship trying to be formed here and decided to help things even more. When the homeroom period was over, he called out to Shawn and Colin. “Mr. Maxwell and Mr. Ferguson, please see me for a minute after class.” Colin suddenly had a look of panic come across his face. Shawn, on the other hand, knew Mr. Williams so he wasn’t worried about his announcement.

When the bell rang, both boys remained in their seats until everyone had left so the three of them could talk. Mr. Williams walked back to where they were seated and immediately saw the look of pure fear on Colin’s face. Speaking in a soothing voice, Mr. Williams said, “Colin, relax. You aren’t in any trouble. I asked you and Shawn to stay here because of what I just saw son. Do you have problems making friends at school?”

Colin just nodded his head then looked back down at the desk. Shawn saw this and reached his hand over and touched his arm. Colin’s head snapped up and looked at the boy touching his arm. Shawn just smiled at him and suddenly, Colin relaxed and was able to listen to what Mr. Williams had to say.

Mr. Williams began speaking again. “Colin, I’m going to have Shawn be your mentor while you get used to life here at Wilson Middle. The first thing you’ll need to do is go back to the office and get your class schedule. I can tell you now that I will be your Physical Education teacher. I am also a guidance counselor so if you ever need someone to talk to about anything at all, my door is always open. Just to let you know something, I keep what I talk with students about in that room totally private and it goes no further. Shawn, go with Colin to the office and get his schedule and I will see you guys in PE.”

The boys went to the office and the secretary told them to wait and Mrs. Armstrong would be right with them. Just as the boys were about to sit down, the door to Mrs. Armstrong’s office opened and she stepped out.

Shawn touched Colin’s arm so his new friend would relax. They walked into her office and Shawn decided he would be the spokesperson. “Mrs. Armstrong, this is Colin Ferguson. He needs to get his class schedule, please.”

Normally Mrs. Armstrong was a gruff, no nonsense type of person but Shawn had a way of getting on her good side and this time was no different. She looked at Colin and smiled at him. “Well Colin, let me see what classes you will be taking for the rest of the year.” She went to her computer and typed in his name then the boys heard the printer come to life. She looked it over for a few minutes then said, “Here you go young man. It looks like you boys have the same schedule. Shawn knows where all the classrooms are so you have someone here to show you your way around. Enjoy yourself here at Wilson Middle School.”

The boys walked out of the office and Shawn quickly looked over his friend’s schedule. “Man dude, she was right. We have every class together. This is going to be great.”

They started heading for their first class when suddenly Colin’s worst fear came to life. Mark came out of the boy’s room and stopped directly in front of Colin. “Well what have we here, the new kid in school? Let’s see if he”

Shawn stopped him in mid sentence. “Look Mark, don’t you have a toilet to go flush yourself down? I’m here to tell you right now that you have pushed your last kid around here. So go and get the fuck out of our faces.”

For a big kid Mark was quick and he was about to go and push the smaller boy to the ground when Shawn stepped right in front of him and firmly clamped his hand right on Mark’s most prized possessions. Now Shawn didn’t lock down as tight as he could but it was enough to get the bigger kid’s attention.

Shawn stepped forward and whispered into Mark’s ear. “Don’t fuck with me Mark! You will loose. I know what you can do but you know absolutely nothing about me. Oh, and one more thing. If you ever try to lay one finger on Colin, I promise that I will take you out.”

Shawn finally turned loose of Mark’s jewels and the two of them went on to class. The boys had English, Math and Science in their morning block. When Science was over, it was time for a well-deserved break and that came in the form of lunch.

The boys headed for the cafeteria and Colin started getting nervous. Shawn saw this and asked, “What’s wrong dude?”

Colin didn’t answer because he just couldn’t tell his friend him mom hadn’t done anything for lunch. They walked in silence for a few more feet until they came to the bathroom.

Shawn quickly pushed his friend inside and looked him right in the eyes and said, “OK dude, now what’s wrong? Didn’t you bring anything for lunch? Is that it? If that’s it don’t worry about it.”

Colin couldn’t take this any more. He finally broke down in tears. He just stood there crying like a newborn baby. Shawn stepped forward and pulled him into his chest and let his friend get all this out of his system.

While he was holding his friend, something was going through his head. Shawn thought, ‘What was happening here? He always cared for the under dog and would step in when someone was in trouble but this was something totally new and foreign to him. He was actually beginning to care about this boy and not just as a friend. Why? What was going on here? What ever it was that was happening to him, he knew this, he liked Colin and wasn’t about to turn his back on him. Not now and certainly not ever.’

Colin’s tears began to subside and he squeaked out a meek “Thank you, Shawn.” He composed himself and went into a stall to get some toilet paper. He quickly blew his nose then went and washed his face to remove the signs that he had been crying. He asked Shawn a question and this time his voice was back. “How can you be so nice to me? You know nothing about me? Everywhere I have ever been, I have been picked on and tormented by people like that big kid. No one has ever stepped up and said they were my friend.”

Shawn looked at his friend and said, “Look, its lunch time. If you’re like me, you’re ready to eat. I don’t guarantee the food in the cafeteria but it will fill you up if you can keep it down. Now come on and lets get going and I will tell you something that may help you understand me more.”

Colin smiled at Shawn and both boys headed towards their local ptomaine factory to see what the misery of the day was. As they walked inside, Shawn saw some of his friends from homeroom. Ray waved to him and Colin and they both waved back. Shawn saw a small table in a private area that he used to sit at frequently so he headed over there and set a book down to mark their spots. The boys headed for the lunch line and Colin started getting quiet again. Shawn knew what was happening and he would not let this happen here. He quickly ordered lunch for both boys and headed over to the cash register. The clerk totaled both meals up and Shawn quickly paid for both. The boys headed back for the table and unloaded their food and sat down and began to eat.

Colin was eating when Shawn started to speak. “Colin, I have never had a friend before.” Colin looked up and listened intently as his new friend spoke. “I mean I have friends like Ray, Lance and Maggie and Bill but a real friend who I can talk to and share things with, no I don’t. Do you know what it is to be rich and have almost anything you want except friends?”

Colin had to stop eating when he heard that. “I don’t understand. I thought having money meant being cool and you could take your friends to all kinds of neat places and have cool parties and guys like Ray or Will would want to have sleepovers?”

Shawn swallowed his mouthful while his friend was talking and got ready to answer his question. “You would think that wouldn’t you? In reality, that’s not the case at all. You are the only person who I would feel comfortable even thinking of ever asking you to come to my house to see my computer or video games. Do you have a bike?”

Colin was eating but he was also hanging on every word Shawn had just told him. “Yeah, I have a bike. It’s not the greatest in the world but it’s solid and it will get me almost anywhere I need to go. Gee Shawn, I thought I had things rough. When I get home, I usually got to my room and play my instruments. That’s my release and it helps me to think about how things might be.”

Shawn was confused now. “How things might be? I don’t understand dude.”

Colin thought about his question long and hard before deciding to take a chance and let out one of his deepest and closely held secrets. He said, “Yeah Shawn, how things might be. How they might be if I wasn’t here.”

Shawn almost choked on his soda. He sputtered saying, “If you weren’t here dude? Fuck, don’t talk like that. You’re my friend. I like you. I have told you things I have told no other living, breathing human being. Damn you Colin Ferguson don’t you go and do nothing stupid.” Tears were starting to well up in Shawn’s eyes as he pled to his new friend not to go and do that. “Please Colin. Please don’t do that. Please?”

Colin had to wipe his eyes now. “Shawn, I never knew. I just thought you were being nice to me this morning. I know that kid made you mad but I thought it was just that. I guess it is because I never have had a friend either. I promise I won’t ever do anything like that. I swear. You are my friend too. I would like to come see your video games some time. I would have to ask my mother.

Shawn’s eyes lit up when he heard that. “Really, you mean it? You would like to come over to my house? I can’t believe this. This has got to be the best day of my life.”

Just as those words left his mouth he saw the homeroom club heading over to their table. Ray looked at both boys sitting there and said, “Hey guys, we better get it in gear or Mr. Williams will have our heads. You know he hates for us not to be dressed out and ready for gym on time.

Lance chimed in and said, “Colin, do you have a pair of gym shorts? Don’t worry if you haven’t. I have an extra pair you can borrow and just share a locker with Shawn. You can wear your tee shirt.”

The boys headed out of the cafeteria and quickly headed for the locker room. Lance tossed Colin his extra gym shorts and they got changed in record time. Mr. Williams didn’t have much planned for the class so he just let them shoot some hoops or they could go and walk the track. Colin noticed Ray and Lance head for the door leading outside to the track. He walked over to Shawn and said, “What’s up with Ray and Lance?”

Shawn looked up at the two boys and said “They have been best friends for as long as I have known them. They are always hanging together. I even think they have the same classes too. You want to go and walk the track so we can talk some more?”

Colin followed his friend and said “Sure. I can’t play basketball so I would just make a fool of myself in front of the others.”

The boys headed for the same door the other two went out and as soon as they were clear of the building they started talking again. Shawn was the first to speak and Colin could hear a little hesitation in his voice. “Colin, there is something I need to tell you and I hope this won’t make you hate me. I’m not totally sure what this entire means but I feel it is something I should at least let you know about.”

The boys walked for a bit while Shawn was trying to gather his thoughts. “Do you remember when we were in the bathroom earlier and I was holding you while you were crying?”

Colin looked at his friend and smiled. “Yeah man, I do and I want to thank you for not calling me a cry baby or something worse. I just had to get that out. There are times when so much is bottled up inside me that as soon as I get home from school, I just go up to my room and cry until I fall a sleep.”

“Gees man,” Shawn said. “I’m sorry. Maybe now that you have a friend you won’t have to feel the need to cry any more. When I was holding you earlier, I felt I could hold you forever Colin. I just wanted to take all that pain away and protect you from all the bad things in the world. Does this make any sense to you?”

Colin thought about that for a minute and answered his friend. “Yeah man, it does. When you were holding me, I felt the safest I have felt in years. I just wanted to stay there forever too.

Shawn listened closely to what his friend said and his expression as he did. “Good. Because I have one more thing to say to you too, I think I love you.” As those words left his lips, his stomach went into his throat. He just knew he would lose the only person in his life he ever thought of calling a friend and now he knew he just ruined everything.

Colin heard those three words and when he did, he had a smile that went from ear to ear on his face. “You do? Really, you love me? Shawn, that is so cool. I felt the same thing when you help me. That’s why I didn’t want to let you go. See Shawn, I think I love you too.”

Both boys walking had come to almost a halt when Ray and Lance came up from behind. Both Colin and Shawn were totally in their own world and hadn’t heard them. Lance caught the grins on their faces and he just knew what was going on. He knew he could never tell them about him and Ray but he was sure happy that they were not the only ones with boyfriends there at school. Lance finally broke the ice. “Hey guys, what’s going on? It looks like you two have become fast friends. That’s great. Colin, welcome to the homeroom club.”

Hearing Lance’s voice snapped them back into reality. But try as they might, they just couldn’t get the smiles off their faces. Ray even had a grin on his face.

Lance thought that the time was right to say something. Lance and Ray could just look at each other and they would know what the other was thinking. Ray looked back at Lance and just nodded his head. So Lance came up to Shawn and whispered into his ear. “So did you tell him you love him?”

Colin heard this and stiffened right up from fear. Shawn, on the other hand, kept his composure. He wasn’t sure what to say until he glanced down to Lance’s hand. It was firmly in Ray’s so he knew it was safe to talk to these two friends. “Yeah guys, I did.” When he said that, Shawn reached and took Colin’s hand into his own and gave it a firm squeeze. He felt Colin relax and his smile returned as the four boys finished their walk around the track.

The four of them agreed to keep everything said that day deep to them and as a well guarded secret. They headed back into the locker room and quickly got back into their school clothes to finish the day.

The four of them headed to study hall. Other than homeroom, this was the only other class they had besides PE. This gave the boys time to do their homework and to quietly talk about the day they had going for them. Lance and Ray were sitting together and Colin and Shawn were side by side. Shawn looked at Colin an asked him “Do you think your Mom will let you stop over so you can meet my Mom?”

Colin quickly replied, “I will have to call her. She is at work until 5:30 but I don’t think she will mind.”

The boys did their homework then it was time to go to the last class of the day. English was both boys favorite subject so this class flew by for them. When the bell rang, the homeroom club met at their newest member’s locker to head home for the day.

To be continued...

Posted: 07/04/08