Chapter Text
For some odd and inexplicable reason, Gavin Free had become immediately infatuated with Michael Jones upon first seeing him.
Which was an odd thing considering they were polar opposites. Nothing about them seemed to be similar upon first glance.
Gavin could be described as one of those preppy football playing characters in every teen movie. He's popular in their school and loved by everybody. Even the teachers adore him and he gets fairly good grades in all if his classes. He's attractive, all of the freshman girls giggle and blush when he simply smiles their way.
But he isn't egotistical about it. If there's one thing that Gavin isn't, it's vain. He's nothing but friendly to everybody, although mischievous and obnoxious with his close friends.
That's it, he's just a simple boy that happened to stumble into popularity, and it wasn't like he was going to turn that down.
He'd first seen Michael at the beginning of senior year.
Gavin had been new to the school, only just moving overseas to Texas. He'd made friends very quickly, becoming extremely close to Geoff Ramsey who had immediately taken the boy beneath his wing. And through Geoff, he'd met and become friends with Ray, Jack, Ryan, Lindsay, Barbara, and the rest of their small crew. They had easily let him slip into the group, and he'd fit in perfectly.
They'd made the transition of moving to a new country a lot easier. He was expecting it to be more like the movies where everybody teams together to beat on and abuse the new kid. He'd thought he'd have to eat his lunch in the boys washroom and only have teachers to call his friends.
He's thankful to have been proven wrong.
He'd be invited to go everywhere with them. Not once did he ever feel like the weak link that they were obligated to take with them, they genuinely wanted him to be there and actually enjoyed his company.
Weekends that used to be spent alone in his room playing video games or watching YouTube videos were now spent hanging out with them. Going to movies, attending parties, group study sessions if there was a major test coming up, etc.
It was great. Gavin never imagined that he could have such a large group of friends that were equal parts playfully insulting and incredibly caring. Which was perfect because that's exactly how he'd sum up his own personality.
Seeing as how most of them were on the school's football team, they'd convinced him to play a game with them for fun. Mainly because they all thought it would be amusing to watch him try to play such an unfamiliar sport, the ones not on the team were watching in hysterics from the sidelines.
He was terrible at it at first, but that's to be expected because he didn't actually know any of the rules. They'd made him go into it blind, knowing that it would be more fun to teach him as they play.
He'd ask dumb questions, not understanding the plays or what a play even is. He was very persistent in being the quarterback, despite not knowing what that is either. It was simply the only football term that he knew. Everybody not playing and on the opposite team was eager to let him be the quarterback because they knew it could only end in hilarity.
What nobody was expecting, especially not Gavin, was for him to actually be good at it.
At first he was terrible and it was all just fun and games, but once they began commenting on how well he was surprisingly playing (between the idiotic questions and stupid jokes), he began really trying.
So, extremely long story short, Gavin was now on the schools football team.
Everything was going swell. He was still trying to get used to having so many friends and attention at one time, but it was a great feeling.
Then, after a few weeks of awkwardly settling in, came the cliched scene from every teenage romcom.
"Who's that?" Gavin asks, not even realizing he'd spoke. His eyes and mind are too transfixed on the boy down the hall.
Geoff follows his gaze to see Michael Jones.
Wearing his usual dark clothing and grumpy scowl as he walks to his next class. The only thing adorable and innocent looking about him is his curly reddish-brown hair and the freckles that grace his cheeks.
Everything about him screams “intimidating.” He’s wearing a baggy black hoodie and dark jeans with various small rips in them. Other than that, the only thing that throws Gavin off is the amount of piercings the boy has.
Multiple decorative holes in his face that outnumber the natural ones by a long shot. He’s never known the technical terms for particular piercings, but he knows the ones below his mouth are called snake bites. He has multiple ones in his ears, eyebrows, and one through the bridge of his nose. And, he appears to be absentmindedly playing with his tongue piercing within his mouth.
"Michael Jones" he answers, "I wouldn't bother much with him though. He mostly keeps to himself and I don't think he really has any friends."
"Why not?"
"Not sure," Geoff shrugs, "I guess he just prefers to be on his own. But I don't think anybody's ever tried to get close with him anyways. He seems pretty hardcore."
"Hardcore," Gavin repeats the word quietly to himself, raising an eyebrow at the term. It recently seems to match his physical description. He looks like every stereotypical gothic kid character from the media.
Gavin never imagined himself being the one to swoon over "bad boy" types. But Michael appears to be the living embodiment of that term, and Gavin doesn't believe he's ever been so enthralled with another person before. He’d practically stopped dead when he first caught sight of the guy.
He'd asked Geoff about the boy without even realizing he'd opened his mouth. When Geoff gave him the name, it only dazed Gavin more.
Michael Jones.
As if he'd spoken the name out loud, the boy catches his gaze and stares right back. Gavin immediately snaps out of whatever stupor he was in, and directs his attention to Geoff, trying to make it seem as though he were staring at the older man the whole time.
The deep cherry red coloring his cheeks tells an entirely different story though, and he wants to curse himself for being so weak willed against his own emotions and their tendency to be read so easily on his face.
Geoff catches what has happened and lets out a loud laugh, clapping the boy on the back. "Yeah, he's pretty intimidating, not the kind of person you’d want your own kid hanging around. Bad news, ya’know? I’d say he's harmless though. Probably."
Those words stick with Gavin for a long time. 'Probably' he’d repeatedly mouth to himself. It made him want to both keep as far away from the other boy as possible and get closer to him.
He had to agree with himself though that it was a bad idea. Just from looking at him, Gavin could tell that he and Michael were two completely different people on separate sides of the social ladder. If Michael even considers himself to be on it in the first place.
Having no friends doesn't appear to bother him. Gavin watches him, sitting by himself during classes or silently walking to his next one with nobody by his side. It appears almost as though he likes it that way.
There's nothing on his face to indicate that he's sad or depressed by this fact. He walks down the hall with confidence, as though he's got nothing to fear within the dreaded walls of high school and he appears to be right. Nobody ever stops him or tries to get in his way. In fact, it looks as though everybody almost clears a path for him.
Most people in high school are bullied for being different, but Michael seems to relish in it.
Gavin wouldn't be able to explain his sudden fascination with the boy. Maybe it has to do with his appearance being so different than those around him. Or maybe it's his seclusion from the other students. Whatever it is, Gavin's interested in finding out more about him.
Which is how he ends up staring at the boy whenever they happen to be in the same room together.
Gavin admits that it's probably creepy, but he doesn't even notice that he's doing it until Michael looks in his direction and he's forced to quickly look away and feign innocence.
Maybe one may look at Michael Jones and just think him to be a typical goth kid, but Gavin couldn't help but fall head over heels upon first glance. Which, even he admits, is extremely ridiculous. He doesn't even believe in all of that love-at-first-sight nonsense, but something was pulling him towards the boy in a way he couldn't describe. Something that you’d only imagine hearing about in sappy romance movies and young adult novels, that cause the audience to either roll their eyes or squeal gleefully, depending on age.
And as he switches between studying the patterns on his shoes and the floor, trying to act as though he wasn't just outright staring at another student (for the umpteenth time this week), he can’t help but wince at his own mushy thoughts. Michael Jones is not somebody that Gavin Free falls in love with, especially not that quickly. But, this is high school after all, that’s when all of this dumb “Oh, I’m so desperately in love with you” stuff is supposed to happen, right?
Gavin takes a chance and looks up, back over to where Michael was standing. His eyes widen when he sees the boy still there, and now actually staring back at him. A pierced eyebrow is raised with confusion. Or maybe annoyance. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking in the brief second Gavin sees him before looking back down at his shoes again. Maybe he’s just wondering what he was staring at, or maybe he’s considering how many hits it would take to punch Gavin’s nose complete into his face.
Only in that moment does Gavin realize that whatever he’s feeling for Michael Jones is not going to go away any time soon. His curiosity has been piqued and now there's a burning desire to know more about the boy.
Every time he catches himself thinking about the boy, he lets out a sigh of defeat. He hasn't even been to this school for a month, and he's already digging his own grave.
*
There aren't many people that Gavin would consider good candidates for asking about another boy in school. Any of the guys would just make fun of him and tease him mercilessly about having a “crush.” But asking anybody outside of his friend group could result in some fast travelling gossip, and he needs this to stay as far away from other student’s ears as possible. Especially if it could end up getting back to Michael Jones himself.
So, his best option is Barbara and Lindsay.
He’s extremely close with the two cheerleaders, never finding it difficult to converse or hang out with them. They were the first people to quickly accept him into their group of friends. Gavin can still recall them rushing forward to introduce themselves. Not in a flirty or romantically interested way, but just with the excitement of meeting a new person. He has to admit that he liked them upon first glance, the two girls were funny and it wasn't very long until the three were cracking jokes together.
Of course, this doesn't stop them from being gossipy teenagers that love to poke fun at him like sisters.
He waits to bring it up until it’s just the three of them at their lunch table. Geoff, Ryan, Ray, and Jack are either still in the lunch line or have not arrived in the cafeteria yet. This isn't out of the ordinary though, lunch usually always start with them getting to the table first, their lockers are closest.
Barbara and Lindsay are chatting casually, something about a test in their history class. Luckily, he isn't in that class so he doesn't have to join the conversation, which gives him a few moments to think about this without any suspicion from the two. Also, a test in history sounds like hell, so he’s thankful that he doesn't have to deal with the stresses they’re currently facing.
After a few moments of internally debating on how to bring it up as quickly as possible, in fear of the guys arriving mid-way through the conversation, he begins to panic. If he waits any longer he’ll wuss out and never end up asking. Putting this much thought into one person is more proof that he’s got something more than innocent curiosity towards the guy.
Fuck it, he decides, leaning forward to interrupt their conversation.
“Do you know Michael Jones?” Gavin asks, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Why?” Lindsay quirks an eyebrow before grabbing a fry from his lunch tray. “Has he been bothering you?”
“No, I've just been seeing a lot of him lately,” he says, conveniently leaving out the reasoning behind that is because he’s absentmindedly looking for him, “And Geoff said that he’s bad news. Is he bad news?”
“Well, have you seen him? The guy doesn't exactly look like good news,” Barbara interjects, reaching over the entire lunch table to grab a handful and shoveling the fries into her mouth. “I've heard rumors that the reason he wears those black hoodies all the time is because his arms are covered in tattoos.”
Lindsay reaches over to steal another fry from him, “And have you seen all of those piercings? Word around school is that he did them all himself. With a knife.”
Gavin rolls his eyes, accepting the fact that his fries are as good as gone when those two are around.
“What else do you want to know about him?” questions Lindsay.
“He doesn't have any friends?”
“Not that I know of. I think everybody’s just kinda scared of him.”
Gavin visibly jumps when a lunch tray is practically slammed down next to him on the table.
“Michael Jones is a weird kid, and if you hang out with him, you’ll probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere,” Geoff states, butting in the conversation despite only just arriving at their lunch table moments ago. He shoves Lindsay away for playful affect, but she just grins and shoves him back before taking some of his fries too.
“That’s pretty dark,” Gavin mumbles, annoyed at his friend’s arrival.
“No it’s not, Michael’s creepy. You've seen him,” Geoff states, and Gavin rolls his eyes at the reminder. “I’m telling you right now to stay away from him. He’s not the kind of people I want you hanging around with.”
“Since when are you my mother?” Gavin smiles, trying to turn the conversation into something more playful. He feels like he’s being reprimanded for something he hasn't even done yet. Talking to Michael Jones isn't exactly something he’s desperate to do at the moment.
“I told you on your first day, didn’t? I've taken you under my wing and I’m gonna make damn sure that you’re getting out of high school alive. If that means giving you advice to stay away from the creepy weirdo kid, then that’s what I’m going to do,” Geoff states, a serious look on his face as he nods once.
“Aw, that’s so cute,” Barbara coos mockingly, “The mama bird looking after her young.”
Geoff just grins and pulls an arm around Gavin’s neck, yanking him uncomfortably into a partial head-lock. “Yup! So let Mama-Bird-Geoff feed you,” he yells out, opening his mouth to reveal his half-eaten food.
“That’s disgusting! Let me go!” Gavin yells back, attempting to squirm his way out of Geoff’s iron grip.
Everybody laughs in disgust and at the playful scene itself, putting the Michael Jones conversation behind them.
But Gavin still thinks about him, never letting the boy stray far from his thoughts. No need to tell his friends about that though, they would just make fun of how ridiculously obsessed he is with a boy he hasn't even properly met yet. And it’s true, he should be making fun of himself at this rate. Thinking so much about Michael Jones is doing nothing to help him, but it’s difficult to stop once he’s started. All it takes is one quick glance out of the corner of his eye at the boy, then his thoughts are consumed about him for the rest of the school day.
It’s dumb. He puts too much thought into things. He needs to let it go and get on with his high school life. He’s got a good thing going for him out here in America. Popular, lots of friends, swooning girls, football player, great grades, good reputation, the list goes on.
What more could he possibly be searching for? A bully to beat his face in everyday? No thank you. He’s quite content with his facial structure the way it is.
So, why the sudden fascination with the guy?
What good could come out of talking to Michael Jones?