Chapter Text
—— 20.11. 2024——
Sometimes it's hard to get used to a completely new world, a new life, whether it's just about moving from one city to another or changing schools. Changes are difficult for everyone, yet sometimes they make some burden we always carry in our hearts suddenly lift.
One could say it was the case for Pound Quids, an average 16-year-old boy from Britain who was just looking through the car window at the increasingly taller buildings, the streetlights that were slowly starting to turn on with the setting sun. The loud sounds of cars, sometimes music as they passed by special places, all of this was the new life that awaited him.
Pound sighed and rested his head against the cold window.For at least another 5 hours, he had to sit in the car without any movement because the Quids were afraid that if they stopped somewhere, somehow a huge traffic jam would form on the streets and they wouldn't make it to their new home that day.
Canada, his new "home" or whatever his parents had been telling him. Everything was happening too quickly, and he didn't even know when he was packing his bags to leave his hometown in Britain for good.
It all started with his parents winning an absurdly ridiculous amount of money. He had always thought that various games or shows where people compete for money were a joke, and yet now he is sitting in a car, driving through the streets of a completely new continent where he will now live.
Pound really didn't mind it. Of course, there was great surprise and a few tears when he said goodbye to his friends, a few awkward hugs at the last family meal with the aunts he had never seen. But it was a new chance for him to take a deep breath again and try once more.
A new chapter, as they say. Britain left its marks of paranoia and fear on him, a few scars and the first cruel loves and discoveries of truth. Somewhere deep inside, Pound hoped that Canada would heal his wounds and that he wouldn't feel the constant pressure.
A small smile appeared on his lips as he looked at the darkening sky, He adjusted his headphones, relaxing to the music as he closed his eyes; maybe when he woke up, everything would actually be better.
New life.
————
Driving from downtown Montreal to Boston took almost 6 hours, more than he could handle without naps that only made him feel more tired with each closing of his eyes.
"Pound? Are you up yet?" His mother's voice snapped him out of his trance. He opened his eyes and tilted his head from where it had been resting on the glass, already feeling the pain in his neck making itself known.
"Yes, yes, I'm up..." he said and took off his headphones. "Are we there yet?"he asked, looking out the window
"almost, just 10 more minutes. Wake your head up and it's time to welcome our new home!"said his mother cheerfully, fixing her lipstick in the mirror. Pound smiled gently and nodded.
Well, the area seemed nice.
————-
Pound got out of the car, feeling like his bones were made of bricks, immediately stretching, ignoring how his hair seemed to be going in every direction. It was dark, maybe no one would see him for the first time looking... like he looked. Who wants to look nice after almost an 18-hour journey?
The house wasn't small, it wasn't big. Pound immediately noted that it had a second floor, which wasn't the case in his previous home. A small thing, yet it was able to make him feel better.
Pound snapped out of his trance of staring at the motionless house. For a moment, it seemed to him as if he had frozen in time; he even felt a strange nostalgia.
He turned to find his mom smiling at him and holding him by the arm. "Go and take a look first, your father and I will take care of the suitcases."she said and handed him the keys.
Pound smiled broadly and nodded before quickly heading towards the entrance, observing everything possible. He stepped onto the terrace. Holding onto the railing with one hand and simply trying to understand that this is his new life now. The house was covered with white wood, with a terrace in front that was accessed by stairs.
Pound quickly reached the door and opened it, revealing a hallway to his eyes, with coat hooks on one side of the wall and a wardrobe on the other. Pound stepped inside, looking around, and immediately found himself in the living room. It was cozy, not luxurious, it was cozy. He smiled gently while looking around, every aspect of this house already seemed perfect.
He hoped everything else will be the same.
——27.11.2024——
"Aw, what the hell!" Fireball almost yelled at the next kid who ran into him while he was playing tag with the rest of his friends. "Watch where you're going, kid," he said, closing his locker and glancing at the younger one who seemed to be in another world when he threw a small „sorry," and then he ran off in the opposite direction, laughing.
Who even thought it was a good idea to have middle school in the same building and on the same floors as high school? The kids have a problem with the older ones, and the older ones with the younger ones.
Fireball slung his backpack over his shoulder. What time was it? 9:10?And he was already tempted to throw himself face down on the floor and sleep.
He yawned, covering his mouth with his hand as he entered his class. He was no longer impressed by the fact that Glitchy was listening with his head in his hands about how Beerkeg got detention from the principal after hitting a kid for mistaking his backpack for his own, okay, he wasn’t saying it, he was YELLING it out as if someone should be impressed.
Fireball sat down by his desk, his backpack not so gently falling to the ground beside him. He listened as Caramel Apple talked about everything and nothing, probably to him, but it was far too early for Fireball to care. He will never watch youtube until 5 in the morning again, never again.(lie)
„Alright, alright class! Take your seats!” The voice of their teacher only added to Fireball's growing disdain for all of this."Enough, be quiet! And now... "Professor Ensew clapped his hands, looking at the class as everyone finally sat down in their seats.
"You know very well that you give me a headache sometimes," he said with a sigh. Fireball wondered if teachers had drama in their blood or something...
With newfound energy, the professor said with a smile."But, I managed to get the director to agree to the organization——"
He didn't get to finish when the door to the room opened again and a new figure stood in the doorway, everyone looked at the boy standing there with awkwardness almost painted on his face as he held his backpack on his shoulder.
„uhh…Sorry for being late, but I couldn't find the class and— " " ahh! You must be Pound! Pound Quids, right? „ asked the professor with a smile, welcoming the new boy who awkwardly returned the smile and replied briefly, "yes."
Fireball was watching the boy, immediately noticing how his accent differed quite significantly. After just a few words, it was noticeable that he was British. Besides, he didn't care. Another one who will just annoy him like everyone else in this messed-up class probably , gosh he really was tired..
"Well then! Welcome young head ! I’ll be your new teacher and this is your new class," the Professor said enthusiastically as Pound approached and stood next to him, awkwardly looking at the new faces before the Professor began again.
"From today, Pound will be attending our class, show some manners and greet him nicely. He flew all the way from Britain to be here," the professor said with a smile, to which Pound only let out a quiet "ha, ha" as he awkwardly scratched his neck.
Well, he seems weird, that's all that was on Fireball's mind.He leaned his elbow on the desk and rested his head on his hand, looking at the newcomer.
"So, Pound. Sit down ... oh yes, in the second-to-last seat in the fourth row." Pound nodded and quickly went to his assigned seat without making any eye contact with anyone else as others still looked at him.
Caramel apple quickly started to whisper to Pound , showering him with questions as Pound sat in the desk beside his. Fireball only heard as Pound whispered back with still awkwardness in his voice , or have he always sound like this?
Whatever. He doesn’t care .