1 : S M E L L S L I K E S C H O O L S P I R I T

SO PROUDLY WE HAILED:

HERE WE ARE NOW, ENTERTAIN US

Noah Lemanski had never been known for his rhythm.

Unlike the other members of the flag team, his movements were stiff, overtly calculated, and at least three beats behind. The navy uniform hung off his narrow shoulders, making him look more a dorky freshman in their brothers clothes than the confident senior he liked to think himself as.

Black curls bouncing with each step, even if it weren't for the fact he was rhythmically challenged, he was hard to miss. Still, as he hoisted his flag in the air half a minute too late, sneakers yelping as they skidded along the freshly waxed basketball court, Jensen Chavers didn't hesitate to cheer his best friend on from the stands.

"Twirl it, baby!" He whooped. Rising to his feet, he punched a fist in the air. Golden hair halo'd by the beeping neon red scoreboard behind him, he waited until Noah threw a wave back before returning to his seat.

Backtracking his friends failure at a two-step slide was the school band. Brass instruments stacked on top of each other, they blasted out a tune caught between Smells like Teen Spirit and the Star-Spangled Banner. Stood front and centre was Charlotte Malcolm, a girl who was reluctant to admit she was Jensen's other best friend.

Throat stark red as she fingered a tuba rigorously, Charlotte kept her eyes squeezed shut, trying to distance herself from the ongoing horror show. The entire pep rally, in all honesty, was the worst kind of fever dream, offset by a crowd of bored teens waiting for their principal to stride across the gymnasium and announce their forced hour of school spirit was over and that they could go home.

A dark hand landed on Jensen's shoulder, yanking him back in a bid to capture his attention. Craning his head back he pushed down the automatic sigh which pursed his lips at the sight of Jimmy Simpson and Zeke Koi. The pair were a plague, alongside a strangely absent Owen Fields, picked up by Noah during his short-lived career on the basketball team sophomore year. Beyond kissing the very either Noah walked on, they were hellbent on draining the energy out of Jensen's body whenever they could.

"Your flag's showing, Jenny," Jimmy said, each flex of his mouth revealing painful looking steel braces. At his side Zeke cackled, a floating tanned head inside his oversized black hoodie. Jimmy wrenching his hand from Jensen's shoulder, pleased.

"Should only bother you if you keep staring at it," Jensen muttered, turning around, already feeling eons older.

"Just trying to protect our friend," Jimmy retorted and Jensen tipped his head back, brow arched at the other senior. "You stare at him like you want to dry hump him."

"Like, through his pants dry hump," Zeke tacked on, nose curling and Jensen sighed.

"Thanks for the clarification," he deadpanned.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, movement aggressive enough to fog the underside of his boxy glasses. "It's true though."

"Are you jealous or something? Because I'm sure my flag is more than enough to go around if you two feel left out," Jensen offered, keeping his expression earnest.

"Jesus, Carvers," Zeke recoiled, elbowing the person next to him as he abruptly rose to his feet, Jimmy quick to follow. "Forgot what a freak show you were."

"Miss you already," Jensen called back, watching as the pair took a seat further down the row, words swallowed by sudden applause. Casting his eyes over to the court he let out a sigh of relief as Principal Khan wheeled himself to the half-podium erected in the middle of the stage.

With a face that screamed all the reasons why one should moisturiser daily, Khan didn't have a chance to breath into the microphone before the crowd was moving. Students elbowed their way down from the stands, side doors flying open to embrace the swarm. Jensen hugged his knees to his chest as people scurried past him, chuckling when a freshman tripped, immediately engulfed by the rampage of feet.

When the coast was clear, he dropped his legs back down, footsteps echoing in the empty gymnasium as he crossed the court to the exit. The hallways were empty, unsurprisingly so as nothing made the students of Sudden Valley High evacuate the building faster than a Friday afternoon pep rally. Pure streaks of red and blue fenced either side of him, bleeding into an oak damped purple against the hardwood floors in desperate need of buffing. Forcing his locker open, Jensen unhooked his bag back from inside and took the time to consider what to take home with him for the weekend.

"Boo, cross out Jensen. You can't honestly be taking all this home with you? We're only a week into the semester," Noah's voice echoed down the hall, joined moments later by his face as he peered around the door of Jensen's locker.

Glancing down at the stock pile residing in his bag, Jensen blushed, placing his chemistry textbook back on the shelf. "I'm trying to get a head start."

"On what? Your nervous breakdown. I can already see it building, your stress rash has started to grow again," Noah frowned, mocking concern heavy in his brow as he plucked at his uniform. The fabric was damp, matching the droop of his wet curls that bounced when he glanced over at his friend.

Jensen slapped hand to his forehead, turning toward the mirror hung on his locker's door. Right along his hairline sat said red patch, visible against the golden strands of his hair and he groaned. "Seriously?"

Shutting his locker, Jensen reclined against the metal, raising a weak hand in acknowledgement as he made out Charlie's figure down the hall.

At the lack of enthusiasm for her arrival the blonde frowned. Arms crossed against her awfully bright band uniform she jutted an accusing eyebrow at Noah. "What emotional spiral have you caused this time?"

"Vagistat, nice to see you up and mobile again. You looked moments away from fainting earlier," Noah retorted, unimpressed as he resumed squinting at Jensen's forehead.

Charlie scowled, punching his arm. "Can it, Socra-taint."

"Ladies, fellas, lay down your verbal arms already," Jensen cut in, kneeling down to close his bag. The zipper was old, rust crusting along the edges so it took a fair few yanks to get it mobile. "I'm not in the mood for an auditory tennis match."

"Ooh, looks like someone's finally making use of their word-a-day calendar," Charlie smirked, nudging Jensen's side with her white boot as Noah scoffed.

"Boo, cross out Jenny boy yet again," He said, slashing an x in front of the blond's face as he stood up. "Your image is already lame enough, don't you dare start throwing down with the linguistic nerds."

"Speaking of lame," Charlie cut in, a coy smile pulling at her lips as she poked Jensen's arm for his attention. "Lulu Corner is selling their muffins at half price today. I think it's a sign from the universe."

Jensen frowned, shifting his feet when Noah threw an arm around his shoulders in order to accommodate the sudden weight. Noah was a good few inches taller than Jensen, and lanky, so failure to do so meant getting clipped in the eye.

"A sign of what?" he asked, throwing back a confused look when Charlie gasped.

"Today's your birthday, dweeb!" Charlie exclaimed, claiming his other side as she lead Jensen down the hall, vice-like in her grip of his forearm. Noah scrambled to keep up. "Come on, don't play dumb. Stupid doesn't look good on you."

"Everything looks good on me," Jensen bit back and Charlie rolled her eyes, lashes flickering at how hard she made the action.

"No can do on the lame muffins, Choo-Choo," Noah said, raising a hand when Charlie's lips parted in protest. "I've already made plans for the night with the birthday dork."

"Do I get a say at all in how I spend my evening?" Jensen asked. He shrunk back at the accusing glares sent to him, growing hot under the collar instantly.

"No, because if it were up to you, you'd stay home and jerk off to the shopping channel all night," Noah scolded, lips quirking as Jensen flushed beetroot.

"Ew," Charlie grimaced, nose curling as she side-eyed her red-faced friend.

"That was one time."

"Still an ew," she muttered, ignored by both boys as Noah continued on.

"We're going to Devil's Kettle tonight."

Jensen furrowed his brow, slipping out from his friends' hold long enough to shoulder the school's front doors open. "The dive bar your cousin works at?"

Charlie perked up, green-tipped finger nails clicking as she pushed her palms together. "Oh yeah, how is Andrew by the way?"

"Who cares how he is? All that matters is that he can smuggle us free drinks," Noah said as they jogged down the paved stairs. He shook his head at Charlie, adding, "There's also a live band coming in tonight, Kojo's Circuit."

Charlie arched a brow. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she glanced over at Noah curiously. "Cujo, as in the dog?"

"No, what–" Noah threw an anguished glare her way, drawing to a halt faster than Jensen could prepare for. He grunted when he walked straight into the furious brunet's chest, feet tripping to remain upright on the gravelled surface of the school's carpark as Noah berated Charlie. "God, not everything is a Stephen King reference, Vampira."

"I think I've heard of them," Jensen muttered, trying to recall why a warning light in his mind started blinking at the band's name. "They have that whiny song on the radio about waterfalls, right?"

"I think you're mixing them up with TLC."

"Oh."

"Anyway–" Noah intruded, jabbing both their shoulders to keep moving. "Kojo's Circuit is only in town for the night and we have to see them."

"What's so great about this band?"

"Yeah, Noah. What's with the hard-on you're sporting for them?" Charlie smirked, pulling out a jingling set of keys from her purse. The amount of key-chains dangling from it were staggering, flashing strobes of rainbow light across the chunky black tarmac.

"Listen, it's free booze and music, okay," Noah said, voice nearly pleading as he flashed wide brown eyes at the pair of them. "Could you please drop the fake pretences and just say you'll come?"

"Fine, fine," Jensen conceded, moving to run a hand through his hair but pausing in memory of his rash. "Thank you for inviting me to my own birthday night out."

"Nice one, Jensen, he really trained you well," Charlie murmured, eyes focused on picking through her keys as he flushed.

"Shut up."

"I'm tapping out on tonight, though, boys," She declared, humming to herself when her car key became visible underneath a Harry Potter laminate. Turning towards the west wing of the parking lot, Charlie threw a goodbye over her shoulder. "Live bands in this town always end up sucking. Enjoy your bro night out and happy birthday, Jensen."

"Thanks."

"Weak! And they're from out of state!" Noah yelled after her, kicking gravel in her direction with a sigh. "Eh, forget it. She wouldn't know good music if it bit her in the ass."

"I don't know why you think insulting Charlie is a viable way of getting her to like you," Jensen teased, slipping through the school's gate.

"Shut up," Noah grumbled, wringing an arm around his neck and ruffling his hair until Jensen tapped out.

"Show mercy!" He wheezed, narrowly making an escape from his friend's hold.

Letting him go, Noah jab a finger in his chest, tone serious. "Be dressed and ready by ten, okay? Dad left me the Lone Ranger so grab a cassette too if you don't want to put up with Springsteen."

Jensen rolled his eyes, stood inside of the thankfully empty bus shelter. The bench seat was rain beaten, underside covered in gum, so he took to leaning against the timetable sheet as Noah loitered on the sidewalk. "I know the drill man."

"And wear something nice for once," Noah ordered, taking his time to look over Jensen's outfit with a thoroughly unimpressed expression.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Jensen glanced down at himself. Sure, he didn't dress the best, but his fashion choices were hardly criminal. When did jeans and a t-shirt suddenly go out of style?

Noah sighed, jerking a hand out when Jensen's bus came roaring down the street. "Just wear something nice. Not like church nice, but something memorable. Tonight's kind of a big deal."

"Fine, whatever. I'll wear something nice, Mom," Jensen teased, stepping out when the bus came to a screeching halt beside Noah.

"No plaid is allowed!" The brunet warned, already jogging backward down the street. "Also virgin white would be a nice touch! But I'll leave the final decision up to you."

Jensen shook his head, watching his friend disappear around the corner, and boarded the bus.

"Idiot."