This is my first published piece; so far, I've written the first ten chapters and will release the others once I've tidied them up. Further chapters are in my head, waiting to be put to 'paper'. The initial three chapters will introduce the characters, and no intimacy will happen until chapter four, when they are over eighteen. The series will include first-time and group sex but also includes mentions of suicide and attempted rape in later chapters; if that upsets you, I suggest you don't start.
Many thanks to Neuroparenthetical for advice and guidance in editing this first chapter.
Chapter 1
It was September 2008 and my first day of term in a new school; this was my final year of GCSEs. It was not a great time to change, but my parents had changed jobs after my dad's previous company made him redundant after ten years of service. We'd moved from a small village in Shropshire near the English / Welsh border to Totton, just outside of Southampton on the South coast of England.
The syllabus of my new school was very similar to what I had been studying, and I could continue the same subjects, so that didn't worry me. I would miss my friends, particularly Craig, my longest and best friend. We both played World of Warcraft online, so we would keep in touch while playing, but we obviously wouldn't be able to hike and cycle on weekends. One thing I was pleased about, which led to my parents looking for new jobs here, was that the city had an excellent dojo for judo and taekwondo.
My two main priorities growing up were grades at school and fitness. Grades because I wanted to get to a good university to study computing. I didn't know precisely what field, but I enjoyed all aspects of computing and knew it would be a good career choice. Fitness because my main passion was martial arts.
My dad's brother, Tom, introduced me to taekwondo when I was six, and I soon took to it. My father, Keith, was five years younger than his brother and was a former Royal Marine Commando, leaving as a Captain when I was eight. It was his idea to introduce me to judo when he left, and again, I loved it. I think taekwondo and judo's discipline, respect and challenge struck a chord.
It was a beautiful summer's day in September, around eight in the morning, as I left home to walk to my new school for the first time. It was only about a two-mile walk. I figured I'd probably start cycling at some point, but I felt I needed the extra time that day to mentally prepare myself to meet my new teachers and fellow students. I'd been at the same junior and secondary school since I was five, so I suppose I was slightly apprehensive.
I walked down our street and turned left past some local convenience stores and a Tesco metro and then into the school grounds. Kids of all ages were chatting, catching up on what they had been up to on their holidays or playing football. I went into the reception to get my timetable and introduce myself. They were expecting me, and the lady behind the desk gave me my updated class schedule and explained where the classrooms were.
I went outside and sat on a bench near some girls who looked like they were also year 11s. There were three of them, and they seemed to be chatting about where they had been on holiday over the summer (two went to France and the other Scotland, as far as I could work out).
I noticed a group of 'lads' crowding around one boy; I had a fair idea of what was happening but didn't want to jump to conclusions or get in trouble on my first day, so I just watched for a while. I hated bullies and, at my previous school, had made it abundantly clear what I thought of it to anyone who went down that route.
After I'd achieved a black belt in both judo and taekwondo, a couple of the thugs tried to rough me up after I stopped them from making a classmate of mine's life a misery. It didn't end up well for either of them, made worse as it was in front of about 20 other kids; bullying virtually stopped at school soon after. A few teachers worked out what was happening and seemed delighted but never actually brought it up. Subsequently, if anyone felt threatened, they seemed to come to me, and I'd then have a private chat with the culprit about the error of their ways and how it would be better to make different life choices. After that first time, a chat was all that was ever required.
The bell rang, meaning it was time to go to our forms. At the start of each day, we had fifteen minutes with our form teacher before going separate ways to our various classes. My form teacher was Mr Okoru, who I think did PE, he certainly looked very sporty. He welcomed us all back for the start of the new school year and stressed the importance of working hard. We'd all be taking our GCSE exams in May and June, which would be crucial, especially if we wanted to study 'A' levels and then go to university. I was taking ten GCSEs, so I knew I would have to work hard. Still, in seven years, I'll be finished at university! Shit, seven more years of studying; that's nearly half my life up to now! I was sure it would fly by; adults kept telling us this was the best years of our lives, but I wasn't sure I believed them.
Mr Okoru finished his pep talk and then explained to the class that we had a new starter (as if anyone hadn't noticed me) and asked me to stand up and introduce myself.
I stood up and started. "Hi everyone, my name is David Wilshire. I was born and raised in Shropshire, and we moved here over the summer after my parents got new jobs. I intend to go to university after A levels and study Computer Science, as I want to be a programmer, but who knows what I'll want to be in six years?
My hobbies are gaming when I have the time, particularly World of Warcraft, and running and cycling to keep fit. I'm also a black belt in judo and taekwondo, and my dream is to represent Great Britain at the youth Olympics in Singapore in eighteen months and then the London Olympics in three and a half years."
I sat down, and Mr Okoru said. "Thank you, David; I run a jujitsu school here in Totton on a Wednesday night if you are ever interested in learning a new discipline."
"I might try that." I replied, "It depends if I can fit it in. I'll be training twice a week in judo and taekwondo in a dojo in Southampton, but until we get closer to exams, I should be able to attend most weeks."
"I think you have PE with me after lunch today, don't you?" he asked. "Could you do a demonstration of some moves before we start? It would be a fun way to start the term."
"Yes, I've got PE this afternoon. I don't mind showing you if you want."
The bell rang, so we headed to our first class. Mine was maths followed by physics, which were both fine. We then had a short break, and I sought out the boy who had been surrounded that morning. He had been in my maths and physics classes, so I'd already spoken briefly to him. We chatted, and I learned his name was Dafydd and that he had a twin sister named Isolde. Their parents were Welsh and wanted them to have traditional names. He told me about the various teachers and some of the other kids, and we got on very well. The break was soon over, so we agreed to meet for lunch, and I headed off for French, followed by history.
I enjoyed languages. We often went camping around Europe for our summer holidays, so knowing some - even just a little - came in handy. My mother was Swedish, so I'd learned that growing up and seemed to pick up other languages without much effort. Along with French, I was also studying Spanish for GCSE.
I got my looks from my mother's side; like her, I had blond hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion, although I tanned reasonably quickly rather than burned. I was tall, like my parents - already six feet by then, but I thought I still had a few more inches to grow.
The French lesson was excellent. Our teacher was a French lady, so I was confident we would learn the correct pronunciation and grammar. My previous French teacher had been from Birmingham, so they had a very odd accent; if you've ever heard a broad Brumie accent, 'odd' doesn't even begin to describe it! History was good; they covered the same periods we had at my last school, so I wouldn't have to learn new things.
Next was lunch. I headed to the canteen and met Dafydd, and we joined the long queue. The choice was quite good. I chose pasta with some bolognese, and Dafydd had sausages and chips with beans. We sat down with some girls, and he introduced me. One of them was his sister. She was a typically Celtic girl, with long, red hair and green eyes, and looked very well put together. With her were three other pretty girls: Lisa, a skinny blonde; Claire, a brunette with hair down to her mid back; and Lucy, with black hair that just reached her shoulders. Dafydd obviously knew them well, and I was pleased my circle of acquaintances was growing.
After introductions, the girls went back to talking together. I thought Dafydd sat with them to avoid the group surrounding him that morning. We got to learn a bit more about each other. He also liked World of Warcraft - which everyone in the know called 'wow'- so we talked about the dungeons and raids and were both excited about the rumoured new expansion that might be out before Christmas. Just then, Head Goon 1 (I didn't yet know his name, but he seemed to fit the description) came over with his followers and started bad-mouthing Dafydd, calling him Daffy Duck and sheep shagger, ruffling his hair, and generally acting like an arsehole.
I got up and turned to them. "Back off, turn around, and return to the hole you came from. Do not intimidate, touch or talk to my friend again -- or be an arsehole to anyone else, either, for that matter. It pisses me off." I looked directly into his eyes as I spoke to him. He didn't seem pleased someone had stood up to him. It must have been a new experience, and he was temporarily lost for words.
Not for long, though. "After school, I'll teach you a lesson!" he said, his goon squad of four other knuckle-draggers grinning behind him.
"I'm not going to start a fight with anyone," I said, "but I'll certainly defend myself. I suggest you have a good think -- if you're capable of that -- this afternoon and reconsider. You don't intimidate me, and neither do that lot."
"Later, then," he said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it!" With that, they left to go and do whatever lowlifes like them get up to when not choosing prey.
The girls had heard the exchange, and Lisa, looking worried, said, "That wasn't wise. Wayne won't fight fair. His gang will join in as well. There's a back gate from school. You'd better leave that way this afternoon."
I replied, "Don't worry; I think he'll change his mind by the end of the day. Our whole year level has PE this afternoon, doesn't it?" She nodded, so I continued. "Make sure you are all on time, and you'll see why. Mr Okoru has asked me to do a demonstration for everyone before it starts." I got confused looks from them all. "All will become clear later. If Wayne still wants to start something, he's even stupider than he looks." With that, I winked at the girls and left to see if I could find Mr Okoru to have a quick chat.
I found him, as expected, in the sports hall, getting some things ready for the afternoon session with us year elevens. I explained what had transpired at lunch. He knew Wayne was known for bullying other kids and would call him to the head's office. I told him my plan, as I thought it was a better way of defusing the situation. He listened, smiled and then - thankfully -- agreed. When the lesson started, he would tell the whole year about my background. I was a black belt in judo and taekwondo, had represented Great Britain in some European events -- even medalling a few times -- and was aiming to attend the Youth Olympics in Singapore in the summer of 2010.
I explained what moves I was thinking of performing, and he asked me to do a quick demo so he would know what to expect. I changed into shorts and a T-shirt and came out carrying my trainers. Another PE teacher had arrived to help Mr Okoru. Her name was Miss White, and she stood at the side to watch. I thought I'd seen she was the Deputy Head but wasn't sure.
I started doing some standing kicks, did a slow standing split, and held my leg vertically above me for 10 seconds, motionless. I then proceeded to do some jumping kicks, including some backward ones, finishing off by jumping and whipping my leg well over six feet up in the air. I explained that I usually hung a small ball on some string from a frame, so the ball was about six feet and three inches above the ground. Miss White stared with open mouth at the demonstration.
"They're going to love this," she said, "especially some girls!" She was laughing as she added that final thought.
