Casey Read online

  Contents

  8 Weeks to Go

  7 Weeks to Go

  6 Weeks to Go

  5 Weeks to Go

  4 Weeks to Go

  3 Weeks to Go

  2 Weeks to Go

  1 Week to Go

  0 Weeks to Go

  3 Weeks After

  13 Weeks After

  Books By This Author

  CASEY

  By

  CAMERON JAMES

  Published in 2020

  Copyright © The author as named on the book cover.

  The author or authors assert their moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author or authors of this work.

  All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

  8 Weeks to Go

  I just sat and stared that morning when I woke up. I was staring at my uniform hanging on the wardrobe, the crisp white shirt with red, blue, grey and white tie and the black blazer hanging over it. On the hanger next to it was a pair of black school trousers and the grey jumper, it was all real. Everything about this day was real. The new school that I was due to arrive at, at eight forty-five was real. The brand new school uniform hanging on the wardrobe, was real.

  The first day, going to school as 100% a boy, was real.

  "Case, out of bed, before I get you out." Mum shouted up the stairs, I dragged my eyes away from my uniform and to the door.

  "Five minutes." I shouted back then cleared my throat, pulling my duvet up higher and burying my face in it.

  "Three minutes forty-six." She replied, I groaned loudly. "Three minutes forty, you're wasting time." She continued, I head butted my knees, until my door opened.

  "You're going to be late."

  "Leave me alone Abi." I replied, to my intruding seven year old sister.

  "MUM CASEY WAS RUDE TO ME!" She shouted, I scowled.

  "ABI CAME INTO MY ROOM WITHOUT PERMISSION!" I shouted back and saw as she panicked, it's a very clear rule that my nosy seven year old sister, Abigail, cannot come into my room without being given permission.

  "Abi, leave your brother alone." Mum's voice said, but it sounded closer to my room. I did however, have to squeeze my legs closer to my body to minimize the tingling feeling in my stomach from the word 'brother'. "Casey, leave your sister alone." She said then guided Abi out of my room by her head, "Go and get dressed Abi." She said, and Abigail did, being seven did have perks. "Are you okay?"

  "Nervous." I admitted, "terrified actually, now I come to think of it." I said, Mum smiled then sat at the foot of my bed, "do they know? Does the school know?"

  "No." She said quietly, "you can choose to tell them, but you're eighteen Casey. I figured it'd be easier for you to finish your A-Levels in peace." She said and I agreed, mostly. "Your head teacher wants to meet with you, so get dressed." She said then hit my knees, "get up, get dressed and let's get gone." She continued then left. I sighed and actually forced myself out of bed, slamming the bathroom door shut as I went, but the household was used to that by now, the bathroom was a very frustrating room for me.

  I checked out my chin whilst brushing my teeth, besides a few new spots there was nothing there, nothing to shave off, so I brushed the rest of my teeth with my head down and left the bathroom as quickly as I could. Once I was changed, I stood in front of the full length mirror in the hallway, just looking back at me.

  "The countdown has begun, ten!" Mum shouted up the stairs, so I shook myself and went down the stairs that, however stopped the countdown. "Oh Casey." She said, I looked down, "You look so smart." She added then brushed her hands down my blazered sleeves, "now get in the car, before I get teary." She said, hitting my shoulder in a sort of 'move' kind of way. Mum drove us to school, dropping Abigail first and ensuring she got in safely, then it was my turn.

  We'd only just moved down here, just before Christmas, and to be frank, it is all my fault, but, Mum and Dad were both happy to move, and Abigail was happy to move schools, so, it wasn't quite a disaster move. Dad had relocated in his job quite easily, and we all met with Abi's new head teacher before the school broke up for Christmas, it was just my school that was the iffy one.

  As I was eighteen there was no reason for me to be in education at all really, but as I'd started my A-Levels back home, Mum felt it necessary for me to continue with them. Keep some normality in your life she had said, so we had to find a school that not only did my options but was happy to take me three-quarters of the way through the school year.

  Apparently, Kingsbury High School had both.

  "Are you really nervous?" Mum asked, I looked out the window, "you know you don't have to tell anyone, anything." She continued, I nodded.

  "I know, and I'm not planning on telling anyone anything." I replied then looked at her, "are you more nervous than me?" I queried, she laughed.

  "Of course, I am." She replied, I smiled, "Casey, I know you're eighteen, but you're my baby. If anyone says anything I'll kick them in the shins." She declared then pulled into the visitor’s car park. "Got it?" She asked, I nodded.

  "Got it." I replied then hugged her and hopped out of the car before she could threaten anymore of my future classmates. I found the head’s office quite easily, there was a large plastic sign with the words Head Teacher’s Office written on them, so I knocked then waited.

  "Mr Ansel, I presume?" The woman on the other side of the door said, I nodded.

  I was given a map, a locker key and a pat on the back then I was sent on my way, so of course I got lost, lost in a sea of identical lockers and I figured that I looked as lost as I felt.

  "MICKEY!" I heard and turned, seeing a very smug expression and an amused but frustrated expression on two not quite boys, but not quite men, they were both completely in that middle stage.

  The smug one was tall, very tall, with black hair and blue eyes, he was also clean shaven but managed somehow to not look like a pre-teen.

  The amused and frustrated expression belonged to someone equally as tall, almost a whole foot taller than me, he had brown hair and eyes, both of which looked really quite soft. He had a sandy coloured beard, not thick, not at all, but I figured it still counted as a beard and fuck me, he was attractive.

  "Are you lost?" Amused and frustrated asked, I nodded.

  "I appear to be looking for a locker in a room full of lockers." I said, he laughed.

  "What number are you looking for?" He asked, I held out every piece of paper I'd been given, he took the locker key. "Year thirteen?" He asked, I nodded. "Cool, come on." He said, gesturing to 'smug' to follow as they lead me through the locker maze, "so I take it you're the new boy?" Amused asked, I nodded whilst grinning a little at that tingly feeling.

  "Casey." I said, they both nodded slightly.

  "Mickey." Amused said.

  "And Morgan." Smug added, I smiled.

  "You sound like a Kid’s TV show." I said, making them both laugh then come to stop in front of a locker.

  "Thirteen, fifty-six." Morgan said, "I present you, your locker." He added, I looked at it.

  "That was an anti-climax." I said, seeing their matching grins, before I got given the key back, and opened the locker, it was the same shade of grey on the inside as it was the outside.

  "Have you been to the common room yet?" Mickey asked, I shook my head.

  "Did you even get offered a tour?" Morgan said, I tilted my head at
him slightly.

  "There was a tour?" I asked, making them both smirk as Morgan took every piece of paper out of my hand.

  "Timetable." He read then scanned it, "you're in my business class. No surprise there." He said, I frowned at Mickey who shook his head, "we can show you where English and IT are." He continued then hummed.

  "So, common room first?" Mickey said, whilst pointing towards the door that was placed central on the wall at the far end of the, I'm guessing, year thirteen lockers. I was led through that door into a very purple room, there were purple couches, purple rugs, purple computer covers, purple computer chairs, purple curtains, everything was freaking purple.

  "And there's toilets down there." Morgan finished, his monologue and pointed towards the purple corridor.

  "Disabled?" I asked, they both nodded, but didn't question, I was impressed. "Good." I said quietly, then looked between them. "Thank you."

  "No need." Mickey said then pulled out a surprise, surprise, purple chair, "you're now officially our friend, you can't escape now.”

  "You genuinely have no choice." Morgan said whilst taking a seat on the same table as Mickey, so I did also.

  "I'm okay with that." I said, they both laughed.

  "So, where are you from?" Mickey asked, "why have you moved?" He continued, I shrugged at him.

  "Manchester." I said, they both nodded then I looked at him, he was even more attractive close up, "My Dad’s job relocated him." I added, that was the party line, if anyone asked, my Dad was relocated, nothing to do with me, no way, ah-ah.

  "That sucks." Morgan said, I frowned, "I mean, like the timing." He added, I hummed at him, neither an agreement nor disagreement.

  "Where are you from?" I asked Morgan, it took me a while but I had figured out he had an Irish accent.

  "Tipperary." He replied, "lived here for almost five years." He added, so I nodded smiling at him.

  "I live here." Mickey said, we both looked at him.

  "Always have." He added, "I fend on new kids because old kids know me and don't want to be friends." He continued, his voice getting lower and lower as he continued to talk.

  "I give you a week Casey, he's annoying as fuck." Morgan said, I laughed then smiled at Mickey, shivering lightly when he grinned back at me.

  "How was school?" Mum asked as I climbed into the car, I nodded in response. "Wow. Must have been good." She said, I almost smiled.

  "I made friends." I said then looked at her, "I didn't even have to do anything, I just made friends."

  "Impressive." She said, I smiled.

  "I haven't made friends since I was like ten." I declared and I saw as mum smiled, really smiled, a fully relaxed and happy smile. It made me smile back.

  "So, what are they like?" She asked as she turned into Abi's school.

  "They're nice, I guess. Morgan and Mickey." I said, she smirked, "they just sort of adopted me." I said then quietened as Abi got into the car, she of course took over the conversation but that's because a seven year old’s school day will always be far more interesting than an eighteen year olds’ school day. Mum, stopped to let Abi out of the car and didn't get out herself.

  "I'm glad you liked school." She said, I nodded, "I can't even remember the last time you liked school." She said then squeezed my hand in hers, so I smiled at her.

  "I think this might be okay. I think it might work." I said nodding to her and saw how happy it made her then she began laughing, I turned seeing Abi stood on one side of the front door and Dad in the porch, shaking his head at her as she tried to open the door.

  Mum was genuinely shocked when I appeared downstairs, dressed and ready to go to school, she almost choked on her toast.

  “Casey! Are you okay?”

  “Yeah!” I said then began to make my own toast, leaning on the countertop as she examined me.

  “Are you sure?” She asked, I just smiled at her.

  “Yes. I’m fine.” I said then looked at the toaster as it popped.

  “Just that you’ve never been out of bed before requesting you are. Like, ever.” She said as I came and took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

  “Well, I’ve got my new Business class to meet, and IT. I’ve got a lot to do today.” I said, she smiled, she finally let her guard down and smiled.

  “Would you like to be dropped off?” She asked, I shook my head.

  “Really?”

  “Really.” I replied, “and actually, I think I’ll leave now. See you later half three thereabouts?” I said, Mum nodded back then watched me leave, I waved to her from the door then stepped out, taking a deep breath once I was outside and walking to school.

  I’d never walked to school, let alone gone by myself. After being a victim for years Mum had insisted she drive me, she didn’t trust me alone in case I didn’t make it to school or back from and I thanked her for it because I didn’t trust myself to walk to and from school either. Until today. I appeared to time it right as when I walked past the bus stop, Mickey got off the bus that had stopped.

  “Casey.” He said happily, I blushed and looked down then cursed myself for blushing and looking down. “Ready for your first day of business? Because business is the place to be.” He said nodding to me, I laughed.

  “Business is completely the place to be.” I replied, “why aren’t you in there?”

  “Because business is boring.” He said, “obviously.” He added, I smiled at him this time.

  “Obviously.” I agreed, whilst following him to the common room.

  “I picked up a stray.” Mickey announced loudly as he walked towards the table Morgan was sat up, I heard Morgan’s laugh before he raised his head.

  “You shouldn’t do that; you don’t know where they’ve been.” He replied then nodded to me, I nodded back.

  “He’s clean.” Mickey said happily then turned and frowned at me, “I think.”

  “I hope.” I said, they laughed, I glanced at Morgan as he smirked at me, I shook it off before taking a seat on the same table as them.

  “Are you gay?” Morgan asked as he tapped his pen against the table, once our teacher had stopped talking at us. I did a double take.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Oh my God don’t take offence.” He said quickly, I almost laughed, “you were just looking at Mickey with this look that was so disgustingly cute and I wanted to know if Mickey had raised a sexual arising in you, you didn’t know about or if you knew.”

  “I knew.” I whispered back, “is he?”

  “Yes.” Morgan said sounding exhausted.

  “Did he look at me with a as disgustingly cute look?” I said, he smiled at me, I sighed. “No?”

  “Mickey’s intrigued by you, that much I can tell you, but he hides his emotions so well, you don’t know unless you ask him.”

  “I’m not asking him.” I said, “it’s been two days and I am not that brave.” I said, he grinned.

  “I like you.” He said nodding.

  “Well thanks.” I replied laughing, “you’re not are you?”

  “No, no I am not.” He said shaking his head, “but I’m so chilled about it, sometimes I wonder if I could be.” He said, I laughed. “If it helps, Mickey’s a good guy.”

  “And attractive too.” I replied, he snorted lightly then actually began doing his work, so I did too after looking at him for a little while longer.

  Mickey seemed to like walking to the further bus stop to get his bus home, I just continued to walk with him. It had confused me the first two days I’d walked with him as I had to find my house after he’d gotten on the bus and it took far too long to realise I just had to walk across the road and I’d be at the top of my street.

  The second day, I found home far quicker, after sitting on the wall behind the bus stop with him, and watching two buses go past as we spoke.

  The third day, today, he appeared to be walking extremely slowly.

  “Place to be?” He asked, so I turned, seeing he was a good few steps behind me.r />
  “No, don’t you have a bus to catch?” I replied, he hummed.

  “Yes, but it doesn’t have to be this one.” He said, we both watched as the bus drove past us, “or the next one, or even the one after that.” He said, I nodded. “Come sit.” He added, so I followed him into the park we were walking alongside and to a bench.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to spend more time with me.” I said, he smiled.

  “You’re bang on the money.” He said nodding, “how inconsiderate of you not picking any of my subjects.” He stated.

  “So inconsiderate.” I agreed shaking my head at him, “what did you even pick?”

  “Maths, chemistry and health and social.”

  “You’re clever.”

  “You’re surprised?” He replied, I must have looked panicked, he smiled. “Most people are. It’s like when I tell people I’m gay, I always get that shocked look that is trying to be hid.” He said laughing, “you however are not giving me that look, good gaydar?”

  “I asked Morgan.” I said, he laughed.

  “I’d have been well more impressed if you’d just sensed it.”

  “As would I.” I said nodding then actually looked at him as he looked back at me, I frowned as he searched my face with his eyes.

  “Why did you ask Morgan?”

  “He was sat next to me.” I replied, he hit my thigh so I began laughing, “I wanted to know.”

  “Why didn’t you ask me?”

  “I’d have been embarrassed. Literally on day three just walking up to query your sexuality, it’s not how I do things.”

  “Was it because I was flirting with you?”

  “You were flirting with me?” I replied, he laughed.

  “Shit, are my moves that bad?” He asked, sitting up so he could be on level with me.

  “I guess so.” I replied, he gasped at me, “I mean I didn’t have a clue. That was flirting?”

  “You’re mean.” He said laughing, I smiled.

  “You didn’t ask if I was gay.” I said, I swear he blushed.

  “I asked Morgan.” He admitted, I hit his shoulder.