[Fiction] Joining the Club

[FLCL]

The summer after I turned 14, my parents moved us to a new town. Suddenly I was in an unfamiliar place with no friends at all. Being an only son, I didn't even have a sibling to keep me company. I was terrified that I would make a bad first impression and be forced to spend the next 4 years of school all alone, so I was determined to meet some friends before classes started.

During the first few days at our new house, I got myself situated in my room and rode my bike around the neighborhood keeping an eye out for kids my age. Some of our adult neighbors came to our door to welcome us to the street, but no one my age introduced themselves to me. While riding my bike, I would see other kids here and there, but for a while I felt awkward about approaching people I didn't know.

There was one group of two girls and two guys that I would see regularly walking either to or from this forest that was at the end of my street. One day, a little over a month before school would start, I decided I was going to head out into that forest and see if I could figure out what they did there. It was early on a Wednesday afternoon and my parents were at work when I put on a pair of long pants and my boots and walked to the end of the street. When I got to the edge of the forest, I looked around but there wasn't a clear path; so I just trudged in.

As I walked into the woods, I thought about what they could be doing out here. Were they just hiking? Were they playing games? Were they doing something they didn't want their parents to know about? I wasn't walking very long before I lost my sense of direction. I should have been paying closer attention to where I was going since I had never been in these woods. I looked around nervously hoping something would jump out at me as familiar. No luck. I decided to pick a direction and just walk for a while. Hopefully I would come across a house or a street or a person.

After wandering through the woods for a while I came across a shack made of scrap plywood and held together with rusted metal screws and hinges. There was a single door with a padlock. It peaked my curiosity that this ramshackle shed was out in the middle of the woods. I walked around it a couple of times hoping to find a window or a hole that I could peek through and see what was inside. Then, from a ways off behind me, I heard a male voice yell in my direction, "Hey, what are you doing?"

I was startled but I turned to see who was talking. The group of four kids I had seen coming in and out of the forest were walking towards me. The boy who had yelled was out in front and walking faster than the rest of the group. He asked me, "Who are you?"

[Rugshaw1]

Interesting, continue please

[FLCL]

I hesitated a second before answering, "I'm James." The boy was unsatisfied by my answer, "Do you always snoop around where you haven't been invited James?"

I wanted to say something, but my mind drew a blank. One of the girls, a tall brunette, cut the silence, "I haven't seen you before, where did you come from?" I was happy to hear a question I could answer, "I just moved in. 112 Nelson Road."

The boy spoke again, "We don't care. You shouldn't be out here snooping around where you don't belong." He had a point. My curiosity didn't give me any right to be peeping in this shack. Luckily for me, the girl that asked me where I was from came to my defense, "Don't be so hard on him Steve, he just moved in. Maybe he wants to join the club."

There was a moment of silence. The girl's statement had caused a moment of confusion. I took a chance, "Actually I do. I've been watching you guys come out here for a while. I don't know what you do out here, but you seem to be having fun and I want to be a part of it!"

Steve responded quickly, "You don't even know what you're asking for. What we do out here isn't for out-of-towners. This club is serious. You would wuss out in a heartbeat."

I thought about how much I wanted to have a group of friends. I thought about how lonely I had been at my last school. I spoke directly to Steve, "Look, I really like you guys. I understand that I'm an outsider. I understand that you don't trust me. I'm new here, but I want to be part of this group, whatever it is. Tell me what I have to do to prove it to you and I'll do it, I promise!"

Steve looked at the other guy and then at the girls. I got the feeling that he didn't want me around. He looked back to me and said, "Like I said, this club isn't for you, but I'll give you a chance to find out for yourself. If you want to join us, then you're going to have to pledge. Like a fraternity. Whatever we say goes. The first time you refuse to do what you're told, you're out and you never come back here again. Deal?"

I answered before he finished the question, "Deal!" What was I getting myself into? Fuck it! I'm making friends come hell or high water.