Christmas Lights In The Middle of August, chapter 2
"Joey?" The boy snapped out of his deep thoughts. He turned away from the window and looked at the source of the voice who had called his name. It was Dave, Joey's best friend and the boy Joey shared his dormitory with. Dave's life story was different from Joey's. Dave's parents were killed in a car accident when he was only a baby, either he didn't have other family or they didn't want him. He was only two when he came to St. John's; he was now fifteen years old as well.
"Yeah?" Joey asked waiting to see what his old friend wanted. The two had become quick friends when Joey first entered the orphanage. They created a friendship based on the love of music, that friendship became stronger as the years passed and the boys became inseparable. They were always together talking about starting a band and touring the world. Joey liked the sound of their dream; he yearned to pick up a guitar and just play, and touring the world was his idea of perfect. That was the dream the two shared, and it was the dream that Joey knew would never come true.
"Don't you want to come down to the cafeteria, it's lunch time," Dave said. Dave hated eating alone; he hated being alone. Joey was Dave's only friend; so therefore, without Joey Dave wouldn't have anyone.
"Yeah Dave, I'm coming," Joey said to him. Dave forced a grin on his face before nodding and exiting the lounge room where Joey had been the whole morning. Joey turned back to the window and gave one last long look before pulling the crimson curtain back over the window and shutting out the gloominess of California on a rainy day.
On his way to the lunch room Joey walked past the classrooms that during the school year held classes for the boys at St. John's. It was now summer though and everyone seemed relaxed and somewhat happy to be free from homework and research papers. When he entered the cafeteria he spotted Dave immediately sitting by himself at an empty table, there was only one other chair at the table and Joey knew it was for him. He smiled slightly knowing he wasn't totally alone in the world and made his way over to the table.
"Hey," Dave said when Joey approached the table and took a seat in the empty chair. Joey looked at his friend who seemed to be almost transfixed by his meal. The meals at the orphanage were anything but appetizing; usually on Sundays the lunch meal was chili. This Sunday was no different, there all the boys sat in the lunch room of the orphanage looking down at their plates of steaming reheated chili that looked to be a couple weeks old.
"Hey," Joey returned his greeting. He sat at the table watching his friend play with his food using his fork. Dave finally looked up from his plate and looked around the table and at Joey.
"Not eating lunch again?" Dave asked with a mixture of worry and surprise. Joey shrugged and eyed Dave's disgusting plate of chili. His stomach did flips and he looked back up at his friend.
"No, don't think my stomach could handle that stuff today," Joey replied. Dave nodded and then began darting his eyes across the cafeteria. Many boys, like Joey, had chose not to eat today due to the nasty meal. Dave was always hungry and would usually eat anything St. John's offered. Finally tired of playing with his food, Dave dug his fork into the somewhat cool chili and brought it to his mouth.
After lunch many boys retired to the lounge room. When Joey and Dave reached the crowded lounge room they exchanged looks. They were both the kind of people who thought that three was a crowd, and so with that in mind the boys turned around and headed to their shared dormitory to talk of their futures and the one thing they both loved, music.
"Yeah?" Joey asked waiting to see what his old friend wanted. The two had become quick friends when Joey first entered the orphanage. They created a friendship based on the love of music, that friendship became stronger as the years passed and the boys became inseparable. They were always together talking about starting a band and touring the world. Joey liked the sound of their dream; he yearned to pick up a guitar and just play, and touring the world was his idea of perfect. That was the dream the two shared, and it was the dream that Joey knew would never come true.
"Don't you want to come down to the cafeteria, it's lunch time," Dave said. Dave hated eating alone; he hated being alone. Joey was Dave's only friend; so therefore, without Joey Dave wouldn't have anyone.
"Yeah Dave, I'm coming," Joey said to him. Dave forced a grin on his face before nodding and exiting the lounge room where Joey had been the whole morning. Joey turned back to the window and gave one last long look before pulling the crimson curtain back over the window and shutting out the gloominess of California on a rainy day.
On his way to the lunch room Joey walked past the classrooms that during the school year held classes for the boys at St. John's. It was now summer though and everyone seemed relaxed and somewhat happy to be free from homework and research papers. When he entered the cafeteria he spotted Dave immediately sitting by himself at an empty table, there was only one other chair at the table and Joey knew it was for him. He smiled slightly knowing he wasn't totally alone in the world and made his way over to the table.
"Hey," Dave said when Joey approached the table and took a seat in the empty chair. Joey looked at his friend who seemed to be almost transfixed by his meal. The meals at the orphanage were anything but appetizing; usually on Sundays the lunch meal was chili. This Sunday was no different, there all the boys sat in the lunch room of the orphanage looking down at their plates of steaming reheated chili that looked to be a couple weeks old.
"Hey," Joey returned his greeting. He sat at the table watching his friend play with his food using his fork. Dave finally looked up from his plate and looked around the table and at Joey.
"Not eating lunch again?" Dave asked with a mixture of worry and surprise. Joey shrugged and eyed Dave's disgusting plate of chili. His stomach did flips and he looked back up at his friend.
"No, don't think my stomach could handle that stuff today," Joey replied. Dave nodded and then began darting his eyes across the cafeteria. Many boys, like Joey, had chose not to eat today due to the nasty meal. Dave was always hungry and would usually eat anything St. John's offered. Finally tired of playing with his food, Dave dug his fork into the somewhat cool chili and brought it to his mouth.
After lunch many boys retired to the lounge room. When Joey and Dave reached the crowded lounge room they exchanged looks. They were both the kind of people who thought that three was a crowd, and so with that in mind the boys turned around and headed to their shared dormitory to talk of their futures and the one thing they both loved, music.
