Windrix Hall chapter 1

Fandom: The Outsiders
Pairing: Johnny/Sodapop
Genre: Romance, Drama
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Disclaimer: Characters and world belong to S.E. Hinton
Authors: Zayhad & M3535


Windrix Hall


Background info (important!):

Since this is a quite elaborate AU, you need some background info about the setting, time, characters, etc. We will not give you all details here, but the most necessary ones to get you started.

Time: Modern day

Setting: An old sophisticated boarding school in New England

Characters: Darry is gym teacher and football coach at the school, and Pony and Soda went to live with him when their parents died. They live in a small apartment at the school grounds and attend classes for free because of Darry’s status as teacher. Dallas, Steve and Johnny are rich kids living at the school. The fanfic starts as Johnny arrives at the school as a new student. Two-Bit does community service in the kitchens.

Ages: Ponyboy: 15 – Johnny: 16 – Sodapop & Steve: 17 – Dallas & Two-Bit: 18 – Darry: 24

Zayhad has drawn each of the characters in school uniforms/clothing. See the folder: Windrix Hall - Character designs. - zayhad.deviantart.com/gallery/…


Chapter 1 – “Welcome to Windrix Hall”

The cab rolled down the long straight avenue. Trees on both sides stood tall against the sky, and many of the leaves that had already started to turn red and yellow, had fallen down onto the pavement. As the cab drove through them, they lifted into the air as spirals of colors. 

Johnny sat with his forehead pressed against the window, watching the trees go by. It was fall here and it was easy to see. It was also much colder than back home in Georgia. He remembered shivering when he got off the plane at the airport. He had never been this far north.

But here he was. In New England. Sent off to boarding school. His parents thought it was best for everyone. Best for everyone? Yes, that's what they said. Wasn’t it? Johnny didn't like to think about it, so he pushed the thought away as fast as it had popped up.

The cab swung into an impressive driveway in front of the main building. As it came to a halt, Johnny got out, adjusted his glasses and gazed up at the large stone building. It looked almost like a palace or a manor. But to him it also looked like a prison. A place he had been sent off to, thousands of miles from home, without anybody having asked him what he thought about the idea.

The driver took out Johnny’s bags and placed them next to him. He only had two - a school bag and a suitcase - so there was no need for the driver to help him carry them inside.

"Have a great year, kid," he said before getting back into the cab and driving off. Johnny looked over his shoulder after the car and wished that he were in it. Then he turned his gaze towards the building again and gulped. So this was where he was going to spend the next two years of his life...

o0o0o0o0o0o

A boy in full school uniform (black pants, white shirt, green jumper and jacket, and green/white striped tie) met Johnny on the front steps. He had a short, classy haircut and looked about eighteen.

"Are you the new student - Johnny Cade?"

"Y-yes," nodded Johnny.

"Welcome to Windrix Hall," said the boy and shook Johnny's hand. He smiled widely, revealing very straight, very white teeth. "My name is Frederic Spencer. I'm school prefect and have been given the task of getting you settled in. Just leave your bags here – I’ll send Merrill out to get them."

They went through the large front doors and entered an impressive hall. There were no one around, so Johnny figured the students were either in class or in their dorms. 

"Where are you from?” asked Spencer as they walked down the hallway. “You don't sound like you're from around here."

"G-Georgia."

"Ah, yes. Your accent did tip me off that you were from down there," said Frederic and gave Johnny a look that might have been a bit disapproving; or maybe it was just Johnny imagining things. "Well, we do have students from all over the country, but most are from the North, of course."

Johnny looked at Frederic for a moment, puzzled about the look that had appeared shortly on his face. Was being from the South a bad thing?

"Um... H-how is the school? I mean... what are the teachers and students like?" Johnny asked, trying to cut back on his Southern accent.

Johnny had always been very shy and kept to himself, but now he had to live at a school and even share a room with strangers. He was very nervous about that, of course, but maybe people here were nice and would want to talk to him. And if they didn't want to talk, then maybe they would just leave him alone. He would be okay by himself; he had lived like that most of his life. Being invisible was better than being kicked around.

"Oh, you will find it much to your liking. It's a great privilege going to this school. It offers only the best: excellent teachers, top working facilities, sophisticated living quarters, very good sports teams, beautiful surroundings. And all based on proud tradition and history," finished Spencer, looking very proud indeed. 

"That sounds nice," Johnny smiled. "So, um…" He adjusted his glasses again and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "What do I need to do? Fill out some papers, or…?"

"Everything should have been taken care of by your parents and the school administration. The headmaster will want to meet you, of course, but he’s not available today so you will have to wait until tomorrow.” 

They walked up a few stairs and down a long corridor. There were a few student hanging out and Johnny got the elevator look as he passed. He felt like they were already judging him even though they didn't even know him. He sighed. He did not have a good feeling about this, and again he wished he had just jumped back into the cab and driven off. 

"I will show you the living quarters after we're done with the school. Now -" Spencer said, and pushed open a set of heavy oaken doors, "- this is the library. Quite impressive, isn't it?"

The library was huge. Hundreds of shelves full of books, all sizes and ages, going from floor to ceiling.

"We have one of the oldest and most well-assorted libraries in the state."

"Wow," Johnny said as he looked up and down the many shelves. He loved books and was very impressed, but he tried not to act like this was too much of a big deal. He didn't want to come off as a nerd. "Um… Very impressive. Really." 

"Do you mind?" a voice said and Johnny spun around. A boy was sitting at a table with a few books, studying. He shot them both a mean look. 

"S-sorry," Johnny said, but the boy just shushed on him. 

"You should welcome our new student, Williams, instead of being rude," reprimanded Spencer. 

The boy – Williams - just rolled his eyes. 

After a quick tour of the rest of the school, Frederic Spencer showed Johnny to the living quarters. 

"You share a dorm with three other sophomores," said the prefect and knocked on the door to one of the dormitories.

"Yeah?" a voice sounded from the other side of the door. 

Spencer opened the door and Johnny spotted three boys, all a good deal bigger than him. 

"This is Johnny Cade," Spencer introduced. "He will be sharing your room."

"He-hello," said Johnny and gave a hesitant wave.

"Hi, I’m Tyler," one of them replied. "Welcome to Windrix Hall.”

"Johnny," said Spencer when no one else seemed to be about to introduce themselves. "This is Victor Hanson, and that one is Harry Greene."

Victor and Harry barely spared Johnny a look. 

"Move all your stuff from Johnny's bed and shelves," commanded Spencer. "Go on - he can't sleep on a pile of books and dirty clothes." 

The others got up and grumpily started moving all the things that was lying on what was to be Johnny's bed. 

The prefect gave Johnny a small handbook with rules and guidelines of the school, and advised him to read it thoroughly. Then he left him alone with his new dorm mates.

Johnny stood for a few seconds with the book, looking at the three others. Then he went over at sat down on the bed that was now free from books and clothes. 

"So… um... Where ya’ll from?" he asked shyly.

"We’re from New England," Victor said in a haughty tone, looking at Johnny like he was an unsavory bug or something. "And you sound like you’re from down south..."

"Yeah, I'm from Georgia...”

"Yeah - Southern trash. As we thought," Harry said and turned back to his computer. 

"Ah, come on, guys," Tyler said. Then he turned to Johnny. "I'm from Boston. Victor and Harry are on the football team, so they think they’re oh so important," he grinned and elbowed Victor in the side.

Johnny sighed and started unpacking. He was not looking forward to his stay here. But at least one of his roommates seemed friendly enough.

oOooOo

To be continued...