The Online Newspaper of Lakewood High School

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    “Eucomopia”

    Thomas often quoted himself as a deliberation of the loner society, just by the way he walked around, the intimidating look on his face would somehow be a vouch for why he didn’t have many friends. However, watching by the way he dragged himself about in his garnished sneakers was probably worse than his menacing approach. Walking the streets of Eucomopia Thomas hung his head low, even under his hat the blistering heat managed to swelter him from the inside out. At first he didn’t notice anything, his eyes were so dry that it hurt to keep them open just as much as it did closed. When he focused his pin sized pupils, he saw nothing within view but dead grass, even the weeds were hunched over in ache of the blistering sun.

    Basically everything looked as if it needed to be dunked underneath a substantial ocean, even the dirt which eventually grew hard enough to be distinguished as a rock, was unearthly. Spreading the fingers from his left hand Thomas unintentionally caught a raindrop. For a moment he trampled in his own steps, damaging his sneakers for yet the thousandth time. Slowly falling from the sky came cool clear droplets of water. He was suddenly able to look above his hat, and for the first time in five years the heavens broke loose and gray clouds shaded the street. Thomas closed his eyes and breathed in, smelling the wind cooling off the heat from the old metal benches that were once too hot to sit on. Walking the streets of Eucomopia always took its good with its bad, the bad just lasted a really long time.

    The drought was finally over, and loud thunder crackled over the sky as humongous puddles of mud instantly devised from what seemed like nowhere. Pouring down was thick rain from the smallest storm. His shoes were officially ruined, and his hat became too heavy to wear on top of his head, and I won’t even tell you what happened to poor Thomas’s book bag, but let’s just say one of the puddles got larger.  All of these things that had once made up Thomas Kingsly’s awful persona had led astray. No longer suffering the awkward humiliation of his peers, -Thomas still grimaced.-

    -Switching to First person point of view-

    Up the small hill on a drenching wet dead tree was Stanley Revern. He was sitting up in that tree, sitting with his legs dangling from each side of the branch. Just sitting there, what an idiot, I guess rain can’t fix everything after all. However he was my best friend, and there was no one quite like him. I called out his name by cupping my mouth with my hands,  trying to make it loud enough to get his attention.

    “Stanley!” I had to try a few times before he noticed me.

    Putting his hand on the large stump behind him, he turned to look me straight in the face. His sopping wet hair hung over his small oval glasses in an upside down v shape.

    “Um, Stanley what on earth are you doing up in that tree?” I squinted at him in confusion.

    “I climbed this tree because I felt it starting to rain, and I was trying to stay dry,” said Stanley, he was one of the only people that made me question his well being. 

    “It hasn’t rained in five years, and you’re worried about getting wet?” I almost wanted to cry because of his stupidity. 

    “Well yes, I just got these new shoes and backpack, I can’t have them ruined.” Said Stanley, throwing his hands in the air. 

    “Who cares if they’re ruined! Five years have gone and passed and all you can think about is your old stuff?” Climbing up in a tree didn’t work anyways, Stanley was more soaked than me, and I was walking with my head up.

    -Although I could partly understand where he was coming from, I mean most of the people that had to walk everywhere in Eucomopia had worn out cut fabric shoes. I had a pair of worn out mud filled socks, because my shoes completely fell off my feet when I climbed up the hill to see Stanley. Now that I think about it, the shoes I once had were pitiful, those disgusting white sneakers with the dirt streaks all over them. You would have thought that shoes would tell a lot about a person, but in actuality all they ever said about me was the bad stuff. Now I’m free of those dirty white laces and burnt out soles. Ever since the rain came pouring down I’ve felt like I can start new. Walking the streets of Eucomopia always took it’s good with it’s bad, it’s old with it’s new, and I wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.

    -Another day in paradise-

    I bought new shoes, the good kind, you know the ones that stay on your feet when it gets all muddy outside. They weren’t those disgusting white streaked sneakers anymore, and they didn’t seem to attract too much attention either. My black combat boots, good enough to kick all of the haters away. Steel toed armored boots, no one had shoes like these in Eucomopia except for me, the only brooding genius at Alchan high school. 

    The day was short. It seemed as if it quickly ended due to the change in our environment well that and the final class let out. I couldn’t help but smile as I walked out of the building because I knew there would be greener pastures. My shoes didn’t fall off of my feet, and the new bag I was carrying was accessible with both the straps. I made sure it was real light so that the walk home wouldn’t strain my back. Walking past the same hill, I stopped for a moment when I reached the same hill I had once seen Stanley Revern sitting in.

    He was still up in that tree, it had been a whole day and he was still just sitting there. Maybe he just didn’t know how to get himself down, or he had fallen asleep, whatever it was he was still sitting there. 

    -Stanley Revern-

    Stanley Revern was that kind of fellow to bring you down to his own level, and then beat you with experience. With his tempered brow, he often looked curious and distracted.  No one actually understood the guy, not even his own parents. I’ve known the guy my entire life, and let me tell you, if I could go back and do it all over again I would.

    It was fifth grade when he decided to eat elmer’s glue, just put the nozzle right above his mouth and squeezed. Then hacked it all up on my sandals, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do forget that day for as long as I live.

                 Shoes were really important in Eucomopia, especially since you walked everywhere. Stanley was really proud of his shoes and such. It was just the fact he was kind of gross in general. Ever since the rain came down Eucomopia was mysteriously put on the map, more people started showing up, and for the first time In five years I saw a truck. It came from the entrance of Eucomopia, drove right past the small population sigh and right into our town. The rain might be good luck for Stanley and I, but if you ask me, I would have told you I thought it was the shoes.

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