"We're getting a new roommate."
I was folded neatly into one of the comfortable cafeteria table chairs when my friend, Scarlet Strathmore, delivers the news. I nearly tip over in surprise and in the process of trying to answer, end up choking on the coffee I was drinking. My reply comes out in a series of coughs and hacks and Scarlett raises an eyebrow over the top of her phone.
"Don't die on me," a glass of water slides across the table and I wash the burning sensation away.
"A new what?!" I gasp out
"Apparently she's coming in today."
Collapsing back into my position in the chair, I sigh loudly and cross my arms. "Who made that decision? The last thing I need right now is another roommate."
Scarlett locks her brown eyes on me coolly, "Yeah, you as a roommate is stressful enough, imagine another girl. And if she's anything like you, count me out."
Scarlett and I are the most unlikely pair of friends, and I use the term lightly. It's more like we tolerate each other in a 'friends with benefits' type of way. I write her AP essays, she gets me into every illegal party on campus. I can't entirely comprehend why she wants me to do her homework as she's one of the top students, but then again, I don't really want to know what she does in her free time. Maybe being one of the schools prettiest girls has lots of…responsibilities.
A tall boy slides into the open seat to my left and tugs on a stray curl on the top of my head.
"Dixon, Strathmore," he greets us by our last names, the familiar glimmer of mischievousness in his eyes. "I hope you two are behaving yourselves."
Scarlett perks up suddenly and ruffles his fiery red-orange hair, giving him a perfect all teeth smile, "Pattern! Where were you all day? I've got lots of stuff to tell you!"
Pattern raises his eyebrows at me and rolls his eyes at Scarlett, "Of course you do, that's exactly why I avoided you all day."
Scarlett slumps back in her seat and picks up her phone again, "You're so mean to me," she whines, but the smile is still plastered to her face.
Pattern smushes himself into the chair with me and slaps something onto my wrist. A giant smiley face stares back at me, the only design on the otherwise white background of the slap bracelet.
"How did you find this?" trinkets from humans were considered taboo and strictly forbidden in the school, I was surprised he made it pass any of the teachers with this.
"I am awfully persuasive when I need to be," he smirks and takes the bracelet off to slap it on again.
Pattern has been my ride or die since birth. He earned the nickname from an unfortunate paint accident in art class, and since then his real name Dallas has been lost. Even the teachers refer to him as Pattern, calling him Dallas just feels wrong.
He's the only person I truly trust at this God forsaken school. Though I suppose that is a bit blasphemous considering The 'School' is run in one of the most sacred churches in the world. Supposedly it was created by a fallen angel in an attempt to keep the Nephilim race from being killed off. I've lived here all my life, sheltered under watchful gaze of the teachers. I've never seen the world outside of the school besides in magazines and movies and while all the other Neph my age were working jobs and meeting people, I was imprisoned to the grounds of the school. The admin told me it was the instruction of my fallen angel father to keep me on school grounds at all times, and considering how good of a job they had been doing, my father must be incredibly intimidating.
"If you two are done," Scarlett chimes in not so nicely, "We still have a problem with this roommate situation."
"Way to suck!" Pattern jeers, "I'm all by myself."
"Please…Don't rub it in."
"Watch it Dixon," Scarlett flicks away a notification on her phone's screen, "I'm the real victim here."
I open my mouth to retort but the announcement speaker dings, and all talk in the cafeteria ceases.
"Students," A deep voice rattles over the intercom. "We have two newcomers coming in today," He pauses as if reading of a piece of paper. "Pearce March and Houston Blue. I know you'll welcome them with open arms." He goes through a short list of announcements and signs off. Conversation starts up again.
"Well, well, well," Scarlett slouches back into her seat and fixes her glare onto the double doors of the cafeteria, "Let's hope whoever walks through those doors is a God send and not a curse."
Pattern makes a face and raises both arms to the ceiling, "So…What kind of approach should I go for today ladies? The Cocky Jock? Or the Generous Gentleman?"
He was going to make a humiliating first impression with either introduction, and I opened my mouth to tell him so but I realized all conversation in the cafeteria has come to a stop.
Standing in the doorway, is a Barbie.
She's dressed in simple but gorgeous sweater dress that compliments her figure perfectly. Her curls are dyed a pastel pink and makes her smooth black skin stand out. Her knee burgundy boots squeak nervously against the tile floor as she comes to stand in the middle of the cafeteria. She smiles shyly but makes eye contact with everyone in the cafeteria, when her eyes land on our table she begins to make her way over, hips swishing.
"Holy…"
Both Pattern and Scarlett are in awe as she approaches and even I can't help but be completely bug eyed.
"Is it okay if I sit here?" her voice is soft, but her tone is confident and clear.
Both Pattern and Scarlett were too busy staring, so I hurriedly answered her, "Of course. I'm Kimily, this is Pattern and Scarlett."
She greets each of us with a small nod and sits across from Pattern and I, directly next to Scarlett who is still staring.
"My name is Houston Blue, nice to meet all of you!"
Patterns elbow smacks me in the arm as he reaches across the table to instigate a hand shake,
"The pleasure is allllll mine."
I cringe internally and grab a glass of water to hide my second hand embarrassment. Houston takes his hand with an eyebrow raised. She opens her mouth to respond when Scarlett finally speaks, snatching her attention to ask her where she got her dress.
"I thought you were for sure going to go for the cocky jock," I whisper to Pattern. He shakes his head, eyes still trained on Houston.
"This one definitely called for the Generous Gentleman."
I snort into the water.
"What? It's a winner!"
"Is that why you're still single?"
He sticks his tongue out at me and ruffles my hair, "Yeah, okay Ms. Smartass."
I smooth my hair back down at the same time that someone slides into the empty chair to my right, startling me. I don't bother to see who it is, Scarlett has lots of admirers. They usually sit to pledge their undying love through a poem or gift her miscellaneous girly trinkets. All of which she eventually pawns off to the lower classmen. Though considering Houston's arrival, I wouldn't be surprised if she gave Scarlett a run for her money. What I would pay to see Scarlett's jealousy come out in a petty cat fight.
A vicious kick to my shin interrupts my thoughts and I hiss in pain. Scarlett meets me eyes, and gestures in a not so subtle way for me to look at whoever was seated next to me. Knowing she may bruise my shin again, I roll my eyes and glance to my right.
A kaleidoscope of blue and green glare back me, scanning me with clear animosity. I'm momentarily taken aback by his full lips and thick black hair, attempting to decide if it was humanly possible for someone's skin to be that clear. Then again, he obviously wasn't human if he was here. Despite the cold weather outside, he was wearing a black t-shirt and sweatpants with a pair of brand name slides and socks. Already, I had begun to get a strange feeling from this new kid. It made me shift in my seat and tense up, though I couldn't place why.
"Do you speak, or just stare?"
It took me a second to realize his question was directed at me.
"Excuse me?" his acidic tone had me taken aback.
"Oh, so you're hard of hearing too?"
"Why are you sitting here?" Houston interrupts, her voice losing its original softness. Scarlett gives her a face, looking at her like she's crazy.
The boy leans back in his chair, "I had to keep an eye out for my little sister of course."
None of us can contain our surprise. I know we are all mentally comparing them; Houston's dark complexion to the boy's copper, curly auburn hair to wavy black, brown eyes to variegate blue ones. Maybe one of them was adopted, but I did not have the social indecency to ask that question so soon.
"Unfortunately," Houston sighs."I just go by middle name instead of my last, Blue."
"Hey that's my favorite color!" Pattern cries out, and I nearly face palm at the desperateness in his voice. Houston nearly cracks a smile but Pattern is too busy shielding his red face from embarrassment to see.
"So you're…Pearce right?" Scarlett smiles at the boy and flicks her hair over her shoulder, sending the smell of strawberries wafting through the air.
Great.
Pearce's eyes stay icy as he turns his attention on her, but the corner of his mouth twitches slightly, "That's me."
Upon getting a reply, Scarlett launches into her usual flirting routine. Say something witty, flutter her eyelashes, and laugh at whatever he says. Repeat. I give Pattern a look and he slides my phone over to me, at the same time unlocking his. It's a familiar habit we both have, as we were strictly instructed by Scarlett never to interrupt her flirting 'sessions'. So we battle each other in online games until she's finished. I feel bad for Houston having to watch her brother being the target of a session, she just sits stiffly with her arms crossed. I almost offer her my phone when I realize everyone is looking at me.
"What…?" I squirm under the attention. Scarlett sighs loudly like I'm embarrassing her.
"Were you not listening to the conversation at all?"
"I tried my best not too."
Pearce leans forward, resting his arms on the table. The light reflects on the various rings on his fingers and I catch a glimpse some strange symbols tattooed on his upper arm before the sleeve of his t-shirt covers it again.
"I got a very strict warning from the Dean the second I walked onto the campus. Partying and other…activities are strictly forbidden here," the smug look playing across his face was beginning to make me itch.
"I'll give it to you, you're not as innocent as you look."
I drummed my fingers on the table, trying not to let the panic I was feeling show on my face.
"What are you trying to say?" I tried to match Pearce's icy tone, "I don't take threats lightly."
He smirked and scratched the inside of his wrist, "Not a threat. Just curious as to how you were able to sneak around after hours. Who is this Lucas by the way? I want to ask him if you're worth the trouble."
Pattern jumps so hard he knees the table, "Watch your mouth new kid," he snarls, slamming his phone down.
I know exactly what Pearce is referring to. Last year I had gone to a party and one my fellow 'classmates' had nearly poisoned himself with alcohol. I had been the only one with enough compassion to help him back to his dorms and make sure he didn't die from his own stupidity. In return, he spread a rumor that something very different had happened between us. Most of it had blown over by now, but I guess Scarlett could not keep her mouth shut.
Anger was making my blood hot, and I clenched my jaw, trying to keep it in check. "Strange, I've only just met you but I think I've already figured out how you tick. You can't think for yourself, you rely on others to think for you? Am I right?"
It was a pointless attempt to insult his intelligence but I couldn't think of anything else. I was itching to wipe the smug look off his face, but I held back, digging my fingernails into the palm of my hand.
His smirk spread into a condescending grin, "How much do you charge for your services?"
Pattern was up before I could react, grabbing Pearce by the front of his T-shirt and punching him directly in the face. It was only a matter of seconds before the rest of the kids in the vicinity had sensed a fight and they cheered the two boys on as Houston and I tried desperately to separate them.
"Pearce enough!"
I see Houston out of the corner of my eye pulling her brother off of Pattern just as the kitchen staff burst onto the scene. Pattern shoves through the mob and snatches my wrist, tugging me away before I get lost in the crowd. We burst through the double doors and I look back as security sends the crowd scrambling from the scene.
Pearce meets my eyes before the door closes, thick blood oozing from his nose.
He waves.
___________________________________________________
"Ouch, it still hurts…!"
I remove the damp towel from Pattern's eye and give him a look, "You're lucky I don't give you a second black eye."
He huffs and crosses his arms as I continue patting the bluish purple bruise, "You'd probably fracture my eye socket."
After the debacle in the cafeteria, Pattern and I decided to hide out in one of the less populated sections of the school. Warmly referred to as 'The Hole', the highest point in the church was infamous for its cobwebs, dusty furniture and lack of structural integrity. I, however, have learned to ignore its less attractive features for the main course. A floor to ceiling window that showcases the endless miles of ocean. From here, I can listen to the waves crash against the rocks below the church and watch the sun paint the water in complementary colors.
"Kim?"
I realize it's probably the third time Pattern's called my name, "I think I'm okay now."
I remove the cloth and inspect his eye a second time, trying to decide if I could conceal the bruises with makeup to save some of his ego.
"Can I ask you something?"
Pattern's eyes are already on mine when I look at him. He pats the empty space on the floor next to him and I sit hugging my knees, sensing he was going to ask questions I didn't want to answer.
"I know you said nothing happened but…Lucas was really drunk, he really didn't try anything?"
I tense slightly, "He was touchy but you know I would've left him crippled if he had done anything else."
Pattern chuckles, "Of course. Look…I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't mean to hit him but—"
"Don't apologize," I chew on my lip, "He had it coming sooner or later. It's not the first time someone has taken the whole situation out of context, and it's probably not the last."
"I guess…but I plan on talking to Scarlett. Even if you two aren't the best of friends she needs to learn her boundaries…"
I wasn't sure how to explain to him that I wasn't the least bit upset at Scarlett. I expected that much of her and her habit of spreading lies. I was upset at myself for not being able to set things straight when I had the chance. I had let this Pearce kid humiliate me in front of my friends and then work me up to a point of anger I had not experienced in a while. It scared me how easily he had gotten under my skin and that same uneasy feeling from before suddenly settled in the pit of my stomach.
"…So I'll talk to her okay? Try not to worry!"
I nodded and tried my best to smile, "Thanks Pattern, really. It means a lot to me."
He grins and bumps me with his shoulder,
"Anything for you. I'm starving, let's go find something to eat."