The door gave way with a slight creak. Alex covered his eyes as he entered the room, light still shining into them. He lowered his hand to see the room. A brown bag of fur tumbled from the rafters knocking him to the ground. His bird stumbled into the air and began flapping to a stop. Alex opened his eyes to see a large rodent the size of a cat standing over him smiling in the happiest yet most frustrated way possible, as if a bag of gold had fallen from the sky in front of him several minutes ago and he still had no idea where it had come from. He got up, his head aching with each passing second.
As Alex rose he saw someone maybe a year younger frowning down at him. “Reaction time was average,” he said sliding off the bed he was sitting on, his green eyes looking around the room lazily. “I honestly expected more. I’m Will, I’m your new roommate.”
“What a pleasant introduction,” Alex commented dryly
He looked down at Saul who seemed to be arguing with the adorable bag of bricks that had fallen on him. He heard the door shift again followed by a heavy sigh.
“Must you do this to everyone?” the stranger asked, “The last three already transferred to different dorms.”
“They had no sense of humor,” Will said haughtily.
“I’m just going to hope he doesn’t have your sense of humor,” replied the stranger in reference to Alex “I’m Marco by the way.”
“Alex,” he replied. Sarcastic, tired, sounds like a piran
Alex turned to see a boy a little older than him with olive skin with his hair slicked slightly to the side, and a thin navy cloak covering him from shoulders down.
“Nice to meet you,” he said reaching to shaking his hand
Marco raised his hand, his arm adorned with a lifesize snake made of silver, as their hands met the snake blinked and began to slide it’s way up Alex’s arm. Alex froze, surprise and shock shining on his face like a full moon. The snake slowly finished it’s ascent to his shoulder and closed it’s eyes drifting to sleep once more. Alex snapped out of the daze, squaring his shoulders and clicking his boots together with a short clank.
“Are, you ok,” asked Marco, startled by the snap to attention
“Yes,” replied Alex, still frozen in place. “I’m fine,” Don’t look at it’s eyes
“Guess Silver likes you,” said Marco, still uncomfortable with Alex’s military ridgedness.
“Guess so,” replied Alex slowly calming himself.
Alex slowly slumped backwards onto the floor, the snake slipping off his arm landing to a stop in front of Marco.
“Hurry up Brooke, the new numbskull ‘s here,” came a voice from the staircase
“Don’t be so quick to judge,” came another, “He could be nice.”
“Judging by our luck in dormmates, he’ll be as thick headed as Will.” the first one replied
“Hey,” yelled Will, his face turning a bright red “We can hear you.”
“We know,” replied the first voice “We just don’t care.”
“Don’t be so mean Lola,” replied the second
Alex rose to his feet just as the two girls entered the room
“Extra classes got out early?” inquired Marco
“Yep,” replied Brooke, her light brown face set in a relaxed smile “Herbs and Medicine got cancelled,”
“Why,” asked Will trying to hide his relief
“A stag got into the herb racks,” she replied twirling her hair “You wouldn’t have anything to do with this would you?”
Will stifled a worried laugh “I could never have orchestrated that,”
“Well someone did,” said Lola “The menagerie is on the other side of campus, and there’s no way a wild deer got into school.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Alex “But which dorm are you?”
“Your’s silly,” replied Lola laughing “What did you think the other door was?”
“I don’t know,” replied Alex “An armory?”
“Might as well be,” exclaimed Marco stifling a laugh “They’ve got it trapped floor to ceiling,”
“Anyway we’re going to bed,” said Brooke.
“It’s not even dusk yet,” said Marco “What’s the rush?”
“We need our beauty sleep,” replied Lola.
Marco let out an exasperated sigh “of course you do.”
“Might as well follow suit,” said Alex “I’m still tired from my trip.”