Rainbow Connection, AFTG ✔️

2.3

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
PORTER

The dorm situation was dire. Registered PSU Athletes stayed inside a tall building known as Fox Tower, and their Exy team only had three dorm rooms for the school year. When Wymack had planned out the roommates, he promised they'd have more rooms in Fall when their new recruits joined.

Porter had finished registering for his classes ages ago, but now, he had his student ID in his hand and an uncomfortably heavy backpack slung over his right shoulder. He was living in Fox Tower, finally an official Fox.

James was waiting for him upstairs in the most unexpected twist of the new year. James and Porter were both being lumped in with Neil and Matt, making them roommates for the second time in Porter's life.

They'd never been real roommates at Evermore. Kevin and Riko shared a room, but James was always staying in Riko's bed from the time they were sixteen and onwards. Before that, James, Jean, and Porter had been roommates — Porter only remembered that James had quiet footsteps, and he kept his heaviest textbook on his nightstand.

Neil and Matt's room had been rearranged to fit four beds — two lofted, and two not. The non-lofted beds were already made up in Matt and Neil's sheets, but Matt moved to a lofted one to give James easier access to his bed with his broken leg.

James, Kevin, Neil, and the cousins were all waited for Porter when he ran past them in the hall. He'd already poorly managed his time with textbook pickups; what a great start to his academic semester.

"Here," James offered his arm and Porter quickly handed the bag off, rushing out a thanks that could've come out in Spanish or English, he wasn't sure. He rushed to Andrew, who was already at the elevator and clearly ready to ditch Porter. 

"Save your energy for practice," Kevin said in lieu of a greeting.

"Thanks." Porter nodded, then shook his head, "I mean—okay. Uh." He stopped stutter to catch his breath, waving off Kevin's complaint and leaning on the elevator wall.

-

Porter was paired with Renee for their semesterly visit to Betsy. Though a large part of him had wanted to whine over the stupidity of the visit, since he already had a meeting scheduled with Betsy every day that week, he kept his mouth shut. He was excited to see Betsy again, even if it took up some of his practice time.

Renee gave him a kind offer to go first, which Porter jumped at — after remembering to thank her because Porter was starting to develop manners after months in the real world. He practically slid into Betsy's office, closing the door behind him and smiling when he saw that she'd already made hot chocolate.

"Porter," She greeted warmly.

"Bee," He replied, dropping into the seat in front of her, "It's been a week. Half the shit I can't even tell you because the mafia's involved."

"Oh dear," Bee said earnestly.

"Yeah, it's rough," Porter shook his head, "It's just all the change coming so fast is a lot to adapt to."

"Well, we've talked about that before," Betsy nodded, "Change, especially a lot of it in a short period of time, tends to trigger your anxiety."

"Yeah." Porter let out a quick, heavy sigh. "James is here now."

"Yes, I'm meeting with him later today." She smiled like she thought it would go well. Porter couldn't imagine any therapy with an ex-Raven going well — or any therapy for that matter.