Total eclipse

CHAPTER ONE

I like it here even if it's school. It's quiet and I can read in peace. And it's a good book. It's really good, with combat and swords, and now there's noise too.

"Shit, sorry. I'll be back in a minute to introduce myself." My new roommate apparently. Honestly, I thought I'd have a few more days of pseudo-silence. He waves after an awkward look and leaves the room. He's dropped his stuff on the floor in front of the door and left it wide open.

I sit up and wait. I don't know him; I do know that he was an exchange student the year I joined. It'd be nice to not have a roommate though. I had one last year though; he was a senior and a lot busier than I was so I had the room to myself 80% of the time. I have a weird year ahead of me.

He comes in, all windswept and harried. His smile is huge and he's kinda glowy. Why does he look so good? He dumps his last carry-ons on his bed and turns to face me. He wipes his hand on his shirt and offers it to me.

"Hi again. Sorry about earlier. I'm Castor Reid."

"Luan Mathers." We shake hands and part, he goes to his side of the room and I go to mine.

He's really noisy, that's my astute observation of the hour. When I look over, he's doing nothing that warrants that amount of noise. I don't want to complain, I really don't. but now he's humming and it's grating.

"Do you have to hum?" I say it pretty quietly so I'm not sure if he's even heard.

"Sorry, stopped." He turns around with a little smile and damn, why the fuck is he so bloody personable? Now I feel a little bit like an asshole.

"There's a meet up later, just a few people in my friend's room. Would you like to come?"

"Sure." He says after a minute. "Anyone you think I might know?"

"Maybe Val, Valentine, he's my friend. Then there's Zero, Annie and George. They're nice, welcomed me with open arms. And a few other people." Castor nods, taking it all in.

"Invite only, I assume?" I nod and he nods back.

I decide to take a break and go out for a walk. It's windy and nice. Like my roommate. He's got brown skin and he's not tall, but he's only a little bit shorter than I am. His hair is short, maybe an inch long, and really curly.

Back in my room, I put my headphones on and play some really loud music. Castor's not here, side of the room fully organized even though I hadn't even been gone 20 minutes.

Then there's banging on the door accompanied by the yelling of my name. Val.

"Open the door Luan." So loud I even hear it above the LED Zeppelin in my ears. I open the door and am immediately wrapped in a big ass bear hug.

"Hey."

"Hey? A hey is all I get? It's been 700 years since I last saw you and all I get is a fucking hey? Show me some love babe."

"I thought we agreed to stop the babe thing."

"Talked about it, sure. Agreed, not so much." He invites himself in. "I see the roommate has moved in, anyone I know?"

"Castor Reid."

"Huh, he didn't say he was coming back."

"I thought it would have been obvious Vee, I mean it was a yearlong exchange program." Castor enters the room quietly with a small smile.

"Have you been lurking in the corridor, Castor?"

"Nah, you're just really loud." I watch them hug, there's a lot of back slaps and heavy pats, they tell each other how long it's been and a bunch of other things I don't bother listening to.