The New Guy

Ceilings, Books, and People

Gil's POV

I came home to Luddy and Feli sucking faces. Same old, same old. By same old, I obviously mean that I only discovered it a few days ago when I arrived. It's surprising how easily it is to get used to something. Says me of all people.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been truly used to everything. I've never really been able to be. So much constant change, so much moving around, how can I ever be comfortable. Not to mention that I'm literally a raging ball of energy all the time. Maybe I finally can understand what being comfortable is. Maybe I could get used to this place.

Hopping onto my bed, I closed my eyes. Sleep would be nice. My eyes flicked back open. Such a shame that's impossible. The ceiling is interesting though. There's something about the emptiness of it all. Like a blank canvas for thoughts almost. I can't say how many ceilings I've seen or how little they actually matter. There's just something to me that makes ceilings mean something other than being an odd wall that covers heads.

Poetic. I really have been reading too much. Reality is just slipping out of me. Kind of funny now that I think about it. Me, of all people, forgetting reality. Truly an absurd thought. Best to laugh at it, I guess.

What's that saying? Laughter is the best medicine after actual medicine.

~

"He practically lives here." I shoved a spoonful of cereal in my mouth. "Doesn't that get annoying at times?"

Luddy rolled his eyes, "No."

"Damn, you really are in love." Another spoonful and I was done.

"Is that bad?"

"No, I'm just jealous." I looked down to my bowl. "You have everything I don't have." I smiled a bit. "If only the classic body switch from everything ever was real." He chuckled.

"Keep dreaming." While sarcasm was not his forte, he somehow managed here. I'm so proud.

"You wound me, little brother." I put a hand to my heart and frowned. "You wound me." I cracked a smile pretty quickly. "Now, go get ready, we're gonna be late."

"Alright, alright." He stood up from our small table. "Don't rush me, I'm tired."

"I'm tired too and you don't see me complaining."

"Whatever." Luddy walked out of the kitchen to get to the bathroom

"I don't need that teenage sass in here, this a house where those cliches are not needed!"

"Alright mom!"

I laughed for a good few seconds. It ended with the boredom kicking in. I always thought being in a room alone was boring. Kind of sad even. I just like people, I guess. Good people, anyway.

I guess I really am jealous of Luddy. He has good people around him. Everything I don't have.

~

Books are my best friends. That makes me a goddamn nerd, I know. It's a thing to be proud of though. I have the same knowledge that the internet has. The difference is that got to enjoy absorbing the information. Technology today isn't something I particularly like honestly. I'm more for some real interactions with both people and information. If I could travel the world, I would. In a heartbeat. Not to run away from anything like most would think. I just haven't seen much of the world.

Maybe that's why I'm grabbing "Around the World in 80 Days" again. I can't remember how many times I've read it. For the longest time, it was actually what I thought the world was like for the longest time.

I was a stupid kid.

At least I was smart enough to befriend books. I only learned what a library was this year. My first time walking into the school's had me in tears. It's my own personal heaven.

"You can't tell me you read that much?"
Lovino asked as dropped the books onto the counter to check out.

"What do you mean?"

"You always check out like 20 books and return them all the next day." He scowled. "That should be impossible with your level of intelligence!" I just rolled my eyes.

"Do your job asshole."

"Fine." He grabbed the books and began checking them out.

"Don't give me sass."

"I'm a raging ball of sass and you know it."

"That's true."

"Thank you." He pushed the books back to me. "Now get out of here, I'm sick of looking at your face."

"Aw, is it because I look better than you?" I teased.

"Get the fuck out!"

"Quiet down Lovi, this is a library." I grabbed my books and left to the sound of Lovi basically screaming out profanities. "Bye to you too!" I laughed when he threw a book and missed. "Loser!"

"Shut your goddam mouth, you're not any better!" He threw another book and I ran out the library door, laughing.