Roland Academy for the Leaders of Tomorrow

Chapter 4~ The Acquaintances

"Damn Ty, you've got a lot of books," Ezra exclaimed with a low whistle.  After our initial 'fight' Ezra had gradually calmed down, revealing a very charismatic and bold person.  Where you didn't have him worked up he was all slow smiles and quick quips.  He seemed keen enough to play nice with me and I decided to let down my hard façade a little.  I didn't hold his earlier unfriendliness against him, I'd been even more unsociable and rude. 

There was only one book shelf in our impressively sized dorm.  It stood about chest height on me and a yard wide.  I had filled two of the three shelves with the books I had brought along with me and I figured the bottom shelf could be used for library books I knew I'd eventually check out from the Academy's library.  "This is only a small selection from my over all collection," I told him with a small, proud smile.  "The rest are still at home.  These are just my favorites."  I may not like talking all that much but get me started on books and I'll talk your ear off if you let me.

Ezra groaned.  "Oh no Dom, I think we have a nerd among our ranks."  He held up his hands in front of himself as if warding off a great beast.  "We'll have to hide in the closet when people come over or else people will think we're nerds to.  We can't have him tarnishing our reputation."

I rolled my eyes at his antics.  "Guilt by association doesn't work with being a nerd, and for the record I'm not a nerd.  I just know how to appreciate well written literature."

Ezra went over to my book shelf and pulled a paper back off of it.  "You call this good literature?  I read it last year and it nearly put me to sleep."  He was holding my copy of The Tale of Two Cities by Dickens.  Admittedly it was not the most action packed book but it was still a very good read. 

I smiled slyly and went for a low blow.  "I'm shocked you could even read it."

Dominic laughed and Ezra glared at him.  "What are you laughing at Ghost?"  Apparently Ezra had a nick name for Dominic besides just Dom.  I had to admit that the title of Ghost fit Dominic pretty well. As I had afore mentioned, he was paler than a beluga whale and he had this tendency to be able to move about without making that much sound.  It was frightening how, while unpacking, I'd look at something in the room and he would be one place, then I'd look down and up again a moment or two later and he would be some where else entirely. 

"Le garcon nouveau est tres amusant," Dominic purred in perfect French.  I had been right in thinking he had a native French accent.  I wondered if he was the son of the French ambassador perhaps or perhaps the son of a rich French businessman. 

"Merci pour le compliment," I told him.  His eyebrows rose before a crafty Cheshire cat grin split his face.  Ezra threw up his hands in disgust and glared at Dominic and I.

"Oh great.  It wasn't bad enough when the Ghost went around talking in French so I couldn't understand him, now the two of you can talk in French together behind my back, and in front of my face for that matter," He ranted.  He narrowed him eyes at me.  "How the hell do you know how to speak French?  No one I know who has taken it in school can actually speak it well!"

I shrugged.  "I got bored in the summer of sixth grade." I replied simply and Ezra gaped at me like I'd just told him I'd strangled his dog.  I shot him a confused and questioning look.  "What?"

"So you just taught yourself French over a Summer?"  He asked and I nodded.  That was pretty much what had happened.  By the second day of the break I had been bored to tears and I hadn't really wanted to read one of the books I'd read a million times already so I just snuck into my mom's study and took her French book.  I'd later pulled up a computer program that had told me the proper pronunciations of words I couldn't figure out.  "So you are bilingual because of boredom?  Unbelievable."  Ezra shook his head.