The Skill of Benjamin Banks

The Roommate of Benjamin Banks

   "You do understand, Mr. Banks, why you cannot just use a Skill like yours without warning."  Head Mistress Pontee said, with her hands folded delicately in front of her on her grand desk cluttered with pictures of graduated students. 

    After showing off his Skill, an announcement came across the campus. "Would Benjamin Banks please come to the Head Mistress's office immediately." Once the initial horror wore, off Annalise was kind enough to show the human-again Ben the way to the office. They didn't speak the whole time, and she wouldn't stop staring at him with guarded eyes.

  Ben sat with his head hung in a chair that was so big and fluffy it nearly consumed him. At this point he really wished it would. "I'm sorry ma'am."

    The head mistress sighed. "I don't want to discourage the use of your Skill Benjamin, but yours is one that the likes of Cross Academy doesn't have much experience with." She fiddled with the handle of the coffee cup to her right. "I believe that the best course of action would be to encouraging the sharing of your Skill so that people are....prepared when they have the opportunity to experience it in person."

    "Yes ma'am, I agree." Ben said quietly. He most certainly did not agree. Under no circumstances did he ever want to share his Skill again. But his mom would kill him if he was expelled.

  "Thank you, Benjamin." The Head Mistress nodded and leaned back in her chair. "You may go get your dorm ready now , your roommate must be excited to meet you."

                                                                                        *** 

   The room was empty when Ben got to his it. Not a single Harcourt in sight. It was probably for the better. Ben thought it would be awkward to unpack all of his belongings in front of a complete stranger. It was far too intimate an experience.  

    He pulled his phone out of his pocket to see 12  missed text messages from his mother, all reading some form of "where are you". He, in typical 15 year old boy fashion, simply replied, "dorm room."

   "Should probably be more specific." Someone said from behind him. 

  Ben jumped forward and whipped his phone at whoever was about to murder him.

  The boy who had surprised him, as a result, got a phone to the stomach. 

  It bounced off and clattered onto the old carpet floor, landing screen up on the new unopened message from his mother. 

    "Dude, I warned you. Stealth master right here." The boy, who must have been Harcourt said .

    "Where were you?" Ben wheezed, clutching at his chest in an attempt to tame his racing heart that had been convinced it was about to be murdered. 

    Harcourt grinned impishly,  waving a finger and winking as if he were a magician keeping a long-held secret.

    Maybe he should have filed for behavioral issues that would require him to room alone. 

    "In case you forgot," Harcourt said before jumping sideways onto his bed, causing the old mattress to bounce. "I'm Harcourt, Harry, Cort, Mr. H, Grand Illusion Master, whatever suits you really." He tucked his arms behind his head and smiled at Ben.

  "Yeah, got that bit." Ben said, picking his phone up and reading the new message.

"K". That was it, one letter, no explanation.

    "I take it you're Banks, then." Harcourt said using one leg to try and stick a poster back on the wall that had become detached at one corner. His side of the room had already been completely unpacked and personalized. Posters covered every inch of the wall, bobble heads of various celebrities were stacked on every surface and faerie lights dotted the ceiling above him. There was even a little black and red shag carpet right beneath his bed.

   "Yup, that's my last name." Ben spun around and began to unpack his things. No one had ever called him by his last name before. It was something he had first noticed in the Harry Potter movies between Draco and Harry, hopefully his roommate and him wouldn't have that relationship though.

    
    "So, Banks, you got in trouble on the first day." Harcourt said just as Ben put his comforter on the bed.

    This was his legacy, called to the Head Mistress's office on the first day. Almost kicked out on the first day. He would be an outcast, Hell, he probably already was an outcast and nothing was going to change that about him. 

   "Yeah." Ben said quietly, twisting the comforter in his hand. 

   "I think we're going to be great friends, Banks, this is the beginning of a beautiful year."