Feeling Blue -- (VLD)

Constellations and Pronunciations

Lance thought Hokule'a Garrett seemed like a nice enough person.

Or at least he appeared to be online- he hadn't actually met him yet. But Lance had seen the name written in small font on his acceptance letter, right next to the roommate information, and had immediately gotten to work, stalking him on his various social platforms. He'd even asked a few anonymous questions on a blogging website. In Lance's book, anyone who had that much interest in food, star wars, and constellations couldn't be that bad.

Even if he wasn't entirely sure how the name was pronounced, he had decided it would be the first thing he asked. So all in all, lance was (so far) happy with his roommate, and was looking forward to hanging out. Lance couldn't wait to meet Hokule'a.

Hokule'a thought that Lance was a nice name. He'd never met a guy named Lance before, but he figured that someone with a name such as that had to be a great person. He just hoped they would get along. At this simple thought, his stomach twisted painfully.

He sighed, bringing a hand up to fiddle with his headband. What if his roommate didn't like him? What if his education here would be like all of his other ones. He sat down on the bare bed that was to become his own. He liked being early, early was good. Early meant time, time to think, cry, or perhaps even hide. He shuddered at that memory, trying his best to remain in the present. But he wasn't really successful. His back tensed as the memories of his primary days overwhelmed him, not helped at all by the recent death of his mother, his only support system. His father tried his best, but he'd always been more of an emotionally closed man. Bottling his feelings, so different to his wife and child, whose emotions were worn on their sleeve, leaving them vulnerable and open to the world.

Lance, in his excitement, had accidentally arrived early. It was actually rather shocking, and Lance began to ponder if excitement was really the key to punctuality, however the thought was gone from his head in an instant, replaced with wonder at the sheer size of the building in front of him. And that was only what he could make out from behind the large fence.

He wondered why the fence was needed, but a look at his surroundings told him all he needed to know. Lance would prefer himself intact, thank you very much, not ripped to shreds by whatever lived in the endless desert he currently stood in. Already he felt a little homesick, the lack of ocean making him uneasy.

He grabbed his bags from the floor and hauled them up beside him. Due to his unexpected early arrival, he now had time to stop off at his dormitory and make the place a little more homely for when his roommate arrived. On the off chance that there was somebody in his assigned dorm room, he knocked. But when there was no answer he walked in. He did not expect to find a boy dressed in yellow, sweating profusely as he clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.

Hokule'a had heard the knock, but he had been to deep in his panicked thoughts to register that a knock usually meant a person. So deep in his anguish was he that be barely registered when a blue clad boy stepped into the room. He did however register the shout of surprise that came from his as he fell backwards over his bags.

"Oh man! Are you okay?!" Lance freaked, scrambling to his feet and rushing to the other boys side. He wracked his brains, grasping for forgotten information about panic attacks that his mother had taught him many years ago. He decided to focus on the obvious, he needed to get his roommate breathing properly.

"Man I need you to focus okay?" He began in an even tone "Breathe with me- in and out, nice and slow. Thats good bro, just like that."

Bit by bit, Hokule'a regained control of his breathing. He lifted his hand to wipe away a frustrated tear, angry at himself. He thought he was over these stupid attacks. He turned to look embarrassed up at his saviour.

"You must be Lance." He muttered, curling in on himself. Wishing he could just sink into the mattress and disappear.

"And you must be my roommate." He replied. "I'm sorry I've got no idea how to say your name and I don't want to butcher it." Lance apologised, moving to sit on the other bed.

"It's Hok-oo-le'a" he murmured, making sure to pronounce it nice and slow, exaggeration the syllables to make it easier for the other teen.

"Hokule'a" repeated Lance, smiling at his roommate's nod of approval.

"So Hokule'a, are you okay man?"

The bigger boys small smile fell, and he wished again to just cease existing for a while.

"It's nothing, it was stupid anyway" Hokule'a said, staring at the other wall. The floor. Anywhere but the boy in front of him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to face Lance in surprise.

"Anything that has you that upset isn't stupid." Lance said firmly. Hokule'a wanted to believe him, he really did.

"I'm just a bit scared, I haven't had the best experiences in schooling..." Hokule'a admitted, leaning into his roommate's touch. They had known each other for barely thirty minutes and already he felt more comfortable with Lance than anyone else outside the family. He knew how to work around others, so he guessed Lance had a big family to take care of.

"Do you mind me asking why?"

"The other kids didn't like me because I was smarter than them, so they called me a lot of names. Most of them about my weight- chubby was their favourite--" Hokule'a said, before starting as Lance jumped from the bed.

"How dare they!" He shouted, clearly offended by what he had heard.

"You're not chubby- in fact you're... Err... a hunk! Yeah! I'm so sure of it I'm gonna call you that from now on!" Lance yelped before pausing as his brain caught up to his mouth.

"Sorry, I tend to speak before I think" He ended sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Lance tried to ignore his heart plummeting, thinking he had probably just ruined any chance he had of being friends with Hokule'a.

"Hunk, huh?" Hokule'a said, lifting his head to smile at lance. "I like it. It's easier to say than Hokuel'a in any case, it'll save everyone the trouble."

The newly christened "Hunk" stood, giving the back of Lance's shoulder a friendly pat.

"Thank you."

Lance grinned, turning around and holding his hand out for a fist pump. And as Hunk's fist connected with his, Lance realised that this was the start of the best friendship he would ever have.