DEVIANT [H.S.]

6 - Roommates

"What is a... Deviant?" I ask Harry quietly, careful not to upset the people behind these windows.

"A Deviant. Dee-vee-ent. Outcasts. The runt of the litter if you will," Harry explains, his eyes never tearing away from the girl on the other side of the glass.

"Outcasts of what?"

He then looks over to me. "Society."

My mouth presses into a firm line. Outcasts? Of society? You've got to be kidding. Is this a revolution base? No revolution has occurred since the Core was created.

The Protector Core was the revolution. That's how convinced Jeriah is about it.

"Come on, I have to show you where you'll be staying," Harry's raspy voice interrupts my thoughts, his figure already more than halfway down the hall. I take one last look at the girl in the window before following.

"You have to?" I smirk, trailing behind him.

He makes no expression. "Malachi's orders."

My eyebrows rise in amusement. "So, Malachi is the big boss around this whole 'coalition'?"

Harry turns a sharp corner to the right and I have to jog up next to him to hear his response. But there isn't one. I decide to leave it; I'll find answers somehow.

We walk down corridors until one with double doors and a keypad lock lies ahead of us. Once we reach the keypad, Harry punches in a quick combination and the doors swoosh open, revealing a what appears to be a dormitory hall.

People are walking in and out of rooms, some sitting in doorways and conversing, others just stand against the walls.

"If you're done staring at them, can we get on to your quarters?" Harry snaps, walking forward without a glance to me. I nod and look down to the floor as I move alongside him, ignoring stares from most of the people.

They're probably gawking at my sweatpants and sweatshirt compared to their leather jackets and slick black pants.

At the end of the corridor Harry turns to the last door on the left and punches in a code quickly, away from my eyes.

The door opens and Harry disappears inside. The musky scent of mahogany cologne fills my nostrils as I cautiously walk in, only to notice that my supposed quarters are already occupied.

By Harry.

His body is outstretched across a simple full-size bed, his eyes fluttering closed.

"You can't be serious," I mumble, looking up at his walls covered in writing and posters.

"Pardon?" He asks, smiling knowingly to himself.

"These are my quarters?" I ask.

"No, these are my quarters. You're staying here until we find you a place to rest your pretty little head," Harry exhales, his voice dripping in lazy sarcasm, his eyes still closed.

I cross my arms over my chest. "But where will I sleep?"

"On the floor."

My bottom lip falls clear to the floor. "What?!"

"You heard me."

"You have got to be joking..." I trail off, my eyes widening at the sight of the concrete foundation.

Harry's eyes flick open and he sits up at the sound of my words. "Joking? No, I'm not in a real joking position right now."

"Neither am I. I don't want the floor," I reply, trying to make him cave in with some innocent looks. But his solid expression never budges. Never moves.