The SpiralWood Academy

Chapter 4

    Grey was strolling through the halls as he giggled over that fact that Alister was scared of Scarlette. She seemed sweet. It was a break period before gym, which wasn't like fullflesh gym, it was more of a training center. You had to spar with other students. It petrified him just thinking about it. Especially since the entire Hidden Club was in that class, the most horrifying students at the academy. No one knows their real names or faces. They all wear white and black masks with a simple expression on it. It alters their voice when they speak. Only they know what each other looks like and acts like under the facade. Most of them were very powerful students, but for some reason they rejected Alister's application when he applied in private, originally planning on telling the school he was moving.
    This was Grey's chance to find his dorm, and see who is marked as his roommate. He examined his dorm key information. The key was yellow and blue, marking his sex and element. Dorm 307. That meant it was on the third floor of the dormitory towers. There were two, boys and girls. Non Binaries could go to the tower matching their biological sex. There were ten levels on each. First floor and the second floor were the biggest, as the first only housed Fledglings, and the second housing strictly freshmen. The rest of the floors were for all grades, the tenth floor reserved for restrictive power levels only. Grey made his way down the lapis steps, his hand on the bright quartz railing. Glowing sconces of blue lined the commons of the school. Gentle tapping noises were emitted from his shoes as he made his way for the doors to exit the main building. Grey pushed through the glass doors. Wind whipped against his face as he stepped outside, cold rain biting at his cheeks. The tall oaks and elms dotting the paths seemed to be doing the tango with the forceful gusts of air. Grey began to run towards the boys' tower, unable to stand the bitterly chilling sensation of the rain. Soggy gravel and grass was kicked up behind him as he took a shortcut off of the pathway. The entrance to the tower held a gothic style arch, strong metal bolted doors underneath. He approached the tower, now protected by the arch. A small black device slithered out of one of the decorative slots, beginning to scan him. He knew exactly where it was looking, when it jerked up, an android voice permitted him access. Grey entered the tower, the lobby clean and smelling of lavender.
    There were a few boys sitting on a teal sofa, staring at their cellular devices and reading books. He strolled over to the elevator, typing in 'Floor 3'. The elevator stated some diagnostic terms, before closing the doors in front of Grey, and beginning to climb floors. The mechanical hum of the lift soothed Grey as he rung the water out of his braid. It slowly opened after announcing that he had arrived at floor three, and Grey exited the elevator. He followed the signs that read '300-320 →'. The carpet had a gray tone to it, decorated with circles and ovals. He came across a shiny blue door labeled 'Welcome Grey-', Grey almost panicked when he saw the name of his roommate. 'Alister.' Grey was anxious, he didn't want to see him again, he still felt bad about what he had done, and how easily he was taken down verbally by him. He slipped his ID into the slot and entered the dorm. All of his stuff was already by a bunk. There was a green bunk bed with no mattress, pillow or blanket. Only a hard bump at the top for neck support. It was a small dorm, there was a single bathroom, and two orange stools with two computers.
Alister had left a note on the bottom bunk. 'Mine!' it read. Okay then, Grey wanted the top bunk anyways. He knew what the beds were like here so he had brought a pillow and blanket for himself. The boy began to unpack, tossing his things on the top bunk. He eventually climbed up to shove his face in his pillow. The blanket was so warm and comforting, he nearly drifted off. He had brought an extra blanket for the winter, it was wooly and super warm. He didn't need it at the moment, as it was only early autumn.
The door clicked as someone unlocked it. It was Alister. Grey panicked and sat up, his feet dangling off of the side of his bed. Alister had small tears in his eyes, his hair dripping with rain water. What's up with him? Grey truly wanted to ask, but the brunette made a sharp turn into the bathroom and locked it. All he could hear after that was faint sobbing and murmured cuss words. Grey slipped off of the bunk bed, landing with a thump. He knocked on the bathroom door.
"Hey... are you okay?" the usually shy air oddity inquired. Alister didn't respond right away. Grey backed away when he heard the bathroom door unlocked and Alister walked out.
"There's a new hidden club member. He goes by 'Tune', he's only a freshman, and he completely ruined me. Everyone was laughing!" Grey felt sorry for Alister.
"Hey, it's fine... everyone still likes you."
"No they don't. Everyone thinks I'm a bully. I didn't want to be popular." Grey didn't know what to do.
"Well everyone assumes that popular or tough kids are bullies... even I thought you were going to hate me. I was scared of you, and quite frankly, still am." Alister sobbed a bit more to Grey's comment.
"But why?! I never did anything to you!" There was a glare of outrage in his eyes. Grey took a step back. He felt really bad.
"I-I uh... I know you didn't, just- what people say about you... it scared me." Grey murmured, about to tear up himself with all this pressure. Alister frowned.
"What do people say about me, Grey?" He had a dispirited tone to his voice. Grey didn't react right away.
"Mean things... they say that you're the meanest person here. A lLot of stuff." He sniffled, trying not to look like an idiot. Alister gave Grey another distraught glarelook.
"Why...?" The boy had gone back into uncontrollable tears. Grey really wanted to make him feel better, but he didn't know how.
"Do- uh, do you need a hug?" Alister nodded, wiping away some of his tears. Grey gave Alister a quick hug, but was forced to stay as the other oddity embraced him. Grey felt super awkward;, Alister was still crying.
The speaker came on.
"Salutations students, break period is now over, please head to the gym for training." Grey managed to pull away from the hug that had lasted longer than he had anticipated. Alister went to the bathroom to wash his face before coming back out.
"I don't really want to go."
"I can walk to the gym with you, I guess?"
The two air oddities left the tower. The wet grass stuck to the bottom of Grey's bare feet.
"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"
"Forgot them...?" Grey replied, not noticing. The two new friends giggled as they made their way to the main building.