Out of reasons (Boy × Boy) ✔

Chapter One

I didn't cry at my dad's funeral. In fact I haven't shed a single tear after he died. That must sound awful, and before anyone thinks I'm some heartless sociopath, let me tell you he was the meanest chap I've ever met. I did cry after my mom died, but that's a different story for a different time.

Only a couple of sentences and you already know I'm an orphan. I guess that's a talent of some sort. But the thing is that I don't sugar coat things. My friend Copa says that's going to get me killed some day. He might have a point there, to be honest.

You might be wondering what kind of name is that. I mean, for real, who in their right mind would name their kid Copa? Well, that's also a different story for a different time.

My sister got our dad's money and I got his house as an inheritance. It's a big house, three floors, balconies and all. Maybe you're thinking that he doesn't sound so awful after all. He gave me his house, which isn't actually a house but a mansion. How generous of him, right?

It just happens to be so that I hate that house. I moved away when I was 16 years old and haven't been there since. That place has way too many unpleasant memories. Dad knew this, so he did it on purpose. It sounds harsh, but that's just how well I know him.

He wasn't a dumb person. He was so smart it was intimidating, even from my point of view. He wasn't warm either, not to me or to my sister. I can't remember if he was as cold towards my mom. If he was, though, I imagine mom would have dumped him. She had that opportunity after all, unlike me and Lina.

Dad owned a prosperous company, so we didn't have shortage of money, but being rich didn't make him any nicer. And yet, money was the closest form of love we ever got from him.

So he was cold and distant at his best, but towards me he was often downright hostile. That too is a story for a different time. I won't make any promises about that one though. It's not something I reminisce with pleasure.

It was halfway of summer and I was stuck with a house I didn't want to live in. Even the thought of visiting filled me with aversion, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice. I would either have to live in the House or to sell it.

I could try to make it feel like a home, but even the thought sucked the life out of me. Selling — or renting — the house would require a lot work, and I had no idea how that was supposed to be done.

Out of these choices I selected leaving town and study fine arts at countryside. Makes sense, right? For practical purposes it was only going to be one year and then I would have to deal with the house issue again.

I didn't choose fine arts by coincidence, but because it's one of the only school subjects I actually like. Am I good at it, absolutely not, but I like the challenge. It's nice to not be good at something, because not having to make any effort get's boring in the long run. It's one of the reasons I don't enjoy school that much. It's just too effortless.

That is a major disadvantage of being a genius. And I don't mean for it to sound arrogant, I mean it as a fact. I have a high IQ, 141. That's something only 0,2% of the population have.

I'm good at chemistry, biology, math, languages and pretty much every school subject except PE and fine arts.

Still I don't think I'm as smart as most of my friends or my sister. I excel at school, but I have no idea how to be around people. I'm not socially smart, if you can say so. It's not just the lack of social skills, I have a complex mind.

For example, I have a constant need to find logic around me: from the way I pack groceries, where someone's name comes from (even if I don't personally know them), the color of peas (it isn't only green),.. That is another disadvantage of being a genius. Or maybe it has nothing to do with ingeniousness, I might just be compulsive.

Nevertheless I had no idea how irrational I'd find the new town and its people. Especially my new roommate, from whom I couldn't find any logic at all. He wasn't like anyone else I know. And that's also a different story for a different time.

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*Edit: I wrote this story some years ago and I came back only to realize this is in desperate need of editing.. If you're finding the main character a bit odd /annoying at this point, you're not the only one. But give him time, okay? :)