They Live with You

Chapter 2: Alex ~editing~

The plan was to take the merchant ship and leave at dusk. I would finish my classes for the day and tell the instructors my parents want me home this week. Simple. Or so I thought.

Class ended early that day and I was to be studying in my dorm for the few hours left of daylight. Instead, I went to the headmaster's office.
"Hello" I greet him.
"Oh hello uh...Adam." How the heck did he manage to mess my name up. It's the most common name out there.
"Actually, it's Alex."
"Oh, right. Alex."
"Yeah, anyway I have to leave today."
"Because..."
"Well my-my," I could feel my palms sweating, and an increase in my heartbeat. Then I messed up. "I have to go to Alexandria with some girl." Damn it, Alex! Why would I say that?
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
I clear my throat and stare at the floor revising the words in my head. Then I leveled my gaze at him and said, "I'm sorry, I meant I'm going with my sister since my father is unavailable at the moment."

Well if I'm not the worst liar out there, I don't know who is. There's no way he would believe me. He scratched his head. "Very well, you may go Alex" he smirked after saying my name.

I went to my dorm to pack after my little social dilemma. The dorms were small compared to my room at home. My dorm was in the west gable. There were rumors that the west gable was haunted, but I doubt there's much proof of it. Sure, it was cold and dimly lit, but definitely not haunted. The dorms in the west were also older than the rest of the building. The windows were all cobbled. Walls lost their color and paint had been peeling off for the past century. Inside each dorm were four beds, one on each corner. Though my bed was the only one that was made.

I unstrapped my leather bag and dumped all my pens, papers, files etc... on my bed. My roommate Wylan, laid propped against the board of his bed, raising a brow at me. Wylan was this pale, red-headed kid with severely pink cheeks. I looked back at him.
"What are you lookin' at?" I asked.
"Nothin' just wonderin' why you're making a mess?"
I roll my eyes. "So, have you seen your side of the room lately. Looks like a pigstye."
"Yeah, but it's different when you make a mess."
I shrugged "Whatever, just leave me alone."
"Alright, fine Hathaway." How much I appreciated it when people called me by my last name.
"Don't call me that" I snapped.
"Jeez, you good Hathaway?" Damn, this guy.
"Okay, now you're doin' it on purpose, and I told you to leave me alone!" I said with a straight face.
"Hey! anyone ever tell ya not to talk to your elders like that?" I swear to gods this guy was a real pain. He was one of those boys that acted like they deserved respect simply because they were born a month before you. I pretended to deny his existence as I packed a few sets of clothes. I always made sure to overpack since it's better to be well prepared.

Then the door opened and my other roommate Jace, barged in slamming the door shut behind him. "Damn it, Jace you didn't have to slam the door. This place is already falling apart."
"Shut up Hathaway, I'm just havin' a crappy day."
"Why, Liz left you for that geek Wallace?" I messed around with him.
"Damn you, Hathaway." Then he smirks. "Speaking of ladies, your girl's outside."
I give him the stink eye. "I know, and she's not my girl."
"Whatever." He chucks an apple from his bag. "Where are you goin' anyway."
"Nowhere."
"He's going to Alexandria with his sister. I heard em talkin' with the headmaster." Wylan responds.
"How the hell did you hear that?" I ask.
"Thin walls, I guess."

Then Wylan and Jace started talking about school and how they were going to fail the semester and all. I left them alone and took my bag with me outside to the front gate. Hannah was still sitting on the same bench. Hannah looked like a princess, but she also acted like one as well. All prim and perfect. She even managed to sit perfectly. She waved and let out a small smile. I walk in her direction and make direct eye contact with her, unlike last time. She looked stunning. Her brown eyes had these specks of gold swirled into them, which complimented her dark skin. She had straight black hair with a slight wave at the bottom. But of all her features, it was a scar on her face that stuck out and made her Hannah. I never asked her how she got the scar, but I thought it was intriguing. I kind of wished I had a scar or a part of my skin that told a story the way hers did.
"You ready?" She asks.
"Yeah."
We walked to the harbor and waited until our ship arrived. The ship was massive and had a black feather on the side. The feather was a symbol of Alexandria. It represented the importance of writing since the goddess of wisdom was their patron. Everyone wore tattered shirts and pants with patches. Well, everyone aside from us. We paid the handler and went to our room. I didn't know who to pay since I don't ever take the merchant ship. They gave us a key to a room. Nothing too luxurious of course. It was about the size of my closet back home. There were no beds or furniture, and beyond our reach was a circular window.

We dropped our bags on the floor and propped ourselves against it. Hannah sighed, with a look of discomfort on her face. The room stunk of the sea. Not the breezy sea fresh scent of course. But rather the stench of fish and a rusted ship. Algae grew in the crevices of the walls and corners which didn't seem sanitary. I looked at Hannah who was probably just as disgusted as I was.
"So, wanna play a game?" I break the ice.
"Sure, what game?"
"I dunno, you got any suggestions." I shrugged
"Uhhh- oh there's this one game I play with my friend Sophia all the time. Basically, you ask a person a question about themselves and they answer it." The game sounded dumb, but I wasn't going to tell her that.
"Sure, let's play."
"Wanna go first?"
"Yeah, why not." I thought for a while trying to come up with a question. "Okay, do you believe the Centa rumors?"
She froze than looked to her left. "Well, I-I mean maybe" She says a little doubtful.
"Maybe's not an answer."
"Alright, I kinda, maybe- I mean I don't uh...I'm not sure. I feel like I want to believe it's not true, but I feel like it is. Wow, that just sounds dumb."
"No, not at all. I get it." Get what? I didn't know what I was saying.
"Uhm, so I guess I ask you now." She thought of what to say almost immediately. "What do you want to do with your life? You know, if your parents didn't have all that control and what not."
I didn't know how to respond. To be honest I never actually thought much about it. "I'm not sure."
"Oh, that's fine." She smiles at me.
We play the game for a few rounds. Then somehow, we fell asleep and woke up at our destination. Old Alexandria.