This Side of Reality Chapter 3
While night shifts suck, and insomnia sucks, I did wind up being productive as a result. Here is chapter 3 for TSoR! I have a beta reader now, so hopefully he'll get to take a look at it and I can make some nice edits.
This Side of Reality
Chapter 3: Roommates
My temper had gotten me into this mess, but as I skirted the crowd milling around outside the dorm, I decided it wouldn’t be so bad. Sure, I had to carry every damn box of stuff by myself, but living on campus this year could be fun, and next year I could get an apartment.
I put my box down next to the door and surveyed the activity around me as I fished out my keys. A glint of long, reddish-brown hair caught my eye, shining in the sun. A cute one, there. I smiled to myself at the cherubic features hiding behind glasses, looking out of place in the college atmosphere. She didn’t have much of a chest though. Shame. I shrugged and unlocked the door, hauling this--my last!--box into the tiny room I was going to share, with some dude named Aaron. It could’ve been an apartment shared with two of my buddies, but nope! I’d burned that bridge at the last minute, in a fistfight over creative differences. So much for being in a band now. Anyway, the roommate I was assigned to was a music major, so maybe he knew someone.
Second floor, down the hall, and hello dorm. I dropped my box down on the bed and started in on the task of unpacking. I glanced around and vaguely wondered if my small drum kit would fit in this claustrophobic room. Maybe. Maybe I’d get a lot of noise complaints. That could be fun. Yeah, right.
My thoughts and unpacking were interrupted by a soft rap on the now-open door. The figure at the door, with a box balanced on his hip, was the same one I’d noticed outside. The face framed by the auburn hair looked a little less feminine closer up, and the low voice that spoke certainly wasn’t. “Hi,” he said hesitantly, presenting me with his free hand to shake. “I’m--”
“Ari, right?” I said, cutting him off enthusiastically. Maybe he wasn’t a girl, but he was still pretty cute. “I’m Ethan,” I supplied, taking his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m sorry?” he asked, shooting me a strange look.
“I said, ‘I’m Ethan,’” I replied, bemused by his expression.
“No, I meant the ‘Ari’ part. My name is Aaron, that’s what I put on the sheet. Where did ‘Ari’ come from?” His hesitation was gone, voice firm now. A touchy subject? Where did I get ‘Ari?’
“Oh…” I shrugged it off. “I don’t know. It seemed to suit you I guess. Sorry. Damn. I’ll be sure to call you Aaron from now on.” I gave him a warm grin to confirm it.
Aaron cocked his head at me. After a few uneasy moments under the scrutiny of his gaze, he murmured, “It’s ok,” and returned my grin with a small smile of his own. “Nice to meet you, too.”
There was still tension in the air, and I wasn’t sure if Aaron was telling me that it was okay that I’d called him by the wrong name, or that it was ok that I keep calling him Ari. Better play it safe, Ari sounded more like a pet name, anyway.
“Hey, so Aaron,” I began, “it says that you’re a music major, but not what you play. Or do you sing?” He set his box and backpack down next to the bed across from mine before turning to face me.
“Violin.” I saw his eyes sweep my side of the room, already full of boxes, and my first box already halfway unpacked. No comment on that but, “You play anything?”
“Yeah, drums, a little bass. Electric,” I added, shuddering at the thought of hefting a full stand-up bass. My pawn shop bass had already found a corner to lean against. “I was in a band until recently, but I kind of fucked that up and got kicked out,” I added. A bark of a laugh escaped my throat. Yeah, funny, Ethan. I picked at a callous on my thumb. “Don’t suppose you know anyone looking for a drummer?”
Aaron shrugged, eyeing the door. “No, but I’ll keep an eye out. Uhm…” I grinned internally. This guy seemed shy, maybe too polite to ask for my help, when I had all my stuff already here without his aid. I debated if I wanted to let him flounder, but quickly decided there would be plenty of opportunities over the school year.
“So yeah, all my crap’s already here. You want some help unloading?” I smirked at his obvious relief.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
I stood up and tipped my head towards the door. “Lead the way.” He complied, and I followed, closing the door behind me, my eyes returning to his hair. “Isn’t it hot like that? Your hair,” I wondered aloud.
He glanced back at me. “A little.” In a practiced motion, he swept it up into a sloppy bun and secured it with a rubber band. “Better now.” Another glance back, a sheepish grin. I quietly admired his exposed neck, then his backside, as we navigated our way back outside and around the crowd. I wasn’t sure how I’d mistaken him for a girl the first time, but then again, it was just a glance. He did have pretty slim shoulders, and the earthy green shirt he wore was untucked, flaring a little over the top of his jeans. Comfy jeans, by the looks of the distressed fabric.
I was pulled out of my study as Aaron came to a stop next to a small taupe car, an older woman at the wheel. Must be his mom, I guessed. “Hi, Mrs…” I trailed off, waiting for her name.
“Just call me JoAnn,” she said warmly, climbing out of the car and extending a hand. I took it, smiling.
“JoAnn, this is my new roommate, Ethan,” Aaron supplied. “He said he’d help me with the rest of my stuff.”
“Good to meet you. I’m glad you’re helping Aaron, as you can see…” she gestured at her knee, which was wrapped in a black brace. “I messed it up the other day, so I’m a little useless.” I liked the woman immediately. She exuded honesty and warmth, and if Aaron was anything like her, I could see us getting along famously. Well, as famously as I could get on with anyone. “At least there’s not much for you guys to carry.” She opened the door to the back seat and gestured at a handful of boxes and a case that obviously held Aaron’s violin. “Load up, guys!”
Aaron grabbed the case and slung it over his back, unloaded one box, and I another. JoAnn gave us a wave as we set off towards the dorm together.
“Your mom seems really nice,” I said, trying to fill the quiet that had immediately settled between us.
Aaron faltered beside me. “She’s...she’s not my mother.” I saw green eyes flick at me before turning to the ground. “Just a good friend.” He didn’t supply more information, and I sensed another touchy subject.
“Mm.” I chose tact for once. “So, how long have you been playing violin?”
We skirted the crowds again, Aaron pausing a moment before answering. “Around middle school. But I wasn’t able to get serious about it until halfway through high school. That’s how I met JoAnn. She was giving me private lessons, but kind of...became my mentor. She’s like that, takes care of people.” His eyes shifted to me and back to the ground again. Mr. Mysterious. I couldn’t decide if it was shyness or if there was more behind it than that. Either way, I wanted to know more.
Give him time, I told myself. Out loud, “I hope that didn’t set you too far behind. I hear violin is pretty tough.”
Someone was already at the building door as we pulled up to it, and I caught it, holding it open for Aaron. He caught my eyes again, briefly, as he entered. “Yeah, it is.” I followed him in. “But I’m a quick learner. And violin is like...a part of me.”
It only took one more trip between the two of us to finish unloading Aaron’s things. As JoAnn had said, there wasn’t much. She waved before pulling off, told Aaron to take care of himself.
A comfortable silence had fallen between us as we unpacked our respective boxes. I was certain he was shy, maybe not the most talkative person on the planet. I let him be, knowing I would have plenty of time to get to know him, sensing that he needed it. There was a slight tension between us. Maybe it was just me, anxious to know more about this mysterious, interesting, cute guy. Maybe it was his own reticence.
I left the room for dinner with some friends, and when I returned, Aaron and his violin were gone from the room. I shrugged, sat down with my laptop, and killed some time trolling the internet. He hadn’t returned by the time I decided it was bedtime, but sometime later, my eyes flickered open as he slipped in, gently closing the door behind him.
I closed my eyes again, smiling at the wisps of hair escaping his sloppy bun. He was still awake when I slipped back into sleep.
o - o - o
Blue eyes gleamed in the darkness, flicking to Ari’s sleeping form, and then back to this new roommate. The tousled black hair was a mirror to his own. Is this what he would have looked like if…?
Looks aside, Ivis could feel it.
The boy started awake, sleepy blue eyes darting around the room. He would see nothing, but he undoubtedly felt it too.
The resonance…
Both sets of eyes closed, the boy returning to sleep, Ivis to thought. There had been whispers in the wind. It was time to find their source.
This Side of Reality
Chapter 3: Roommates
My temper had gotten me into this mess, but as I skirted the crowd milling around outside the dorm, I decided it wouldn’t be so bad. Sure, I had to carry every damn box of stuff by myself, but living on campus this year could be fun, and next year I could get an apartment.
I put my box down next to the door and surveyed the activity around me as I fished out my keys. A glint of long, reddish-brown hair caught my eye, shining in the sun. A cute one, there. I smiled to myself at the cherubic features hiding behind glasses, looking out of place in the college atmosphere. She didn’t have much of a chest though. Shame. I shrugged and unlocked the door, hauling this--my last!--box into the tiny room I was going to share, with some dude named Aaron. It could’ve been an apartment shared with two of my buddies, but nope! I’d burned that bridge at the last minute, in a fistfight over creative differences. So much for being in a band now. Anyway, the roommate I was assigned to was a music major, so maybe he knew someone.
Second floor, down the hall, and hello dorm. I dropped my box down on the bed and started in on the task of unpacking. I glanced around and vaguely wondered if my small drum kit would fit in this claustrophobic room. Maybe. Maybe I’d get a lot of noise complaints. That could be fun. Yeah, right.
My thoughts and unpacking were interrupted by a soft rap on the now-open door. The figure at the door, with a box balanced on his hip, was the same one I’d noticed outside. The face framed by the auburn hair looked a little less feminine closer up, and the low voice that spoke certainly wasn’t. “Hi,” he said hesitantly, presenting me with his free hand to shake. “I’m--”
“Ari, right?” I said, cutting him off enthusiastically. Maybe he wasn’t a girl, but he was still pretty cute. “I’m Ethan,” I supplied, taking his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’m sorry?” he asked, shooting me a strange look.
“I said, ‘I’m Ethan,’” I replied, bemused by his expression.
“No, I meant the ‘Ari’ part. My name is Aaron, that’s what I put on the sheet. Where did ‘Ari’ come from?” His hesitation was gone, voice firm now. A touchy subject? Where did I get ‘Ari?’
“Oh…” I shrugged it off. “I don’t know. It seemed to suit you I guess. Sorry. Damn. I’ll be sure to call you Aaron from now on.” I gave him a warm grin to confirm it.
Aaron cocked his head at me. After a few uneasy moments under the scrutiny of his gaze, he murmured, “It’s ok,” and returned my grin with a small smile of his own. “Nice to meet you, too.”
There was still tension in the air, and I wasn’t sure if Aaron was telling me that it was okay that I’d called him by the wrong name, or that it was ok that I keep calling him Ari. Better play it safe, Ari sounded more like a pet name, anyway.
“Hey, so Aaron,” I began, “it says that you’re a music major, but not what you play. Or do you sing?” He set his box and backpack down next to the bed across from mine before turning to face me.
“Violin.” I saw his eyes sweep my side of the room, already full of boxes, and my first box already halfway unpacked. No comment on that but, “You play anything?”
“Yeah, drums, a little bass. Electric,” I added, shuddering at the thought of hefting a full stand-up bass. My pawn shop bass had already found a corner to lean against. “I was in a band until recently, but I kind of fucked that up and got kicked out,” I added. A bark of a laugh escaped my throat. Yeah, funny, Ethan. I picked at a callous on my thumb. “Don’t suppose you know anyone looking for a drummer?”
Aaron shrugged, eyeing the door. “No, but I’ll keep an eye out. Uhm…” I grinned internally. This guy seemed shy, maybe too polite to ask for my help, when I had all my stuff already here without his aid. I debated if I wanted to let him flounder, but quickly decided there would be plenty of opportunities over the school year.
“So yeah, all my crap’s already here. You want some help unloading?” I smirked at his obvious relief.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
I stood up and tipped my head towards the door. “Lead the way.” He complied, and I followed, closing the door behind me, my eyes returning to his hair. “Isn’t it hot like that? Your hair,” I wondered aloud.
He glanced back at me. “A little.” In a practiced motion, he swept it up into a sloppy bun and secured it with a rubber band. “Better now.” Another glance back, a sheepish grin. I quietly admired his exposed neck, then his backside, as we navigated our way back outside and around the crowd. I wasn’t sure how I’d mistaken him for a girl the first time, but then again, it was just a glance. He did have pretty slim shoulders, and the earthy green shirt he wore was untucked, flaring a little over the top of his jeans. Comfy jeans, by the looks of the distressed fabric.
I was pulled out of my study as Aaron came to a stop next to a small taupe car, an older woman at the wheel. Must be his mom, I guessed. “Hi, Mrs…” I trailed off, waiting for her name.
“Just call me JoAnn,” she said warmly, climbing out of the car and extending a hand. I took it, smiling.
“JoAnn, this is my new roommate, Ethan,” Aaron supplied. “He said he’d help me with the rest of my stuff.”
“Good to meet you. I’m glad you’re helping Aaron, as you can see…” she gestured at her knee, which was wrapped in a black brace. “I messed it up the other day, so I’m a little useless.” I liked the woman immediately. She exuded honesty and warmth, and if Aaron was anything like her, I could see us getting along famously. Well, as famously as I could get on with anyone. “At least there’s not much for you guys to carry.” She opened the door to the back seat and gestured at a handful of boxes and a case that obviously held Aaron’s violin. “Load up, guys!”
Aaron grabbed the case and slung it over his back, unloaded one box, and I another. JoAnn gave us a wave as we set off towards the dorm together.
“Your mom seems really nice,” I said, trying to fill the quiet that had immediately settled between us.
Aaron faltered beside me. “She’s...she’s not my mother.” I saw green eyes flick at me before turning to the ground. “Just a good friend.” He didn’t supply more information, and I sensed another touchy subject.
“Mm.” I chose tact for once. “So, how long have you been playing violin?”
We skirted the crowds again, Aaron pausing a moment before answering. “Around middle school. But I wasn’t able to get serious about it until halfway through high school. That’s how I met JoAnn. She was giving me private lessons, but kind of...became my mentor. She’s like that, takes care of people.” His eyes shifted to me and back to the ground again. Mr. Mysterious. I couldn’t decide if it was shyness or if there was more behind it than that. Either way, I wanted to know more.
Give him time, I told myself. Out loud, “I hope that didn’t set you too far behind. I hear violin is pretty tough.”
Someone was already at the building door as we pulled up to it, and I caught it, holding it open for Aaron. He caught my eyes again, briefly, as he entered. “Yeah, it is.” I followed him in. “But I’m a quick learner. And violin is like...a part of me.”
It only took one more trip between the two of us to finish unloading Aaron’s things. As JoAnn had said, there wasn’t much. She waved before pulling off, told Aaron to take care of himself.
A comfortable silence had fallen between us as we unpacked our respective boxes. I was certain he was shy, maybe not the most talkative person on the planet. I let him be, knowing I would have plenty of time to get to know him, sensing that he needed it. There was a slight tension between us. Maybe it was just me, anxious to know more about this mysterious, interesting, cute guy. Maybe it was his own reticence.
I left the room for dinner with some friends, and when I returned, Aaron and his violin were gone from the room. I shrugged, sat down with my laptop, and killed some time trolling the internet. He hadn’t returned by the time I decided it was bedtime, but sometime later, my eyes flickered open as he slipped in, gently closing the door behind him.
I closed my eyes again, smiling at the wisps of hair escaping his sloppy bun. He was still awake when I slipped back into sleep.
o - o - o
Blue eyes gleamed in the darkness, flicking to Ari’s sleeping form, and then back to this new roommate. The tousled black hair was a mirror to his own. Is this what he would have looked like if…?
Looks aside, Ivis could feel it.
The boy started awake, sleepy blue eyes darting around the room. He would see nothing, but he undoubtedly felt it too.
The resonance…
Both sets of eyes closed, the boy returning to sleep, Ivis to thought. There had been whispers in the wind. It was time to find their source.