2 the dorm (1/2)

”Dean. Where is Dean?”

I was still in a daze and didn't hear him the first few times. When I did, the senior looked frustrated. I wore an apologetic face as I walked over.

”I'm Dean,” I said softly. ”I'm sorry, I didn't hear you.”

He was taller than me by almost two heads. In fact, he was the tallest in the hall. He looked down at me blankly for a while, then simply nodded.

”It's fine,” he said. ”I'm Morris. You all introduce yourselves as you follow me out.”

Lee was a chubby boy with curly black hair and big round glasses. Dinah was a tall and lanky boy. Morgan was a red haired girl whose freckles amplified her beauty. Last was the average me.

”Like I said, I'm Morris,” the senior spoke as we left the building. ”Our department is different. The study of runic archaeology is more practical and application oriented. It is also quite dangerous. And so, we dorm with a professor who is also our advisor. That also means we will be helping with the professor's research, so we'll be living the life of a runic archaeologist even as students. We have twelve professors, and each professor accepts at most four students every year. Lee, Dinah and Morgan will be in the same dorm as me. Under professor Benegal.”

It was a short walk to the professors' villas. I was about to ask why he didn't mention me, when we stopped. Morris pointed to a boy sitting on the ground, leaning against the picket fence.

”That's you Dean,” Morris said to me.

He looked at the other boy who was rising to his feet.

”Pratt, here's your junior. I'm gonna beat you the next time. Just you watch.”

Dean left with the three first years. I walked over to Pratt. Didn't take me long to realise Pratt loved the sound of his voice far too much.

”Well hello Dean,” he greeted, putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close as he led me in. ”Don't bother about Morris. He lost a bet and had to bring you for me. I hate these long ceremonies. They're so tiring. Also, I'm not very fond of the outside. Morris is a good target. When there're things I don't want to do myself, I bait him. I win the bet and he does the work for me. Of course, I have to lose a few times, over little things that I can manage. If they realise I'm unbeatable, there'll be no one to bait when I need them. So, there's not many of us. There's me and Dia. We're second years. And now you. That's all. We'll be under professor Gerard. You saw him at the auditorium. The dean. We call him Jerry. My father's in the national cabinet. Dia is Jerry's grand niece. So, our identities are special. Jerry accepted you. So, who're you?”

”I'm no one.”

And that was the truth. I was no one. So, why had Jerry taken me under his wing? More importantly, why was he screwing with my dream? How could I be average with all the eyes on me for being under Jerry? Damn him. I was going to bring him so much regret.