One of the Boys

We were standing in Eric's room, just coming back from putting the last of my things into my own room.

Eric had claimed a bed to the far left of his room next to an old door similar to mine. Eric's side was all ready unpacked from what I could observe. The large amount of old yellowing tape and blue tack stains that were on my room walls were covered here by a various posters and an impressive rainbow of music genre. Bands and Orchestral concert tickets were pin tacked to the wall. His floor space was littered with spare violin strings, crumpled sheet music, and old bent guitar picks, and on his desk a were a few music books, a large wad of paper, a couple of chewed out pens and an electronic tape recorder. There was a large heap of glossy magazine weighing down his bedside table, and text books all lined up on a bookshelf alphabetically arranged. I sat down casually on his bed letting my feet dangle off the side.

He must have noticed my incredulous expression because he let out a knowing laugh. Taking off his guitar and hanging it on the wall, he invited me to plop down on his bed, while he took a metallic blue desk chair.

‘I’ve been here for a week already, so I’ve had time to settle in. Best bit of having to come in early is that I got time to hide my stash of energy drinks, spare cell phone,’ His Cheshire cat smile was simply so contagious that we spend the next minute smiling at each other, before I couldn’t’ hold it any longer, and convulsed into laughter. I feel back onto his bed and tested out the comfort of the matresses I'd be sleeping on for the next school year.

‘Does everyone here decorate their rooms like yours?’ I notice that his bed smelled of something easily distinguishable; male.

‘I can’t say really, most aren’t this bad, but I’ve been taking advantage of not having roomies for a week so this isn’t a good representation of my organization skills.’ I threw him a disbelieving tsk and starde up at the ceiling above his bed. There was a photo of him with an Asian man in suits.

‘So you play the guitar and violin?’

‘The piano, drums and sax as well. Music is what I do.’ He waited politely for me to give my bit of show and tell, but I wouldn’t take the bait. Instead I wandered off to the other side of the room, where some luggage had been dropped off and forgotten. A leather tag read ‘S. Richardson’. Nothing had been taken out except a single book that lay worn and torn on the bed. Charles Dickens a Tale of Two Cities had a small bookmark erecting out from the old yellowing pages. I was about to pick it up, when Eric stopped me in a hurry.

‘He really doesn’t like his stuff being touched. I have shared this room with him for three years, so I would know.’ I felt instantly curious, but Eric pulled me out of the room with an mischievous smile and the promise of Nutella and food in the dorms kitchen. I cast a backwards glance at the bed as the penetrating ray of light from the open window revealed a butterfly settling on the book, it’s pair of wings a brilliant green, identical, apart for a the tear that scared the left one from tip to it's center.

That afternoon, when I introduced myself to the people in my dorm (having little choice when they congregated around me after Teddy's boisterous enthusiasm on seeing me once more), I had the most acute sentiment that my fate had just been sealed. As they scanned me and their pecking eyes sized me up, an atmosphere grew in the room that resembled something close to that of an auction house. Wrapped like a shawl around me, I stood in the crossfire of their silent verdict. I saw glances being exchanged and nods and shakes. I had a feeling that new students were rarer than panda fur on the black market.

It would be a blatant lie if I said that in my past I didn’t spend most of my times with boys. As far back as I can remember I’d be trying to sign up for the boy’s teams, and when the ability gap got to great year 10 I would resort to hanging out. Even the few times I have been in a girls only school, I befriended the neighbouring school’s guys and the young janitors faster than any girls. So I knew how to behave around them. Yet there was this nervousness that hung over me, as if a bomb was strapped to my chest and the clock was ticking. At any moment it was going to blow. I was no longer a tomboyish girl among a hormonal group of guys. In the past I had instead that they respected me and treated me on an even plateau, but I knew deep down, that I was still a girl in their eyes, one that they had often ended up wanting to have a bite of.

But now, it had changed. They didn't see a girl with long flowing hair, a touch of lip gloss, mascara eyes and some boobs that knew how to play ball. They saw Lucas, a pip squeak of a boy, who looked like puberty had skip out on him faster than a con does bail. I was probably wearing the wrong types of shoes, and my lack of facial hair was a joke.

I had been focusing on not looking at Leo or his direction in general. He had stood a little further back than the rest, leaning against a wall surveying the congregation with an unreadable pair of stark green eyes. They did something to me, those eyes, like refined emerald they churned and gave away little but an air of superiority. Cameron standing next to him had made it impossible to look in that direction as well. Cameron was day to Leo’s night. The playful eyes were unpredictable as a small child, the innocence in his chuckles not removing the danger of his words.

'So Eric here picked up Teddy's new plaything,' there was an accent when he spoke that I couldn't quite place. 'Tell us Lucas, how much do you know about Holdern?' His smirk was tantalizing. As if this was a joke and he was about to deliver the punch line. Well I wouldn't give him the chance.

I raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Eric’s sheepish shrug. Eric urged me on with a small wave of his hand. It was hardly encouraging, but I could tell he cared.

“I am not about to be put up for sale, by you boys.” I sternly told them. And that side of me, the one that got me in trouble countless of time with people, pounced out. 'Now fucking quit looking at me like you haven't seen boy before. Normally I only get this sort of stare form the ladies, but if this is how all you guys swing here at Holderns, I need to know now!' My anger and my fright strengthened my voice, and I hoped I hadn't pushed the act too far.

Teddy who had been playing on his Nintendo DS looked up and said ‘Told you that he didn’t joke around. Lucas here is going to give them a run for their money Leo. But don’t expect him to join your servant court like everyone else. Right Lucas?’ He looked up at me eagerly waiting for me to throw him some sort of treat. His flushed cheeks, long eye lashes and cherry red lips kept throwing me and I had to remind myself that this beautiful boy wasn’t a girl. I patted his head and nodded slowly, letting them feel the weight of my response.

Form his distant position Leo’s powerful voice sprang out. ‘All right. There is no need to be hostile here. We Holderns boys are nothing like you’d expect, but let me tell you, we Ely boys still keep our manners. We are gentlemen after all, are we not?’ As if some well rehearsed cue was sounded the boys all chanted ‘Gentlemen of honour, alliance, and perseverance!’

‘Let’s not forget that he is new here and doesn’t know about The Games yet.’ Leo came to me and gave me a warm smile. It didn’t reach those stone eyes. ‘Do not listen to what my baby brother says about me and don’t worry about them; we’ll let you settle in before we bring this up again.’ He addressed all the spectators. 'We can't know how much value he'll be yet, so until we decide whether we want to dump him onto another dorm we should let him prove himself. Who knows Lucas might be of some use to one of us.' He held my gaze before walking off down a corridor into a room.

Cameron stepped forward. ‘Be still Lucas, I can smell the fear on you. We aren’t going to eat you. You’ll love it here, and you’ll learn to love Leo, he isn’t all that serious 24/7.’

‘What exactly is going on here? If this is how you welcome everyone that steps into this school, no wonder all the public school kids think you are snobby prats.’ I glared at Cameron. I had touch a nerve or two there, from the glares I received from everyone.

'Let me lay it out for you. Every dorm is a team in the Games. We have been unbeatable for the past three years. Everyone here has a skill that is useful to us. They have to be because ever student has to play. What we now need to decide-'

'is if I am worth having as a team member. I get it,' Me ever prominent scowl turned on to the group. 'Look I don't want trouble this year. So all of you back off so I can focus on graduating and get out of here.' Cameron looked slightly hurt and the rest of my dorm mate slightly uncomfortable. They didn't seem all that bad if I had to be brutally honest. They seemed nice enough to each other, and were all very attractive. But as I explained before, I hated surprises and being ganged up on.

Cameron shrugged and turned to leave as the people dispersed while Teddy said, 'Whatever, you have a week to prove you want stay on the winning team.'

'What's in it for me to be on the winning team?'

To this a boy who wore his shirt wide open revealing a taunt six pack, and I believed was called Aron, replied ‘The only thing that money won’t buy us “snobby prats”, if we’re in a place like this.'

'And what's that' I retorted. His bright blue eyes and sun kissed skin didn't distract me from the sense that there was something slimy about this guy.

He took his time responding, giving me a chance to figure it out myself. None of them look like they did drugs, their skin was too... healthy looking.

'Don't know? Maybe puberty decided to skip a weenie like you. Maybe mother nature knew there was no hope for someone of your size,' He made a less that subtle glance at the space between my legs.

'What are you winning?' I repeated patiently.

'Girls, of course!'