Cover Your Eyes
Prologue
Rain is pouring down from the sky as a car stops in front of a huge, old school building. It’s been raining all day and it perfectly reflects the mood of the boy inside the car. Sad, grey and clouded. He’s sent to a boarding school, but honestly he really doesn’t want to go. Who in Christ’s name would ever want to go to a boarding school without being forced? You have to wear an uniform, you can’t go home and they are incredibly strict.
He gets out of the car and slams the door shut with a loud bang. Looking up at the building, it kind of scares him. The building is at least five stories high and it’s so intimidating. He feels so small and vulnerable standing there on the porch.
“Get in there, it’s freezing outside,” his mum says, giving him a firm push between his shoulders blades towards the door. He stumbles over his feet, falling against the door and pushing it open with his weight. A couple of guys that seemed to be from the sixth form are laughing at him. His face turns a dark shade of red as he averts his eyes from the guys and walks after his mother.
He barely pays any attention when he sits with his mother in the office of the headmaster. He studies his nails, trying to listen, but failing miserably. His mum gives him a poke in the ribs or a death glare from time to time, but he simply ignores it. He doesn’t want to be here, so he is really not going to be cooperative.
When they are finally able to leave the headmaster’s office he gives his mum a quick kiss on her cheek, promises her to study hard and don’t do anything wrong. Though he knows he won’t be able to keep his promises. After he said goodbye, he drags his suitcases up the stairs towards his room on the second floor.
He looks at the sheet of paper in his hand that the headmaster has given him. He sleeps in room number 154 and his roommate is Vince Caulton. He has no idea what kind of guy Vince is, but he really hopes that they will at least get a long a bit. He hopes that the guy isn’t noisy and thinks he knows it all better.
When he arrives at the second floor he heads for the corridor that says “D-Corridor Guys 4th”. The corridor is long, full of wood and has on each side ten rooms for maximum two persons to sleep in. His room is somewhere near the end of the corridor and on the left side. There’s a name tag pinned on the wooden door that says his and his roommate’s name.
He softly knocks on the door. The door slightly cracks open and reveals a boy who’s a little bit taller than him. The guy’s hair is a bit curly, but not as curly as his. It’s salt and pepper coloured. The eyes that are looking at him are chocolate brown, friendly, but a bit confused. “Yeah?”
“I’m Riley,” is all Riley says. He doesn’t know yet if he likes the boy or not. They boy’s eyes light up in understanding. He smiles and opens the door a bit wider.
“Right, the new kid. I’m Vince.” Obviously, Riley thinks, but he doesn’t say anything. Vince steps aside so Riley is able to enter the room. The room isn’t very big. There are two beds, each on an opposite wall, with a closet on the foot end and a nightstand next to the bed. Two desks are shoved against each other, touching on the line that cuts the room in two. The sink is on the opposite wall of the bed.
It’s obvious that there is only one person living the room at the moment. One side is clean and clearly not used. On the other side of the room are several photo’s pinned to the wall. There is an alarm clock sitting on the nightstand and things like papers, textbooks and pens are all over the desk. Also, a toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries are lying across the sink.
“Um, I’m doing homework, but you don’t have any, obviously,” Vince says pointing at his open textbooks. Riley looks at it for a second, not really interested. He nods his head and takes a seat on his bed.
“I think I’m just going to unpack my stuff,” he says, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. Actually, he’s not really in the mood to unpack. That makes it so official, that he’s staying here. He doesn’t want to stay here at all.
“But you know, I can finish it in the library, if you want to be alone to unpack or anything,” Vince says. He seems a little nervous. Riley doesn’t understand why. It’s not like he’s going to bite him or anything.
“You really don’t have to –”
“It’s okay, I have to be there anyway,” he says while grabbing his books and heading for the door within a few seconds. Riley is surprised how fast he got out of the room. He shakes his head. He is not going to think about the guy anymore. He’s got some alone time and that is all he really wants right now.
He strips down all of his clothes, folding them neatly and laying them down on top of his unopened suitcase at the end of his bed. He then crawls in bed and pulls the covers over his head, folding himself into complete darkness. But sleep doesn’t take over. An hour or two later he hears the door opening again and knows that Vince is back from the library. Vince softly calls his name, but Riley stays quiet.
“He must be asleep already,” Vince mumbles to himself. He starts to softly hum a song that is unfamiliar to Riley, while he cleans his desk and gets ready for bed himself. Vince is out like a light and soon Riley hears his slow breathing. He turns around to look at him, but the room is too dark to see anything. Riley tries to sleep himself, but his eyes keep fluttering open.
An hour or two later, around two in the morning, he finally finds sleep and falls into a light slumber. Only to wake up again an hour later. Cold sweat is running from his forehead and his cheeks are wet from the tears streaming down his face. He didn’t quite like the dream. He doesn’t quite like reality at the moment, either.
He gets out of the car and slams the door shut with a loud bang. Looking up at the building, it kind of scares him. The building is at least five stories high and it’s so intimidating. He feels so small and vulnerable standing there on the porch.
“Get in there, it’s freezing outside,” his mum says, giving him a firm push between his shoulders blades towards the door. He stumbles over his feet, falling against the door and pushing it open with his weight. A couple of guys that seemed to be from the sixth form are laughing at him. His face turns a dark shade of red as he averts his eyes from the guys and walks after his mother.
He barely pays any attention when he sits with his mother in the office of the headmaster. He studies his nails, trying to listen, but failing miserably. His mum gives him a poke in the ribs or a death glare from time to time, but he simply ignores it. He doesn’t want to be here, so he is really not going to be cooperative.
When they are finally able to leave the headmaster’s office he gives his mum a quick kiss on her cheek, promises her to study hard and don’t do anything wrong. Though he knows he won’t be able to keep his promises. After he said goodbye, he drags his suitcases up the stairs towards his room on the second floor.
He looks at the sheet of paper in his hand that the headmaster has given him. He sleeps in room number 154 and his roommate is Vince Caulton. He has no idea what kind of guy Vince is, but he really hopes that they will at least get a long a bit. He hopes that the guy isn’t noisy and thinks he knows it all better.
When he arrives at the second floor he heads for the corridor that says “D-Corridor Guys 4th”. The corridor is long, full of wood and has on each side ten rooms for maximum two persons to sleep in. His room is somewhere near the end of the corridor and on the left side. There’s a name tag pinned on the wooden door that says his and his roommate’s name.
He softly knocks on the door. The door slightly cracks open and reveals a boy who’s a little bit taller than him. The guy’s hair is a bit curly, but not as curly as his. It’s salt and pepper coloured. The eyes that are looking at him are chocolate brown, friendly, but a bit confused. “Yeah?”
“I’m Riley,” is all Riley says. He doesn’t know yet if he likes the boy or not. They boy’s eyes light up in understanding. He smiles and opens the door a bit wider.
“Right, the new kid. I’m Vince.” Obviously, Riley thinks, but he doesn’t say anything. Vince steps aside so Riley is able to enter the room. The room isn’t very big. There are two beds, each on an opposite wall, with a closet on the foot end and a nightstand next to the bed. Two desks are shoved against each other, touching on the line that cuts the room in two. The sink is on the opposite wall of the bed.
It’s obvious that there is only one person living the room at the moment. One side is clean and clearly not used. On the other side of the room are several photo’s pinned to the wall. There is an alarm clock sitting on the nightstand and things like papers, textbooks and pens are all over the desk. Also, a toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries are lying across the sink.
“Um, I’m doing homework, but you don’t have any, obviously,” Vince says pointing at his open textbooks. Riley looks at it for a second, not really interested. He nods his head and takes a seat on his bed.
“I think I’m just going to unpack my stuff,” he says, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. Actually, he’s not really in the mood to unpack. That makes it so official, that he’s staying here. He doesn’t want to stay here at all.
“But you know, I can finish it in the library, if you want to be alone to unpack or anything,” Vince says. He seems a little nervous. Riley doesn’t understand why. It’s not like he’s going to bite him or anything.
“You really don’t have to –”
“It’s okay, I have to be there anyway,” he says while grabbing his books and heading for the door within a few seconds. Riley is surprised how fast he got out of the room. He shakes his head. He is not going to think about the guy anymore. He’s got some alone time and that is all he really wants right now.
He strips down all of his clothes, folding them neatly and laying them down on top of his unopened suitcase at the end of his bed. He then crawls in bed and pulls the covers over his head, folding himself into complete darkness. But sleep doesn’t take over. An hour or two later he hears the door opening again and knows that Vince is back from the library. Vince softly calls his name, but Riley stays quiet.
“He must be asleep already,” Vince mumbles to himself. He starts to softly hum a song that is unfamiliar to Riley, while he cleans his desk and gets ready for bed himself. Vince is out like a light and soon Riley hears his slow breathing. He turns around to look at him, but the room is too dark to see anything. Riley tries to sleep himself, but his eyes keep fluttering open.
An hour or two later, around two in the morning, he finally finds sleep and falls into a light slumber. Only to wake up again an hour later. Cold sweat is running from his forehead and his cheeks are wet from the tears streaming down his face. He didn’t quite like the dream. He doesn’t quite like reality at the moment, either.