Oliver

A pair of big brown eyes watched the scene with little interest, the sun reflecting on them and making them glow in shades of green, that were quickly covered by the shadow of a book. He was used to his schoolmates acting like monkeys, but that was just so... incredibly pitiful to look at. He cringed on the inside, asking himself how could someone do that in front of the entire building and not die from embarrassment.

It was the start of his second year on college, and the first day of his new life. “Dorm life!”, his mothers and sisters had said with excitement, like he would finally start doing all the crazy stuff he never did before... of course, that was not going to happen. He was enough of an introvert to stay all day on his house, between bookshelves and the mixed smell of coffee and old pages. He rather listened to his sisters talking about their love life all day than try to bond with a stupid classmate or a roommate or whatever. He just wanted to go home. But that wasn’t an option.

Just a month ago he told his moms he wanted to study from home, going to classes online and all that. But they took it like he wanted to isolate himself from the world! And well, he wasn’t exactly fond of people, but he wouldn’t...

Well, yes, he wanted to isolate himself from others. And his family wasn’t going to let that happen.

Oliver arrived the day before, arranging his things and settling in. There was no sign of his roommate, and it was the best that way, otherwise things would be awkward, or so he thought. Fortunately, the bed next to his was still empty when he decided to go take a look around and maybe find some peaceful place to read. And he had found it, until he heard those guys making a fuss over a cat plushie or something like that. College students sure were strange...

Okay, he wanted to say he grabbed his things and went back to his room, but it was interesting seeing all the chaos on his first day. He expected some blood or at least a couple of punches, but it ended with the weird white-haired guy getting kicked out of the room. Oliver couldn’t suppress the chuckle that left his mouth at the sight of a pitiful grown-ass man walking with a mutilated stuffed toy on his hand, with eyes so dead that people would have thought he just lost the war.

In a second, all the people were back on their own business, and Oliver as well went back to his reading. It didn’t take him long to be absorbed again on the story, a mystery story about a girl that started seeing ghosts and wanted to help them find the light and pass on and all that shit. Some creatures were nice, but some were... very scary, and violent. Right on that moment she was running away from a head. Literally a head, without eyes. Oliver scoffed, “I bet she’s dead and a ghost too. All these stories end the same way.”

He would see it on the last book, maybe.

Right now, his only problem was the light. Why was the sun suddenly gone? It was night already? It couldn’t be... he had to move to another place with better lighting.

Then he raised his head, only to find a guy looking down on him. Or at his book. He didn’t know.

Oliver didn’t say anything, watching the white-haired man with a raised eyebrow. What the fuck was he doing?

Oh... oh. It was that guy. The crazy guy.

“Hum... What do you want?” He asked, eyeing the other. Now that the plushie guy was near him, he could make some details he ignored before. His skin was a bit dark, like an olive color, and looked smooth. Dark freckles were splayed all over him, he could see them on his nose and cheeks, even on his arms and shoulders.

He wondered if they were everywhere.

Trying not to show his thoughts, he continued his inspection, finding a pair of obsidian orbs looking right at his own. He immediately knew. That guy was a walking disaster, starting from his looks (what was that bed hair? Was it bed hair or just savage, like its owner? It was long and tangled and... just a mess), to his stupid smile. He acted as if he knew something, like he could just mess with Oliver without consequences...

Well, it would be funny to see him try.

“Oh, you sure are cute! I saw you looking at me when-”

“When you made a show in front of the whole campus looking pitiful, miserable and like an idiot?”

At that, the guy paused, lifting a finger “Aaah, that, and... right now.”

“Right now?”, Oliver repeated, not catching what the hell he was trying to say.

“Right now. And, you know? I accept. Now, I need a favor, and you are going to help me. Deal?”

“Eh...”

Again, he didn’t know what to say. It was just the first day, and trying to decipher the behavior of hormonal young-adults was already being a pain in the ass. The other just stood there, looking at him like he was the funniest thing ever. And Oliver hated that look.

He snapped. Closing his book, the brown-haired boy stood up.

“If you’re looking for something to entertain you for the rest of the year, let me tell you two things: first, you won’t find it here. Second, I think we’re way too old for this... like bullying thing. We’re not on elementary school anymore.”

He expected a lot of things. If the guy was as crazy as he thought, he could do anything. Like punching him on the face. Maybe beat him up. Oliver didn’t plan on staying still and quiet, he was going to stand up and take it... he knew he couldn’t win against the other. The boy was taller (It wasn’t hard to be taller than him, with his five-and-something-foot height, he was just... very smaller than average), and was a little bit muscular. Not like him, with his chubby body and baby face.

Well, he expected anything but the stupid smile that showed on the stranger’s face.

“Elementary school?! Oooooh, I never went to it!”

And again, he didn’t know... ugh, he was giving up.

“Yeah... I can see it.”

The other just kept on smiling at him, ignoring the obvious insult.

“Look... I just... I don’t know how to help you, okay? My deepest condolences and may your plushie rest in peace, but I don’t know how to repair it. Now, will you leave me alone?”

“My...?” The guy looked a bit confused, then he started laughing “No, you got it totally wrong! What I am asking is: would you let me stay in your room for the night... or more than one night, if you prefer?”

He winked at Oliver, and the poor thing just wanted to go running back to his room.

And maybe, maybe he blushed a bit.

Enough of interaction for one day.

“I’m sorry, I have a roommate and he doesn’t like... late-night visits”, he told the lie very quickly, watching the freckled guy’s expression turn a little disappointed. He sighed, and Oliver almost gave up. Almost.

“Okay, then... I’ll get going. Thanks for... y’know.”

He looked away from Oliver, raising his hand to pat his head. On a regular day, he would be annoyed and would snap at him, but the look on his face... felt very lonely. Suddenly, he didn’t want the other to go.

But just as fast as he appeared, he was gone.

Oliver went back to his room, distracted and thinking of obsidian eyes and a playful smile.