the beautiful dead

elliot

krista

I didn't move away from my spot as Elliot climbed out of the passenger seat and paid his adorable driver, Ethan. Before my friend shut the door, he called to me asking if I was settling in okay, he seemed satisfied enough when I gave him a quick nod and a wink.

     Elliot met me by the curb, the both of us waving his driver goodbye. Sitting down next to me, he let me curl into him and breathe in his unmanly smell. He strangely always smelled of permanent marker.

     "Well, no offence, KK... but this already looks like a dump." He stuck out an unsatisfied lip and craned his neck to see the rest of the castle. "This is enough to give any proud man the creeps."

     I chuckled, but it stopped short as I brushed myself off and stood up. He followed me reluctantly past the door and closed it firmly behind him.

     Once again, I was enraptured by the sight of the flowers and vines that adorned the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. I was filled with awe when I noticed I hadn't been before.

     Elliot whistled impressively.

     "Damn, they really do deceive you from the outside, don't they?" He nudged me as I grabbed his hand and dragged him across the field and up to my dorm. We caught the stares of a few people, most of whom were gossiping about my 'tattoos' again, but others gasped and tutted.

     For once I didn't care about their views, I honestly couldn't care less about what they thought. Okay, maybe I did a little, but soon enough I knew every word spread around about me would pass.

     Elliot was trying to calm me down as I reached our room. We both leaned over and panted breathlessly. I admit, it was quite a long run from the front doors to my dorm.

     I warned him that I had roommates before we entered – that was when he got the sudden idea to run right into my room, a lopsided smile on his face.

     I groaned as I noticed that, while thankful all the mess had been cleaned up, Violet was present. Marisol was elsewhere.

     Upon our arrival, my horrid roommate turned from her computer and shot us both dirty looks. I noticed the way she scrutinized my friend, she held her jaw in place when I was aware that it was going to drop. She squeezed her mouse so violently that it shattered in her hands.

     She backed away from it then, apologizing. Elliot and I shared cautious glances.

     How the hell did she manage to do that?

     She tried piecing it all back together but, knowing it wasn't worth happening, tossed it over her shoulder and into the bin. The girl was amazing at catching and throwing things, she had the most perfect aim.

     She left her computer finally and came over to us, extending out a pale, skeletal hand for Elliot. He shook it warily.

     "Hi, I'm Violet." She put on a tone of voice I'd never heard her use before. It was sweet, attractive and full of lust. He hadn't even spoken a word and she was all over him. Oh boy!

     "I trust that you're the man Krista hasn't stopped talking about?"

     He recovered from the shock earlier and grinned sheepishly. He didn't like it when girls fawned over him, so I strangely worried how he would react to Marisol.

     Once she got here.

     She better hurry.

     I moved away from my best friend and my roommate as they suddenly began to chat amiably to one another. Violet would smile here and then, surprising me to the deepest core. I never even thought that she knew how to smile. It was close to the one I saw yesterday, only this one was much brighter.