What They've Done To Us

10 ➹ what goes around...

"If he's anything like you, I'd rather not know."

"You're so funny Rain, Oh my god just the best." I mock, getting up from my position and taking a seat on the unmade bed. I look around in the plain room, still not yet decorated. It's definitely nothing like my room back home, but it's kind of comforting too.

"Thanks."

"His name is Caleb." I mutter, looking at all the clothes he's unpacking.

"Oh, the investigator guy? Yeah, I met him." I look at Rain with a raised brow, investigator guy? "He was with gut guy." Atlas. "I don't really think they like me much since I let you have more to drink."

"Oh, yeah sorry about that." After the whole incident of ending up in the hospital after I passed out in the burning auditorium, they've been more...attentive. I mean, I thought the first time I had to get my stomach pumped was bad, but that's because I was an idiot. I know my limits now...most of the time anyway.

"If you're saying it because we're both hot then I appreciate it."

"You think Caleb is hot?"

"People were trying to figure out which room he's in so they could accidently knock on it and pretend they were looking for a friend instead." Azriel casually states.

"Are you serious?" He makes a noise at the back of his throat, confirming. "Wait...how do you even know?"

"Because I'm the one that keeps answering the door." He deadpans, obviously tired due to the lack of sleep he probably got.

Conversation carries out, as the boys organise Rain's stuff. In the short period of time, I learn Rain and Azriel are actually half-brothers, met when they were ten, have been going to boarding school since freshman year, and that their mother is in remission, and that's why she took a break off being principal.

Conversation seizes when I take notice of something. "Where'd you get the bracelet?" I ask, making eye contact with the mixture of string and beads that stands out against the dark colours Rain is currently sporting.

"His girlfriend gave it to him," Azriel teases, seated on Rain's bed now as Rain puts away his clothes. I should really get unpacking if school starts tomorrow.

At the mention of this girl Rain smiles stupidly, shaking his head. "She's not my girlfriend Azriel."

Azriel turns to me with a disbelieving look. "They're going to get married. They're sickly in love."

I watch Rain and he doesn't object, he doesn't even turn around to hide the obvious lightening of his mood. To feel like that again...I would give up anything.

"Does she go here?" I want to meet whoever this girl is that's so obviously got Rain in a trance, I mean this is the first time I've seen him genuinely smile, and I know I've only known him for two days but Rain...he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who just smiles unprovoked.

Rain shakes his head. "Nah, she's where home is."

"But you're here for majority of the year?"

He nods, folding his clothes with an expression I can't quite decipher. "A lot of wasted time."

"How'd you make up for it?" I couldn't imagine it, being that far from someone I love when I know they're still out there. I mean, there's mom but I won't delude myself into believing she's still here. I can't.

"During summer, well, it's a strictly summer thing." Azriel lists, playing with a glass globe he unpacked from one of Rain's lugagge.

"So... just for the summer?"