Missing in Action

Chapter 002

"Creative Writing," Ryan started, picking up his pace slightly to keep up while he hoisted up his bags a little. Those things seriously were a little too heavy for his taste. He'd have to find some way to get back at Tobias for making him buy and bring too much clothes. "History," he continued. "English lit, science, math, Latin, Spanish and social studies. At least as far as I remember. I could be wrong about a couple of them."

Jon nodded, taking a right at the end of the hallway, and waving to someone he didn't know as they happened to walk by, eyeing Ryan curiously. "Can I ask you why the hell you moved here?" he finally asked after a few minutes of silence. He didn't want to be rude, except, well... he kind of did.

"Well, along with my parents, I decided that I should go abroad and see another part of the world. It's more educational that way, really, and I decided to come here because it's a country that's so different from my own and yet has a lot of the same principles. I thought it could be interesting," Ryan answered, narrowly refraining from rolling his eyes. By now there wasn't really any way the guy wasn't just trying to be annoying. Well, that, or something was sort of wrong about his feel for situations, but he really didn't strike Ryan as that kind of a boy. Smart, but out to have a bit of fun at someone else's expense.

Jon snickered at the absurd (to him, anyway) answer. "Right..." he said, taking yet another sharp turn to the right. It almost seemed as though they were going in circles. "Don't you miss any of your friends, though? You did have friends, right?" he looked over at Ryan with interest that seemed almost genuine and waited expectantly for an answer that wouldn't make him laugh.

"Yeah, of course I do, but they'll be there when I get home as well, and I have my phone and my computer, so I can stay in touch. I mean, the Internet has been invented over here by now, right?" Ryan asked, eyes growing just a tad harder. He was starting to really dislike this kid. And the fact that it looked like they were taking the long road everywhere. The bags were starting to hurt his shoulders and he'd really rather not carry them for longer than necessary.

Jon nodded, "yeah, Internet access is one thing we do have, fortunately. So, why do you have a single room? I mean, not only are they more expensive, but they're usually saved for someone who needs... extra protection, you know?" he asked, walking down the last hallway. Room number three was at the end of the hallway, right near Brendon's, and his and Spencer's room, as well.

"I've been to boarding schools pretty much all the time since I was seven," Ryan answered, the lie slipping out easily and without him really caring. It didn't really matter anymore, but somehow he was surprised by how quickly it was starting to feel natural. "I came here more or less straight from Eton where we had to share dorms, and I was going out of my mind, really. I guess I just need to have my privacy and be able to be alone sometimes or I go crazy, and the money really isn't an issue."

"Makes sense," Jon said, nodding to himself once again. They arrived in front of Ryan's room and he shrugged. "Well, you seem like a pretty okay guy. Here's one last question before I go; Have you ever met royalty?" he asked, his voice a loud whisper as he glanced around even though they were completely alone.

Ryan was more than just a little tempted to ask just what kind of a question that was. "I think in my first year at Eton, Prince Harry was in his last, so I sort of saw him around in hallways and at meals and such, but I never actually talked to him," he answered instead, shrugging as best as he could with the bags. He swore his arms had to have grown under the weight. "That's pretty much it. And you seem good enough too. Was nice to meet you." Biggest lie of the evening, but oh well.

Jon chuckled and winked. "You're sleeping right next to Brendon, by the way. So if you see a really big guy in a suit outside that door," he pointed to the door right across from Ryan's, the gold 'four' gleaming under the artificial lights, "don't be afraid. He'll only kill you if you go near Brendon." Jon grinned widely before bowing his head in Ryan's direction and spinning on his heels, practically skipping to his own room, only a few doors down.