The Persistence of Memory

Chapter Three

"Let me talk to the lad myself... Sess-air, is it?" He requested pulling out an old scratched up pair of glasses.

"How fucking delusional are YOU to think that I actually just leave this child in a room you were literally just hotboxing yourself in?" She asked in the most passive-aggressive voice I had ever heard in all sixteen years of my life to the point where it was honestly just blatantly aggressive.

Mr. Watson just laughed and then motioned for us both to take a seat the woman scooted closer to me and eyed Mr. Watson with challenging eyes.

He put out his joint and reached into his desk to opt for a cigar showing off his orangey teeth.

"Lizzy hand me that lighter will you?"

"Fuck no get it yourself." She deadpanned.

The tension in between the two felt thicker than frozen butter.

"I've heard much about cha."

"You seem like a promising boy. Despite that giant sack of misfortune you seem to lug about, you carry on like it's the easiest thing in the world... Truly impressive really," he said faking interest in me, but I knew that the only thing he was probably interested in was Ms. Stone's depleting if not completely gone ass.

"That's why I have decided to put you in school."

'What.'

I stood up from the seat and responded, "Thank you, but there's really no need-."

"It's the law, son and the fact that you didn't know that is reason enough to put cha in school really." He smirked lazily.

"You're starting next week and you can't get out of this, because we already enrolled you." He took a long satisfying drag out of his cigar, then shot me a fake smile to rival that of the woman that sat next to me.

Finally, she stood so I stood too and we walked out together

"Um excuse me- Ms.? Which room will I be staying in?" I asked.

"Ms. Stone and Room 305." She replied curtly."If you want I can lead you to it since these halls are pretty confusing to maneuver."

"Thank you Ms. Stand."

"Ms. Stone... Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Nope." We continued down the hall and as I followed behind her she practically oozed the smell of cheap perfume although a little dizzying it wasn't even half as bad as the smoke from Mr. Watson's office.

We walked up 3 flights of ancient looking stairs that were almost an exact replica of the ones at the farmhouse but much more delicate, It seemed as if though they'd shatter in an instant if we had simultaneously both put our weight on one of the steps. When we got to a dusty green door with the number 305 printed in peeling bold golden lettering.

"Hey, just a fair warning your roommate is a little um... how should I say it he's a little bit of a fixer-upper."

'What the hell was that supposed to mean?'

She tried for the door handle and noticed it was locked so she knocked instead.

"Jasper! Come out to meet your new roommate!" She called loud enough for him to hear but mindful of the kids that were asleep in the other rooms.

The door unlocked with a click and a sleepy head poked out rubbing at his eyes slightly he inspected me carefully before his expression changed to a mixture of surprise, excitement, and recognition..?

"YOU'RE my new roommate?!" He asked with so much enthusiasm him being asleep just moments before was almost unbelievable.

The boy had large mahogany eyes and hair a sort of platinum color that reached his shoulders the only thing differentiating him from a female, in my opinion, were the sharper features of his face, his broad shoulders and his boyish sort of posture.

"Uh- Hi my name is Jasper I'm your new roommate," he said suddenly shy, avoiding eye contact as he reached his hand out to me for a handshake it was only then when I realized how tall he was, he must've been at least 6'3.

"I guess you'll be attending the school I go to, right?" He continued not waiting for my reply. "After school, I could show you around the orphanage I got lost a lot the first week" He stepped back to let me in. "Oh, shit, that reminds me, I have homework due tomorrow... ehh I'll just do it on the bus. I'm going to bed you can set your stuff over there if you need any help like unpacking and shit just ask me."

"Oh thank you so much, Goodnight... J-Ja...Jason?"

"Jasper."

"Got it..."

I awkwardly shuffled over to the empty bed on the opposite side of the room, set my bag down and searched for my notebook.

Okay, so, I felt like the last chapter was too short so here ya go. Love you guys and thank you for reading!