Fallon never gave much thought as to what he'd do with his life. Never really had a reason to care. He always assumed he'd figure it out like he always did, just before it was too late. The one thing he did know about his future though, was that he'd be the one who made whatever life changing decision came his way.
Apparently, he thought, I was wrong.
He stared at the ivory envelope in his hands and felt the weight of its contents, even before opening it. It was almost like the letter called out to him, saying open me, open me, read your fate. With a trembling hand, that was only partially due to nerves, Fallon tore the envelope open and then stopped.
He sucked in a breath. It had been a mistake to have opened the letter. If he had just left it sealed he could have pretended that he never got it. But then there would be the fact that his roommate had personally handed him the letter, and Fallon was sure he would rat him out. He also thought about how mail from the Administration doesn't get lost. There was also the fact that he was already in their system and was really the perfect candidate to enter into the Consortium, and…
Enough! He finally told himself. With resolution he unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dear Mr. Devereux,
It is with great pleasure that we the Administration request your enrollment…
He stopped paying attention after that. His eyes scanned the rest of the letter, but his brain was focused on other matters, like how to escape. There had to be some way out, like a car he could steal, or a bank he could rob. There was that guy down in Mexico that could give him a face transplant-
The dorm room opened then, and Fallon found himself wishing that he lived alone for the millionth time. Now he had a witness.
"Letter of request I see," His roommate said, dropping his lunch on the small desk by the T.V. He walked over to Fallon and plucked the letter out of his hands with ease. Fallon had been eager to let go. "Though for the life of me, I can't figure out why'd they want you."
Fallon realized he'd been spoken to, and he looked over to find his roommate staring at him expectantly. "Everyone want's me. It's my devilishly good looks." He sounded more collected than he felt.
"Devilish, yes. Good, not so much." His roommate was of course referring to the number of tattoos that decorated Fallon's arms, chest, and torso, and the mischievous look that never seemed to leave his face. Even now, his face had that same grin and sparkling blue eyes that looked like they held secrets people would kill to know.
He gave him a grin, the grin. The one that made the girls swoon. It was very forced, but his roommate didn't seem to notice. The two of them got along just enough to not kill each other, but no more. His roommate once told him that he thought he was an 'insolent little tyrant' but Fallon brushed it off with a wave and a comment about how he wasn't little.
"…I'm just saying, why would they want you for early admission, but not me? It' doesn't make sense." His roommate didn't sound upset, only curious. It was a fair point really, it' didn't make any sense-at least if you didn't really know.
Fallon suddenly found himself sitting on his bed, shaking. It was as if his heart stopped and then kickstarted again, picking up double time. He was trembling and had broken out in a cold sweat, but it was like his insides were made of ice.
So that's why they want him. Oh God, Oh God, Oh crap-
"Hey, Devereux, you still listening? Yo, earth to Fallon."
His head snapped up and he stared his roommate down. He fought the urge to punch him, but just barely.
"You know what, man?" He faked a yawn, "i'm dead tired. I'm turning in early."
"Dude, it's nine." He looked incredulous, "You don't sleep until three A.M. usually."
Fallon didn't like the tone he was receiving. "Well all the sleepless nights of doing cocaine off of your girlfriend's stomach really tired me out. Now if you don't mind-"
"What did you say about my girl?" His roommate's lips curled into a snarl, and Fallon could have sworn he was rooming with a werewolf.
Dismissively, Fallon rolled his eyes. "It's called a sense of humor. Apparently you've lost yours. Now go find it and let me sleep." He fluffed his pillow as if to show how serious he was and flopped onto his stomach.
A few seconds later he heard the door slam behind him. For a second it dawned on Fallon that he was good, almost too good at pissing people off.
They must all have sticks shoved up somewhere, he thought.
He suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing, and with a quick mumble of what those people could do with those sticks, he climbed out of bed and began packing his belongings into his backpack. His backpack was fairly large, with a seemingly endless amount of pockets and zippers, and Fallon was surprised by how easily all of his belongings fit into it. Then again, he didn't own many things. Three pairs of ripped pants, four cut up shirts, some socks and underwear, one pair of shoes, a small set of daggers, one jacket, and a bracelet his parents gave him when he turned thirteen. That was it, that was al he owned. There was a pile of textbooks by the door, but all Fallon used them for was a doorstopper, and occasionally keeping the window open during summer. He had no use for books.
Quicker than he thought possible, Fallon did a scan of the room and found it bare. He ran to the bathroom to throw all of his four toiletries in his bag as well, just to be sure that absolutely nothing of himself was left. Sorcerers could wield some intense magic, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.
Fallon ran out of the bathroom and took a moment to collect his thoughts. Which way out would be best? Should he walk casually out and hop a fence, or should he scale the building and then hop a fence?
He could hear footsteps coming down the hall, and within seconds he knew it was his roommate. That left him only one option. He threw his backpack on, and opened up the nearest window. He popped the screen off and looked down. They had moved him from the second to the thirteenth floor after he'd been caught sneaking out of his window, and the Administration officials had figured moving him up eleven stories would stop him. They told him that even someone as stubborn as himself wouldn't risk breaking his neck just to defy their authority.
The officials had been sadly mistaken.
The footsteps were louder now, just three doors down Fallon guessed, and he knew he had no time. He swung one lanky leg over and then the other. The distance seemed staggering now, but he had no other choice. Slowly so as to not lose his balance and fall to his death, he turned around and found his footing on the ledge. He gripped the window frame and started scooting his way over away from the window to the nearest thing he could grip onto. He could hear the jingling of keys and knew that his roommate was going to catch him if he didn't move quicker.
Heights and risk taking had never been an issue for Fallon before, and he was determined to not let them become an issue now. He started gripping at the walls just tightly enough to hold onto the crevices of the old brick, but loose enough that he was allowed the freedom of scaling down the wall. Soon the twelfth, then eleventh floors went past him, and he heard his roommate swear as he figured out what was going on. That meant the officials would be patrolling soon. He had no time to waste. Fallon picked up the pace and soon the floors were going by in a blur, sixth, fifth, fourth. And then he jumped.
***
"Don't forget to drink your tea sweetie," Alexandra's mom hugged her tightly and petted her hair just like when she was a child. "I packed you enough to last until Christmas."
Alexandra wheezed. "I won't get the chance to if you keep squeezing my esophagus shut Mom."
Sylvia pulled away instantly and blushed. "Sorry Lexi. Be safe."
Alexandra winced. She always hated being called Lexi. It made her feel like a small child. But her mom swore that she loved it when she was a baby, cooing and laughing when she was called it, so she let it slide. If it made her mom happy, she'll endure it.
"C'mon Alex," Her dad picked her bags out of the trunk of the car and handed them to her. She struggled under the weight. "I'd ask you if you wanted us to go up to your dorm with you, but I think we both know the answer."
"I'd rather die than give them the satisfaction of seeing me look weak." By them she meant all the students and faculty at the Consortium. She didn't mean it with hatred, but she knew how they must think of her, the one who never got her powers. She didn't want them to think of her as some weak human.
Murray smiled, a sort of sweet and sad smile that made Alexandra long for the days of being five years old and running around without a care."That's my girl."
"Okay, now stand close, I want a picture." Her mom already had the camera out and was trying to focus it.
"Mom!" Had she not heard the comment about looking weak?
People weren't really staring, they were too busy getting to class, but Alexandra could still sense their eyes on her. It was unfortunate that the Administration wanted her to enroll now in the middle of October, but the Consortium didn't work on a normal seasonal schedule, so students enrolled whenever they wanted. Or rather, whenever they finished their training at the lower levels of their education. Kids entered the Netherworld version of school at six, which was nearly the same as a regular school curriculum filled with math and basic writing tools. Then at the age of thirteen or so when they got their full powers, they entered the Administration's system. From there they entered one of the many institutes that was specific to their species, whether that be lycan, vampire, or what have you. The Consortium was a means of secondary education, sort of like university, and was where people went who wanted a job specific to the Netherworlders, otherwise they could continue life like a human. There they learned to live with other species and coexist without disturbing the human race. The Consortium was also most famously known for being the place Netherworlders wanted to go when they wanted to become Protectors, the people that worked inside the government to protect the Council members and such. Kind of like the military, but less respected.
What Alexandra didn't understand was why they wanted her, and why now? She hadn't finished her schooling, which was homeschooling since she didn't receive her powers, so there was no real reason as to why she should even be considered to be eligible to attend there. Or, here, since she was standing outside the gates, looking up at the old gothic styled building that loomed over her. Was it her imagination, or did it the building have an ominous atmosphere about it?
"Go in honey, it'll be alright!" Her mom cheered behind her, making her cringe yet again.
"Yes Mom," She sighed. She always had a way of embarrassing Alexandra.
Arms wrapped around her from behind, and she relaxed against her dad's chest. She inhaled his familiar scent of musk and nearly cried from the already familiar sense of homesickness. "Love you Alex," he said in that soothing voice,"Don't forget to kick ass."
His arms were gone then, and she didn't need to turn around to tell that their car was already pulling away and heading back towards the dirt road that led them here.
"Kick ass," She mumbled, and began her journey of finding her way through her new home before thoughts of escaping to Mexico could sink in.
The bags were getting heavy.
Alexandra had already stopped at the admissions office and picked up her I.D. and room number after ogling at the buildings for a good ten minutes. She'd seen pictures of it in her textbooks at home, but standing on the campus was a whole different story. The Consortium was one of the five in the United States and was set in the mountains of California leaving it completely undisturbed by humans. When they had driven up, Alex immediately saw the school as it was, a giant gothic style castle that seemed to have been carved from the mountains. There was a slight shimmering to it, which was the glamour put on by the Fae headmaster to make humans think it was just a mountain. Most humans didn't have the sight, and nearly all Supernaturals were born with it. Alexandra had been taught to have the sight.
As they had driven closer, following the dirt road to the gates, Alexandra saw the giant buildings loom over them, making her feel like an ant. When she had to find her way around, she saw just how gigantic they really were. The smallest ones, which were the classrooms, were five stories tall while the largest ones, the dorms, were fifteen stories high. All the buildings were long and made of grey stone and reminded Alexandra of a gothic mental asylum, especially the ones in the video games that were filled with ghosts and zombies.
She supposed that she wasn't that off.
Now, standing at the top of the stairs on the fourth landing, her bags felt like they weighed a ton. Alexandra glanced down at her paper just to make sure that her dorm room didn't somehow change in the last three floors, and groaned when she read that she still had to get to the tenth floor. She shifted the weight of the bags and started up the next set of stairs.
Halfway up the flight, Alexandra slipped on an empty candy wrapper. Two of the three bags she brought toppled onto the ground, and with a shout of surprise she fell forward too, making the last bag fly into the air. She landed hard on the stairs, just barely saving herself from hitting her face on the step by throwing her arm out. Pain shot up her forearm, and she knew without looking that she was bleeding.
"You need some help?"
Her head snapped up at the sound, and she saw a boy around her age staring down at her from the above steps.
"No." She grunted and pushed herself up. She would not give him any satisfaction of seeing her hurt. "I'm fine."
He looked like he didn't believe her. "Really? So you always just lie in the stairway bleeding then?"
"I find it very soothing." She barked and leaned down to pick up one of the discarded bags.
Faster than she could ever be, the boy scooped up all three bags and stood on the step in front of her. "Here," he offered them to her.
She fought the urge to say thank you. "You don't know the meaning of the word 'no', do you?"
"I do," He answered, still smiling, "I just choose to not listen."
Alexandra rolled her eyes. "You know that could get you into real trouble with the law one day."
The guy knew what she meant. "But who would say no to all this fabulousness?" He motioned to his body, which was obscured by a coat and jeans.
Alexandra lifted a brow at him. "Right. Well if you don't mind, I really need to get to my room now."
The guy nodded and stepped aside. Alexandra took one step and nearly cried out in pain when her foot touched the ground. It felt like her ankle was broken. Gritting her teeth, she took another step up and gasped when her weight shifted. She could feel the boy's eyes on her, watching her every move. She didn't think she'd make it to the tenth floor.
"You know," He called out from below. "You can use the elevator."
The pain was starting to make Alexandra extra snappy. "The sign says 'Out of Order'. Don't you think I would have used it if it if I could?"
The boy shook his head. "Nah, it works. The upperclassmen just like to mess with the freshmen. They like making them go up all fifteen flights."
"That's cruel."
"Didn't say it wasn't." He turned to walk to the elevator at the end of the landing. He ripped the 'Out of Order' sign off the doors and pushed the up arrow button. Within seconds the doors slid open and he climbed in between the crossed 'Caution' tape that blocked the doors. "You coming?"
Alexandra huffed. "Yeah." She took the stairs one at a time, going slow due to the pain that stepping caused. She was halfway across the landing when the boy sighed in annoyance.
"Here, give me those." He took her bags and dumped them in the elevator.
"You didn't have to do that." This guy was really starting to make her feel bad.
"Actually I did. At the rate you we're going, I'd die of old age in the elevator waiting for you."
"Whatever." She said as the doors slid closed.
They stood in silence for two floors, then, "Hey, did I do something to upset you?" The guy turned to Alexandra and looked at her with his dark brown eyes.
"Not you personally," She answered. She wasn't sure that saying "oh no, it's not you, it's this entire place full of Supernaturals that will ultimately despise me for being virtually the only one to never get powers leaving you to also hate me and me to be alone again" would really work. It was probably better to not mention any of it.
"So you just take out your anger on any poor bloke who happens to cross your path?" He sounded genuinely curious.
"No," She cringed when she heard her own voice. "I mean, no, not usually. Only today."
The guy nodded. "I see."
"Do you?"
He just gave her a knowing glance before they lapsed into silence again.
The elevator came to a stop at floor ten with a ding and Alexandra stepped between the caution tape and out of the elevator.
"Don't worry about your bags, I've got them," The boy spoke before she could even try to take the bags away. He began walking down the hall and to the right as if he knew where she was supposed to live.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Alexandra limped after him. "How do you know where you're going?"
The boy just held up her blue piece of paper that had her room number on it. She huffed, but didn't say anything. At least she didn't have to carry her stuff.
Alexandra took the time to look the boy over as they walked down the hall. He was taller than her by about five inches and his skin was ivory to the point of nearly being translucent. His hair was black, with a bit of a fringe in the front and he wore clothing that suggested he just rolled out of bed. Tattoos covered various spots on his arms, and looked nice with his lean muscles.
"Well, here we are," the boy said, and turned to Alexandra. "Room 529."
There were at the absolute end of the hall, with room 530 being the last one on the floor. At the end was an end table with a vase of flowers that sat in front of a rounded window.
He looked at her expectantly. "I assume you have a key…"
"Oh right!" Alexandra fished through her pockets until she came up with a single brass key. She slid it into the lock and took a deep breath as the door swung open.
The room inside clean, and looked like nobody lived in it. The walls were white and barren. The floor was covered in a beige carpet and the furniture was beige also. The only other source of color was the black T.V. that sat atop a light wood table. To the right was the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by only a bar. The kitchen, too, was white with black appliances. She wondered what the rooms must look like.
Alexandra turned to her nameless helper. "Thanks for the assistance," She managed to say without choking. "I can take it from here."
"It's cool, I got it." He walked right past her, through the living room, and to the left where the rooms were. She hurriedly followed him, wondering what the hell he was thinking.
The door at the end of the hall and to the right was opened, and as Alexandra walked up to it, she saw her name scrawled on a post-it that was stuck to the door.
"Here to go, Alexandra," The guy said.
She looked at him through slitted eyes"Thanks, but just what the hell do you think you're doing, barging into my dorm?"
He gave her that knowing smile again. "But it's not just your dorm room. It's mine too."
Alexandra was confused. "…What?"
The guy stuck his hand out. "Hi, I'm Dominic. Your new roommate."
No edit, because I just finished it ten minutes ago, but I hope you enjoyed it! It should be picking up in a chapter or two. :)
~E