Chapter two: Early Morning Surprises (Thirteen's view)

"For fucks sake," I smashed my alarm clock against the wall. Nan made sure Pops sent enough alarm clocks but I don't think they sent enough. The morning sun shined through my dorms blinds. I was one of the lucky kids who got a dorm to himself. Of course there was another bedroom on the other side of the living kitchen area. Since this school was primarily for rich kids, most of the dorms were like mine. From the corridor you opened the door to see a living area and in the corner a small fully equipped kitchen and a table next to the open window. On each side of the room there was a door that led to a reasonable sized bedroom with a small conjoining bathroom. It was pretty neat. Smaller then my room at my grandparents old two-story farm house but plenty of room to eat breakfast and sleep 6 nights a week in. You already know that for most kids they live in these apartment-like dorms.

I look at my watch, my eyes pop open 7 O'CLOCK…. I don't even think I set my alarm since I had the morning off. The Physics class hadn't had their first lesson so I wasn't going to be set anything this morning. Growling in frustration I flop back down onto my bed.

"Oh… sorry, I was wondering if you wanted any milk with your cereal." I fling back up. "I-I mean because there is only enough for one per-"

"Who are you?" I growl, glaring at the intruder.

"I'm your roommate, I arrived late last night. You were already in bed but I noticed you forgot to set your alarm so I…" The small boy stuttered.

"YOU'RE THE REASON," I roar. This stupid bitch woke me up for no FUCKING reason.

"I'll just go." He turned around and rushed out the door, stumbling slightly.

"FUCK," I scream.

Elliot was going to die. I was never meant to have a roommate. NEVER! And now this stupid bitch is invading on my space and waking me up at stupid hours of the morning.

I swing myself out of bed. Not bothering to shower or do my hair I pull the closest dark items off the floor and over my boxers I had slept in, grabbing my shoes I storm out of my room.

"Oh, are you-"

I cut him off again. "You better be fucking gone before I get back," I threaten the small boy. It might have bothered me since he was an easy foot shorter than me but my anger overturns that and I leave to go kill Mr Sanders.

Before he can reply, the dorm door slams loudly and the boys walking past me in the hallway jump back in fright.

"Hello Thirteen, I thought you would be asleep since I gave you the whole morning off." Elliot continued to type things at his desk, not looking up to see me.

"You bastard! You imbecilic untrustworthy swine." I slammed my hands down on his desk, fuming with rage.

"What is wrong now? You're going into your British art-thou-better-than-you voice," he sighs, his eyes still intent on the computer screen.

My anger doesn't lessen but I change my voice back to my signature snarl. "Who the FUCK is that brat in MY dorm?"

He looks up at me and adjusts his glasses (he can really pull them off, but it is probably just the smart suits; anyways he only wears them while on the computer or while reading). Pinching the bridge of his nose, he orders me to sit down.

"Miss Smith, please ask Noah Child's to come to my office," Mr Sanders asked over the intercom.

"Of course, Sir," came her reply.

"And Miss Smith, why didn't you stop Mr Matthews?"

"Well… I mean..." she stuttered

"Spit it out."

"I didn't think you'd mind since Matthews is always being sent to your office," she rushed. My lips turned up in a smirk.

"Did you notice anything differently about Mr Matthews today?"

"Umm, his hair was a mess?" I clutch my hair and curse, though not loud enough for Jane Smith to hear. If she knew I was listening she would feel less incline to answer her boss, Principal Sanders.

"Not quite." Mr Sanders was now watching me with a smirk. Childishly I poke my studded tongue at him.

"Err, he seemed, well he seemed angry, Sir?" she replies timidly. I kind of pity the girl. Having to put up with Elliot but her comment wasn't really that strange, usually I would have calmed down before making it to the office.

"Yes he was. So next time, please warn me. I've important work to do and I don't have enough spare time to deal with unexpected arrivals." I hold back a chuckle. He was quite good at being in control.

"Of course, Sir," she replied quickly.

"And Miss Smith, don't forget to send that message to Mr Child." I hear a surprised 'oh' before Elliot hangs up on her.

"She's quite useful," I laugh but then return my scowl.

He raises a hand to stop my assault, and removed his glasses with his other hand.

The tense silence continues for a few minutes and then he breaks eye contact as a slight knock comes from the door.

"Enter." I look at him in disgust, usually he keeps me from others and now I cannot murder him because of a witness, Coward.

"You asked me to come." A familiar voice comes from behind me.

Spinning around I see the boy from before. "You!"

"Yes thank you for coming Noah." I scowl at Sanders polite welcome.

"Come and sit next to Thirteen," he greets that kid with kindness.

"Matthews," I growl at Sanders. No one called me Thirteen other then Nan, Pa and against my will, him and Mr Millers.

"Uh, ok." He scuttles into the room, staying as far away from me as he could politely be. Pfft pussy.

"Have you made yourself comfortable, Noah?" I glare at both of them as they got cosy together.

"I have not had the chance unpack my bags yet but the room is nice, thank you." I gag at Noah's politeness.

"Yes, I've heard you had roommate problems," he said consolingly to him.

"HE'S NOT MY ROOMMATE," I yell, jumping out of my seat.

"SIT DOWN," Elliot yells back. Noah was looking more skittish by the minute. "From now on you have a roommate. I called your grandparents and they agreed with me-"

"WHAT!!" I gasp in outrage.

"You need to be more social, and why would it bother you anyway, you only sleep there a few nights a week?" he snap.

"That little shit, WENT into my room AND he turned on my FUCKING alarm," I roar leaning over the desk. Noah became completely silent next to me.

"He was LOOKING out for you, you should be grateful for someone in this school actually caring," Sanders said in a scoffing resort.

"Umm-"

"No he should learn the rules around here before sticking his nose in other people's business."

"Excuse me but-"

"You're one to talk. You never listen to anything I say and you act with a blatant disrespect for your peers, teachers and YOUR school!"

"Wh-"

"If you once got off your fucking high horse and came down to my level you'd see that life isn't that FUCKING simple!" We are getting closer as we try and scream down each other, ignoring that boy in the room with us completely.

"As if I don't understand that you have difficulties and as a family friend I respect that but AS your principal YOU cannot conduct yourself like this." He got right up in my face. I could smell his cologne.

"I'll just-"

"WHAT?" We both turned and screamed at Noah.

Sanders' face flushes with embarrassment but it's hardly noticeable under his tan and black hair. Unlike me he was born with his, Latino American was it or maybe dark Italian? I can't remember his mum was a crazy old lady anyway. "I am sorry Noah; I usually don't lose control like that." Bullshit, the bastard is never pleasant with me. "You probably want to get ready for your lessons, Thirteen is not as scary as he tries to be and will," he gave me a piercing brown eyed glare, "give you a tour of the school this morning." He writes out a note. "Hand this to your home room teacher if you're late and… Ah!" he scribbles down another note and handed it to me. "Thirteen will also be joining your class and if you have ANY trouble, please don't think twice to tell me. I believe both you boys get along fine."

"Ah thank you." Noah was now flushing in embarrassment. I scoff at them and turn to leave.

"I just want a word with Mr Matthews Noah before he takes you on that tour, it must have been pretty late when you got in."

"Oh, sorry." He rushes out, red in the face and clutching the note.

"You are out of your home room now and I'm warning you, don't stuff this up," he whispers from next to me. The icy tone grates at my mind.

"I won't." I jerk away disgustedly.

His eyebrow quirked mockingly, I clench my fists at my side, holding back all the things I could say to him. "I will be keeping an eye on you. Send this boy away and it won't matter who your grandparents are to mine."

"Goodbye, Principal Sanders." I spin around and stalk out. My rage had cooled into a glacial hate. I was helpless and I couldn't do a thing about it. Worse yet, deep down I would have to admit I was acting out and all the things I assured myself with were wrong.

"Umm… Thirteen." I stride faster, growling at my name. "I mean Matthews," he pants jogging to catch up.

"What!" I growl.

We both look up to see ourselves outside my dorm. "Get your stuff." I open the door and walk straight to my room and slamming its door and leaving the perplexed boy standing out in the hallway.

Ignoring all my feelings and everything, I walk into my bathroom to fix my hair. I look in the mirror to see panda bags under my eyes from lack of sleep and yesterdays eyeliner. I brush my hair from my left eye and frown; dropping it I go about my morning ritual.

Fifteen minutes later I leave my room and see Noah sitting at the table, looking out the window, completely spaced out.

Now that I wasn't seeing red, he didn't look that bad. His sandy blonde hair curled slightly above his ears. His school uniform hangs nicely on his thin frame. Freckles splayed across his nose, his green eyes wide and innocent… Fuck this; I should stop thinking such idiotic things.

"Come on idiot," I growl in my usual tone.

"Sorry." He snaps out of it flushing. He gets up and hurries towards me holding a large looking bag. The kid was so short, he couldn't be older than 12 but I knew he was since we were in the same year 11 home room… I wonder if he really is 16.

"Don't apologise, it is already 8:10, we have half an hour." I walk out of the room expecting him just to catch up.

Heading past all the dorms we exit the building and walk across the court yard to the hall and classrooms.

"Can I have your timetable?" I hold out my hand. He jumps back, his face contorted in confusion. Cute, I had a puppy that used to do that. "Are you an idiot?" I speak all the syllables out slowly, "Hand me your fucking timetable so I can show you where your classes are."

"I'm not an idiot," he frowns, the first expression I had seen on him that wasn't confusion, embarrassment or blank. Dipping his hand into the front pocket of his bag he pulls out a neatly folded timetable.

Yanking it off him, I open it up. Surprise was clear on his face… maybe this arrangement could be to my benefit, I've kind of always wanted another puppy. Well I have a dog back on the farm but I've never been allowed a pet at school. I jot down the rooms in my head, not taking anything of them to thought. I was just going to walk past all his rooms then forget all about this morning.

You could hear the chatter of my new classmates before we entered his and well now my new home room. Noah had stayed quiet for the majority of the rest of the tour and I replied in kind.

"Stop looking like a twat," I roll my eyes at his behaviour, and open the door without another thought. The students turn towards the door and grow quite as they watch me enter. My spiked red hair easily recognised foreign to all the neat natural (or fake natural) coloured hair of the rest of the student body. Every student thought they knew all about me because of the rumours and there is one thing they have collectively determined. Stay away from me, especially when I'm pissed off.

Murmurs erupt as I step forward and reveal the short boy behind me. Ignoring them I walk forward, grabbing his blazer and pulling him out of his petrified state. Of course Mr Sanders, me and this weak girly boy are going to get along just fine. I chuckle bitterly, the guy in the desk I walk past nearly falls off his chair. I really cannot be anything but pissed today. I'm up and in home room for the second day in a row and today I don't even have lessons to attend this morning.

"Hey Mrs Black note from the boss. Me and him." I jerk my hand to the boy I just dragged in. "We are moving into this home room." I hand her my note and then look over my shoulder. "Brat, hand the teacher that note."

"Huh." He turns to me blankly.

"That note Mr Sanders gave you," I growl.

"Oh," he blushes, taking the note out of his pocket, he handed it to her with shaking hands.

"A new kid, ey?" she replies in a heavy accent. Mrs Black wasn't a bad teacher, she kind of was like a mother, looking out for us and speaking in a warm but strict southern drawl. Don't start presuming I like her, I don't. She is just as bad as the rest of them but Mrs Black does have a sort loving character which even I'm not immune too.

"Yes Mrs, my names Noah Child." I bet if he wasn't wearing a blazer you'd see through his white shirt that even his shoulders were bright red.

"Ok, now I know you boys had things to do but from now on I won't accept any tardiness from either of you," she informs us.

"Ok," Noah immediately replies, nodding in agreement.

"I won't be turning up on anymore Tuesday's or Wednesday's," I tell her of the days I've the morning free.

"Ok, I'm going to get a list of all the mornings students have study periods first up." She nods, understanding that most students like to sleep in on days when they have free study.

Noah fidgets next to me. My eyebrow furrows. Why on earth isn't he going to take a seat? I look around to see all the students staring and let out a throaty growl. A few students' jumps, others gasp and a rare few roll their eyes at my antics. Noah just moves closer.

"Matthews attend tomorrow so I can hand you all the forms and Noah it was nice to meet you," Mrs Black ignores the whole class.

The bell rings loudly and they all rush out of class.

"Fine," I sigh, adjusting my bag.

"I'll see you on Thursday morning Mrs Black; I have a free that morning too. And I'm pleased to meet you as well," Noah speaks a full sentence for the first time since he stepped into the room but then again it was empty now.

He jogs to catch up with me as I stride down the corridor.

"You don't need to follow me. I've shown you where your classes are now and got you sorted out with Mrs Black," I snap, halting in the middle of the corridor.

"If you didn't just walk out in the middle of me speaking to her I would have been able to thank you then," he puffs. How unfit is the brat? I know he isn't muscular be he sure aient fat either. He's lithe if anything, a petite build.

"Thank me!" I ask incredulously, "for what?" All I had been was a dick to him all morning, I was kind of hoping he'd leave me alone from now on but instead he's thanking me?!

"For showing me around this morning," Noah smiles slightly, "and for not killing me this morning. I'm still sorry about that."

What the hell, he's thanking me for yelling at him and is also apologising for being a good person?

"Whatever," I reply but without my usual spite.

Noah's green eyes light up. "I'll see you at recess," he calls as he runs off to class.

What!?! We aren't friends now; I just didn't feel like killing him. Pissed off I head upstairs to the study floor, ignoring all the other students that skitter past me.

You seem distracted, are you ok? My French teacher enquires in French, my work only half done.

I'm fine Mademoiselle Jean, just a tad stressed about the new year of school, I reply easily. I found I could be politer when no one could understand me. I took continuers Spanish last year but it was nothing like French. It is as beautiful as they say but to perfect it is a feat itself, in my opinion it would be easier to impress a girl by speaking in Italian. They probably won't understand you anyway and the language is easier. I should know, Italian was the second of the now 5 languages I speak and of course the first is English and then after Italian it was Spanish then French and I decided to take up Japanese last year as something different. It actually wasn't that different once the basics were known I moved though all the year levels until I could study year 12 Japanese this year and it is inspired me to take up Cantonese as well as the German I was intending. After a while languages stop being hard and all you have to do is remember the slight differences but it was no simple feat getting to that point.

I don't even why you bothered signing up for this course, she chuckles. You are fluent as me. Such a smart boy, but you dress like a rebel.

I dress in the school uniform Mademoiselle Jean, I smirk back at her.

Call me Yvette, no one understands us anyway, she shakes head at my formalities, and you do dress as bad boy, your uniform has so many modifications. Those modifications she speaks of is the fact that all though I wear my jacket it's never done up and nor are the first half of my shirt which I usually had a red t shirt underneath to match my hair or a black one with random bands on it. My tie as Sanders points out also is never done up. Why would anyone want to be strangled? But my pants wear uniform and at least my boots were black.

Yvette you are so kind to me. I never realised you noticed so much of me, ma chère. I wag my eyebrows as she hits me on the arm. Mademoiselle Jean is a frail woman in her seventies after her husband died she moved over here to teach young kids the romance of France and the beauty it holds.

Silly boy, just as I've you acting like a polite Frenchman you make a fool of yourself, she reprimanded me but was smiling. Now go off and finish this afterschool and while you're at it fix those problems you have with that boy.

My mouth drops open. How did you know?

You always start in the masculine before you change your mind on telling me and I may not be young but can still see romance in its making. I sat there shocked; she was smarter than I ever gave her credit for but then her words sunk in.

Romance?!

Silly boy, she shook her head, Off you go.

The recess bell rang before I could question her about her ludicrous ideas and now I had even more on my mind than before. Great, I've to re evaluate my entire year this one is going to be a lot harder than the others and certain people aren't making it easier. The faces of Yvette, Elliot and surprisingly Noah pop into my mind even though I would only met the young blonde boy a few hours ago.