apparently doesn’t arrive on campus until next week. She has been more than happy to explain all of this in detail. I don’t mind. It means I don’t have to speak.
We walk past her room, but I have no clue where we’re going. We pass one room, and then another. The next door is the one I saw Leo getting pulled into earlier. I can hear my heartbeat echoing in my ears. I suck in air that catches in my throat. I want to ask Julia where we’re going, but before I can form the question she stops. It’s the mysterious doorway. It’s open. Grabbing the metal blue doorframe, she leans in, arching her back.
“Hey losers, where’s Willow?” she yells at the occupants.
“Do I look like I keep track of where my sister goes?” an unfamiliar voice answers.
Julia enters, but I pause at the door, unsure if I should follow. I can’t see much of the room around Julia. I strain my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the mystery. I can see the hint of a red couch. This room is obviously different than Julia’s room.
“Addy.” My eyes lock onto Leo the moment he says my name.
I smile, tuck a strand of my auburn hair behind my ear, and with a deep breath decide the appropriate action is to enter into the room. “Hi.”
I walk in and realize the room is actually the same exact layout as Julia’s. But there is only one bed and one dresser, even though there is room for a second.
The walls are plastered with posters that I wish could be unseen. Most are of bands, which, based on their looks, I would be terrified to actually listen to. The other images are dark sketches, mountains of bodies, screaming mouths; a drawing of a woman in bondage catches my eye. A black bedspread graces the only bed, and Leo is sitting on the ratty red couch with a boy I don’t recognize. All three sets of eyes are fixed on me.
“I thought this was the girls’ floor,” I say, looking over at Julia.
All three laugh. “This is my sister’s room,” the unknown boy explains.
“Addison Buckley, meet Miyagi,” Leo says, motioning over to the stranger before clicking the button on a controller and returning his attention to a TV screen and the video game that had been unfolding before our entrance.
The boy on the end of the couch is nothing like Leo. He barely tops five feet in height; he is slight in build, and not in a lean or muscular way. I think, even if he were soaking wet, I’d easily outweigh him. As he leans forward to shake my hand, I catch the distinct smell of cigarette smoke, my nose instinctually lifting, insulted by the stench. Surprisingly and contrary to his physique, his voice is quite deep.
Miyagi is still looking at me. That damn need to fill the silence creeps in. “So Miyagi, is that your real name?” Based on his sandy-colored hair and pale skin I assume it’s not.
“What makes a name real?” Leo asks, not looking away from the battle on the screen.
The boy shakes his head. “No, Leo gave me the name freshman year.”
“And it’s well deserved,” Leo exclaims.
Julia doesn’t seem as entertained by the conversation. “Why don’t you guys ever hang out in Miyagi’s room?”
“Like they would ever let me have half the cool stuff they let Willow have,” Miyagi answers, standing and walking to a mini fridge in the corner and pulling out a can of soda. “Want one?” He motions to me.
I shake my head. I wonder why his sister would be awarded luxuries no other student is.
“She’s a coffee drinker,” Leo interjects, still not committed to our conversation.
“I do drink more than just coffee,” I add.
“Inconceivable!” Leo shouts wildly.
Miyagi jumps onto the couch, a cloud of dust lifting into the room. Julia and I cough. “ The Princess Bride? ” he asks.
“Ah, yes grasshopper, you soon will surpass your teacher,” Leo says.
“So is that the reason for the nickname? You’re his student?” I ask.
Leo tosses the controller on the ground and leans back, staring up at me, upside down.
We walk past her room, but I have no clue where we’re going. We pass one room, and then another. The next door is the one I saw Leo getting pulled into earlier. I can hear my heartbeat echoing in my ears. I suck in air that catches in my throat. I want to ask Julia where we’re going, but before I can form the question she stops. It’s the mysterious doorway. It’s open. Grabbing the metal blue doorframe, she leans in, arching her back.
“Hey losers, where’s Willow?” she yells at the occupants.
“Do I look like I keep track of where my sister goes?” an unfamiliar voice answers.
Julia enters, but I pause at the door, unsure if I should follow. I can’t see much of the room around Julia. I strain my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the mystery. I can see the hint of a red couch. This room is obviously different than Julia’s room.
“Addy.” My eyes lock onto Leo the moment he says my name.
I smile, tuck a strand of my auburn hair behind my ear, and with a deep breath decide the appropriate action is to enter into the room. “Hi.”
I walk in and realize the room is actually the same exact layout as Julia’s. But there is only one bed and one dresser, even though there is room for a second.
The walls are plastered with posters that I wish could be unseen. Most are of bands, which, based on their looks, I would be terrified to actually listen to. The other images are dark sketches, mountains of bodies, screaming mouths; a drawing of a woman in bondage catches my eye. A black bedspread graces the only bed, and Leo is sitting on the ratty red couch with a boy I don’t recognize. All three sets of eyes are fixed on me.
“I thought this was the girls’ floor,” I say, looking over at Julia.
All three laugh. “This is my sister’s room,” the unknown boy explains.
“Addison Buckley, meet Miyagi,” Leo says, motioning over to the stranger before clicking the button on a controller and returning his attention to a TV screen and the video game that had been unfolding before our entrance.
The boy on the end of the couch is nothing like Leo. He barely tops five feet in height; he is slight in build, and not in a lean or muscular way. I think, even if he were soaking wet, I’d easily outweigh him. As he leans forward to shake my hand, I catch the distinct smell of cigarette smoke, my nose instinctually lifting, insulted by the stench. Surprisingly and contrary to his physique, his voice is quite deep.
Miyagi is still looking at me. That damn need to fill the silence creeps in. “So Miyagi, is that your real name?” Based on his sandy-colored hair and pale skin I assume it’s not.
“What makes a name real?” Leo asks, not looking away from the battle on the screen.
The boy shakes his head. “No, Leo gave me the name freshman year.”
“And it’s well deserved,” Leo exclaims.
Julia doesn’t seem as entertained by the conversation. “Why don’t you guys ever hang out in Miyagi’s room?”
“Like they would ever let me have half the cool stuff they let Willow have,” Miyagi answers, standing and walking to a mini fridge in the corner and pulling out a can of soda. “Want one?” He motions to me.
I shake my head. I wonder why his sister would be awarded luxuries no other student is.
“She’s a coffee drinker,” Leo interjects, still not committed to our conversation.
“I do drink more than just coffee,” I add.
“Inconceivable!” Leo shouts wildly.
Miyagi jumps onto the couch, a cloud of dust lifting into the room. Julia and I cough. “ The Princess Bride? ” he asks.
“Ah, yes grasshopper, you soon will surpass your teacher,” Leo says.
“So is that the reason for the nickname? You’re his student?” I ask.
Leo tosses the controller on the ground and leans back, staring up at me, upside down.
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