Past the Woods Beyond

Chapter 4: Roommates

Colin was really not looking forward to seeing his roommates. If any of these boys were remotely like Fishboy, Colin would rather sleep in a cave.

"Room fifty-seven," someone from behind him called. It was Wesly, the one who had explained the old rules. He was a tall gentleman who wore glasses and looked nothing at all like Fishboy. One improvement, Colin thought.

"Hello, roommate. Or should I say, Colin? Everyone knows your name now after... you know," Wesly explained.

"I see. And you're Wesly, right? Fish- I mean, that is how Neptune addressed you," Colin replied. Wesly bowed and introduced himself, "Wesly of Camelot. Which kingdom do you reside in?"

Colin wasn't sure how to answer this. "Er- New York?"

Wesly grinned at him. It wasn't like a fake forced grin like Fishboy's. It was actually genuine and friendly.

"Well then, welcome, Colin of New York. I have no idea where that is, but perhaps it's my poor geography skills to blame."

"Mine are even worse, probably," Colin murmured under his breath, remembering he failed that class. The boy's dorm was nicer than any room that Colin had stayed in. Sure, it was a little old-fashioned, but it was better than Colin's room which was filled with candy wrappers and fizzy drinks. Though Colin knew he wasn't going to stay here for long. He had to get back.

The beds were made with plain white sheets, immensely large pillows and simple bedside tables. The wooden floors were clean without a speck of dirt and the moulding of the walls was sparkling silver. You could almost see your reflection in the freshly polished floors. Colin assumed that it was the fairies who polished them.

"Hello? Room fifty-seven?" A boy with short curly brown hair walked into the room. He looked up and spotted Colin, and instantly laughed. "Hey, it's you! Gave me a good laugh at the welcoming. I'm Kaiden of Beauvale." His accent sounded French, Colin thought. Kaiden had a joyful look in his striking green eyes and his boyish but rogue face, which made Colin feel better somehow.

"I'm, er, Colin of New York, I guess," he replied, shaking Kaiden's hand quickly. Kaiden eyed Colin in a way where he treated Colin as an interesting creature.

"Right," Kaiden spoke, his voice filled with a slight tone of amusement.

Wesly was about to introduce himself until someone interrupted.

"Greetings roommates!" Neptune burst into the room and bowed dramatically. His bright white smile faded as he laid eyes on Colin. "You..."

"Oh no. Not him! Why does it have to be the Fishboy of all people?" Colin complained. Wesly didn't look any happier about this, but he shrugged and welcomed the boy.

Neptune rolled his eyes and shoved them aside. His loud boots along with his muscular legs made the room vibrate as he stormed to the corner. He began reciting some random monologue about why he had the worst life ever, outside of the window. Colin scoffed. As if the birds would want to hear that voice.

"He is going to cause a lot of problems, won't he?" Kaiden whispered.

Colin nodded in agreement. "I bet he snores. Loudly."

Meanwhile, Andric and David hung around room forty-four, claiming their beds already.

"Who do you think our roommates are?" David asked.

Andric shrugged. "Whoever those lads are, they better not snore. I haven't slept properly in centuries."

David chuckled slightly, not knowing Andric was being literal. They scanned the room, searching for mice or whatever it was that haunted this room. The room looked like it had not been clean for ages. Cobwebs surrounded the walls and the only clean things were the bedsheets. There were small noises that Andric suspected were coming from rats or maggots inside the walls.

Andric raised an eyebrow, "Rats. Do y-" Andric was interrupted by an opening door along with strange muttering.

"Shut up. Or I'll send your tools to the Dark Realm." A black-haired boy with vibrant harlequin green eyes came out from behind the doors, talking, or rather threatening, a skinny impish sharp-featured bloke.

"Gally?" David asked. The skinny impish guy turned around. He had a mischievous glint in his pale blue mint-coloured eyes and a shock of dark hair. Andric thought he looked familiar.

"Oh, hullo dear cousin Davy. Please explain to this lad what you can do with shadows." Gally pointed at the green-eyed boy, who was staring off into space, seemingly in some sort of trance.

"And Conan, never tell me to shut up. I shut up whenever I would like," Gally added. Conan seemed to snap out of his trance, then walked off into a dark corner muttering to himself.

"Hmph. What a weirdo," Gally mentioned while scratching his head with a wrench.

"Ah, Gally. I reckon you're Captain Hook's son?" Andric asked, realising where he'd seen this boy. During his days in Neverland, he spotted Gally as a little boy, wandering around the ship, tinkering with old relics as Captain Hook returned to face his old enemy.

"Yeah, that's right. We both look alike, me and my father, don't we? Both devilishly handsome lads. Just so you know, my father looks nothing like how he was illustrated in the storybooks. Who came up with the horrid idea to give him a moustache and long hair?" Gally remarked in frustration. "Davy, do you think my father looks anything like that?"

David rolled his eyes and explained, "My cousin can't shut his mouth. All that comes out is rubbish."

Gally shook his head. "I just think important things need to be said."

"Right. Like Captain Hook's appearance..." Andric muttered.