Wicked Ones {bxb}

{Chapter 3: Kailan}

Dark eyes peered up from behind the rim of a coffee cup. He surveyed the faces in front of him, taking in the drowsy laughter that bathed the pint-sized diner in its soft, harmonious guffaws.

They were all strangers whom he'd bumped into during an early morning orientation event. He knew none of them, yet they had invited him to lounge with them during their breakfast. They all seemed young and vibrant—around his age with a fondness of crafting new friendships toward anyone they thought interesting. The most sociable of which sat straight across from him with an engaged smile.

"It's Kailan, right?" she asked, wispy purple hair falling down in large curls over her shoulders. He found her voice endearing, the silvery tone foreign to him.

He responded with a nod, taking a nip of the Colombian brew.

"What are you majoring in?" she inquired once more.

"Art," he spoke up, causing one of the few men at the tables to snort. He raised his eyebrows in response. "It's a wonderful major. You should try to be an artist."

The stranger shrugged, spearing a chunk of egg with his fork.

"You got a dorm, or are you in an apartment?" This time it was a light haired young man with vibrant green eyes, Chris was his name. Before Kailan could answer, Chris spoke up once again, "Dorms suck. You're dealing with some ass-wipe every time you don't have classes. I tell you, I've never once had a decent roommate. But it's cheaper than an apartment. Fixing a headache is easy, bills and debt, not so much."

Kailan ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. He'd allowed it to grow out far too long over the past year or so, but it hardly bothered him. He was never one to care for his appearance, even if it did paint him as a stereotypical sensitive bohemian artist. It was Seattle after all; he blended in rather well.

He tied the long locks out of the way, pulling the strands back into a messy bun as he spoke: "I could only afford a dorm, but I missed the first day of classes. Poor guy probably thinks he owns the place."

April, the lavishly purple-haired girl snickered. "Any hope of privacy will be crushed when you walk through the door."

The young woman beside her laughed as well, tracing April's hand with small fingers. They were quite the cute couple; even though Kailan himself detested relationships, he could admire their subtle affection.

Kailan rested his chin on his hand, mirroring April's grin. "I'm known to be a dream killer." The taunt was joking, of course, causing her to raise her eyebrows comically.

"Well, only if it's toward others; don't kill my dreams."

They chatted among themselves for an hour longer before the couple decided to give him a quick tour of the best parts of the city. He once knew this place like the back of his hand, but it had been ages since his last visit. They managed to lose themselves twice, all the while April insistently claiming to know where they were.

He felt out of place. They were fun people, but it was rare for strangers to treat him like a simple person, let alone a good friend. It'd been three years since the word left anything but a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Friends were something of the past.

He still regretted it, leaving without a trace. It'd happened so suddenly, and he had no time for goodbyes before his parents had packed all of their things and left their home behind. They fled town, as if history could be erased with a simple change of address. A new beginning in a new chapter of a new life. One without Kailan in it.