Masquerade

First Impressions

I spent the weekend at my parents house and let's just say it was draining. For the two days that I was there, they dragged me around town along with my three younger sisters–Chloe, Shilo and Mage– but they seemed to enjoy this kind of stuff.

Weirdos.

Finally escaping my mothers crushing grasp, I left this morning and was now safely at my new prison. I glanced around a few times as I unloaded my things from the trunk and slammed it shut. People were laughing and yelling and smiling. I was ready to just curl up and go to sleep for a few hours. Too much social interaction.

Hoisting my backpack over my shoulder, grabbing my suitcase and guitar case, I made my towards my dorm building, already knowing where I was going; my parents and I visited the college a few years ago. I knew this place like the back of my hand, for once I was extremely grateful for over bearing parents.

As I avoided eye contact with people, I checked into the dorm building, got my key and made a beeline to the elevator where I let out a sigh of relief, happy to be out of that crowded lobby. I hummed that weird elevator music as I got off on my floor and wandered down the hallway until I found my number. The door was already open, so I didn't have to use my key to get in.

I nearly screamed as I walked in hearing my own voice banging through the walls. The bass was shaking the floor and the voice, my voice sang loudly. It suddenly dawned on me that it was... My own song, playing through the apartment like dorm.

And that's when I realized it was an apartment dorm.

I froze and looked around wildly suddenly terrified. I had walked into someone else's room.

"GARTH!! THEY RELEASED A NEW ALBUM!!" A boy screamed as he ran out of the room. He screamed again when he saw me, which made me scream and the boy turn the music off; my voice stopped singing through the apartment. Suddenly my heart dropped to my stomach. This wasn't my room,I wasn't Garth, this boy was going yell at me. His face looked a mixture of confusion and shock as he took a step forward. I was shaking like a leaf and had no where to go. My eyes darted around wildly, looking for an escape. He took another step and I screamed diving behind the couch.

"Woah! Dude, are you ok?" He ran over looking down at me. I stared back, trying to take deep breaths. "Y-you're not Garth..." I shook my head vigorously in response, not trusting my voice. "Oh goodness, dude, I'm so sorry. I think you got the wrong room." He said, offering a hand to help me up. I frowned and took it standing up slowly and stepping out. "Here, let me see your key."

I obediently handed them over not even bothering to think that the guy could be a mass murderer using my keys as a distraction for the Garth fellow to come up behind me and-

"Hm, weird. They gave you the wrong key I guess." He shrugged and turned around suddenly, making me jump. "I'll take you to get the other one and get this all sorted ok?"

I merely stared at him. I was trying to look less scared, but I was sure I was pale as a ghost. This was beyond terrifying. I wanted to run away back to my band members and have them just hold me until this nightmare passed. Why did I ever think I could go to college? I'm a scaredy cat!

Boss is the confident one. Not me.

"Alright come on-WAIT A SECOND!!" the boy was shrieking as he launched over the coffee table to get to me.

This was it.

They were going to find my decomposed body in a ditch somewhere. I could see the headlines now. 'Boss mauled by college student'

I screamed and fell back into the hallway hitting my head on the floor and cursing loudly. The boy bent over me with wide eyes and before I could scramble away he dragged me up. "ARE YOU BOSS?!"

Wait.

What.

H-how on earth did he-

"Please-Dylan you think ever guy with red hair is Boss." Came a deep voice behind me and I whirled around to see another boy now with us. He had a bemused grin on his lips as he watched me and, I guess, Dylan. "This poor boy, I hope my friend here didn't scare you too much."

I tried to open my mouth to say something, but Dylan was already talking a mile a minute. "GARTH!!" He screamed running over and jumping on the boy. "I missed you! Come on we have to go get your key and this boy, well he has your key and I missed you and I also call the bedroom with the window HA!" I was getting dizzy just watching him. He had so much energy I felt suddenly drained and remembered I was going to take a nap when I got to my dorm. Looked like that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Oh my goodness, Dylan what on earth did you eat today?" Garth said peeling him off his chest and set him down. "Did you even bother asking this boy's name?"

Dylan whirled back to me as if he forgot I was standing there and then back to Garth. "I think he's mute; all he's done is scream since I've met him." He stated furrowing, his eyebrows. I felt my face turning as red as my hair was and that wasn't good. I had very red hair.

"Dylan for heavens sake-hey," he pushed past Dylan to me and offered a hand, "I'm Garth and this here is Dylan." I stared at him then jumped to action. I called upon the inner spirt of Boss and cleared my throat taking his hand.

"I'm Ethan."

Inwardly I celebrated my small accomplishment and slowly gave a small smile. Garth smiled widely back and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you Ethan. Sorry you have to see Dylan like this, moving day is always this exciting." Dylan poked his head around Garth's shoulder.

"Ok, that was just rude." He stated poking Garth; he just laughed and stepped away from me.

"Ok , let's go try to figure out this key mess." He said ignoring Dylan's gasp of offense.

"You're not even going to apologize?" He exclaimed as Garth started down the hall with Dylan scrambling after him. I watched them go for a bit then mentally smacked myself, running after them. I needed to go with them didn't I.

—

I don't think I've ever seen two people talk so much-well no let me correct that. I don't think I've ever seen a person talk this fast without running out of breath. Dylan didn't shut up all the way to the office. And Garth just walked silently beside him listening to every word as if he understood the language he was speaking. I know I didn't.

I also had no clue where we were as I looked around. I was all jumbled up now. A bunch of Freshmen like me were heading down a hallway, so I assumed it was the office. I really just wanted this to be over. I wanted to go to sleep.

As I stood behind Garth and Dylan I watched as they chatted with the dorm room lady. She was looking up my name but I wasn't really comfortable with being part of the conversation so I politely stayed away.

"I'm sorry Dylan, but we tried to pair up upperclassmen with lower class men for the first few weeks of school so they can have a mentor of sorts. Next month I'll be able to transfer you" I saw Dylan's face fall along with my heart. He didn't like me. He didn't want to be associated with a stupid freshmen.

Gosh I was so stupid.

"Ok. That's fine. I'll just make a new friend in the meantime." Suddenly his hand clapped on my shoulder, making me jump a little and look at him. He grinned at me, making me blush and shrink back slightly. "It's ok I don't bite." He chuckled and pulled back giving me space.

"Ok, well than I should go meet my roommate and get settled so I'll talk to you later Dyl." Garth said smiling down at Dylan who kissed his cheek. He grinned and walked off. I watched him go then scrambled after Dylan, trying to keep up with my bubbly new roommate.

This was going to be a long year.