Chapter 2: Dormmates Like These

I had been well aware that I was going to be sharing the dorm with two other boys I just hadn’t been informed of the names or their prefect stations and I sure as hell did not expect one of them to be Lekan. Same Lekan who was one of the school’s highly esteemed infamous three. Popularly known as the Triad by the student body. The student body looked up to the Triad as though they were actual deities and the three reveled in all the glory they received.

I know our teachers did not share the student body's sentiments regarding the Triad, they were trouble point blank. No teacher besides the principal could deal with them how they ought to be. This was because all their parents were prominent leading figures in their industries of trade. And were known to appease the school with unreasonably steep donations. In fact the dormitory I'd been moved to was new and had been built for school prefects and club leaders in a single summer gratitude to the Beauforts.

Case in point, last year the Triad had been caught as the only three juniors amongst a group of seniors caught having snuck out to St. Eloise house. The girls’ school across from us at midnight, with weed, molly and alcohol. Despite the gross nature of their crime against the school's rules. They’d been pardoned without any punishment or demotion whatsoever.

Hardcore rap music blared loudly through the bathroom door.

It was Lekan and the other roommate I hadn't met yet claiming territory and seizing their power over me as the lessor roommate. Whomever the other dorm mate was, I knew he'd be trouble simply basing my assessment on the fact that he and Lekan got along. Gripped by the fear that if I were to leave the bathroom they'd smell my submission to them. I breathed deeply and made the choice to lather up my lotion and dress into my uniform all locked up in the bathroom.

To minimise on the time I would have to be in their presence and talk to them.

Once satisfied with my appearance for presentation I unlocked the bathroom door and walked back into the room. Catching the Triad hovering over a bottle of Olmeca Gold Tequila that sat open capped on the designer tiled floor. "Alcohol is not allowed on the school grounds!" I wanted to remind them but I knew that would be fruitless. I also wasn’t exactly surprised by their delinquency.

One of them, Evan, last year's gold award winner of the debate club cussed. “Shit. We’ve been made by the goody two shoes fam.” still, he took his shot, eyes never leaving mine it made me uncomfortable I started to look around at all of them.

Conrad, one of the heirs to the Beaufort Empire glared at me straight into my eyes with those espresso eyes so dark they looked black, they were daring me to dare tell on them. He got up with the bottle caught on its neck by his hands, walked over to his closet and shoved it somewhere in there. Simultaneously, Lekan went in front of Conrad to face me head on. Hands in his pockets like a sauve boss and spoke in a hushed, daring tone. Definitely meant to distract me from paying attention to what Conrad was doing behind him. “Well, well. If it isn’t the Velasco boy, good to the core, class like a Kennedy, Buzzing with reports for the boarding master aren’t you?”

I refused to recoil, straightening my spine into perfect position I further scanned all their faces. They all were looking at me with secured bated breaths for my answer. Probably nervous I would tell on them, in turn getting them in trouble with their families. I remember Nick, my best friend telling me the Triad’s families were shockingly super strict on the male bloods or something. So just because they didn't get in trouble with the school administration didn't mean they got away with the shenanigans once in the halo of their families in private.

Conrad moved to lock eyes with me again and my stomach churned reminding me on why I identified as gay in the first place. I’d been harboring a crush on him a little over too many years now and this was the sixth time outside of the prefects meetings I’d been in close proximity with him. I wanted him to like me even as just a friend, pathetic as is I wanted him to think highly of me and if he turned out to be my other dorm mate. I wanted nothing but for us to get along.

I appraised all their faces again and unsurprisingly like an eager to fit in freshman I uttered. “No that’s aight, I like tequila for breakfast too. Please, pour me a shot, I won’t tell?” I tried for a smirk hoping I looked cool. This was completely far from my nature but in that moment I was ok with neglecting to think of my perfect record. Nor the condition my consciousness would be in, after taking shots this early on a very important first day of school nonetheless.

Lekan laughed.

Evan seemed ready to give me the two shots, it was evident in the way his face relaxed and body turned back to face Conrad with an outstretched arm, to receive the bottle.

However, Conrad 's eyes met mine with a force enough to make me take a step back as he said. “No.” He gave the rest of his attention to his friends and explained to them. “He’s too good, the kid will rat us out. Are we ready to be dragged again?” For conviction he jutted his chin up to the their breast pockets. Where their vice head-boy and senior prefect badges were clipped onto their snow white blazers.

In turn they fixed their gazes on his red head-boy badge and just like that I was shoved back to my side of the dorm by the air that now surrounded us. I expected Lekan to follow me, in my head he seemed aggressive enough to do that. I’d seen him play basketball before and our school's basketball team was spirited, as co-captain to it I imagined him to be much worse.

To my relief though, he didn’t follow me and that made me breath better even against the fast pace of the beat on my heart.

The air in the room was just too stiff to stay under; I would’ve suffocated so I didn’t waste any more time in there and headed for the dining hall hoping to find cover in my friends.