I call literally everyone a rat, this boy Otis merely can't take a freaking joke. Imagine being a snowflake... can't relate.
After our little interaction, I went back to my room and spent the rest of the day making sure I had unpacked everything and meeting more of the girls that lived on my floor. I found Piper again and she had introduced me to her roommate, a tall, scary blonde named Annabeth who seemed to be highly uninterested in meeting me. Whatever though, it's not like I wanted to meet her either.
Making friends was tough, but if I didn't want my life here to be boring and lonely then that's something I would have to do. Maybe the sensitive man himself, Otis, wouldn't mind my friendship. He was a bit of a grumpy kid though, from what I saw.
Sunday evening, the night before the first day of classes, I excused myself from my roommates, who were in a deep discussion about some Greek myth that Hazel apparently got all the facts wrong about, and went for a walk outside.
The school was surrounded by forests and I couldn't wait to explore the trails and paths. There were restrictions as to how far out I could go, but still. It was some kind of freedom and I would gladly take it.
Since it was the weekend, and no one really had any homework to do since school hadn't officially started, there were a bunch of kids, sitting outside on benches talking. Some were chucking stones, or already getting in trouble with teachers.
I spotted Piper sitting up against a tree with a cute blonde guy who I'm guessing was her boyfriend and I waved, giving a small smile, and continuing on my way. As I turned the corner, I bumped into a tall boy, my head flinging back after my face collided with his chest.
"Owie," I said, rubbing my nose, "watch it."
Looking up, I came face to face with the boy who had gotten offended that I called him a rat. Otis.
"Not my fault," He replied, furrowing his brows. He was super cute, which made me salty because I get jealous of people who are cute. His dark brown hair fell over his grey eyes and the hood from his maroon sweater was pulled up, giving him hardcore skater boy vibes.
More than cute.
I didn't realize I was staring, because Otis blinked at me a couple times, squinting. "Isss there something on my face?" He asked, wiping his cheeks with the sleeves of his hoodie.
"Uh no, nothing," I stuttered, mentaly cursing at myself. The first time I'd met him, he was the awkward one, but now it was me who was awkward.
"Mood, I know I'm hot." He said, smirking and putting his hands in his jean pockets.
BruH keep it cool Nika.
I took a deep breath and smiled, playfully poking him in the stomach, a bold move on my part I knOW. "You wish you were as hot as me!" I said, flicking my hair behind my shoulder in a high and mighty way. We both chuckled, starting to walk in the same direction, side by side. I guess Otis didn't have any plans on where he was going, because he followed me in the direction of the woods. We started to talk, and I found myself laughing genuinely for the first time in... forever. It wasnt that I suddenly had a phat crush on a boy and he was going to solve all my problems, but It was nice to talk to someone who didn't seem fake, or didn't seem to have other people to talk to instead of me.
"How are your roommates?" Otis asked, kicking a stone and sending it into a tree. "Ha," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I have two, one of them is ok I guess, but the other one is so annoying. Her name's Hazel and she literally does not stop talking, like ever." He chuckled, nodding his head, "note taken, I'll keep my distance."
It was already getting late when I had first come outside, but by now the crickets had started to chirp and the light was fading. We were walking through the forest and it was super refreshing to be out here, I didn't want to go back.
Otis sighed, "should we go back?" He asked, clapping his hands in front of him, killing a mosquito, "it's getting late."
I nodded, crossing my arms in front of me to block out the now cold breeze. We walked back, still keeping up a conversation about the school, and the people we had met, and how gross the food had been so far.
When we got to the two stairwells, one that went to the girls dorms and one that went to the boys dorms, I paused, turning to face Otis. "It was nice meeting you," I said quietly. He smiled slightly, "you too."
And we left it at that, turning around and leaving from opposite ways.
About an hour later, I brushed my teeth and got in my pyjamas, ready for a hopefully good night of sleep. Tomorrow would be the first day of school and I wanted to prove to my parents that I wasn't a bad kid, and I didnt deserve to be sent away. I needed to do well this year.
"Sleep well," Reyna murmured, crawling in her own bed as my eyes fluttered closed, dreaming of a better life.