the dorm

"Dean. Where is Dean?"

I was still in a daze and didn't hear him the first few times. When I did, the senior looked frustrated. I wore an apologetic face as I walked over.

"I'm Dean," I said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

He was taller than me by almost two heads. In fact, he was the tallest in the hall. He looked down at me blankly for a while, then simply nodded.

"It's fine," he said. "I'm Morris. You all introduce yourselves as you follow me out."

Lee was a chubby boy with curly black hair and big round glasses. Dinah was a tall and lanky boy. Morgan was a red haired girl whose freckles amplified her beauty. Last was the average me.

"Like I said, I'm Morris," the senior spoke as we left the building. "Our department is different. The study of runic archaeology is more practical and application oriented. It is also quite dangerous. And so, we dorm with a professor who is also our advisor. That also means we will be helping with the professor's research, so we'll be living the life of a runic archaeologist even as students. We have twelve professors, and each professor accepts at most four students every year. Lee, Dinah and Morgan will be in the same dorm as me. Under professor Benegal."

It was a short walk to the professors' villas. I was about to ask why he didn't mention me, when we stopped. Morris pointed to a boy sitting on the ground, leaning against the picket fence.

"That's you Dean," Morris said to me.

He looked at the other boy who was rising to his feet.

"Pratt, here's your junior. I'm gonna beat you the next time. Just you watch."

Dean left with the three first years. I walked over to Pratt. Didn't take me long to realise Pratt loved the sound of his voice far too much.

"Well hello Dean," he greeted, putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close as he led me in. "Don't bother about Morris. He lost a bet and had to bring you for me. I hate these long ceremonies. They're so tiring. Also, I'm not very fond of the outside. Morris is a good target. When there're things I don't want to do myself, I bait him. I win the bet and he does the work for me. Of course, I have to lose a few times, over little things that I can manage. If they realise I'm unbeatable, there'll be no one to bait when I need them. So, there's not many of us. There's me and Dia. We're second years. And now you. That's all. We'll be under professor Gerard. You saw him at the auditorium. The dean. We call him Jerry. My father's in the national cabinet. Dia is Jerry's grand niece. So, our identities are special. Jerry accepted you. So, who're you?"

"I'm no one."

And that was the truth. I was no one. So, why had Jerry taken me under his wing? More importantly, why was he screwing with my dream? How could I be average with all the eyes on me for being under Jerry? Damn him. I was going to bring him so much regret.

"Interesting," Pratt said, scratching his chin as he studied me closely. "Very interesting. Dia's not around. She loves strutting about. Must be out hunting a pretty face to drool over."

The villa had three stories. The lowest was one big hall with a couch and a few beanbags marking the living area, a short dining table next to the open kitchen and a wash basin that stood in the corner like a lone beacon.

"We mostly do our studying and research here, in the living area. And we're all too lazy, so we just sleep here. It is truly our living area. Jerry is the worst. He lays claim to the couch every time, leaning on his position to get his way. The carpet is plush enough to be a comfy bed. Dia and I just sleep on it. Usually Dia is a quiet sleeper. But when she's having her period, she screams all night, and kicks and punches anyone sleeping near. I'm warning you because you'll be sleeping between us. I can finally get proper sleep."

The middle storey was again one big hall which was the lab cum library cum study. There was a tall table that ran the length of the hall in the middle. Books lined the walls on either side. And there were five chairs sitting haphazardly in the corner.

The upper storey was the most normal. There were four bedrooms, the largest being Jerry's, the rest being ours. Every bedroom had a bathroom and toilet. There was a roof but Pratt said they never went up.

"Must be super messy," Pratt said thoughtfully while looking at the ceiling. Then, shaking his head, he continued without the slightest care for the roof. "That's the villa. The bedroom next to Jerry's will be yours, since it's the only one free. Are you sure you're no one?"

I nodded. I was absolutely sure that I was no one.

We walked back down to a dazzling woman resting on a beanbag who seemed to put all of her effort in making herself seem much less pretty, and still doing a bad job of it. In simple words, she was very pretty.

"Dia. Dean."

And Pratt was done with the introductions.

The first thing Dia asked was the same thing Pratt asked many times over.

"Who're you?"

"I'm no one."

Dia gave me the same doubtful look as Pratt.

I realised there was no way I could be average and invisible, not while I was with these two. I had a feeling Jerry was worse.