Roman has settled down successfully in his dorm room, but settled felt like a strange word yet
Earlier that day when he went to the principal’s office earlier, the principal a tall confident mam welcomed him with a firm grip on his hands as if to confirm that Roman was real not just a rumour.
“If it’s not our latest star player.” A loud laughter rang out from him.
“Principal Donald, you know you need to give me some reward for bringing our newest talent here all the way from a remote village. It is not easy.”
“Druid you don’t fret or complain, that’s your job, transporting new talents of Vesperridge Academy from all over the world that’s your job.”
Principal Donald turned to look at his new student with excitement beaming in his eyes.
“Welcome to Vesperridge Academy, sit down for a bit.”
Roman sat down and used the opportunity to look around the principal’s office for a bit.
It is a large office panelled with brown wood.
The chairs are upholstered with a shiny brown latex leather.
The principal’s table was a glittering surface of polished wood piled on top of it was two separate rows of leather bound academic books in different colours of black, maroon, dark green.
On the large shelves on the walls were even larger volumes of books all leather bound.
The whole office gives off a “Dark Academia” feeling that Roman only saw in movies.
******
Principal Donald’s face swelled with pride, he can see the innocuous way Roman was admiring his office.
He began to rummage through a pile of white paper on his table.
“Let’s see your academic performance in your last school, for an athlete student your academic performance was quite stellar. So we are going to place you in class B, that is for the moderately bright student. And your hostel is going to be in the west wing of Glacier hall. Second Floor room no 32, do you have any questions?”
“I transferred in the middle of the academic year, would I repeat class or pass to the next one.” Roman asked.
“Would you like to repeat the class or transfer to the next one?” The principal asked him back.
Roman thought about it, back in his home the school he was attending was a local poorly funded community high school in which the teachers only come twice a week.
He might have been a high performing student there, but here in an elite school in the midst of wealthy kids that parents spare no expense in securing private tutors and nutritions that will improve their brain function, he was not sure how he would perform.
When principal Donald saw how Roman was hesitating to answer, he assured him.
“As an athlete you don’t have to worry about your academic performance, just make sure your performance on the ice rink is perfect and every other thing shall be added onto you.”
Roman felt slightly relieved, “thank you sir”
“As a scholarship student you are going to get the complete set of uniform and sports gear free of charge.” Roman’s eyes widened in appreciation, ‘real gear,’ finally he would not have to be playing with stick and torn clothes.
” Let me call the hostel porter, Ralph!
Ralph.”
Ralph, a short man with a springy step, appeared at the door looking energetic and ready.
“You have a new student in your dormitory, Roman Milkov,” he said, handing Ralph a piece of paper in which Roman’s destination was written on.
Roman made to carry his suitcase but the porter’s hand was swift enough to rival him.
“I will get your suitcase for you.” Porter Ralph said.
Roman followed the man out.
He knew they were going to his dormitory.
It took about five minutes to walk from the principal’s office to the dormitory.
The dormitory was a tall building.
So tall that Roman had to tilt his head back just to see the top of it.
Painted with the signature Burgundy and Ivory colour of Vesperridge Academy.
It has several glass window panes which most of it were either half shuttered open or fully closed.
The porter led him to the entrance of the dormitory building where a balding man with glasses sitting on his nose stood.
Porter Ralph nodded to the man in acknowledgment, while the man gave a curious brief look at Ralph before turning to his papers.
The entrance opened into the general students’s lobby and Roman thought he had entered one of the luxury resorts he watched on his neighbors television.
The floor was so polished that it gleamed like a mirror, reflecting everything around it.
Soft golden lighting hung from above, casting a warm glow over everything.
Comfortable leather couches were arranged in neat clusters, occupied by students dressed in sharp uniforms, some laughing quietly, others scrolling on tablets or reading thick books, others idling about in groups.
The air smelled faintly of fresh linen, expensive perfume, and something citrus.
Roman looked and saw a stairs with a glass railing, a few students were going up and down the stairs.
He made to go toward it but porter Ralph stopped him.
“This way boy.” Roman looked at the direction the porter pointed and it was a gleaming metallic silver door, with a glowing panel beside it.
Red and green LED lights blinked softly.
Roman froze.
‘An elevator?’
Roman screamed In his head, he is going to enter a real elevator.
Back in his hometown the only building with an elevator was the mall but that has not been functional for years.
This time he is going to enter a real elevator.
He followed porter Ralph, the elevator opened on its own before they enter inside.
The doors slid shut behind them with a soft hiss.
Ralph pressed the number three on the number panel and a gentle hum filled the space.Then a smooth upward motion.
Roman’s stomach lifted slightly as the elevator moved.
He stared at the mirrored walls, watching his own reflection shift.
It was a silent ride, Then a soft chime and the he doors opened.
The elevator dropped them on the third floor and walked into a long hallway with rooms with metallic number plate on each side of the wall.
It looked like a luxury hotel corridor.
Clean and quiet.
Roman stepped out slowly, taking it all in.
His room was located in the far left of the hall.
They knocked twice, before the door was opened.
A boy with an oversized glasses peeped his face out.
At first he was surprised then his face changed to shock to anger then disgust.
He looked from the porter to Roman, hissed in anger and went back inside.
Roman’s roommate, Johnny, a pale looking boy wearing oversized glasses on his sharp features.
He took one look at Roman, the porter and the old school suitcase like they were some imposters that came to destroy his peace.
Without saying a word, the boy slammed his book shut loudly, stood up stiffly and marched toward his bed.
He pulled the black duvet over himself dramatically and turned his back toward them.
Roman blinked in confusion.
Porter Ralph only shrugged helplessly.
He gave Roman a sympathetic look that clearly said, ‘You are completely on your own here and kid.
You have a lot of work to do.’
He dropped Roman’s suitcase near the empty bed before dusting his hands together.
“Well,” Ralph said awkwardly, “welcome to Glacier Hall. If you are confused about anything or you need anything let me know.”
“Thank you,” Roman replied quietly.
He waved him goodbye, leaving him alone in a new world with a grumpy roommate.
The door clicked shut.
Silence immediately filled the room.
Roman stood there for several awkward seconds staring at the large lump under the black duvet.
Was his roommate seriously pretending to sleep?
Roman scratched his neck awkwardly before slowly moving toward his side of the room.
The dorm itself looked better than any place he had ever stayed in before.
The walls were painted a soft cream color while dark wooden furniture gave the room an expensive elegant look.
There were two beds separated by a study table placed between them.
A large glass window overlooked the academy grounds outside where lights glowed beautifully against the darkening evening sky.
By exactly seven o’clock, a loud bell suddenly echoed across the entire building.
Roman was done unpacking his stuff by now and he was slightly embarrassed by how little space his clothes took up on the wardrobe.
Roman is now sitting on the edge of his naked mattress smoothening his clothes when he heard the bell.
He frozed, ‘What was that for?”
Suddenly the black lump on the other side of the room who had been pretending to be fast asleep, stirred and groaned in his bed.
He stood up slowly throwing off his duvet.
Without sparing Roman a single glance, he walked toward his locker, yanked it open and started rummaging through it noisily.
Roman watched him from his bed.
The boy finally grabbed something from inside before slamming the locker shut violently.
Roman stood up from the bed and chased after him.
He decided to talk to him first, he doesn’t want to start his new life with an enemy.
“Hello, roomie,” Roman said loudly, catching up to him just as Johnny reached the door.
Roman forced a warm, friendly smile onto his face and extended his right hand.
“I’m Roman.” He stretched out his hand politely.
“What is your name?”
Johnny looked at him then down to his outstretched hand with utter horror as if he was offering him a dangerous communicable disease.
“What do you want!!” He yelled at him without taking his hands.
“Relax,” Roman said carefully while lowering his hand awkwardly.
“We’re roommates now. I just thought we should know each other better.”
“I am not interested in knowing you,” The boy frowned deeply.
Roman stared at him.
“What?”
“I don’t want a roommate,” the boy said coldly.
“I told the school administration that already, but they still insisted on bringing you in here.”
Roman’s eyes widened in complete disbelief.
His chest tightened.
“Why don’t you want a roommate? I haven’t even done anything to you.”
“Because people are annoying,” he muttered sharply.
“They talk too much, touch my things, breathe too loudly and destroy my peace.”
Roman almost laughed from shock.
Was this guy serious?
Before Roman could even respond, the boy stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him so hard that the walls shook slightly.
Roman stood rooted to the same spot with his eyes staring at the door as if an explanation will magically appear on it.
After a few minutes, he shook himself out of his shock.
He turned the handle, opened the door, and looked outside.
The hallway outside had completely transformed.
Earlier it had been calm and quiet.
Students were now trooping out from their rooms and pouring into the passageway, the once quiet place has turned into a bustling hallway filled with bubbling teenagers.
Roman stepped outside and shut the door behind him.
He looked around uncertainly before approaching two boys standing nearby.
“Is something happening where is everyone going to?,” They both gave him a weird look, before the smaller one among them answered,
“Are you new here?”
Roman answered with a nod of head, they exchanged curious glances with each other
“This is dinner time everyone is moving to the Golden hall,”
“Golden hall?” Roman repeated.
“The academy refectory,” the shorter boy clarified.
“If you miss dinner, you’ll sleep hungry.”
Without waiting for Roman to reply, the two boys turned their backs on him and walked away, their laughter echoing down the hall.
At the mention of food, Roman’s stomach rumbled to remind him that he has not eaten anything since he left Ashford.
This is his first dinner in his new school and he can’t wait to see what an elite school prepares for it’s students.
He walked into his room and grabbed a plate and spoon from his bag and rushed out to join the stream of students.
He could not find the elevator Ralph used before but when he saw that most of the students were using the stairs he joined them.
He doesn’t know the way to the Golden Hall but he followed the groups of other students.
The moment Roman stepped inside the hall, his breath caught.
The place looked more like a royal banquet hall than a school dining area.
A gigantic golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, flooding the hall with warm glowing light.
Long polished tables stretched across the massive room while expensive-looking chairs surrounded them neatly.
The walls were decorated with elegant paintings and silver candle stands while tall glass windows revealed the beautiful dark evening outside.
No wonder it named golden hall.
Roman held his metal plate tighter against his chest, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious.
He started walking slowly through the aisles, looking desperately for a place to sit.
Students filled almost every table already.
Laughter and conversations blended together noisily while plates clinked softly around the hall.
Everyone was already paired up chatting with their group, only him seemed like the odd one not knowing where to belong.
For the first time since arriving at Vesperridge, Roman truly felt like an outsider.
Finally he his eyes landed on a seat, it was situated at a very vantage position, close to the window, nearer to the server, the chair looks different from the others, it looks higher and the upholstery more cushioned, he looked around and wondered why nobody have took this chair yet because it seems like the best chair in the hall.
Roman did not waste time and made himself comfortable on the chair.
The cushioned chair sank softly beneath his weight.
He noticed that unlike other tables that were made for ten people to sit, this table was made for only four people.
On the three remaining seats no one was sitting on it, it was still empty.
Roman frowned slightly.
Why was nobody sitting there?
It was literally the best spot in the entire hall.
When he looked up he saw the students at the other table opposite him looking at him their eyes wide in shock.
Some of them were whispering furiously to one another, pointing toward his table with terrible, panicked expressions on their faces as if he was not supposed to be there.
Students walking by the table saw him and paused for a moment, their expression turning from shock to pity.
It was like there were all waiting for something terrible to happen to him.
Then suddenly the air shifted, the atmosphere froze.
Everyone turned their eyes to a particular direction.
Thank you for giving my book a chance.
This is my first book please support and correct me when necessary