The single thought rushing through Haylen Vega's mind as he reached for the doorknob was one of what his mom had said before rushing him through the car door -

"Haylen, get your ass outside. I don't want to see you any longer." She glared at her son with flashing silver eyes, her thin lips turned downward.

He flinched. "I'm on my way, for god's sakes. Gimme a minute."

"I gave you a minute already. I gave you a lot of minutes. I gave you seventeen god-damned years, and I can't live with you anymore. You know I told you - it's this boarding school, or you can go back to living alone like you did last year-"

"I'm on my way, alright? I get it, you don't want me here!" He forced the car door open, angrily pulling his bulky suitcase behind him. "You know, I don't know what I ever did to upset you so much! Just because I'm not the son you want me to be doesn't mean I'm not your son at all - just tell me, what did I ever do?"

She sneered. "Hm, let's see. You were born?"

Blinking away the burning sensation in his eyes and forcing the door open, he tried not to think about it any more.

How was being born my fault, anyway? My mom was the one to have me...

Just stop thinking about it.

Anger bubbling through his veins and anxiety sitting in his stomach, Haylen all but kicked down the door, surveying the room in front of him.

It was what he expected - white carpeted floors, white walls, two white bunk-beds, white-framed windows... white white white white white. He just wanted to take buckets of paint and throw them all over. It was so drab.

Good thing I have a bunch of obxiously inappropriate posters to hang up.

And, of course, there was one thing he couldn't ignore - the boy sitting on one of the beds. Naturally he'd be sharing a room - this was a boarding school, after all - but he didn't know what to think when he saw this other person.

He had a chiseled face, with a sharp chin and high cheekbones, all stretched over with a covering of porcelain skin. A light sprinkling of freckles was dusted over his nose, and his eyes were this green - this piercing, vibrant green - that sent shivers down Haylen's spine. He was well built, and even while he was hunched over and sitting, Haylen could tell that he was tall.

I don't think he's the kinda kid who wants another guy's hands all over him. Cross that one out.

Despite the other boy being rather easy to look at, Haylen was not about to speak a word. He turned his back and began unloading his suitcase onto his mattress.

This is gonna suck.

While memorizing the class room doors of his classes for tomorrow, Sy heard the same creak he'd made when he first entered the room. There was no mistaking it, someone was coming in.

Filled with curiosity, he leaned forward a little peered to see who it was that had let himself in. He saw a young boy dressed in a fashion he would judge a little extravagant, with a full head of dark hair and lip piercings.

Surely a city boy...

Not wanting to appear nosy, he quickly returned his gaze to his sheets of paper, but it was obviously no use. Even if his eyes were intently focused on his papers... possibly more then they would have been if the gesture was purely natural, he couldn't even read a single world, too anxious to know who he'd be 'bunking' with.

I think he's studying me too...

Hair stood on the back on his neck, like a warning, a strange sensation, and he quickly ran to the assumption fo being watched, and so, he glanced up to the boy. He had either assumed wrong or simply hadn't looked up fast enough, for he saw the guy busy settling his own things. His mind was set up, he'd start with a simple introduction and then he'd politely leave the boy alone to unpack, projecting the desire for solitude he himself had when he was placing his own personal belongings.

I mean who wants to see the roomate's boxers after all. Might as well take this time and explore a little more.
Wonder if we'll get along.
Sure the hell hope so.

Sy shuffled his pile of paper together, looking to his things and he made his boyish voice heard.

"Hey. My name's Simon, but you can just call me Sy, like everyone else. Hope it's alright if I took the right side, I figured it wouldn't really matter."

He stopped placing his papers, still sitting crossed legs on his bed, and looked directly to his dormmate as he uttered his last word.

You know that feeling you get when you are just genuinely perturbed; that thing that snaps in your chest when you just really don't want to even deal with another human being for a moment?
That feeling was practically seeping from Haylen's pores. It always was, really, in small amounts - but right now, it was extreme.

"Simon, hm? Or shall I say Siiiiiigh? Like the sound someone makes when they're annoyed? Because that would be pretty friggin' accurate," Haylen spat, fire dancing in his pale eyes.

He spun on his heel to face the boy, not too surprised when he saw that this 'Sy' kid appeared to be rather taken aback.

"Listen up, alright? I'm not gonna play nice here. Boarding school is the last place I wanna be, and I'm guessing I'll be deprived of most of my favorite things, you know - hookers, clubbing, things of that nature - so I suggest you just ignore me. I'll happily return the favor."

With a sly grin, Haylen knelt on the side of his bed, glaring at Simon. "And unless you can provide me with any, hm, favors, shall I say, then I have no use for you. So let's just get out of each other's existances."

Which will probably be slightly difficult considering we're roomates.

Awh shit.

Dismissively shrugging his lean shoulders, Haylen turned his back on Sy, shoving all of his belongings from the bed and onto the floor with a big crash.

I'm being obnoxious.

He proceeded to peel his grey tanktop from his torso, throwing it carelessly to the pile of his other things on the ground. He made it a point to sigh very noisily as he flung himself down onto the mattress, reclining with ease against his pillow.

"Why, it's rather disgusting in here this horrid afternoon," he mumbled to himself, smirking as he arched his spine and exhaled.

I'm putting on a show for some guy who I apparently cannot stand.

Oh Haylen, how you secretly seek attention.

Simon's eyes grew a little wide at the boy's first response. He had expected just about anything BUT that. To him this kid was just...well rude, misbehaved and full of issues he wanted no part of.

Wow, it's like having a girlfriend.
And she's pms'ing already.

But still, he kept listening, wishing inwardly the little useless scene would be over soon. A simple hello and a name would have been far more efficient to have been rid of him, given he was... yes WAS planning on leaving right after, giving his roommate some peace. So he paid attention, his mouth gaping a little.

"And unless you can provide me with any, hm, favors, shall I say, then I have no use for you. So let's just get out of each other's existences."

He felt a little boggled by that statement, forcing his little gapping mouth to shut tight instantly, dazzling green eyes distracted to the side, pondering the meaning of this.

Did he mean subst.... no I don't think so, I think...
He's probably just being an ass.

He took a step back, not adding anything verbally, not yet at least. He watched as the boy, instead of neatly putting away his things in the provided space, just threw everything, from the bed, to the floor, including the shirt he was wearing.

"Wow..." he whispered, before taking enough steps back to trip himself to sit in his own bed. He sat there, staring at the pile while Haylen just collapsed on his bed, only his sigh reaching his ears. Simon hated disorderly rooms, results of having a neat freak mother. He like to have things a little messy, but that, that was something else.

This, is going to be a looooooooooooooong year.
I hope he at least showers.

Haylen thought out loud, and if anything, Simon could swear it had been done on purpose. He frowned and stopped staring at the pile of laundry and other...things, glaring back at Haylen.

"Well sorry for existing!"

Yup, this had instantly turn his happy day upside down. He looked to the ground, something hitting his feet. It was Haylen's hair product having rolled from the pile. Bending down, he picked it up and stood up, stomping over, not caring to avoid stepping on some of his clothes and tossing the tube violently on the boy's chest, uttering a mumbled "ass" before stomping back to their shared bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He wasn't irked, he was pissed, and he wasn't sure if the boy had gotten him this mad, or if he overreacted himself.

He turned the tap on, keeping the water cold. He needed to be cool down by something, anything, and so water was what he had right now. He splashed his face with a handful before staring at himself in the mirror.

"What the hell am I going to do now?"

I give it a month before I try to kill him in his sleep.

Haylen watched in amusement as the redheaded boy stormed into the bathroom, muttering obscenities under his breath and slamming the door behind him. He clutched the tube of hair product that had been oh-so-lovingly hurled at his bare chest, and it was only a moment before he heard Simon's muffled grumbling voice through the closed door.

"Having fun in there?" Haylen shouted with a chuckle, grinning wickedly to himself. He rolled onto his side, staring at the blank white wall.

How was he possibly going to deal with this other boy?

Sure, he was good-looking, but that wasn't even a factor anymore. Their personalities clearly clashed - judging by his initial greeting, Simon was generally a nice, personable kid. He probably liked to keep things orderly, and as far as Haylen could tell, he had a pretty positive outlook on life.

Now, Haylen... Haylen was an entirely different story.

He hated people - he could live alone for the rest of his life and get along just fine. (With the exception of a few weekly 'paid' visitors, maybe. But they didn't count - they were just there for enjoyment, and then they would leave.)
He didn't give a rat's ass about what his room looked like. Back at home, it was like a tornado struck. And as far as his perspective on things? Haylen was a complete and total pessimist.

Yeah.

This is gonna be... unbearable, to say the least.

Scratching idly at his a suspicious scab on his hipbone, Haylen hoisted himself from his mattress, padding across the room until he reached the bathroom door.

"You might wanna just stay in there, and never come out," he hissed through the wood, biting his pierced bottom lip. "I think that would be better for the both of us."

Oh, this is such a great start to this whole boarding school thing.

It can only get worse from here.
 

Sy ignored the muffled comment from the other side of the door, not really deciphering the words under the sound of the running tap. They didn't even phase him. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath.

Come on man, not the first time you are having problems with someone you live it. This is just same old same old. I'll do with him what I do with mom and dad.

Taking another deep breath, he re-opened his eyes, closing the running tap water. But just as he was about to come out, footsteps stopped right by the door and he heard a snide comment which made him glare uselessly at the door handle, clenching his teeth.

Ignore it. Just, be the bigger man, and all will be well.

Letting the pressure leave his jaw, he forced his expression to return to something peaceful. He knew he couldn't smile but it was no reason to frown. He reached for the door handle and twisted it opened, getting him face to face with Haylen. He felt a jolt of hatred run down his spine in view of the boy's sneaky-snide expression, but hid all signs of such, remaining outwardly calm and composed.

"Would love to, but I have a life to attend to. Now, if you'd follow you're own advice and stick to yourself."

He walked past Haylen, hugging the door frame as he side stepped out to keep his distance and headed to his bed, crouching to grab his back pack from underneath and put the thing over his bed, determined to ignore the boy until he would have no choice but to address him. So instead, he simply proceeded to take out some books and place them neatly in a pile on the desk of the right side, walking back to the dresser in search of his gym outfit. It wasn't hard to find, everything perfectly organized. He took a white plain t-shirt, a pair of shorts and some clip-on sport pants and laid them on his bed, closing the drawer with care before taking his green muscle tee off, folding it and slamming it in the bag.

A bit of a work out at the gym should keep my mind distracted. Hopefully it'll decompress me. Nothing like working a sweat to get rid of frustrations.

He then did the same of his boot-cut light jeans, packing them in case he'd choose to shower right at the gym instead of coming back here to use the shower later, leaving him in only a pair of light grey boxer briefs, putting in value his well shaped pectorals and thighs, spoils of years of working out frustration and being on the football team. The only thing he left a mess was the white beanie hat he simply tossed on the top of the dresser before starting to dress up in the shorts and white tee.

...

Okay, so, stripping is not exactly something I was expecting to see here at boarding school.

But at boarding school, anything is possible!

Haylen snorted at his internal dialouge - complete with a happy oozing-with-cheese voice and all - and allowed his eyes to lazily scan along Simon's body as the other boy got changed. His back rippled with muscle as he pulled on his shorts, and it was impossible to ignore the way his arms flexed when he tugged a shirt onto his torso.

Haylen's cheeks were warming. And it wasn't with envy, no - Haylen had quite the body of his own... not the outwardly built form like Simon clearly had, but rather the wiry, slim, ribs-jutting-out-but-still-muscly shape. So clearly he wasn't jealous.

And his blush wasn't one of embarrassment, either.

(Unless you count embarrassment at the things he was thinking.)

He cleared his throat, straining not to make any witty comments, and turned away, wringing his hands. "I suppose it's natural for pretty people to want to show off," he said to the air, cracking his knuckles. His steely eyes darted restlessly about the room, landing everywhere but on Simon.

I.

Hate.

This.

Whether he was on the verge of insanity or perhaps just lacking the usual nonchalant approach he had to things, Haylen knew he couldn't stand being in the same room as some half-naked neat-freak well-mannered boy.

"I mustn't torture myself with this any longer," he growled to himself, realizing how out of character he'd been acting since he arrived at this school. Sure, he hated people, and sure, he was sharp-tongued and short-tempered, but he wasn't usually so vocal about his thoughts.

Normally he just expressed himself with an icy glare and the message got through.

Oh well. I guess this is different.

Maybe because Simon's such an intolerable little brat.

And as he walked out the door to head to the library, it took him every last ounce of control not to spit some snide comment at Simon.

His shirt now on, Simon couldn't help but glance sideways at Haylen, wondering what the boy was doing, facing nowhere and mumbling to himself like that. Rolling his eyes, he simply proceeded to covering his shorts with the pair of clip on pants, slipping on his sneakers.

That kid is mental.
I better be careful, might slip me rabbies or something.
Wonder if there is any good girl working out at the gym right now? Let's hope so.

Next thing he saw was Haylen walking out of the room...without even bothering with a shirt.

Well at this rate he'll get kicked out. Less problems for me.

Scoffing to no one in particular, Sy grabbed his bag, tossed it over his shoulder and made a quick stop to the bathroom to place his crazy hair in order before stepping out and heading to the gym.

At least they agreed on something, disliking the other.