This is the first chapter of my fic, the concept is a little complex but the first chapter isn't.
Hopefully everyone who reads it enjoys it. Feedback is greatly appreciated. ^^
~Chapter 1:
The sun sat high in the sky. It was a beautiful day, perfect to be out and about.
Laughter from the groups of students walking through the quad, enjoying the warm,
saturday afternoon. The sounds rose through the air and into the open window of
the room that was on the corner of the third floor of the four story dormitories.
Van stood at the open window, admiring and loathing the students happiness
at the same time. He closed the window and turned on his stereo to drown out the
sound. He sat down at his desk and flipped through the pages of his text book, and
the rustling from each page as it turned reminded him just how much he'd love to
be one of those 'social butterflies' who had friends they could be out with on such a
beautiful day. He'd already finished the chapter that had been assigned to his class by
his older, somewhat tightly wound professor and was just flipping pages to try and
focus on something other than his own social inadequacy.
He was sitting at that same old desk in the corner of of his dormitory across from
the window. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back and folded his hands behind his head,
pulling some of the strands of the black hair that always hung in his face and hid his gaze
behind a curtain of darkness. He thought a moment about the likely location of his roomate,
Jeff. Probably down at the football field or in the pizza parlor with his meat-head friends.
One of the worst points of this school was that he had the terrible luck of having
his roomate be someone that he had nothing in common with, they had never gotten along
from the very beginning. Not since the moment that Jeff walked in and took one look at
Van and commented, "Great, a nerd. At least I know how my homework'll be getting done."
And he had said it with a big stupid smile, and when Van looked back at him and said that he
refused to help a "thick skulled neanderthal" pass through school without putting forth any effort.
That was the beginning of their ongoing feud. Jeff, who obviously had no concept of the meaning of
the comment, but had definately grasped that it was meant to be insulting, had shoved Van back
and threw a punch that connected with Van's jaw.
Van stumbled back a few steps and regained himself and threw his own series of punches
that knocked the football player flat on his back. Van had been ready for the fight to continue
when Jeff stood back up, but he only shot some profanities at Van and told him that he'd get
even one day, then he was gone. Van had always believed that violence was only to be used
in defense of oneself or another, not just for the sake of fighting.
Since then it'd been nearly six months to the day that school started and the incident
occured. He knew Jeff wasn't above getting even, and that he wouldn't forget what'd happened.
Not to mention that he'd used his influence as the captain of the football team to make the entirety
of the school believe that Van was a loser, a nerd and a number of other things. Van also knew that
Jeff would only attack with a group of his teamates, and most likely at night.
The only good news was that Jeff didn't stay in the room any longer, he'd gotten a transfer
from the dean to get a room elsewhere. Still, anytime they'd happen across each other Jeff would
exchange a few dirty looks and threatening remarks with Van. Other than that though, Van saw very
little of Jeff, which made him uneasy. He was always worried that the next time they met would be
in some back lot somewhere and Van would have to defend himself against an armada of football
players. Well, if he left the room for anything other than food or class that is. The fact that Van
had always been socially awkward had only added to the lies that Jeff had spread through the
minds of the student body.
Since the death of his parents landed him in an orphanage since the age of nine, he had
naturally become very anti-social. He was adopted when he was fifteen and by then it'd become
second nature to put up barriers to prevent people from getting in. He was grateful to his adopted
parents and feared becoming a disappointment to them, which is why he worked twice as hard as
any other person he'd ever known. Besides, he didn't know the first thing about making 'friends' and
had never wanted any anyway, at least that's what he'd tell himself. He let out another deep sigh as
he moved back over to the window and looked back over the outside world, at all those people having
fun together.
He saw the reflection of his own emerald eyes in the window, and he saw the loneliness that he'd
kept inside for so long. But he also felt something different about today, that something new was
on the agenda of time. He thought he saw something else out that window to the outside world, but
he didn't know what it was. Whether it was good or bad, he hadn't the faintest idea, all he knew was
that for the first time since he had come to this school he wanted to go do something. He grabbed his
coat that was draped over his desk chair and headed out the door toward the outside world he felt
isolated from for so long.
From the time he was little he had always felt as though he didn't belong anywhere, and he didn't
know how going outside into a world full of two-faced people was going to solve anything. But this feeling
inside of him told him it was the right thing for him to do. Still, he felt it was in his best interest if he avoided
Jeff and his football posse. He passed by the football field, they weren't there, that meant that they were
somewhere out and about. "Fantastic," Van muttered in his calm, indifferent voice, "More of a chace of meeting
up with trouble."
He decided to avoid the crowded areas such as the quad and the Pepperoni's Pizza Emporium. He took
the back ways, there were still bound to be a few people roaming about, but not many.
He was right, there were a few wandering people who stared at him as he walked by, Van noticed some-
thing odd in the eyes of those he passed. They all gleemed with a certain malice, as though they weren't seeing
him at all, as though someone else was looking through their eyes. He was feeling uneasy, something was wrong
but the feeling he had earlier was stronger than ever. Was this feeling actually a warning of things to come? He
was sure it was his imagination, and he had all but forgotten about it as soon as he turned the corner. He came
across the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and he was certain that he hadn't seen her around the campus
before, not that he left his dorm room enough to know.
She was a shorter girl, about five foot two inches, if he had to guess. She had sandy-blonde hair and
ocean blue eyes. "Umm... Hi, I just transferred here and I was wondering if maybe you'd show me around the
campus, then maybe we could go get coffee?" Her voice was flirty and airy and she giggled when she finished.
Van was so absorbed in her voice that sounded so pure and beautiful that he'd almost missed what she said
all together.
"O-oh, uh, c-coffee?" He felt himself turning red with embarassment, his nearly non-existent social
skills felt even more terrible than normal because of the person he was talking to. He'd completely forgotten
of the ill feeling and the malice filled eyes he'd encountered only moments before. It was like he was bewitched.
"Yea, a coffee. Want to?" She twirled her hair around her index finger, "We could skip the tour of the
campus and save it for later if you want." Her smile shone with beauty and Van was awestruck.
"S-sure." Van had to fight to make any sound come out at all. He couldn't believe that this was happening.
He wasn't even worried about Jeff anymore, he was left completely under this girls spell.
"Great. Let's go!" She took his arm and led him out toward the street, "My name is Jessica, what's yours?"
"V-van." He was surprised how difficult his own name was to remember.
The coffee shop was only a few blocks away from the college campus. It was around six o'clock, just starting
to get dark. Van had only been there a few times before, he didn't really see a point since he rarely drank coffee.
He thought it better that they were going somewhere that he didn't go that often, however, less of a chance for
him to run into the football players that he was always on the lookout for, at least until now. "Hey, what's that?"
Jessica asked as they passed by an alleyway next to the main entrance to the coffee shop.
"It's just an alley." Van opened the front door to the shop, but Jessica disappeared down the darkening alley.
"Jessica?" Van follewed her in, against his better judgement.
"My, my, what a talented girl." Van would recognize that voice anywhere, it was Jeff, only there was something
else mixed with his usually dumbfounded voice, something more. Van knew that this was not the place that he wanted
to be right now, and that he should get as far away as possible, but the way he'd come was now barred by four gargan-
tuan football players. Jeff stepped out from the shadows further down the alley, he was followed by seven other football
players. All their eyes glowed with the same malice that had been in the eyes of everyone else he'd passed earlier. "It's
been a long time, Your Highness." Jeff gave a mocking bow, a hideous grin spread across his face from ear to ear, dripping
with ill intent.
"What are you talking about? Why'd you call me that?" Van was terrified, he felt that his death was fast approaching.
He looked around at the blank expressions, these people weren't the same as they had been. Only their aura showed their
emotion, all of them emanated hatred. "Y-you..." He looked at Jeff as he stepped forward, "You're not Jeff." He thought he
could see the shadow of another person fall across Jeff's face.
"I've been looking for you for quite a while... Your Highness." And he waved his hand for the group to close in and
attack, "And now that I've found you it's time to say... Goodbye." And as they all closed in he heard the sound of dark
laughter.
Hopefully everyone who reads it enjoys it. Feedback is greatly appreciated. ^^
~Chapter 1:
The sun sat high in the sky. It was a beautiful day, perfect to be out and about.
Laughter from the groups of students walking through the quad, enjoying the warm,
saturday afternoon. The sounds rose through the air and into the open window of
the room that was on the corner of the third floor of the four story dormitories.
Van stood at the open window, admiring and loathing the students happiness
at the same time. He closed the window and turned on his stereo to drown out the
sound. He sat down at his desk and flipped through the pages of his text book, and
the rustling from each page as it turned reminded him just how much he'd love to
be one of those 'social butterflies' who had friends they could be out with on such a
beautiful day. He'd already finished the chapter that had been assigned to his class by
his older, somewhat tightly wound professor and was just flipping pages to try and
focus on something other than his own social inadequacy.
He was sitting at that same old desk in the corner of of his dormitory across from
the window. He let out a deep sigh and leaned back and folded his hands behind his head,
pulling some of the strands of the black hair that always hung in his face and hid his gaze
behind a curtain of darkness. He thought a moment about the likely location of his roomate,
Jeff. Probably down at the football field or in the pizza parlor with his meat-head friends.
One of the worst points of this school was that he had the terrible luck of having
his roomate be someone that he had nothing in common with, they had never gotten along
from the very beginning. Not since the moment that Jeff walked in and took one look at
Van and commented, "Great, a nerd. At least I know how my homework'll be getting done."
And he had said it with a big stupid smile, and when Van looked back at him and said that he
refused to help a "thick skulled neanderthal" pass through school without putting forth any effort.
That was the beginning of their ongoing feud. Jeff, who obviously had no concept of the meaning of
the comment, but had definately grasped that it was meant to be insulting, had shoved Van back
and threw a punch that connected with Van's jaw.
Van stumbled back a few steps and regained himself and threw his own series of punches
that knocked the football player flat on his back. Van had been ready for the fight to continue
when Jeff stood back up, but he only shot some profanities at Van and told him that he'd get
even one day, then he was gone. Van had always believed that violence was only to be used
in defense of oneself or another, not just for the sake of fighting.
Since then it'd been nearly six months to the day that school started and the incident
occured. He knew Jeff wasn't above getting even, and that he wouldn't forget what'd happened.
Not to mention that he'd used his influence as the captain of the football team to make the entirety
of the school believe that Van was a loser, a nerd and a number of other things. Van also knew that
Jeff would only attack with a group of his teamates, and most likely at night.
The only good news was that Jeff didn't stay in the room any longer, he'd gotten a transfer
from the dean to get a room elsewhere. Still, anytime they'd happen across each other Jeff would
exchange a few dirty looks and threatening remarks with Van. Other than that though, Van saw very
little of Jeff, which made him uneasy. He was always worried that the next time they met would be
in some back lot somewhere and Van would have to defend himself against an armada of football
players. Well, if he left the room for anything other than food or class that is. The fact that Van
had always been socially awkward had only added to the lies that Jeff had spread through the
minds of the student body.
Since the death of his parents landed him in an orphanage since the age of nine, he had
naturally become very anti-social. He was adopted when he was fifteen and by then it'd become
second nature to put up barriers to prevent people from getting in. He was grateful to his adopted
parents and feared becoming a disappointment to them, which is why he worked twice as hard as
any other person he'd ever known. Besides, he didn't know the first thing about making 'friends' and
had never wanted any anyway, at least that's what he'd tell himself. He let out another deep sigh as
he moved back over to the window and looked back over the outside world, at all those people having
fun together.
He saw the reflection of his own emerald eyes in the window, and he saw the loneliness that he'd
kept inside for so long. But he also felt something different about today, that something new was
on the agenda of time. He thought he saw something else out that window to the outside world, but
he didn't know what it was. Whether it was good or bad, he hadn't the faintest idea, all he knew was
that for the first time since he had come to this school he wanted to go do something. He grabbed his
coat that was draped over his desk chair and headed out the door toward the outside world he felt
isolated from for so long.
From the time he was little he had always felt as though he didn't belong anywhere, and he didn't
know how going outside into a world full of two-faced people was going to solve anything. But this feeling
inside of him told him it was the right thing for him to do. Still, he felt it was in his best interest if he avoided
Jeff and his football posse. He passed by the football field, they weren't there, that meant that they were
somewhere out and about. "Fantastic," Van muttered in his calm, indifferent voice, "More of a chace of meeting
up with trouble."
He decided to avoid the crowded areas such as the quad and the Pepperoni's Pizza Emporium. He took
the back ways, there were still bound to be a few people roaming about, but not many.
He was right, there were a few wandering people who stared at him as he walked by, Van noticed some-
thing odd in the eyes of those he passed. They all gleemed with a certain malice, as though they weren't seeing
him at all, as though someone else was looking through their eyes. He was feeling uneasy, something was wrong
but the feeling he had earlier was stronger than ever. Was this feeling actually a warning of things to come? He
was sure it was his imagination, and he had all but forgotten about it as soon as he turned the corner. He came
across the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and he was certain that he hadn't seen her around the campus
before, not that he left his dorm room enough to know.
She was a shorter girl, about five foot two inches, if he had to guess. She had sandy-blonde hair and
ocean blue eyes. "Umm... Hi, I just transferred here and I was wondering if maybe you'd show me around the
campus, then maybe we could go get coffee?" Her voice was flirty and airy and she giggled when she finished.
Van was so absorbed in her voice that sounded so pure and beautiful that he'd almost missed what she said
all together.
"O-oh, uh, c-coffee?" He felt himself turning red with embarassment, his nearly non-existent social
skills felt even more terrible than normal because of the person he was talking to. He'd completely forgotten
of the ill feeling and the malice filled eyes he'd encountered only moments before. It was like he was bewitched.
"Yea, a coffee. Want to?" She twirled her hair around her index finger, "We could skip the tour of the
campus and save it for later if you want." Her smile shone with beauty and Van was awestruck.
"S-sure." Van had to fight to make any sound come out at all. He couldn't believe that this was happening.
He wasn't even worried about Jeff anymore, he was left completely under this girls spell.
"Great. Let's go!" She took his arm and led him out toward the street, "My name is Jessica, what's yours?"
"V-van." He was surprised how difficult his own name was to remember.
The coffee shop was only a few blocks away from the college campus. It was around six o'clock, just starting
to get dark. Van had only been there a few times before, he didn't really see a point since he rarely drank coffee.
He thought it better that they were going somewhere that he didn't go that often, however, less of a chance for
him to run into the football players that he was always on the lookout for, at least until now. "Hey, what's that?"
Jessica asked as they passed by an alleyway next to the main entrance to the coffee shop.
"It's just an alley." Van opened the front door to the shop, but Jessica disappeared down the darkening alley.
"Jessica?" Van follewed her in, against his better judgement.
"My, my, what a talented girl." Van would recognize that voice anywhere, it was Jeff, only there was something
else mixed with his usually dumbfounded voice, something more. Van knew that this was not the place that he wanted
to be right now, and that he should get as far away as possible, but the way he'd come was now barred by four gargan-
tuan football players. Jeff stepped out from the shadows further down the alley, he was followed by seven other football
players. All their eyes glowed with the same malice that had been in the eyes of everyone else he'd passed earlier. "It's
been a long time, Your Highness." Jeff gave a mocking bow, a hideous grin spread across his face from ear to ear, dripping
with ill intent.
"What are you talking about? Why'd you call me that?" Van was terrified, he felt that his death was fast approaching.
He looked around at the blank expressions, these people weren't the same as they had been. Only their aura showed their
emotion, all of them emanated hatred. "Y-you..." He looked at Jeff as he stepped forward, "You're not Jeff." He thought he
could see the shadow of another person fall across Jeff's face.
"I've been looking for you for quite a while... Your Highness." And he waved his hand for the group to close in and
attack, "And now that I've found you it's time to say... Goodbye." And as they all closed in he heard the sound of dark
laughter.