Category: LeviHolland (Page 5 of 10)

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 6

Cooper knew how to win his suitemates over.

The canoe competition and solo events were the perfect way to prove he belonged just as much as Naveen or any other Blue Ridge kid out there. Now all Cooper had to do was survive through the weekend.

After the assembly, the 6th graders were split into two groups. The Valentias and Fuerzas walked together with Professor Riviera, who introduced herself as their history teacher. Inside her classroom, maps of all types and sizes covered the wall. Some were faded and brown, protected from further damage by lamination, and others were freshly printed. The dates on the maps ranged back over a thousand years in some cases. When Professor Riviera spoke to them, her face glowed as she explained how one seemingly unimportant event could spark revolutions for entire nations. Back in elementary school, history was one of Cooper’s least favorite subjects, but the way Professor Riviera talked about it, he might actually start to enjoy it.

Even though they were made to sit with their Houses, Naveen and Julian still weren’t talking to him. Someone tapped his shoulder, and when Cooper turned around, a girl whose name he didn’t know yet from Valentia asked politely if he could crouch down so she could see better. Anakin shrugged like it was progress.

Their next class was science with Professor Bell, and right away Cooper could see why everyone seemed to like him so much. He let them sit wherever they wanted! Even then, Cooper wasn’t surprised only Anakin chose to sit beside him near the front.

Professor Bell’s classroom had all sorts of beakers, tools, and instruments they’d get to use throughout the year. They laughed as Professor Bell ended the class with a few funny videos of classroom experiments gone horribly wrong.

“Nobody died in the making of these videos,” he said, and then paused. “I think.”

After Professor Bell’s class came lunch, and Cooper was quick to scarf down his food. The less time he gave Naveen to tease him, the better. They had a whole hour to relax before their next class, so he and Anakin walked back to their dorm room together. Already they had plans for decorating the inside of their room.

“The walls are only one shade, and it’s burgundy, for crying out loud! They couldn’t have picked a better red than burgundy?”

Cooper thought it looked like plain old red to him, but maybe he didn’t get what the big deal was.

“Tell you what. I’ll sketch some ideas for us, so start brainstorming something cool!”

“Maybe we can find some spare art supplies somewhere around here.”

“What I really wish we could do,” Anakin said excitedly, “is paint the whole inside wall and make a kickass mural out of it.”

“We’d get in so much trouble!” Cooper said with a grin.

“Yeah, but it’d look cool!”

When they reached the top of the spire, a pang flared low in Cooper’s stomach as the urge to poop struck him. Running into the bathroom, Cooper closed the stall door and squatted just in time to do his business.

It wasn’t until he finished wiping and flushed that he heard the echo of footsteps in the bathroom. He expected to see Anakin when he was finished, but when he opened the stall door, Naveen was standing there, eyeing him down like a gunslinger from the wild west. He scowled and said nothing as Cooper went to wash his hands at the sink.

“So what’s your plan? You just gonna ignore me for the next seven years?” Cooper asked, flinging away the extra water dripping from his hands.

When Naveen said nothing, Cooper tried to walk past, but Naveen stomped his foot down and blocked his path with an outstretched arm.

“Dude, what’s your problem?” Cooper shouted. He tried to steady the quiver in his voice and resist the urge to punch Naveen in the jaw.

“My problem is you! And don’t worry, I won’t have to wait seven years for you to be gone. It won’t take nearly that long.”

Cooper couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why are you being such a jerk to me?” Cooper asked and shoved Naveen.

Before Naveen could push back harder, Anakin ran into the bathroom, immediately jumping between them. Not too far behind him was Julian, eyes wide with panic when he saw them.

“If you wanna fight me, go ahead and do it!” Naveen shouted. “I could take you on any day!”

“Guys, stop!” Anakin shouted. “We’re part of the same House. We shouldn’t be fighting like this.”

Naveen grit his teeth, his eyes full of hate as he stormed out of the bathroom. Julian hesitated again before running after Naveen. Good riddance to both of them, Cooper thought. He growled in frustration as he dug his fingernails into his palms. “This isn’t working, Anakin. They hate me, and I hate them too. It’s never going to work!”

“It will,” he promised. “Your idea was a good one. I’m sure by the time the canoe competition starts, he’ll see how awesome you are. Besides, I think Julian’s actually starting to come around. Notice it’s only Naveen who has the problem?”

Cooper forced himself to take deep breaths as he stared hard in the bathroom mirror. He was like a rabid dog on the loose, the way his eyes danced wildly back at him. As he struggled to count to ten and calm himself, he shook his head. He was stupid to think changing things would be easy, even if Anakin was by his side.

“I don’t know, Anakin. I don’t think I can do this.”

“Come on,” Anakin said, and patted Cooper on the back. “You just need some time to calm down. Let’s just chill before our next class.”

They did, and to Cooper’s surprise, he did actually feel a little better as he and Anakin talked about their lives back at home. Anakin got to hear all about Sawyer and some of the adventures they got up to, and Cooper learned how Anakin’s desire to be a fashion designer began.

“And my parents are both super chill about the whole thing. I don’t know. Sometimes I worry it won’t work out. I mean, I think I have good ideas, but,” Anakin paused, gesturing to himself, “I know I don’t always wear the best matching things. I guess I’m still trying to find my style.”

“I believe in you,” Cooper said. He gave Anakin a light tap on the shoulder with his fist. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

“Thanks, Coop.”

By the time their third class started, Naveen made it a point to squeeze into one of the few open seats in the back corner of their reading class. Cooper and Anakin sat near the front.

Professor Gray was a lot like himself, Cooper realized. The students were respectful because he was their professor, but there was a clear tension in the room. Professor Gray was another person who didn’t belong at Blue Ridge. No, that wasn’t true. Professor Gray belonged, just like Cooper. It was everyone else who had the problem.

“Reading and writing are the foundation of humanity—they are what separate us from the primates. The pen is the sword which lets language bleed onto the page. You would be wise to learn both well.”

Okay, so maybe they were pretty different, too.

“I don’t know about that guy,” Anakin said after they were dismissed to their next class. “I mean, who talks like that? He makes life sound like some depressing Batman story. ‘The pen is the sword that blah blah blah.’”

“I think even Batman was happier,” Cooper said, and Anakin laughed as they walked to their next class.

Next up was math with Professor Lee. Before she got started, there were tons of whispered comments from the girls in the class about how pretty she was and from the boys about how hot she was. Cooper agreed she was nice to look at, but he wouldn’t ever want to date her or anything like that. What was so exciting about that?

One thing that was exciting to him were the STEM projects they would get to do throughout the year. The idea of working with robots and programming sounded awesome to him! Then, Professor Lee told them how the spring competition was always about solving an engineering problem in the most creative way possible. That was an event Cooper rubbed his hands in anticipation over. Hopefully by then he would have changed everyone’s minds about him.

“Uggh, one more to go,” Anakin said as he shoved his schedule inside his pants pocket. “And then, we’ll be free for the day. Sweet freedom!”

Their last class wasn’t even a class at all. At least, not in the traditional sense. As they followed Professor Lee back inside the gymnasium, she explained how all new students were required to join one of the school’s clubs.

“They’re a wonderful chance for you to try something new or make new friends,” she said.

Right away, Cooper spotted Professor Bell standing by a poster for the student council, the Blue Ridge Buddies. Maybe one day he’d be able to pull off what Jordy had and make people love him, but for now it felt impossible. All around, the gymnasium was crawling with professors standing near their club posters. Cooper couldn’t wait to find one for himself.

Anakin leaned over and whispered, “I hope I can get into the art club.”

“You will,” Cooper said. If anyone deserved to be in the art club, it was Anakin. One look through his drawings would convince anybody who saw them.

As Professor Lee let them roam the gymnasium and explore, Cooper searched for the one club that might speak to him more than any other. What were his interests? He loved Detective Dackery and reading, but there was no book club, at least, not that he could find. Maybe he could help out in the school library. Cooper made a mental note to check it out when he had some free time.

Many of the clubs were either some form of athletics or a specialized activity like music, choir, or art. As Cooper passed the Blue Ridge Buddies table, Jordy waved at him as he smooth-talked a group of 6^th grade girls who looked way more interested in staring at Jordy than hearing about the club.

“Hey, Coop, come check this out!” Anakin called.

When he turned the corner, Anakin stood in front of a sprawling poster for the rock climbing club. Cooper’s jaw dropped. Several action shots showed off kids climbing the fifty-foot wall somewhere on campus. Even though it had only been a few days, homesickness rocked Cooper like a wave. If he closed his eyes, Cooper could nearly sense the sun kissing his neck, the humidity clinging to his sweaty skin, the sweet smell of dirt and pine in his nostrils.

When he opened his eyes, it was him in those pictures, reaching up for the next rock on the wall. He didn’t know much about rock climbing, but he loved climbing trees. That’s where he felt at home. That’s where he belonged. As he walked over to the lady standing in front of the poster, Cooper knew without a doubt that this was the club for him.

***

Roman found Fielding inspecting a handout for the horseback riding club.

“You like riding horses?” Roman asked.

“Well, I mean, I’ve never done it before or anything,” Fielding said, “but how hard can it be? What’re you choosing?”

Roman wasn’t sure. He spent the last half hour roaming the gymnasium, hoping some light from the universe would shine down and catch his eye. The only thing he knew for certain was that he didn’t want to choose the archery club. Back home, an archery medal hung from Xavier’s bedroom wall. The first time Xavier brought the medal home was at the end of 6^th grade. He’d earned it for being the most-improved that year, and Roman would have given anything to join the same club as his brother, but now…

“Come help me look?” Roman asked.

“You got it, partner,” Fielding said, pretending to adjust a fake cowboy hat as he galloped beside Roman.

They breezed past the music clubs pretty quickly. Who would want to spend hours outside of class having to practice a new instrument? No thanks. Art wasn’t really his thing either. He was terrible at it, and he wasn’t really interested in learning how to be less terrible. When they turned the corner, Fielding slapped him in the arm and pointed.

“Look, it’s the scholarship kid.”

Near the rock climbing poster, Cooper chatted with the professor in charge of the club. Waiting behind him was the scrawny, weird-dressed boy he remembered seeing with Cooper the night before. Probably his roommate.

It didn’t matter to Roman where Cooper came from, and he had nothing against the kid. Clearly others did, though. Even Fielding, who was nice to everyone, couldn’t keep the criticism from his voice.

“You’re not thinking about doing rock climbing with him, are you?” Fielding asked and lifted his hands in defense. “I mean, if you want to, that’s your call. But me personally, I wouldn’t do it. Social suicide.”

Fielding was studying Roman for his response, and before he could change his mind, Roman turned away.

“Nah, you’re right,” Roman said. “Who would want to be in a club with that kid?”

Professor Lee told them they didn’t need to choose right away. They even had the chance to rotate around to a few different clubs if they wanted. Maybe that’s what Roman would do. At least then he’d have a better idea of what might interest him. Who knows? Maybe he’d even give horseback riding a shot with Fielding.

There was a tightness in Roman’s bladder, and he promised Fielding he’d be right back before slipping away from the noisy gymnasium. Scratching his head about where to go, he exited the double doors and turned a corner, hoping to ask someone for directions, but the outside corridor was empty. It wasn’t until the end of the next hall that he spotted the restrooms, but as he drew closer, a familiar voice made his ears perk. Roman crept closer to the edge of the hallway and peeked around the corner.

Xavier was deep into an argument with Roy Rochester, the dark-skinned head of security. From this far away, their words were little more than heated mumbles. Whatever they were talking about, Xavier wasn’t a fan. His brother scowled and shrugged off whatever the guard had to say before storming back down the long hallway. Not long after, Roy cleared his throat, adjusted the front of his suit, and headed Roman’s way.

Roman wasn’t sure if looks could kill, but Roy’s face looked murderous as it twisted with anger. Praying he wouldn’t be seen, Roman hunkered down and tried to make himself as small as possible as he squeezed his eyes shut. If he didn’t find a toilet soon, his bladder was going to burst. Why did hiding always make him have to go even more? With held breath, Roman waited until the man’s footsteps faded away before dashing across the corridor into the bathroom.

There was barely enough time to unsnap the button on his shorts and fish out his dick before his bladder gave way. His grateful sigh echoed in the bathroom as his stream sprayed the inside of the toilet bowl. As he shook the last remaining drops, Roman wondered what Xavier might have done to draw so much attention to himself with Roy. Whatever it was, there was no point in asking Xavier. Roman would have better luck talking to a rock.

Back in the gymnasium, Fielding and Wyatt were craning their heads to see over Ivan’s shoulder. They were all huddled together near the wrestling posters, where a barrel-chested man was handing Ivan details about the club. His name tag read Professor O’Malley on the front, and as he leaned over to point out information, the man’s biceps threatened to rip the seams of his Blue Ridge suit apart.

“Anyone dumb enough to wrestle Ivan is asking for it,” Roman said as he walked up to them.

While Wyatt only smirked, Fielding said, “He’s a walking bulldozer!”

“He’s perfect,” Professor O’Malley agreed, echoing their thoughts.

It wasn’t long until Professor Lee summoned everyone together. After a few words about curfew and classes the next day, they were dismissed for the afternoon.

Ivan and Wyatt wanted to explore where the cobblestone path down by the lake led, but Fielding wanted to take all their stuff back to their rooms and rest. Promising to meet up with everyone later on, Roman and Fielding made their return to Fuerza’s spire.

Along the way they passed a group of 6th grade girls from different classes who kept staring at them and giggling before they peeled away towards the girls’ dorms.

Roman sneered at them, but Fielding leaned in and whispered, “Do you think anyone’s ever tried to sneak up to their rooms?”

Roman blushed, knowing what Fielding was hinting at. “Maybe. Why, are you thinking about it?”

Fielding stuck out his tongue and made a blech sound. “Me? Yuck, why would I ever want to hang around some smelly girls?”

“Please,” Roman said, “if you had the chance, you’d hang out and make friends with an old broom.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m a social butterfly, I know. Doesn’t mean I wanna see them…you know,” he leaned in again, “naked.”

Roman agreed as they reached the bottom of the stairs and began their climb. They passed the senior’s floor, where rock music blared from a speaker while a few older guys squeezed shoulder to shoulder on the couch and played Madden together. Some of the other high school suites had people inside as well, but no one paid them attention as they climbed past.

It wasn’t until they reached the 8th grade suite that they had any trouble. Just as they were about to pass, a rubber ball whizzed from deep inside before it thwacked hard against the wall.

Fielding yelped in surprise as the ball bounced back, and a sinking pit formed in Roman’s stomach. He didn’t need to turn his head to know Xavier was inside, but he did anyway.

They locked eyes at the same time. Xavier rested with his legs spread out on the floor as he leaned back against the couch, arm cocked for another throw. His eyes were like a coiled rattlesnake’s, ready to strike with the slightest movement. Whatever had happened between him and Roy, Xavier was in a foul mood.

Fielding tried to go across the opening again, but the rubber ball was quick to launch from Xavier’s hand. It struck inches from Fielding’s head as he flinched, and Roman stepped in between them.

“Stop being such an asshole!” Roman shouted. “If you want me to leave you alone, then fine. But leave us alone, too!”

Xavier sprang to his feet and rushed him. The last time Roman had seen Xavier move that fast was when he’d spied on his brother touching himself. Xavier grabbed him by the front of his shirt and stretched it out as he hoisted Roman to the tips of his toes. The breath whooshed from his body as Xavier slammed his back against the wall.

“Hey!” Fielding shouted, but Xavier palmed his face and forced him away. Fielding’s glasses flung from his face as he stumbled to his hands and knees.

Xavier’s breath washed over Roman’s face, his eyes darting back and forth like a feral lion’s. Roman tried to keep the tears from welling in his eyes.

Don’t do it, he told himself. Don’t let him win. Roman’s hands trembled as he tried to pry Xavier’s from his shirt.

Something clicked in Xavier’s eyes. His brother looked down at Fielding and back at him before shaking his head and dropping Roman in a heap. Without another word, Xavier spun on his heels and walked back inside his suite.

“Just go away,” he said before swiping the rubber ball from the ground and retreating to his bedroom. The door slammed shut, and they both flinched.

Roman drew the back of his arm across his eyes, trying to hide the tears that he’d failed to stop.

“Are you alright?” he asked Fielding, who was making sure his glasses weren’t bent before testing them on his face.

“Are you?” he asked.

Roman shrugged and shakily stood back to his feet. Physically, he was fine, just shaken. But otherwise?

“Let’s just go upstairs,” he said, brushing past Fielding, knowing there was too much he wasn’t saying.

Fielding snatched his wrist and stopped him from climbing any higher.

“That was Xavier, wasn’t it?” Fielding asked. “He’s your brother.”

Roman nodded, not trusting himself to say anymore without getting choked up. There was little point in denying it now. He’d spent his whole life hearing how similar he and Xavier looked. Sure, Xavier had changed some with puberty, but the resemblances were unmistakable—their thin frames, their pale blonde hair, their clear blue eyes.

Fielding dropped his hand and pulled Roman into a hug. Maybe it was because of everything Xavier put him through over the past couple months, but Roman had to fight the urge to push Fielding away, instead keeping his arms pinned to his side. How messed up was he that even a hug felt foreign to his body?

When Fielding finally let go, he patted Roman softly on the back before the two of them finished their climb to the top floor.

End Chapter 6

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 5

Cooper’s body felt like death as he tried to clumsily smack the off button to his alarm.

How had 6:30 come so early? It seemed like only seconds ago when he closed his eyes and drifted down into a blissful dream were he was biking down the neighborhood streets and jumping into the lake at the rock quarry.  Man, he missed the summer.

Cooper covered his head with one of his pillows. The alarm could screech all it wanted as long as it meant more sleep. What did it matter if he made it to breakfast on time or not?

Across the room Anakin groaned out, “Cooper, turn it off!”

As Cooper slung the pillow from his face, forcing himself to roll over and turn off the alarm, he realized he had a problem. One he hadn’t considered when first thinking about how awesome it would be to have a roommate.

Cooper’s breath hitched as the tip of his boner dragged against his cloth pajamas. Why did these things always happen? No matter what he tried, every morning was a new, frustrating hard-on. Until he could find a way to escape to the bathroom and pee, his boner would refuse to back down. That’s how it always was. Worse still was that the more attention he gave it, the harder it felt. Cooper missed the easy days when random erections weren’t a part of daily life.

Outside the window, the sky was nothing more than a dim, pale light, and the room was still dark. If he moved quickly, then maybe Anakin wouldn’t see the bulge poking against his pajamas. It was that, or wait for his roommate to wake up and leave. But his bladder threatened to burst, and Cooper made up his mind. It was now or never.

As he pushed back his covers, Cooper’s ankle popped as he padded across the floor. He wasn’t sure what Anakin might see if his roommate’s eyes happened to be open, but he couldn’t stop now. Sticking his head out the door, Cooper double checked that no one was in their suite before sprinting into the bathroom’s toilet stall.

Like a jack in the box, Cooper’s fleshy pole sprang out the moment he lowered his pajamas. Peeing was so difficult this early in the morning. It was nearly painful to push his boner down and aim, and it wasn’t until a few seconds of conscious breathing and relaxing that a stream of steady pee finally gave way, splashing into the porcelain bowl with the force of a fire hose.

While he peed, his straining penis began to wilt, and by the time he finished, Cooper was able to tuck his drooping dick comfortably downward before walking back into his dorm room.

Anakin sat on the bed, fishing his leg into a new pair of pants as he shimmied them up his hips. There was an obvious bulge sticking up against Anakin’s briefs, and before his own little friend could betray him again, Cooper pivoted towards his half of the room in search of a new set of clothes.

When Anakin left for the shower, Cooper tried to shuck his pajamas, but his foot caught on the end as he hobbled around the room. With a jerk, the pajama leg snapped free, leaving him butt naked. Despite the warmth of the dorm room, chills crawled along his bare skin as he slipped into new underwear and dumped his old clothes in the hamper.

By the time Anakin returned, his hair was neatly styled with gel, and he was double checking the clothes on his body before asking, “I might come back and grab more later, but how does this look for now?”

“I think it’s fine,” Cooper said, doing his best to act like he hadn’t been hopping around naked moments before.

By the time they made it down to the banquet hall, Naveen and Julian were already seated. Cooper scratched his arm as a nauseous pit formed in his stomach. Would they say anything to him today or would he still be a total outcast?

Anakin placed a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Remember, who cares what they think?”

Cooper found it impossible to focus on much of anything as he grabbed his food. Unlike the night before, no servers came to their tables. Instead, a line of students waited their turn beside the row of steaming silver platters on the far table against the wall. Cooper let Anakin pass him so he wouldn’t have to be first to the table.

When they got back, Naveen said nothing, just ate through his plate of eggs as if Cooper wasn’t there. Julian, at least, gave him a quick glance and a meek smile, but that was all.

There was a quick jab from Anakin’s elbow as he pointed to Cooper’s plate of untouched food.

“Eat,” he mouthed.

Why bother? His appetite was hardly there.

“So, how’d everyone sleep last night?” Anakin asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

A couple of the girls at the table raised their eyebrows in lackluster responses, while Naveen gave a terse, “Fine.”

“Well, I slept great personally, but whoever decided breakfast was this early is a real cracked egg.”

Anakin slapped the table like he thought it was the funniest joke in the world, and Cooper jumped as Naveen’s chair scraped backwards against the floor.

“Come on, Julian.”

Taking his plate with him, Naveen marched towards the kitchen counter, dumped his food inside the trash bin, and left the banquet hall with a scowl on his face. The other Valentias at the table joined him until it was just Anakin and Cooper sitting alone.

“I think that could have gone worse,” Anakin offered with a shrug.

“How? They hate me,” Cooper moaned.

There was a clatter at the table as a plate was set down.

“They don’t hate you,” a familiar voice said. “You just have to give them some time.”

At the opposite end of the table, Jordy Diaz was slicing apart the sausage on his plate before popping a piece inside his mouth. His dreads were pulled back and secured under a crimson headband while he ate.

“What’re we supposed to do?” Anakin asked. “They think Cooper’s worse than a piece of crusty, moldy bread—no offense, Coop.”

“How is that not offensive?”

Jordy finished chewing before answering. “Having someone on your side is a good start. But you gotta be the one to show them, Cooper. Show them you belong here. That it’s about more than money. These people just want a reason to see that you’re like them.”

“But I don’t want to be like any of them—no offense, Anakin.”

“Uhh…”

“Still,” Jordy continued, “until you come up with a way to prove them wrong, they’ll keep seeing you as something you’re not. Trust me, I know better than most.”

“What does that mean?” Cooper asked.

Before Jordy could answer, a lean Asian boy with a rounded face plopped down with his food. His skin was like warm butter, and his smooth, jet-black hair was swooped to the side, nearly falling past one of his eyes. He and Jordy bumped fists before doing a complex handshake.

“Woah,” Anakin said.

“What he means,” the new boy said, “is that Jordy was our scholarship student back in 6th grade. The name’s Kai Feng.”

“Kai’s been my roommate ever since the beginning,” Jordy explained. “You won’t find a better guy around.”

“You were a scholarship student, Jordy?” Cooper asked. “But you’re on the student council! How did you do it?”

“Ah ah,” he wagged his finger. “Still am a scholarship student. And I’ll be one every year until I graduate, thank you very much.”

Kai coughed and muttered, “Unless you fail reading again.”

There was a hard knock against the table as Kai smacked his knee into the underside. Beside him, Jordy wore an angelic smile on his face. “Yes, unless I fail reading again.”

“But still, how did you do it? You have to tell me!”

“Sorry, buddyroo, no can do,” Jordy said. “If I tell you what I did, then that wouldn’t be true to you.”

Kai pointed his fork at Cooper. “Ignore his dumb rhymes. Listen, if this ugly block can win people over, then anything’s possible. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Something that was true to him? Cooper wasn’t sure Jordy’s advice would work like he thought, but it was worth giving a shot. After all, Cooper thought, peeking over at Anakin who was busy shoveling sausage in his mouth, he wasn’t alone anymore. With Anakin by his side, Cooper felt stronger, braver, like a bit of his roommate’s personality was rubbing off on him. Working together, the two of them could find a way to convince the other Valentias—no, convince everyone at Blue Ridge—that he belonged.

They had to.

***

Roman’s eyes snapped awake.

With a frantic jolt, he sprang up in bed and snatched the clock from his nightstand.

“Fielding, wake up! We slept in!”

“Huh?”

Roman chucked one of his pillows at the pile of lumpy covers across the room.

“We’re gonna be late. We have to go!”

Neither of them had set the alarms on their clocks, trusting they’d wake up in time on their own, but he’d underestimated how exhausted he’d be. Not anymore. Roman was wired as he leapt from his bed, dashing to his drawer and searching for a new set of clothes to wear.

“Are you sure there’s not time to shower?”

Fielding was still lying in bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“No, dude, come on!”

Roman tried to figure how long it might take them to dash down the steps of Fuerza’s rounded staircase and sprint across campus to the opening assembly. That was assuming they didn’t get lost along the way.

Roman dropped his shorts and underwear before turning back to see Fielding fumbling for the glasses on his nightstand. He rolled his eyes. There was no way he was going to let Fielding make them any later than they already were.

He slipped on new clothes. 8:17, the clock read now. Did he have enough time to brush his teeth? They’d missed breakfast already, so that was out. His parents liked to tell him first impressions were everything, but it seemed like no matter what choice he made, he was destined to mess up somehow.

Fielding ruffled his hands through his messy strawberry-blonde hair as he put on his shirt from the day before.

“I’ll just change later,” he said.

They left the room and glanced to their suitemates’ door. It was left open, and Ivan and Wyatt were nowhere to be seen.

“You would think they would have checked on us,” Roman muttered.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Fielding said, attempting to wave away Roman’s worries.

“Come on,” Roman said, using the handrail as he thundered down the many stairs.

Roman remembered the map from last night showing how they needed to cross most of the castle to reach the assembly area. The girls had it easy, since their dorms were right close by. Roman had never wished himself a girl, but maybe this once it would have come in handy.

The warm, dewy air filled his nostrils as they dashed full speed into the courtyard, and Fielding screeched as a trio of robins pecking at the ground got spooked and flapped in his face. An upperclassmen girl with her nose buried in her book peered up at them as they passed by. She brushed a loose strand of brown hair from her face before stopping them.

“You two headed to the assembly?” she asked, and after a quick nod, she said, “Keep going, turn the corner, and look for Professor Bell.”

Professor Bell. Great. Why was the universe determined to trip him up every step of the way?

They kept at a jog as they rounded the corner until finally—finally!—spotting the main doors leading into the assembly area. Roman swore to himself when he saw Professor Bell standing with a clipboard in his hands as he greeted two girls coming inside.

“Ahh, look who it is,” Professor Bell said with a smile. He checked something off his clipboard. “Always in a rush, aren’t we?”

“Sorry,” Roman said, failing to stop his cheeks from burning with embarrassment. “We slept in.”

“And missed breakfast!” Fielding offered, working to catch his breath.

Professor Bell leaned over and gave them the okay sign. “Listen, it happens. I’d say don’t sweat it, but you,” he said, pointing to Fielding, “are already sweating it looks like.”

Fielding grinned while he fanned himself and tugged on his shirt collar.

“Really, don’t worry. You aren’t the last ones, and you have some time to spare. Come on in.”

The assembly room was a gymnasium, nicer than any Roman had been inside before. Perched along the backdrop of the sleek, stone gray walls were four large colored banners, each emblazoned with a golden letter for each of Blue Ridge’s Houses.

In the center of the room were several foldout tables draped in Blue Ridge’s navy cloths. Members of the student council stood around them chatting, while Headmaster Robinson sipped from the steaming mug in his hands.

It was obvious he and Fielding were one of the last to arrive, and Roman easily spotted Ivan’s tankish body out of the other 6^th graders, sitting hunched beside Wyatt.

“Why didn’t you guys wake us up?” Roman whispered as he squeezed into an open seat. “We were nearly late.”

“I told him we were fine,” Fielding said, but Roman shot him daggers.

Ivan grunted, and Wyatt shrugged, which might have been the best response Roman could have expected.

As one final girl wandered inside the gymnasium, Roman’s stomach growled. How was he supposed to survive until lunch on an empty stomach?

When Professor Bell closed the gymnasium doors, everyone around Roman started cheering, and soon Headmaster Robinson was hailing them all for silence. He cleared his throat before leaning in to the podium microphone.

“Welcome, again, to your first day at Blue Ridge. Before the main assembly with the rest of your fellow students, our Blue Ridge Buddies would like to give you an orientation.”

He took another sip from his mug as one of his gray strands of hair curled over his tired face. Yesterday his headmaster reminded Roman of a tiger, but this early in the morning, maybe a skeleton was more like it.

“Thank you, Headmaster Robinson,” Professor Bell said while rubbing his hands together. “Encouraging as always. Alright, everybody! This is my favorite part of the year, meeting all the bright young faces. Before we get started, you should know that all of the students you’ll hear from today were elected by your other classmates. Your voices are important. They make a difference.”

Professor Bell had the students introduce themselves, although Roman didn’t see the point in memorizing everyone’s names. Who cared? Most of the student council were sophomores or older, including the class president. By the time Roman got to be their age, they’d be long gone. Instead, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and fought off a yawn.

Last to introduce himself was an eighth grader named Jordy Diaz. Unlike the other Blue Ridge Buddies, Jordy’s applause was loud enough to startle him awake. For some reason, the loudest cheers came from the Valentias sitting right behind him.

“Hey, everybody,” Jordy said, scratching through the thick tangle of dreads on his head. “Not much to know about me, really. I love having a good time, playing soccer, you know. Like everyone else here, you can always count on me for whatever you need! Go, Valentia!”

Oh, Valentia, that explained it. Why didn’t Fuerza have anyone cool like Jordy they could cheer for? After Jordy was done, Roman waited for the rest of the students to arrive. He and Fielding played finger wars until everyone showed up and Headmaster Robinson began again. Now it wasn’t just the 6^th graders, but everyone in the school, teachers and students, and even that weird guard from the front gates, Roy Rochester.

Headmaster Robinson droned on, and between learning about the clubs and even getting a look ahead at some of the school wide festivities, Roman couldn’t keep his head straight. He was still so hungry, and honestly, he wouldn’t mind a little more sleep.

“All in the name of your Houses,” Headmaster Robinson explained. “Many of you know the long lineage of competition born from our school. Those who have proven themselves here have often found themselves accomplishing great things beyond these walls. Which brings me to our final announcement before we dismiss you to your classes.”

Brought to the center of the table was a large fishbowl with an assortment of ping pong balls matching their house colors inside. Standing not far from the fishbowl was Professor Gray, the professor whose oily strands of greasy black hair made Roman’s insides squirm. He half expected a swarm of flies to be partying over the man’s head. For the first time that morning, he was glad he didn’t eat breakfast.

“Blue Ridge’s annual fall competition,” Headmaster Robinson explained, “will be comprised of five events: the suite challenge and the solo events.”

Roman jerked his head up. The competitions! Now he was awake. This was what he’d been most excited for! His eyes flicked to the back of Xavier’s head a few rows down the bleachers. Back when they still talked, the House competitions were always some of Xavier’s favorite memories at Blue Ridge.

“Our suite challenge will be held at the end of the week. As always, we expect great effort from all our Houses, no matter the age group. That is the Blue Ridge way.” A hush fell over the students as Headmaster Robinson dug through the fishbowl. When he pulled out a blue ping pong ball, he held it close, building suspense as long as possible before announcing, “The Great Canoe Race!”

Just as Roman expected, the Fuerzas applauded loudest, stomping their feet on the bleachers over the cheering of the other students. Strength was what Fuerza was all about. Roman couldn’t have been happier as he pumped his fist. With someone like Ivan on their side, the other 6th grade Houses didn’t stand a chance.

Roman was buzzing by the time Headmaster Robinson dismissed them all to their first classes. Come Saturday, he was ready to show everyone how much the Fuerzas were about to dominate in the competition.

End Chapter 5

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 4

Cooper had never been so alone.

From the moment their headmaster outed him as the scholarship student, Cooper’s stomach was tangled knots. The rest of dinner was nothing but stuffy silence or whispered conversations that didn’t include him. None of the other Valentias would even look at him. Not even Anakin.

Getting back to his suite was the longest ten minutes of Cooper’s life.

The moment they reached their bedrooms, Naveen and Julian slipped inside and slammed their door shut. Why was it such a big deal to them that he got the scholarship? Was it something they wanted instead?

He stared blankly after them, his heartstrings ready to snap as he fought against every urge to call his parents and have them take him from this awful, stupid place. They would be there by the morning, and then Blue Ridge would be nothing but a painful memory. But then that would only make him a quitter, and Cooper swore to himself that he would never give up on anything he tried.

At the top of the steps, Anakin pretended to find interest in the old portraits hanging on the wall.

How could everything have gone so wrong? He had been willing to give the school a chance, trusted his parents’ advice, and where did that get him?

Legs numb beneath him, Cooper barely registered the walk to his bedroom. Their belongings were stacked in the center of the room, and Cooper dragged his suitcase over before sitting against the side of his bed. Inside his suitcase, his favorite, well-loved copy of Detective Dackery lay on top of his clothes.

Cooper clutched the book to his chest, hanging his head as the tears finally spilled out. What would his hero do in a situation like this? Had the famous detective ever been in such a hopeless situation? Every time Cooper thought he might be done crying, his heart hurt all over again, and the tears continued.

“Cooper?”

He ignored Anakin’s voice, even as the door closed and he heard the sounds of his roommate sliding down against the wall across from him.

Cooper wasn’t sure how much time passed, but he knew his shirt was soaked, and he was dribbling snot from his nose. When he wiped his forearm across his face, Anakin was still seated. The yellow scarf normally around Anakin’s neck was held out in his hand.

“I don’t want your scarf,” he said through a stuffy nose. “Besides, that’s really gross.”

“Take it anyway,” Anakin said, holding it out. “It helps me feel better.”

“What do you care?” Cooper spat.

Anakin slowly lowered the scarf and released a heavy sigh. “Cooper, I’m sorry I ignored you. I just didn’t know what to say. And then everything got really awkward with everyone, and I guess I got cold feet…but I know that’s just a lame excuse.”

Cooper wiped more snot from his nose but said nothing.

“Who cares about the scholarship stuff? It’s bullshit anyway. Anyone who makes a big deal out of it doesn’t know you.”

“You don’t know me, either,” Cooper said weakly.

“I haven’t known you long,” Anakin corrected, “but long enough to know I like hanging around you. Cooper, I’m a big, freakin’, dummy idiot, but please. I want to be your friend. Please, will you forgive me?”

The book grew tighter against Cooper’s chest. He wanted so desperately to have someone at Blue Ridge he could call his friend. But it hurt so much still.

Taking a slow, shaky breath, Cooper wiped his nose one more time before setting his book down in his lap.

“Do you think the others hate me?”

Anakin scratched his temple as he stared at the wall dividing their room from Naveen and Julian’s.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “At least, I hope not. But it might take some time for them to come around. I guess some people are just weird about money stuff when it comes to Blue Ridge. We just have to show them how much they’re wrong.”

“We?” Cooper asked.

Anakin smiled. “Totally. Cooper, I meant what I said. I want to be your friend, and that means sticking by your side no matter what. I messed up, but I promise, I won’t let it happen again.”

When Anakin held out his fist, Cooper wasn’t sure he could do it. Wasn’t sure he could build up the courage to open himself up again. What if it all came crashing down in the end, and he was left humiliated? There’d be nothing but broken pieces left.

Be brave, he told himself. Brave like Detective Dackery. Like the time with Sawyer and the dog.

Bumping fists with Anakin was the hardest thing Cooper had ever done, but the moment he did, Anakin crawled over and gave him a hug. Even though his snotty face was buried in Anakin’s shoulder, his roommate didn’t seem to mind.

“Thank you, Cooper,” he said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise I won’t let you down.”

Later in the evening, as they spent time unpacking their bags, Cooper finished much sooner than Anakin, who easily had three or four times the amount of bags Cooper brought. By the time all his clothes were sorted, Anakin grimaced as he stretched out his back from hunching over so long.

“Why do you have so many clothes?” Cooper asked.

“Uhh, duh,” Anakin said, gesturing to the mismatched clothes all on his body. “It’s kind of my thing. Wouldn’t you be bored wearing the same thing all the time?”

Honestly, it had never crossed his mind. Sure, his parents packed his favorite shirts for him, but after that, pants were just pants, and nobody could see his socks and underwear, so what did those matter?

“I guess,” Cooper said with a shrug.

“Here, I’ll tell you what. If you ever want to wear something different, you can borrow some of my clothes since we’re about the same size.”

“Really? Thanks,” Cooper said and picked up the student handbook from his nightstand.

When he opened to the rules section, he expected to find a page or two at most, but instead, the list kept going, page after page after endless page. What kind of monster took pleasure in making so many rules for them to follow? It would take ages to memorize everything!

Some of the rules were generic, like how they were responsible for their own laundry on their assigned day or making sure they were taking care of personal hygiene. There were entire pages set aside for extracurriculars: rules for the lake, for the stables, for swimming, archery, and more. Did those even matter? Cooper couldn’t imagine himself doing half the activities he skimmed through. The rules continued on and on: classroom rules, homework rules, rules for trespassing in staff housing, rules for curfew and wandering campus after lights out. So many that by the time Cooper read through them all, his brain was mushed bananas, and he’d already forgotten half of them.

He groaned and fell back on his pillow with the handbook flopped over his face.

“Cooper, listen,” Anakin said. “Relax. All you have to do is follow my #1 Rule: Don’t Do Stupid Stuff. You do that, and you’ll be fine!”

Easy for him to say. Anakin didn’t have anything to prove to the people at Blue Ridge. Cooper slid the handbook from his face as Anakin pulled a spiral bound notebook from his bag, the kind that flipped over the top rather than side to side. The way Anakin cradled it in his hands reminded Cooper of his Detective Dackery book.

“What’s that?” Cooper asked.

The dark green cover showed a pencil adding the finishing touches on a beautiful hand-drawn tree in the sun.

Cooper’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t know you liked to draw! Can I see your pictures?”

“No!” Anakin shouted, pulling the book to his chest.

“What? Why not?”

“It’s just,” Anakin paused, “it’s embarrassing. No one’s ever seen them before. Besides, they’re not even that good.”

“Show me, anyway?” Cooper asked.

For a second, Cooper thought Anakin might shove the spiral notebook back inside the safety of his luggage, but in the end, he flipped open the cover and handed it to Cooper.

“Just be careful with them, okay?”

Cooper traced his thumb along the textured paper as he admired the detail in Anakin’s work. The first drawing was a sketch of a boy hanging from a tire swing. His body was craned back as he grasped the rope with one hand, mouth wide open in a grin as his hair danced across his face. Leaves fluttered down from the tree, adding to the scattered piles on the ground, and despite the sketch being in pencil, Cooper knew right away it was autumn.

Anakin was faced the other way, unable to look over as Cooper flipped through more of the pages. Pictures of landscapes, portraits of people, all in motion. They weren’t perfect, obviously, but there was so much love and care and detail in each one that Cooper couldn’t help but stop and admire them all.

“You’re not saying anything. I told you they were bad.”

“Anakin, these are some of the best drawings I’ve ever seen!”

His roommate turned around then, a dark blush painted across his cheeks as Cooper looked through a few more. On the most recent pages were sketches of clothing: scarves, shirts, tops, pants, shoes, all with notes jotted beside them.

“I want to be a fashion designer one day,” Anakin explained, gesturing to the tablet like it explained everything.

“Anakin, these are really good. I wish I knew how to draw.”

“Thanks, Coop.”

A smile spread across his face. Anakin called him Coop. No one, not even Sawyer, had ever given him a nickname. And it felt so natural, like that was the way Anakin had always said it.

Suddenly, a massive yawn betrayed how tired he was, and Cooper had to wipe away the blurriness from his eyes as he handed Anakin back the sketch pad. The clock on their nightstands only read 10:30, but the day had been jam-packed ever since arriving.

Anakin slipped off his yellow infinity scarf before removing his shirt. The skinny, bare-chested boy set them neatly in the corner hamper. When Anakin unsnapped the button of his jeans and pulled them down, Cooper gulped.

Like most of Anakin’s clothes, his briefs hugged his body like they were molded especially for him. It didn’t take a genius to spot the curvature of Anakin’s soft penis inside his snug briefs, and Cooper turned away in embarrassment, grabbing his pajamas before darting quickly out of their dorm and into the open bathroom.

Closing himself inside the private toilet stall, Cooper quickly shed his shorts and underwear before sticking his foot through the leg of his pajamas. No way was he risking anyone seeing him undress! His bare penis flopped against his balls as he pulled the waistband up to his belly button. At any moment, he expected a head to peek above or below the stall door, but it was only his paranoia. Uggh, why was he wigging out so much? By the time he left the stall, the bathroom was just as empty as when he started.

Back inside the room, Anakin was already under the silky red sheets.

“Why’d you leave?” he asked.

“Uhh, had to use the bathroom,” Cooper lied. “I figured I’d change in there, too.”

“Oh, okay,” Anakin shrugged and then adjusted the throne of pillows propped behind his head.

After the lights went out, all Cooper could see was a blade of pale moonlight slicing against the window. Other than the occasional chirping cricket or cicada, all was still and silent. He was nearly asleep when Anakin’s voice cut through the dark.

“Hey, Coop?” he asked in a loud whisper.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry again about before. I really am glad we’re roommates.”

Cooper choked out the words, “Me too,” before he quietly cried into his pillow, his heart swelling with happiness. No, Anakin wasn’t Sawyer. No, Blue Ridge wasn’t the perfect way he imagined starting middle school. But maybe that was okay. Maybe there was enough good here if he looked for it hard enough.

***

The first time Xavier left for Blue Ridge, Roman was nine years old, crying his heart out as he clamped on to his brother’s leg.

Roman would have done anything to stop him from leaving. Gone was the person who spent countless hours playing video games with him when their parents weren’t around. Gone was the person who always knew how to make him laugh with a funny joke, or the person who let him crawl inside his bed when a fierce storm swept through. It was agony, and Roman made sure to write Xavier anytime he had the chance. He even stuffed some of his crayon drawings inside his letters. Anything to remind Xavier of home.

When Christmas break came, Roman begged to ride in the Tesla with his mom to pick up Xavier from school. He didn’t even care that his dad was going to miss Christmas as long as it meant Xavier was home. A couple weeks was better than none at all.

Xavier might have crushed him in a bear hug if Roman wasn’t squeezing his brother twice as hard. By the time they made it back to the house, Roman’s head was stuffed like a turkey with all the amazing things Xavier told him about Blue Ridge. Xavier even got to have his own roommate for sleepovers every night! It only made Roman want to go even more. After the two weeks of winter break finished, Xavier left again for the rest of the school year. To his nine-year-old self, May was an eternity away.

Later that summer, after Xavier finished 6th grade, Roman was shocked when the top of his head didn’t reach as high as he remembered. It was only a few inches, but Xavier had hit a growth spurt. A little cloud of gloominess seemed to follow Xavier, and Roman wondered if his brother would have rather been at Blue Ridge instead of spending his summer at home. Over a game of horse one day, Roman asked him.

“It’s not that, it’s just—” Clang! Xavier’s shot bounced off the rim as Roman chased it down. “People like Logan, Professor Bell, and my other professors, they’re always…I don’t know, there for me, you know?”

When Roman missed his next shot, he frowned as the ball clattered off the backboard. “I’m always here for you, too.”

Xavier scratched his forehead. “No, yeah, I know. I don’t mean it that way. But I never have to wonder who’s going to be around, because at school, everyone always is. I don’t know, I just miss that, I guess.”

Roman grabbed the basketball and held it by his side.

“You mean like Dad.”

“Mom, too. I mean, it’s summer break! How many days have they even been here? Dad even missed last Christmas!”

“That wasn’t his fault,” Roman snapped back. He swiped away the sweat stinging his eyes. “He had to work.”

Xavier sighed in the way that said, This is why I don’t tell you big kid things, because you don’t understand.

“I know. It’s fine, Roman.”

It’s true their parents weren’t around much, but when he couldn’t count on them, Roman had Xavier, and the two brothers spent the hot, summer days hanging out with each other until the day arrived when Xavier had to leave for his second year.

That’s when everything changed.

That winter, their reunion was a quieter one as they picked up Xavier from Blue Ridge. It was like he was suddenly less interested in the amazing things he got to do at school. He was still Xavier, but he was also somehow different. Not in some weird body snatchers kind of way, but more like a piece of his personality had been chipped apart.

Over the holiday, Xavier only wanted to spend his free time locked inside his bedroom. It didn’t matter how often Roman banged on his door. Pleaded for his brother to play with him. Begged him!

When Xavier finally ripped his bedroom door open and shoved him, Roman smashed the back of his head against the wall. It shocked him more than anything, and Roman felt like a baby for crying in his mom’s lap on the living room couch.

Xavier was getting older, she told him, and needed his privacy, but Roman didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense why Xavier didn’t want to spend time with him anymore. Maybe if their dad was around, he’d know how to cheer Xavier up, but only a few days after Christmas, he was gone for another long movie shoot.

When Xavier left again, it was the first time they didn’t hug goodbye, and Roman’s heart stung the whole ride back. This time there were no letters from either of them.

Things hit their worst point after Xavier finished 7th grade. Their house was a ghost town, and the only time Roman ever saw Xavier was sometimes at breakfast or dinner or whenever they passed each other in the hallway. Without Xavier to hang out with, summer break meant nothing, and boredom was gnawing at him like a dog on a bone.

During an early June afternoon, Roman had reached peak boredom and wanted to swim in the pool. Already in his swim trunks, he draped his towel across his shoulder as he left his bedroom. Roman’s curiosity was piqued when he saw Xavier’s door cracked open.

Xavier never left his door open anymore. Roman knew it was possible his brother was somewhere else in the house, but a groan from inside squashed that theory, and Roman pressed his eye to the crack.

The last time he’d seen Xavier naked was a few years ago when they still bathed together. Now, Roman’s mouth hung open when he saw how Xavier’s mood swings weren’t the only thing different about him lately.

With the sunlight streaming through Xavier’s window, Roman could just make out the darker blonde bush of hair around the base of Xavier’s penis as his brother panted in short, sharp gasps. He lay spread eagle on the mattress as he tugged and twisted his hard dick.

Roman wasn’t stupid. He was nearly in middle school. He knew his brother was doing sex, or at least, some form of it. Xavier’s moans made it sound like he was in pain, but if he was, why would he keep hurting himself? Instead, the moaning increased as his toes curled and his hips lifted off the mattress.

All at once, Xavier tensed, peering down his torso as several sharp bursts of something white spewed from the end of his penis. Whatever it was plopped on his abs with a wet splat before his brother’s sweaty head hit the pillow.

Shocked to feel a tightness in his swim trunks, Roman reached down and squeezed the tiny nail poking up inside his shorts. It happened to him sometimes, but he’d never made a connection with being hard and what Xavier was doing to himself. As Roman leaned closer, the towel slipped from his shoulder and crumpled to the floor.

Roman’s body turned to ice. When Xavier’s head whipped his way, Roman barely had enough time to step back before Xavier stomped forward, his still-hard dick wagging away, and slammed the door shut with the loudest bang Roman ever heard.

Xavier didn’t talk to him for three days after that.

The next weekend, however, Xavier wanted to play games on the Playstation with him. Roman worried if he questioned it, the one chance he had at having his brother back would be squashed like a bug. For a few hours, it was like old times: playing, talking, joking around, but then Xavier set his controller down and asked if Roman wanted to swim. When Roman came back, ready to go, Xavier was still dressed.

“I was waiting for you,” his brother said in his scratchy, raspy voice, yet another sign of getting older, like his short hairs.

“Waiting for me?” Roman asked, but Xavier said nothing as he removed his shirt and stripped from his shorts and underwear.

Seeing his brother’s junk up close, there was way more hair than Roman would have guessed. They were only slightly darker than the faint, pale color of Xavier’s eyebrows. Roman thought it was awesome the way they scrunched around the base of his penis, accentuated by his brother’s smooth, bronze skin. Xavier’s penis stretched and lifted from his drooping balls until its veiny stalk twitched outward a thin five inches. It looked enormous.

“You can touch it if you want,” Xavier said in a low, breathy voice.

He was about to reach out, when something caught Roman’s eye. All along Xavier’s hip were little crescent moons indenting his skin.

“What are those?” Roman asked and pointed.

“Don’t worry about it,” Xavier said as he shielded his hip. “It’s nothing.”

Roman didn’t want to disappoint his brother, and he was curious about the steely hardness in front of him, so he ignored the marks and carefully reached out until his fingers brushed against the velvety skin of Xavier’s erection. It was hot and spongy, different than when he poked and flicked his own tiny rod. Interested to see the reaction he would get, Roman curled his fingers around his brother’s boner and moved his arm like Xavier did a few days before.

Xavier’s eyes fluttered closed as he released a breathy moan, and Roman was encouraged to continue, especially when Xavier gently ran his fingers through Roman’s soft hair. The touch made the hairs on Roman’s neck stand, and he shivered as his own boner perked up against the inner lining of his swimsuit.

After a couple minutes, his brother started panting before his body clenched and he shot the white stuff again. When he did, his face grimaced, and Xavier’s fingers clutched too tightly around his hair.

“Let go,” Roman whined, wincing as more of the white liquid pulsed on his hand before spilling to the floor.

After that, Xavier didn’t want to swim, his demeanor suddenly shifting as he demanded Roman leave his room. When the door shut in his face, Roman was left alone to clean the sticky, drippy remnants on his hand. Swimming didn’t seem so great to him anymore either.

As Roman’s summer before Blue Ridge went on, Xavier went through the same cycles: warming up to Roman, getting what he wanted, and shunning him right after.

Why he let Xavier use him, Roman couldn’t answer. Maybe he wanted so desperately to get his brother’s love and affection back that he was willing to do anything it took to feel connected again. But he hated his brother’s mood swings. Hated the way he lashed out at him and hurt him. Why couldn’t Xavier just be nice like he used to be?

Fast forward to that morning when they were ready to load their bags for Blue Ridge, and Roman wasn’t really shocked when Xavier sucker punched him in the ribs. Hurt, of course, but not surprised.

Xavier loomed over him as Roman clutched his stomach and gasped for air on the bedroom floor.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from me at Blue Ridge.”

*

Roman awoke from his dream with a startled gasp. His forehead was damp with sweat as his heart jackhammered inside his chest. His sweaty, sleeveless t-shirt stuck to his chest, and it took Roman several seconds to remember he was in the safety of his dorm room.

He steadied his breath and flopped back against the pillow. From his dresser, the clock read 4:37, far too early to wake up or start the day. Still, he couldn’t sleep.

Roman tossed the comforter back to let the cool air kiss his skin.

A whisper across the room made him jump.

“Roman, are you okay?” Fielding asked.

“I’m fine,” he whispered. “Just a bad dream.”

There was a long quiet that followed, so long that Roman thought Fielding might have gone back to sleep, but eventually he asked, “Who’s Xavier?”

Roman swore in his head. There was no way to know what he let slip while dreaming. And how could Roman even begin to explain?

“No one,” Roman answered. “Don’t worry about it.”

Another long pause.

“Okay…” Fielding finally said.

It was better to lie than face the truth. That was how it had to be. It hurt less that way.

With a sigh, Roman closed his eyes and tried to focus on the better days, back when Xavier still loved Roman as much as Roman loved him.

End Chapter 4

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 3

As the storybook castle loomed above, Cooper and Anakin kicked a soccer ball back and forth. It beat being stuck in their room the rest of the afternoon, and as the mist covering the grounds began to clear, the day was getting nicer by the hour.

The mountain breeze tickled the back of Cooper’s neck as he passed the ball forward, thankful for the few seasons of rec soccer he played a couple years ago. At least he was doing better than Anakin, who kept having to chase the ball down each time he jabbed it with his toe.

All day it seemed like they’d met new people. Cooper’s head was spinning with all the names he had to remember. The moment he learned one person, it was like a new one appeared out of nowhere to introduce themselves. How was he ever supposed to manage?

Thankfully one person Cooper didn’t have any trouble remembering was a Latino boy named Jordy Diaz. He was all personality, from the tips of his Jordans all the way to the top of his floppy head of thick dreads. The moment Jordy spotted the two of them, he jumped right in as if they were old friends who’d known each other for years.

There was something about Jordy that everyone seemed to love, even the really big kids. Jordy was only an 8th grader, lean and scrappy and not very tall yet, but hardly anyone passed by without stopping to high-five or fist bump Jordy along the way. Now as he rainbowed the soccer ball over his shoulder with ease, Jordy’s richly tan skin glistened in the sun. Cooper was drawn to him like a magnet.

When Jordy asked what house they were both in, he jabbed a thumb into his chest. “You lucked out with yours truly. Not only am I a Valentia like you, but I’m also a Blue Ridge Buddy.”

“Blue Ridge Buddy?” Cooper asked.

Jordy juggled the ball between his feet while Anakin removed his scarf and set it neatly on the grass.

“Kind of a dumb name, I know. Think of it like the student council. I help out new students like yourselves, organize events, team bonding, things like that. Most of us are older, but I guess they saw something special in me.”

“That’s really cool,” Cooper said truthfully.

“Well, just know if you need anything, I’m the guy to ask. Just say the word!”

Cooper thought back to what his dad said about Headmaster Robinson right before leaving. What were Jordy’s thoughts on their principal? Maybe the man had completely changed from the person his dad remembered. It had been over twenty years, after all.

“Hey, I’ve got a question,” Anakin said. “Do all the teachers live with us or something, because yuck if so.”

“That’d be pretty terrible, right?” Jordy agreed with a laugh. “No, take a look behind you. See that path?”

Jordy pointed toward a winding cobblestone path stretched far across the grassy fields. Every so often, a set of unlit lampposts dotted the path until both the path and the lantern disappeared from sight deep into the woods.

“That’s where the professors live. Only Headmaster Robinson and a few others stay in the castle, but they have their own wing. It’s a bit of a walk, if you ask me, but the professors’ houses are pretty cozy, like a little village. If you want, I can show you guys around.”

“That’s alright,” Anakin said. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Suit yourself,” Jordy said as he passed Cooper the ball.

When Cooper asked about the different students at Blue Ridge, he learned that Blue Ridge Academy only accepted a total of thirty two students every year, sixteen boys and sixteen girls. Eventually those 6th graders became 12th graders, and every year, a new bunch came in to fill the gaps left by the graduating seniors.

“Your classes are intermixed, of course,” Jordy said. “You’ll share classes with the other girl Valentias and the newbies from Fuerza as well. They’re the ones with all the purple.”

Anakin’s kick went wide, and as he hunted down the ball, Cooper wondered about the other two roommates from their suite. What were their personalities like? Would they want to hang out together outside of class? Would they even like him?

“Cooper, watch out!” Jordy called.

A football spiraled straight towards his head, and Cooper had just enough time to duck before getting plowed down by an older boy. He tumbled to the grassy dirt and landed on his butt. Standing above him was a tall, thin boy whose short, pale-blonde hair gleamed white in the sunlight.

Further away, another boy laughed and shouted out, “Way to go, Xavier!”

Xavier leaned over and stretched out his hand, but when Cooper went to grab it, Xavier continued past him and plucked the football from the ground instead. It wasn’t until he stood that he glanced down at Cooper.

“Sorry about that,” he said, sounding anything but sorry. “Guess I didn’t see you there.”

Cooper was about to shout back where this jerk could shove his football when, out of nowhere, Jordy ran up and slung an arm around Xavier’s neck.

“Come on, Xavier,” Jordy said. “Don’t be like that. What do you say we help my buddy Cooper out and give him an apology?”

Before Cooper got tackled, everyone was minding their own business, hanging out with whatever friend cliques they’d huddled up in, but now…there was only staring, silence, and loaded breaths ready to fire with whatever came next.

Xavier seemed to notice, too. After a quick glance around, he spat in the dirt beside Cooper before forcefully dragging him to his feet. Cooper thought his shoulder would rip from its socket. He couldn’t be sure what he saw warring across Xavier’s face—a frown, maybe, or something else—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, and without another word, Xavier ran off with his friend.

Cooper brushed the wavy brown hair from his eyes. When Jordy and Anakin ran over, they practically spun him in circles inspecting him for any dents or damages. Other than his palms stinging a little and the grass stains on his shorts, Cooper was alright.

“Dude, Jordy,” Anakin said, “you’re like a freakin’ superhero. I thought that guy was gonna beat the shit out of you.”

“He could try,” Jordy said with a sly grin. “But then I’d have to bust out a little Judo on him.”

“Is he always like that?” Cooper asked.

Jordy shrugged. “Didn’t use to be, I guess. Try and give Xavier some distance, if you can. You know what they say about sleeping dogs and all that.”

“Yeah, well he seems like a royal jerk to me,” Anakin said. “Besides, Cooper didn’t even do anything. Xavier was the one who started it. If you ever end up kicking his ass, I want a front row seat.”

Cooper laughed with Jordy, and soon they joined a few others who had taken to the grass, kicking the ball until the sun plunged towards the nearby mountain peaks. The sweat was beginning to sting his eyes, and Cooper was grateful as a heavy bell chimed from somewhere deep within the castle walls.

“Looks like it’s time for the opening ceremony!” Jordy said. “We better get moving.”

“Come on,” Anakin said to Cooper. “Let’s hurry inside. I want a good seat.”

“Wait, your scarf!” Cooper said, and Anakin bumped fists with him before throwing it back over his head with his other mismatched clothes.

Rushing up the rounded staircase leading into the castle’s main entrance, Cooper and Anakin followed the stream of students until they reached the wide, double doors of the banquet hall. Inside, crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceiling around the room, casting light across the four different colored cloths covering each table. Near the back of the room was a raised platform where many adults were already seated at the long, rectangular tables stationed there. Each of them was dressed in the same, identical navy blue suits.

From the covered platters along the side wall, a delicious smell like seasoned meat wafted his way, making his stomach growl. Cooper wasn’t sure if it was possible to eat himself into a food coma, but he thought it was worth a shot.

With Jordy’s help, they found their table, draped with a red cloth for Valentia. Already two other boys were seated, and a couple girls across from them. Cooper and Anakin took two of the open seats.

“What’s up? You must be our other suitemates,” the first of the boys said. “I’m Naveen.”

Naveen’s coppery skin reminded Cooper of a penny, and his smooth, dark hair was streaked with auburn. They learned Naveen and his twin sister Nadia, another Valentia at the table, were originally from south Florida.

“And then our mom’s from India, but our dad’s Irish,” Naveen said, waving his words away as if he’d shared them a thousand times before. “It’s a long story how they met.”

Beside Naveen was a boy with a thick accent named Julian, whose short sandy brown hair crested like little waves on his head. Apparently he came from Poland two years before, where most of his time before Blue Ridge was spent getting tutored in English at a private school in New York City.

“English still tough sometimes,” he said while concentrating on his words. “But I get better more each day.”

“Is Poland nice?” Cooper asked. He’d never been out of the country before.

Before Julian could answer, Anakin tugged on the yellow scarf around his neck. “Yeah, well my family’s also from New York City. It’s basically the greatest city on the whole Earth.”

Naveen was quick to counter. “New York is not the greatest city.”

“Is too!”

Cooper rolled his eyes. Not even five minutes had passed, and already drama was starting.

Julian leaned between their two arguing suitemates and said, “Is nice, Poland. Cooler weather. Where’s family from?”

“Me?” He blinked, not sure how to answer. Anakin and Naveen both paused to listen in. “Nowhere special, really. It’s a small town called Misty Pines in Virginia. Pretty sure my parents spent their whole lives there!”

Something made Naveen squint his eyes and ask, “What do your parents do?”

But before Cooper could answer, a fierce clinking pierced the chatter inside the banquet hall. All eyes fell upon an older man with salt and pepper hair hunched at a podium in front of the other professors. Each of his lanky arms stretched like branches from a tree as he lifted his glass into the air. His was the only Blue Ridge uniform with black and purple trim. Right away, Cooper recognized him from the painted portraits hanging on the walls of their suite.

With a raised chin, the man cleared his throat and panned across the four 6th grade tables, making it a priority to lock eyes with as many as he could. Cooper couldn’t keep the chills running down his arms when the man swept his gaze over him.

“My name is Headmaster Robinson,” he said. “Welcome to Blue Ridge Academy.”

***

Headmaster Robinson’s smile made Roman shiver in his seat. The stripes of gray in their principal’s hair, along with the fierce gleam in his eye, reminded Roman of a tiger hunting for prey.

When Headmaster Robinson spoke about the four Houses of Blue Ridge, it was with great pride as he explained their meanings: Valentia, red house of Bravery; Sagesse, blue house of Wisdom; Ehre, green house of Honor; and finally, his own—Fuerza, purple house of Strength.

Everyone cheered loudest for their own house, and their applause swelled like a crashing wave inside the banquet hall. Roman joined the Fuerzas in pounding their fists on the purple table cloths in a show of might. There was no doubt about it. Fuerza was the best house to be in.

Roman paused in his cheering to take in his suitemates. First there was Ivan. Roman wasn’t convinced Ivan was really in 6^th grade. The kid was huge and built like a tank, and he already had the faint outlines of a mustache on his upper lip. He was so lucky. Even his voice was husky—a lot more like Xavier’s than the rest of their squeaky little-boy voices.

Then there was Wyatt. He thumped the table with the rest of the Fuerzas, but each of his strikes came about as loudly as Wyatt spoke, which hadn’t been much at all. Actually, Roman thought, had he even heard Wyatt speak a full sentence since dinner started? He’d have to figure out a way to get him to talk. Roman found himself admiring Wyatt’s long sandy brown hair and the way he kept it parted in a swoop. He shook the thought from his head before that funny, fluttery feeling that something popped up could settle in his stomach.

As he did, Roman locked eyes with Fielding who gave him a toothy grin. Despite his best efforts, the butterflies hit his stomach anyway.

“Of course,” Headmaster Robinson continued, “each of our houses are led by our extraordinary faculty, who you will continue to meet throughout your long journeys here.”

The professors came up in groups of four, each introducing themselves briefly before stepping back. Professor Bell was met with thunderous applause from many of the upperclassmen around the room. Fielding snickered and poked him in the side.

“Roman, now’s your chance. Tackle him before he gets away!”

“How about I tackle you?” Roman shot back.

Other than the abundance of love for Professor Bell, most of the teachers at Blue Ridge were greeted about the same until a man stepped up with black, wiry hair that fell like strings from his head, Professor Gray. Hushed whispers filled the room.

Fielding only shrugged when Roman looked to him for answers. None of the 6th graders understood the sudden shift in mood until fragments of words reached Romans ears:

“…why would they…”

“…not even alumni…”

“…only professor…”

“…not one of us…”

Professor Gray’s face remained stoic as Headmaster Robinson returned to the podium. As he cleared his throat for silence, it took longer for the tables to quiet, but in the end, all eyes fell back on the leader of the school.

“Before we begin our celebration tonight, I would like to take a moment to introduce this year’s scholarship student, offered as always to an incoming 6th grader in the community. I expect you will all give the warmest of welcomes to this year’s recipient, Cooper Morrow.”

Even without Headmaster Robinson gesturing to Valentia’s table, there was no way Roman could have missed the expressions of shock, confusion, and disgust aimed toward the wavy-haired boy hanging his head.

The uncomfortable silence was only made worse by the occasional burst of halfhearted applause. The same stigma around Professor Gray would stick to this kid like molasses. There were those who belonged, and those who couldn’t.

“Lastly, I would remind you all of your responsibility in upholding Blue Ridge’s code of conduct. You will find all of this information in your handbooks found in your dorms later tonight with your belongings. Failure to obey these rules could lead to immediate expulsion.”

Roman scoffed under his breath at the idea. He wished. If he thought there was a way to get Xavier out of the picture, he’d take it in a heartbeat. Maybe if Xavier made his life miserable at Blue Ridge, Roman could break the rules himself and get away for good.

When Headmaster Robinson finished, the doors to the banquet hall burst open, and a line of kitchen staff dressed in white buttoned shirts streamed inside. In their arms were plates stuffed with mashed potatoes dressed with buttery gravy, a brown sugar bake over sweet potato casserole, and pyramids of fresh, steaming bread rolls. As Roman dug into the food with the others at his table, it was like entering food heaven. Even Ivan looked satisfied as he stuffed his face.

Across the room, Roman locked eyes with Xavier at the 8th grade tables. The moment he did, his brother ducked his head, pretending to busy himself with the food on his plate as the Fuerzas around him laughed. As if reminding Roman who was responsible, the pain from his bruise reared its ugly head. Xavier didn’t want anything to do with him at Blue Ridge. He’d made that painfully clear.

After his plates were emptied and cleared, Roman forced a smile and gave Fielding a playful shove.

“You about ready or what? I’m beat!”

Fielding’s eyes brightened. “Sure, if you’re ready. How about you guys?”

Ivan frowned as the waitstaff took his plate from the table, but Wyatt gave a silent thumbs up for the both of them. Roman refused to glance Xavier’s way as they stood from their seats and pushed the chairs in.

Outside the banquet hall, the dim glow from the electric lanterns hanging on the walls made every corner dance in thick shadows. More than once, Fielding brushed against his arm as they walked back to their suite.

“This place gives me the creeps at night,” Fielding whispered beside him.

“Yeah, bet you don’t wanna wind up lost around here.”

“No kidding,” Fielding agreed.

An image of the Valentia boy, Cooper, flashed through Roman’s mind, and he was thankful to have his suitemates by his side. Making the walk together helped put his nerves at ease. And above all, as he climbed the seven flights of stairs with his suitemates, Roman was especially thankful, for the first time in a while, not to feel utterly alone.

End Chapter 3

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
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