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Frantically searching through a stack of papers a quarter inch thick isn't easy, especially if you don't exactly know what you're looking for. This was me, Alex, and Ted for about thirty minutes, until we finally decided it's best to just go through each paper one by one and do what it says. Most of it was just announcements and school scheduling, but some of it actually was important.

"Oh, sports list! Awesome!" [Ted]

"Wait, really? You're actually gonna do a sport?" [Alex]

"Yeah, why not? They're fun."

"Eh, whatever. Jock." [Me]

"Nerd." [Ted]

"Children." [Alex]

We went back to flipping through papers while Ted scanned the list, "Woah, there's a swimming pool here. I'm in."

"What? Just because you're an otter you're gonna sign up?" [Alex]

"Pretty much. I was actually the fastest swimmer at my old school, so I might be pretty close here." [Ted]

"Were there any otters?" [Me]

"Duh."

"Any on the team other than you?"

"Well... Shut up."

"Exactly." [Alex]

We returned to scavenging the stacks of papers. After a while I noticed the holiday schedule. It was unusually... heavy. There was an entire week long celebration for Halloween, and a week off for Thanksgiving! Christmas had a week before it's own, and don't even get me started on Easter.

"Holy shit, why are there so many free days around the holidays?" [Me]

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, kids come from other states and stuff, so they need to be able to get to their families and back before school starts." [Ted]

"Seems excessive."

"Oh, you'll see. Trust me, you'll be begging for the freedom of your parents when the holidays roll around." [Alex]

"Huh. I doubt it. So far no one's really complained about the pentagrams, so this is a pretty good start to a school year."

"Which hasn't actually begun yet." [Ted]

"Still a good start."

"Eh, at least you guys have parents to go to for holidays- I'm assuming you do, anyways." [Alex]

"Don't you?" [Ted]

"Uh uh, mine are on some business trip to Italy, and they couldn't afford to take me with them, but they couldn't afford to leave me at home, either. So, they stuck me in a bording school."

"Oh... That uh... That sucks." [Me]

"Yup." We awkwardly went back to flipping through the catalog of crap from the school. Competition announcements, field trips, extra curricular activities, clubs, groups, blah, blah, blah. We started at noon and finished at about one thirty.

"So, what are we supposed to do in preparation for school?" [Ted]

"Ugh, I don't even want to know." [Me]

"Umm... Oh, here it is. I found it." Alex held up a golden sheet of paper with a huge list on it.

"Fuck, that's our supply list?" [Ted]

"No... It's a list of everything we need to DO for school. It's mostly checking out books from the library and stuff, actually."

"Wait, where was it?" [Me]

"Stapled to the hour schedule." [Alex]

I grabbed my schedule and flipped it over. Sure enough, there was a golden sheet of paper with a shorter list than I'd thought. It was just really specific. I took a pic and sent it to my parents, knowing they'd help. They replied in a heartbeat, knowing the drill from the some twelve years of school before.

"What are you doing?" [Ted]

"My parents'll get me the pencils and paper and stuff. I just need the books from the library." [Me]

"Lucky." [Alex]

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. My parents are in Amberstone City, they could get me stuff." [Ted]

"Wait, Amberstone City?" [Me]

"Yeah, why?"

"That's where my parents are moving. Actually, that's why they chose this place, so they could have me be stationary and not get upset by the stress of moving. They're still looking for a place that's nice, but affordable."

"Tell them to try Hemlock street."

"Why?"

"That's my street."

"Psh, I don't know. I mean, a whole year living with you, I think being on the same street might be a little close for me."

"Oh, shut up."

"Yeah, shut up." [Alex]

"What's your problem?" [Ted]

"You guys have just been sitting here talking about your parents in front of me, the person who- at this moment- doesn't have that kind of comfort."

"Oh." [Ted]

"Sorry." [Me]

"It's fine... We need to go get the lit and math books." [Alex]

"And science." [Me]

"What?"

"Yeah. You didn't think astronomy was gonna be without a text book, did you?"

"I hope it isn't." [Ted]

"You're taking astronomy too?" [Me]

"Yeah, I don't care about science, and I'm taking your guys' classes anyways, so why not?"

"Cool." [Alex]

"I thought astronomy was for nerds." [Me]

"I thought quick comebacks were for jocks." [Ted]

"Be careful, sounds like you're hitting on him." [Alex]

"Ugh!" [Me]

"No, gross!" [Ted]

"Hey, being gay isn't gross!" [Alex]

"Really? Then where are you supposed to put your dick in another guy?" [Me]

"Ugh, you're just as gross." [Ted]

"I'll go get our books from the library, while you to try not to fall in love." [Alex]

"Sicko." [Me]

"Perv." [Ted]

"Unknowners." Alex wrote something down on a piece of paper and left the dorm. I noticed he forgot to take his key with him.

"Hey, lets play some Halo." [Ted]

"No, maybe he doesn't want us to play the Xbox." [Me]

"Oh, come on. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Just because you said that, I'm keeping you away from it."

"You and what army?"

"You don't need an army when you have a book of satanic spells."

"Wait, what."

"I'm kidding. Atheist, remember?"

"Oh thank god. My parents would flip if they found out I was living with some sociopathic freak."

"Because being shunned by society totally doesn't make you into one."

"Man, how did I get roomed with such screwed up people? No offense, by the way."

"Yeah, I'm kinda surprised too. I mean, you seem to really have your shit together, and here's me with my fear of being hated and Alex with his... things."

"What, not gonna say the word gay?"

"It's more than that. It's a lot more than that."

"I doubt it."

"Okay, look. He can't know that you know, but... he has a foot fetish."

"So. Back at my old school two of my gay friends at foot fetishes. Or would the plural be feet fetish?"

"No, it'd be like culdesac. Cul-s-desac."

"What, no way!"

"Yeah, it's true. They had a whole bit about it on Gilmore Girls."

"Wait, what the hell is Gilmore Girls?"

"Girly show from like the nineties. My mom watched all seven seasons a couple years ago."

"Oh. A bit?"

"Yeah, one of the characters sat there making jokes about it."

"Like what?"

"Panscake, whips cream, bacons strip, and so on."

"Ow. Stop, just stop before you hurt something."

"Like what?"

"The english dictionary."

"You mean all those dicstionary?"

"Stop."

"Heh heh heh..."

"God, that's unnatural."

"Yeah..."

"... Well, I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Really? It's almost two."

"So?"

"So it's midday!"

"Don't you mean midsday?"

"Sure, and ottser are weird."

"Hey! Don't you insult my peosple like that!"

"You know what else is weird? The "K" isn't actually silent in words like knight and knowledge."

"So what, we're supposed to say khnight?"

"Why yes, didn't you khnow there were khnighst hiding in the forstress at Lake Toadslily?"

"What? What the hell-"

"Sorry, off the top of my head random nonsense."

"Ah. Again, nap." He got up and went into his room, closing the door behind him. I got bored in a heartbeat and went into my room to use my computer. I didn't stop until three-ish, and that was only because I heard a weird thumping sound. When I went to go check what it was, I realized it was coming from the door.

I opened it to see a grumpy Alex holding nine books in his hands, "I fucking hate you."

"Sorry, I forgot you didn't take your key." I closed the door as he came in and set the books on the table in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, well, these were a nightmare to get, especially since Braden and his stupid jock friends were there."

"Oh god, what happened?"

"They would've knocked the books out of my hand had it not been for Isaac being there holding a book on martial arts in his hand."

"Wait, really?"

"Oh yeah. He didn't even check it out, he just knew it'd be intimidating so he grabbed it off the shelf."

"Lucky you were with him."

"Lucky he already got his books."

"Ah."

"So, where's Ted?"

"He's in his room taking a nap."

"Really?"

"I know, it's weird."

"Psh, I'm gonna go wake him up." Alex walked past me and swung open Ted's door, then stepped out immediately.

"Sorry, didn't know you were awake!" [Alex]

I heard some drawers open and close before Ted came out, "Next time, knock."

"But, what if you were asleep?"

"I'm a light sleeper. Borderline insomniac."

"Wait, really?" [Me]

"Yeah, I've always had a hard time sleeping and generally don't need it."

"Oh."

"So, you guys ready to get your butts kicked at Halo?" [Alex]

"Oh! Wait... Umm... Yeah, sure." [Ted]

"What? What's wrong?" [Me]

"Uhh... Alex, go ahead and start it up. Seth, could I talk to you for a minute?" He dragged me off into his room, and closed the door. It was dark and humid, and the only sheets on the bed were piles of sleeping bags and pillows.

"Okay, so, I have like a fuck ton of video games at my parents' place, but I didn't wanna say anything because, well, Alex's parents are..." [Ted]

"Oh, right. So, what do you want me to do?"

"Be in here and talk to me while send my dad a text telling him to bring me my Xbox and it's games."

"What about a TV?"

"He knows what do. He's one of those really cool dads who actually understands modern technology. He's just not an Xbox fan."

"Ah. So, what exactly do you want?"

"I don't know, I just wanted you to at least understand that I have a reason for acting weird for the next twenty minutes or so."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it takes him a while to reply."

"Psh, I'm out."

I began to turn around but he stopped me, "Wait, no. Don't. Not until I at least send the first text."

"Why do I have to be in here?"

"Because... Just do it, okay?"

"Fine." I jumped onto his bed and sank through what felt like three feet of sleeping bags, and I could barely even see anything around me other than cotton and nylon fabrics.

"Dude... This is a weird way to sleep in your bed."

"Yeah, well, I actually get underneath them, not lay on top of them. ... Okay, we can go now." He opened the door, and I struggled for a few seconds to get out of his black hole of a bed.

"What took so long?" [Alex]

"Nice way of asking what we were talking about." [Ted]

"Come on, why can't I know?"

"He doesn't wanna hurt your feelings. Wait, that sounded really mean. Like, it isn't about you, it's just, you'd be reminded about something sad and go into a deep state of envious depression." [Me]

"Uhh..."

"That's actually exactly what I was thinking." [Ted]

"So, it's not about me, but it was for my own safety?"

"Exactly." [Me]

"Whatever. I did something to even the playing field this time."

"What?"

"I made it so that I specifically spawn in a tower that I can't escape from, but you guys can come in and try to kill me."

"What's the catch?" [Ted]

"I have unlimited ammo."

"This sounds an awful lot like zombies on CoD." [Me]

"It is an awful lot like zombies."

"Okay, we'll see how this goes." [Ted]