Chapter 1

"Do you have everything?" my mother asked me, worry highly detectable in her voice accompanied by anxiety and whatever else moms feel when their sons are getting ready to leave for college.
"You've asked me that, like, seven hundred times already," I replied while shoving a large spoonful of cereal into my mouth.
"Riku," my mother sighed exasperatedly.
"Mother," I mimicked her voice sarcastically. I placed my cereal bowl up to my lips and slurped annoyingly at the leftover milk.

My mother stood up from her chair at the kitchen table, shaking her head. I just stared blankly at her over the top rim of my bowl, making sure to slurp extra loudly at the tiny pool of white liquid resting in the bottom of the dish.
"I'm just worried you'll forget something with as careless as you are," she muttered, her light eyes boring into my very soul. Thanks mom, really. Glad to know you think I'm careless…
"Even if I do," I started, getting up to put my now empty bowl into the dishwasher. "The university is only twenty five minutes away,"
"That isn't the point, Riku," my mother stated matter-of-factly, putting an emphasis on my name.

Honestly. Twenty five minutes wasn't that big of a deal. There were plenty of commuter students who probably drove that long or longer every day. Sure I didn't have a car, but I had friends who did, or I would make some new friends who could easily drive me home.
"What's the point then, mom?" I asked dryly, pretending to be interested in some nonexistent dead skin around my finger nails, which were actually pretty gnarly. I needed to clean them, like, seriously a-sap. My mother then entered one of her infamous blah-blah-blah rants, which I tuned out quite frequently. The most I got from this particular blah-fest was that I needed to be more responsible. I needed to have less of an attitude. I needed to succeed in life. Ugh. Just let me vomit right now.

"Riku,"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Got it. Succeed in life. Yup, I'll get on that," I said, realizing my ears no longer needed to turn off my mother's voice. I sent a smile her way as I walked past to grab the final cardboard box out of my room. She was shaking her head the entire time.

I paused at the stairway leading to the second floor, looking at our oh-so-lovely family photos. The most recently added picture on this family timeline of sorts was one of me in my graduation cap and gown. A fake, cheesy grin spread across my face. I smirked looking at it. I was not happy when that was taken, though maybe that was partially a lie. I was glad to be done with all the high school bullshit, don't get me wrong, but a part of me felt like the first book of my life had come to a close and the next book in the series had yet to be written.

The picture before that one was the college graduation photo of my older brother, Seph. My family must have been on drugs when they named my brother at the hospital five years before I took my first breath as an infant. His full name was Sephiroth Jenova Hágami. What the hell, seriously, my parents. He just went by Seph, poor guy. Riku's not exactly an average name but it was a hell of a lot better than Sephiroth. I was just Riku Hágami. I wasn't lucky enough to be blessed with a middle name.

My brother and I looked a lot alike, there was no denying it. We had both inherited my father's silver hair (well, he was actually bald now) and my mother's striking aqua eyes. Luck of the gene pool I guess as we were always regarded as "pretty boys". I got mistaken as a woman frequently. Maybe if I cut my hair short– nah, what was I thinking?

There were several pictures of my parents together and one photograph of Seph and I when we were a lot younger; five and ten. We were never particularly close growing up with the age difference. We just sort of stopped talking when Seph entered junior high and never really made amends. It didn't matter though; it's not like I cared what he thought of me anymore.

I decided it was time to stop being pathetically nostalgic by looking at the photos and finished climbing the stairs, crossed the hall, and entered my very empty bedroom. I had torn down my miscellaneous posters last night. Most of my clothing was in a box sitting in the trunk of my parent's car already. I was just gathering the last of my most favorite possessions and throwing them into a small cardboard box which was sitting on my bare mattress.

After I had stuffed the box full of my crap, which was honestly probably all useless and would wind up being a waste of space when I finally got to my dorm, I duct taped it closed and carried downstairs and out the front door to the car. My dad was waiting there for me, checking his phone impatiently. That man was probably more obsessed with his cell than I was with my own.
"Last one?" he asked in his deep gravelly voice. I nodded as he helped me rearrange the trunk so the box would fit comfortably. I couldn't believe I had so much crap. I made a mental note to throw some of it out when I got to my dorm room.

Within fifteen minutes my mother, father and myself were in the car, traveling the short distance to my university. Car trips with my parents always felt like super slow motion or something. I would listen to my ipod if it wasn't currently being jostled around in the trunk in some random cardboard box.

It's not that I didn't like my parents, honestly it wasn't. They– we just didn't usually see eye to eye. My mother stressed over everything; she was such an anxious person. She had actually been medicated for it about a year ago so she had actually gotten a little better. By a little I mean microscopically. She and I had been butting heads ever since graduation. Maybe it was something about empty-nest-syndrome, or maybe she was worried I wouldn't be as successful as my brother. He went to law school. Me? I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I was listed under general studies for my major. I thought I'd figure it out as I went along; go with the flow of things.

Well anyways, as for my dad, well he and I have always had an awkward relationship. He had always wanted sons who were super into academics and also into sports. Well he got what he wanted with Seph, but not with me. I was polar opposite of his expectations. I was average in school; it wasn't like I was some slipup. I passed everything; maybe not with flying colors, but I passed. And sports? Um, not my thing. Getting sweaty and dirty just didn't appeal to me. My only exception was swim team. If you were sweaty in a pool you'd never know. My father didn't consider that a real sport though, go figure.

We rode in silence the entire trip. Aside from the radio that is. Some sort of 70s disco music serenaded us the entire twenty five minutes. Shoot me. I needed some Green Day pronto or anything really. My dad navigated the car to the parking lot located behind the dorm where I would be living for the next year. I was stoked. I knew a lot of kids from my high school class would be going here but I was really hoping for a clean slate. I needed to meet new people. I didn't really have a best friend in high school because no one interested me enough.

My parents and I managed to get all my boxes to my second floor room in about twenty minutes. My mom was helping me set up the bed although I just wanted her to leave. My dad stood awkwardly by the window. He looked like a real creeper peering through the blinds. He was probably trying to scout out who would make a good roommate for me.

My mom and I finally got the bed made and she was already starting to unpack my clothes but I had had enough.
"Mom, I can put my clothes away on my own you know,"
"Riku," she started. Her eyes full of panic.
"It's fine," I reassured her. "I got this!" My mother's eyes had become glossy. Oh, no. She's not going to cry, not here. She could cry like Niagara Falls once she was driving home with dad. I did not handle tears well.

I had to practically shove my parents out of the room. I reassured them probably a hundred times that I would call if I needed anything and I promised to visit home in a few weeks, but they finally left. I flopped my back onto my new bed. The mattress? Yeah, not that great. Pretty hard and uncomfortable, but I'd have to make do. I absentmindedly stared at the empty bed across from me. I began what kind of roommate I'd get paired with. As long as he wasn't a psychotic mass-murderer, then I'd be fine.

I began unpacking my boxes and slowly but surely put everything in its proper place. I could hear all kinds of noises and chattering coming from the other rooms surrounding me. I started thinking it might be a good idea to mingle, as socially awkward as that was. I was just getting ready to head out when I heard a knock at the door. Thinking it might be my RA, I went to greet him.

I blinked awkwardly at the bright blue eyes which met mine at the door.
"Hey there!" the boy said excitedly.
"Uh hey,"
"Looks like we're roommates!"

A/N Well there's the first chapter! I'm sort of writing this for sh*ts and giggles. I have basic ideas for where I want it to go, but I'm not entirely sure! My sister read through the chapter but she said she didn't like it (she'd rather read stories about cats...). But hey I can't please everyone… ;P
The title and summary of this story are subject to change… :O

Feel free to review. Or not. Doesn't matter to me! :)