Chapter One

Roommates

"D-Dylan Sharp, at your service…" Deryn tried her best to look confident and manly as she turned in her enrollment papers. The man behind the desk leafed through the small stack of papers she had provided. Her brother, Jaspert had been kind enough to write her a recommendation. He was famous in the school's piloting program, but Deryn had a feeling she could do even better. That is…if no one found out that she was a girl.

The man peered at her skeptically from behind his wide rimmed spectacles, his wide watery eyes traveling down her body. Deryn thanked the lord that she wasn't well developed in the chest area. Finally the man gave a nod of approval and waved her up the stairs.

"You're in room 280." He said dismissively. As Deryn headed up the stairs, she wondered if all the staff at Leviathan's Boy's Academy were as apathetic as that man down there. But as she approached her dorm room she began to wonder about other things, specifically the very real possibility of having a roommate. She clasped her hands against her chest and prayed that she didn't.

No such luck. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, a flight manual in his hands. His red-brown hair was messy, and he was in striped pajama pants…and no shirt. He looked up when Deryn walked in and smiled slightly, setting his book down beside him on his bed. He stretched and stood up slowly, approaching Deryn with a confident stride and stretching out his hand.

"I'm Alek, you must be Dylan Sharp." He said pleasantly. Deryn nodded dumbly and shook his hand. He was handsome in an almost delicate way, his face was sweet and honest, but his chest was firm with wiry muscle. Deryn shook her head to clear out her thoughts.

"I-I'm Jaspert's younger…ah…brother." She stuttered. Alek blinked, but then nodded. He stooped to take one of her suitcases and hauled it over to the bed next to his. He turned to her with his big honest smile.

"I'll help you unpack." He said. Deryn nodded and hauled her remaining suitcase to the bed.

"Are you here for the piloting program?" He asked, taking out her clothes and folding them with quick fingers. Deryn had to force her eyes away from him as she tackled the other suitcase.

"Yes, my da was a pilot, and I always wanted to be like him. Jaspert wants that too." she said, closing her eyes for a moment to force out the images of the crash that were burned against her eyelids.

"You see, that's what confuses me." Said Alek, handing her a pile of folded shirts,

"I'm not saying I'm very close with Jaspert, but the only sibling I've ever heard him talk about was a sister. Do you two disagree with one another?" he asked, turning his focus back to her suitcase. The boy was a barking Sherlock Holmes.

"No, he's just very protective of my sister." She said, wracking her brain for a believable story, she hadn't known this boy for more than five minutes and he had already discovered a hole in her story. And she was supposed to practically live with him for at least an entire school year; she sucked in a deep breath.

"My twin sister, Deryn, She's barking clever that one." She said with a sly smile. Alek looked up at her with a smile of his own, looking slightly guilty.

"I'm sorry if it seems like I was interrogating you, I was just curious is all." He said. Deryn noticed his way of speaking was strange. His accent wasn't one she had ever heard before.

"Where are you from Alek?" she asked absently. The boy handed her another pile of clothes.

"Ah, it's your turn to interrogate me, hmm?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I'm from Austria." He said finally. Deryn turned to him, her eyes wide.

"Austria? That's barking far, isn't it?" she asked. The boy chuckled again and shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose it is." He said. He whistled when he pulled out her large leather bound sketchbook.

"Can I take a look?" he asked. Deryn nodded, still dumbstruck by the fact that he had come from Austria. He sat down on the bed and flipped open the book, most of the drawings were of aircrafts and animals, she loved animals. Some were of her father and her brother, and one was a self portrait, a picture of Deryn that she had sketched while looking at a photo. The girl was five years old with her hands stretched out and a wide smile on her face, showing off her missing front teeth.

Alek showed her the picture, and Deryn nodded. Her cheeks red

"Is this your twin sister?" he asked, tracing the delicate pencil lines with his finger.

"Yes, that's Deryn." She said. Swallowing thickly she swung her body around so she was sitting next to him. She took the book from him and flipped a few pages forwards to where there was a more modern picture of herself. For whatever reason she wanted to know what he would think of the current Deryn, at least, the current Deryn as she looked as a girl.

"This is my sister now." She said, the sketch was beautiful and one of the few sketches she had colored. Alek's eyes wandered over the drawing, he opened his mouth a few times only to close it again and examine the picture closer.

"She's lovely." He said slowly, looking at Deryn.

"I can see why Jaspert is so protective of her." He said with a laugh.

"She must have quite a few boys after her." Deryn felt her cheeks heat up. Was he just being nice? Or did he really think that?

"She might have, if she didn't go and cut all of her barking hair off like an absolute ninny." Said Deryn, She fought the urge to punch herself in the face. Why had she said that? The boy was a barking clever boots without her giving him all of these hints.

"Ah, so she must look even more like you now." He paused and his face reddened. Deryn bit her lip, he looked absolutely adorable like that.

"N-Not to say that you look like a beautiful woman, that is…wha-what I meant to say was…I mean there is some resemblance…you two being twins and all…" he handed her back the sketchbook looking more ashamed by the minute.

Deryn laughed and tore out the picture, handing it to Alek.

"You can have it." She said. He took the picture with a confused smile.

"And who knows? Maybe one day you can meet the genuine article." Deryn laughed again, loud enough that she almost didn't hear Alek whisper.

"I'd like that."

A/N: While I was writing this I could stop thinking how ridiculous it sounded in my head. But, looking back, I decided that chapter one is cute enough to publish. I'm absolutely in love with the Leviathan Trilogy and I had to have a good cry when I finished it. Please tell me what you think.