Gakuen Academy, internationally known for accepting and releasing only the most outstandingly talented individuals from each country in the fields of science, mathematics, art, literature, and history. The sextuplet-floored building hosts a floor for each subject, the ground being reserved for multiple restaurants, which vary in three square ethnic and American meals day. Next door are one hundred dorm rooms to hold a maximum of two students per room. Why only one hundred? We have the best-of-the-best intellectuals under our roofs, and that's pretty hard to find in this world! Consider yourself lucky to be accepted into Gakuen Academy, located right where America began!

Eric Bondevik reread the letter he received in the mail one month prior.

'Consider myself lucky?' he thought. 'Why would I ever do that?'

He traced his finger over the rainbow-colored transit lines on the map of Boston on the other side of his paper. The European teenager had never actually been to Chinatown, nor had he cared much for exploring Faneuil Hall's gift shops. The Museum of Science peaked his interest in his freshman year, but after viewing each and every exhibit he came to the conclusion that they could have done a much better job at, well, everything. To be fair his roommate had mentioned that it was directed more towards children and middle school students, but that didn't stop him from typing a research paper about his experience and handing it into the freckled manager. Was he allowed inside after? Yes. Would the memory of said woman reading the first sentence and calling him cute before cracking into a giggle of fits appear? Yes.

Eric squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to focus on something besides his third year studying abroad. His boarding buddy graduated in June, so he would be sharing a room with a different student this year. Maybe he'd be normal; more normal than the lanky Lithuanian teen with hair like a Californian surfer who jumped out of his uniform every time Eric opened a door.

He couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at the reminder. A gust of wind lapped at his hair while the letter slipped out of his dangling fingers and out of the taxi's window. Its not littering if no one sees him; that was the first thing he learned while being in the states. Besides, the school sent them out to each student every year, like a reminder that he should be grateful for being studied to death in an English speaking country.

His phone read six p.m. on the dot, along with four missed calls from his brother. Eric had already spoken with him after exiting the airplane a half hour prior and knew better than to call him back this late at night. For all he knew, Lukas was probably already in bed, preparing for a business meeting in the morning.

Lukas Bondevik was a successful twenty seven year old wielding a major in business management. When he wasn't in and out of his Reykjavik cubicle, he was 'checking up' on his brother and clung on his back ostentatiously. He couldn't even go to the corner store without a myriad of text messages asking if he got there safely. That being said, Eric basically jumped for joy when he received the official letter from Gakuen Academy at age fourteen to say that he was accepted into their science courses. The elder almost held him back from attending because 'America is too far away!' and 'What if you're homesick?', but the teen's suitcases were already packed and ready to experience a different air.

Actually, it was more like, "Boston has some of the best schools in the world! Don't you want what's best for me?"

"Well yeah but-"

"Sorry that you were rejected twice-"

"Fine! Have fun with those annoying, prideful Americans!"

To say the least, its made Eric's trips back home awkward.

The European wasn't aware that his eyes were closed until the taxi halted abruptly in front of the dorm rooms. A bearded elderly man with exhausted eyes turned towards him. He mustered a smile and said, "Here we are. That'll be forty dollars!"

Eric fingered the lanyard around his neck and held up the student id attached to it. The driver frowned and opened his door.

"You kids are making me lose business! I can't wait until this week is fucking over with!"

Once they were both out of the car, he watched as the driver struggled to remove his two suitcases from the trunk. He would have helped, but Gakuen students had a reputation of being snotty due to the extravagance of their school. At least it gave him an excuse to not talk to people or participate in anxiety-inducing activities.

The taxi drove off the second the last bag touched the ground. Eric pulled the school map out from his cardigan pocket and scanned the boy's dormitory section for room thirty one. Luckily for him it was around the corner from where he was dropped off, and with the added weight of his luggage he arrived at his door in fifteen minutes. He slid his id into the slot below the doorknob and heard the familiar 'click' to signify that he could enter. Stepping into the room, he heard the sound of something falling onto the carpet and met eyes with his new roommate.

"You scared me! Don't do that!"

An Asian teenager stood above a still intact potted plant. He bent down to grab what Eric could make out to be an unnatural looking bamboo and placed it back onto the empty bookshelf. After adjusting it, he struck a pose to glorify his work and introduced himself.

"Anyways, I'm Leon Wang. And I'm hoping you're not a hacking murder and just my roommate?"

He shook his head and felt a pounding in his head. "Eric Bondevik. Junior. Environmental science major. What are you a freshman in theater arts?"

"Actually I'm a junior majoring in statistics." Leon was now laying on his self-proclaimed bed and staring intently at Eric's face. 'Great,' the European thought. 'I get the bed closer to the door for the third year in a row.'

"Are you the boy from Iceland with the remarkable jawline I've been hearing about?"

He snapped his head forward to face the other teenager and felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks. "What?"

"Yeah, I've been hearing a rumor about an Icelandic student with a jaw that can break through diamonds. Is that you?"

"That's a pretty gay thing to say to someone you just met."

"Well I-"

"When did you get here?" Eric didn't mean to cut him off, he just wanted to direct the conversation away from the path it was heading. School didn't officially begin for another three days and he already felt uncomfortable.

Leon lifted a brow at the change of subject. "About five thirty."

"So you've just arrived too-"

"This morning."

His eyes widened in shock. "Damn..."

"Yeah, well, I'm super duper tired so I'm going to sleep. Can we continue this in the morning or whatever?" He was already in his pajamas, or more like a tee shirt with something written in a language Eric couldn't decipher and silk shorts. Before he could reply, Leon was underneath his covers and turned away.

It wasn't long before Eric had his lounge clothes on, necessities unpacked, and teeth brushed. By then it was eight o'clock, well past his bedtime back home. The sound of more students arriving from the airport filled the air outside, and combined with the anticipation of what was coming up for him that year, he wasn't sure if he could sleep soundly. He decided to turn the light off and play on his phone until he couldn't keep his eyes open, but the sight of a blue light coming from next to his sleeping roommate's bed made him curious. Upon further snooping, he saw a butterfly nightlight plugged into the wall beside the snoring Asian's nightstand.

Eric could only hope that one of them had a completely booked schedule this year.