CHAPTER 2

The travel time was a long 5 hour drive. The sweltering heat of the open desert road turned my car into a pizza oven, roasting my damn pepperonis. Which reminded me to had my car hooked up with an A/C unit the time I got settled in my dorm and to find a nearby mechanic shop around the campus. I arrived at the university 30 minutes past lunchtime and parked my car at the furthest left of the students parking area nearby a big oak tree. It wasn't much far of a walk to the dormitory building's front doors and my luggages weren't that heavy so it was no sweat for me to reach the main lobby.

As soon as I entered, my body tensed from the sudden cold. A shiver run down my spine as my body quickly registered the coolness of the lobby just from being outside the hot mid-July air. I can't believe that the entire first floor is ventilated. At the right corner of my eye, a floor plan caught my attention. I went to look at it before I head down the front desk. On it is the floor plan of the first floor, a different floor plan for the 2nd to the 5th floor, and two distinct layout sketches of the 6th floor and the rooftop. Apparently the dorm I'm staying in has six floors and on each floor, excluding the first and sixth floor, have 10 rooms and a common area. I was impressed that the dormitory is so big that it has a respective common area from the 2nd to the 5th floor. I wondered why is that though. The first floor on the other hand had the main lobby, the dorm's huge kitchen and dining area, as well a resident's workspace. The entire sixth floor is a gym filled with equipments and is big enough to have a small indoor basketball court. The rooftop has a huge garden, taking 2 thirds of the entire roof, with a greenhouse in the center of its area.

I was utterly dumbfounded on how ridiculously great the accomodations of the dorm. I know that this is one of the most expensive dorms in the university grounds, but I didn't expect that it'd be this swanky of a place. Probably the residents who are able to afford staying here are from a wealthy family or people enrolled with scholarships, just like me, who were able to cut down the living costs. Lucky for me I wouldn't have to spend a cent since I'm a full scholar. I shook of my reverie and started walking my way to the front desk.

The moment I reached the counter, I was greeted by a beautiful blonde girl who looked up from the book she was reading when my shadow casted over the pages. She was wearing a black crop top with the classic Nirvana smiley face logo on the front of it, faded jean shorts dyed pink held together by a braided white belt and a pair of purple Converse. Her hair was tied into a short ponytail running down on her left side and around her slender neck seems to be a golden key with an Aquarius zodiac sign carved on its head. Framing her face are some thick rimmed red glasses that fell low by the slope of her nose. Overall this person is stunning and I couldn't help but to stutter an awkward hello. But the most captivating feature this woman got, is that her right arm is decorated by tattoos. On her right shoulder is a big gothic cross surrounded by green thorny vines that traveled down, coiling intricately on her arm until they reach a blue rose on the back of her hand.

"Hi there, welcome to the dorm, freshie! The name's Lucy, third year Literature Major. I'm one of the RA's of this building. Nice shirt." she said ecstatically. I looked at my plain grey Arctic Monkeys shirt, then right back at her smiling awkwardly. "H-hello, my name's Izuku Midoriya. I'm a Chemistry Major minoring in Psychology. I'm also a big Nirvana fan myself. It's a pleasure to meet you Lucy-san!" She chuckled at the stutter and offered a meek smile. God, the minute I got here and I'm already embarrassing myself. "You're too formal, cutie pie. You can drop the -san and just call me Lucy, if you want to of course." Blushing like I tomato I responded, "O-okay... Lucy-sa... I-I mean L-lucy!" She burst out laughing and reached up my head, patting my messy green curls. I was a couple inches taller but she really made me feel like a kid being acknowledged by an older sister. "You're adorable, you know that? With all them curly hair and sun-kisses. I'll make sure to tell Natsu to take good care of you. He's the RA to your floor. All the residents of the dorm are already registered to the system upon enrollment, let me just check a sec to be sure." She browsed through her laptop, scrolling the mouse down to look up my name on the screen. "Ah! here you are, Room 3-E. Your roommate already arrived yesterday. Here's your room key." She handed it to me but she stopped halfway before it reached my hand. "Is something the matter?" she asked. "N-nothing, it just slipped my mind that I'll be sharing a room with somebody else." I took the keys dangling from her fingers and slid it down my back pocket. I knew from the start that there would be two students per room but I just felt nervous what would be my roommate is like. I mean we basically have to put up with each other for four or five years, well that would depend if we would be in good terms and establish a friendship or just a respectful relationship of coexisting in a shared space. Well I think I'm just being a worrywart is all. I just need to be a good roommate and respect each others boundaries and I'll bet he/she would do the same.

"For what is worth, I think you'll be an amazing roommate." Lucy's voice suddenly snapped me out with my rambling. I can't believe I just mumbled all those things out loud. Great. "O-oh gosh, th-thank you Lucy. Wait, since all the students are registered, may I ask who he or she... You know what, nevermind. It'll be better if we just meet in person."

"Right you are Izuku. Don't worry too much, ok? He probably won't bite your head off... Jeeez! I'm so sorry. Ruined a part of the surprise for you there." Now it's my turn to laugh.

"Oh that's quite alright. Now I know it's a he. What could be the next clue might be? Watson?" I tried an effort to joke. Which was proven effective since Lucy is laughing. "Nice Sherlock reference there Holmes. Hey, if you think you'll be having trouble of making friends, you already made your first one right here." She pointed to herself.

"T-thanks Lucy." I said with huge smile in my face. Can't believe this totally cool person just befriended me.

"Anytime Zuzu, Oh wait, if you don't mind, could you please give this to Natsu on your way up to 3rd. He's probably in the common area playing with Happy. His cat. I'd give it myself but I'm supposed to not leave the front desk." She hands me a humongous bento box

"Or she'll go ape on me." she said with a shudder.

"Zuzu? O-ok? Sure, I don't mind at all. I don't have much stuff to carry anyways. I'll be sure to give it to her then."

Lucy let out another fit of laughter.

"Natsu's a guy. He's my dumbass of a boyfriend. We're supposed to have lunch together here but he texted me that he got stuck on bathroom duty since a toilet backed up in one of the rooms. If you're wondering. It ain't yours."

Figures someone like her already has a boyfriend. This Natsu person sure is one lucky guy to have someone like Lucy. And I bet he's also as cool and friendly as his amiable girlfriend.

"Oh, sorry! My bad. What's his major?"

"Physics. He also minored in Chemistry. We met in some of our electives. It's funny cause I didn't peg him as an artsy guy when we first met in a Modern Arts & Applicaiton class. He could be dim sometimes."

I laughed at her comment about his boyfriend. They must be pretty close since she's so casual talking stuff about him with someone she just recently met.

"He sounds rough around the edges but probably is a sweet guy. Right?"

"No, he's more of a loudmouth carefree idiot who's always get into a bunch of ridiculous hair-brain crap kind of guy."

Laughing "Lucy, that really paints a picture." I said.

"Yeah, but he's actually quite smart when it comes to science-y stuff. He's thesis on Thermodynamics and Combustion Mechanics won a nationwide grant. On which he spend part of the money on a flamethrower."

"A-a flamethrower? Jesus, isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Well that's Natsu."

They're really quite an eccentric couple.

"What's his face by the way? You didn't mention anything on how he look. Can't give him his lunch if I don't know."

"He's not that hard to spot. He's the dude with pink spiky hair and he has a big tribal dragon tattoo on his left arm. Proud to say, he's also quite the looker. A real hunk"

"G-good for you then. W-wait! P-pink? Pink hair? On a guy?"

"Yup."

"Weird...but cool."

"Look who's talking broccoli perm."

"Hey! I-It's my natural hair color. Don't know the hell why though."

"So is Natsu's."

"What? How?"

"You tell me."

We tried to look at each other with a straight face containing our erupting hysterics. We obviously failed.

As I headed up the stairs, I finally reached my floor and proceeded to a narrow hallway leading to the common area with my stuff and Natsu's lunch in hand, then a cat passed by me out of nowhere. It suddenly pounced on my shoulder which made me drop the bento box. It jumped off, started circling around the thing and mewl over a resounding meow. "Happy! Don't just start scampering around the halls you damn furball!" A shirtless guy with bright salmon pink hair came running towards me. I can't help but stare at his sculpted abdomen and the sharp v-line of his stomach inching down behind his low hanging camo-print sweatpants. As the heat started to rush on my face, I forced myself not to look further down. Although, just as I was to let my line of sight go above this guy's body, I noticed that there was no visible strap of any underwear that he might be wearing. Is this guy just going commando? I looked at his arms and they were also as impressive and hard-looking like his godlike six pack. Taut and bulging with strength. Then there's this badass tattoo of a red-ink tribal dragon adorning his left arm. Wait a minute. Cat? Dragon Tattoo? A Grade-A stud? Pink hair? This guy must be Natsu. Damn! Lucy said, well bragged that Natsu is really good-looking, I guess she wasn't overstating the facts. The fact that this guy right here could freaking melt your car batteries with his tanned, cut and lean near-Olympian body. When I get to look at his face, dammit Lucy, he's also real handsome. All this visual information processed in my mind in a matter of seconds that it was quite miraculous I hadn't short circuited. Well maybe I did. "Hey, you okay there bro? You were kinda spacing out there. Also why'd you got my lunch?" Natsu suddenly said, snapping me out. "O-oh c-cr-ap! Sorry! You must be Natsu-san. I got to meet Lucy down the lobby and we started talking and we kinda became friends, assuming that she wa-wants me to be his f-friend. And she was so nice and she mentioned you too and I thought your real c-cool too then she asked if I-I could give it to you. S-sorry I was spacing out. I-I was j-just...uh...your cat kinda... startled me..." Nice alibi, Izuku. Thank god i didn't slipped up and said something that I was actually leering on him like some pervert. But I was still rambling like an idiot. Jesus. "Woah chill. Hehheh. You were spitting bullets a mile a minute. No need to be sorry. Thanks for handing me my food. Appreciate it man." he cheerfully said with a toothy grin. I could swear he had very sharp canines that made him look like a vampire, a real sexy one. Lucy really scored a big price in the market with this guy. "What's your name by the way, Mr. freckles?" he asked, patting his left index finger on his left cheek and giving me a playful wink. Oh dear lord, he's really putting out his hotness in waves and signals.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, a Chemistry Major. Nice to meet you in person Natsu-san."

"That's awesome, I'm a Physics Major, I actually minored in Chemistry too."

"I know. Lucy mentioned it to me. And also about your thesis work. That was amazing too."

"Aw, thanks man! If you like, you could looked it up on the undergraduate section at the campus library. You probably know by now my name. But let me properly introduce myself since you kinda did. I'm Natsu Dragneel, Physics Major and this floor very own RA. Back at you, Izuku!"

"Dragneel? Are you..."

"Yeah, I guess Lucy left out a few details. I'm half Russian."

He's a foreigner too. Damn Lucy.

"Lucy by the way is also half Italian in her father's side."

I really can't stress this enough. Damn Lucy.

"Well I hope you enjoy your... uh late lunch. I'm gonna head up to my room and start unpacking my things. If i could ask, which way is it though? My room's 3-E."

"Sure thing. Your room is on the farside at the right hallway. Just follow the green arrows on the walls and you'll be there. Hey, we should hang out before the classes start. I'll tell Lucy and the rest of our crew about it. I'll give you my number." he the put forward his open right hand.

"O-oh. Ok, thanks." I said meekly. I fished out my cell in my pocket and handed it over to him. He typed in his contact information and he put "Summer" as his contact name. Which I find surprisingly cute for a guy like him. Gosh.

"By the way, we'll be having a quick meet up of all the dorm residents in this floor who already started moving in. it's at this floor's common area around 10 pm. It's about the reason why we have one in the first palce. It'd be awesome if you don't flake out on this. Me and Lucy would be interested of what you got to say."

"Oh. Okay. I'll be sure to go then. It's really cool I got to know the two of you just right after I got here. Makes it easier to socialize and boosts my confidence a bit."

"Same here, man. I'm sure you won't be having much of a hard time here, Cinnamon buns. Catch you later, Izuku."

"Okay Natsu-san."

"Just Natsu. Me and Lucy aren't that fond of honrifics. As you know by now." He said winking at me and having a sly smirk in his gorgeous face. Blushing, I just nodded and return a smile on my own, starting to walk away and head down the hall. Right before I got out of earshot, I heard Natsu's light chuckle and him saying "very cute". With that said, the redness spread to my neck like wildfire.