Chapter 4: Dorm Mates (Rey's POV)
"No need to remind me!" I say as the elevator doors close. In truth, I am terrified of what I'll be facing in my dorm room. I don't know who will be roomed with me, but I hope Oak thought of not putting me with Ashley. I reach room 406, and open it with my key-card. I see that my bags have been transported in, there are two other sets of bags and no one else in the room. Great, now I have to wait till the other two get here…I think as I shut the door and go over to my pile of bags. I sort through them to find the one with my bath stuff, find it and put it aside while I dig through my main suitcase for my backpack. Pulling it out, I dig through it for three of my Pokémon. I call out Lava, my Cyndaquil, first and then call out Swella, my Taillow, and Maro, my Cubone. Maro yawns in the way only a Cubone can; Swella hops around the bed I am sitting on and Lava is in my lap, trying to sleep. "I know, the time change is a difficult thing, but we'll get used to it." I give them a tired smile.
Then, the door opens, two girls come through arguing. "I said no!" the girl with dark-colored skin says to the one with blue hair and ivory skin. "This is my dorm, not yours, and you cannot switch out dorms!" the one with blue hair attempts to come in further, but the other girl stops her. "NO!" looking defeated, the second girl leaves and the first girl slams the door shut. I wince as the loud noise hurts my ears and wakes Lava from her little nap. The dark skinned girl turns around as Lava starts to wail.
"Lava, calm down! Are you hungry?" I say as I stand with her in my arms. I go over to my pile of bags and pull out the insulated lunchbox I brought secretly.
"Cyn, Cyndaquil!" she squeaks out as I take a bottle of baby Pokémon formula out. I pop the lid that keeps the tip from leaking out and put the tip into her mouth.
"Sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here. I'm Dally." She walks over to me, but is stopped by Maro with his club in a defensive position.
"Maro, she apologized, you need to treat people with more respect. It's alright, Lava was hungry anyway. I'm Rey." I say as Lava finishes the formula. I put the empty bottle back in the lunchbox and place the now sleeping Cyndaquil on my bed. "So, what year are you?" I ask, feeling a little more than just a bit awkward.
"I'm a second-year. You?" I blush as I hold up one finger. "Oh, you'll love it here! I didn't my first semester, but it went great after that. I'm hoping to excel this year." Maro is still in his defense pose.
"He's very protective of me." I respond to Dally's unspoken question. I unpack a couple of other bags, the ones that hold my bath things and my knitting and crocheting stuff. Dally unpacks her bags, and I see that her bed is the one nearest the door. "So…" I attempt to start another conversation, but the door opens again and another girl comes in.
"Oh, and I thought I would be here first. Oh well." She says. I take out one small Pokémon bed for Lava. Swella is on the headboard of my bed, keeping an eye on the new girl. "Alright, why don't we switch beds?" she asks me; I look at her funny.
"Why would you want the one closer to the window?" Dally asks. The new girl crosses her arms.
"Because it'll keep me cooler in the summer."
"You know we leave for summer vacation, right?" the girl looks at me, the shock written on her face that I would dare contradict her. "This isn't a year-round academy. We'll have a Fall Session, Winter Session and a Spring Session. We get the summer off. Duh." I cross my eyes as I say the last word and go back to unpacking my bags.
"I heard that there was a choice…" she says uncertainly.
"Yeah, no. You must've heard wrong." I say with as little sarcasm as possible. I hear a beep, but choose to ignore it as I place Lava's bed on the side with the window. "Swella, you know you need to go outside or in your Poké Ball for all the nights we're here, right?" I ask, looking up at her. She nods, but with pouty eyes.
"Rey, what time is curfew?" I grab my info packet that came in the file with everything else.
"Looks like 10 PM. Why?" my curiosity gets the better of me yet again.
"I just got a text from my friend Aquamarine, she wants to meet me at the Academy Pokémon Center." Her phone beeps again. "…and she wants me to take my roommates with me. But only if you two want to!" I think about it, looking at my Pokémon and nod. The new girl shakes her head and sniffs. "What?"
"I don't think leaving the dorm is a wise decision this time of night." I look out the window, seeing the sun is just beginning to set. Shaking my head in annoyance, I call Maro and Swella back into their Poké Balls and pack a spare bag with my current knitting project: a butterfly stitch purse. I gather Lava into my arms after getting my key-card and everything else ready. "You shouldn't be going out! It's almost ten!" she calls after us.
"Take a look at your watch, then at the sky." I advise her before shutting the door. We head over to the elevator and I see Blair and Kalian when we're on the first floor. They're talking with Roy and Marth, respectively. I also see Ike standing off to the side, looking awkward about the situation. "Where are those friends of yours, Dally?" I ask as we get off.
"They should be near the Pokémon Center. Oh, are those your friends?" I nod and she extends the invitation to them as well. "I'll be in the Center. See you soon?" I nod again as we part ways.