Title: Allotted Design.
Pairing: None in this chapter.
Rating: Perhaps… Maybe PG-14.
AN: Wut? Wut? Movie whoring? Me? You're crazy. –coughcough- Anyone who has the chance to should go see Silent Hill. –coughcough-
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"So," Ed broke the uncomfortable silence, sneaking a glance to the boy sitting across from him. The taxi driver coughed lewdly, spraying a fine helping of saliva across the steering wheel. "Where did you say you were from?"
"I didn't."
"Oh." Ed cleared his throat, turning his attention to the world passing by outside the steamed window. The city had come a long way after its unfortunate bombings just a year before, rebuilding itself far more beautiful that it was to begin with. Trees grown to their full extent with the use of alchemy lined the streets, all blossoming with a rare and extravagant violet flower that turned orange in the late fall, but didn't fall in the winter. "Nice city, huh?"
Envy nodded a response; bluntly ignoring Ed's failed attempts to start a conversation and continued to gaze sadly out his own window, forehead pressed against the cool pane.
"A little over a year ago an underground religious cult decided that it was a city of sin because of the alchemy taught all over, and bombed most of it to the ground. You wouldn't know it now today, though."
"I bet a lot of people died."
"Yeah," Ed nodded sadly, but not giving in to the tempting thoughts of his tragically lost parents. "But everyone has learnt that death is a part of life, and has mostly moved on."
"Were there limbs strewn around?"
Ed cocked an eyebrow, "Well, I guess so… though I'd rather not to think about it."
ENVY'S POV.
'Fuck! I can't believe I said that out loud.' Envy thought to himself, knocking his head quietly against the window pane. 'So stupid of me; I bet he thinks I'm a freak now. Though it's not like that's never happened before. This school'll probably be no different than the last, though at least there I knew everyone and what shit to expect from them.'
"So," The short one was trying to speak. Do I respond? Or do I ignore him… If I seem too eager to talk to him, he'll really think I like him. Jeez! It would have been so much easier to just stay home and let the jocks kill me. When did I get so angsty? I'm not supposed to be angsty; I'm supposed to be tough! And… mean!
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When they finally reached the school, Envy was near on the verge of strangling his to-be roommate. Once he'd started the boy had continued talking the entire hour long ride from the train station, telling stories of the city in the past, and of the other boys at the school. The taxi driver took a code from Ed to put the fee on a school tab, and the two boys began unloading Envy's things from the car.
The grey brick structure loomed high over their heads, windowless and symmetrical, reminding Envy of something he'd see in a movie representing a prison.
"This is it! Oh, but don't worry, it's a lot nicer inside." Ed grinned happily for reasons Envy couldn't fathom, but obediently followed him up the cement stairs and inside. Low and behold, the boy had been right; the inside of the school was furnished with crisp, wooden furniture, rich red rugs and colourful paintings. The entire building seemed to swell with life; students bustled from floor to floor, some lugging books and laptops, others laughing and joking playfully with each other.
"Our room is on the third floor. Follow me." Ed greeted everyone they passed, though none paid any heed to the quiet boy following him.
Their room was painted a rich blue, much unlike the puke green of Envy's previous room, and one side was lined with various alchemy promotion and band posters.
Dropping the bag he carried onto one of the beds, Ed held his arms out welcomingly, "This is it! It's not much, but it's nice and cozy. That," he pointed to the bare side of the room. "is your side. We're allowed to put posters and all that on the walls, but we can't use tacks. No holes in the wall."
"Couldn't they just fix the holes with alchemy?"
"Well," the boy scratched his nose thoughtfully. "I guess they could, but the point of a school is to have pointless rules, right?" He laughed, and then continued with his oral tour of the school.
"Down the hall to the left is the bathroom; it has group showers, so I hope you're comfortable with that."
Envy swallowed uncomfortably.
"Annnnd… hmm. The cafeteria is on the first floor; they serve the three basic meals a day, and you can get snacks down there in between. Though I wouldn't recommend it… the school officials are on some health craze, so about all you'll be able to get there is granola bars and oatmeal cookies." He chuckled to himself, but trailed off when he noticed the lack of amusement in Envy's expression.
"Okay." Envy nodded, beginning to silently unpack his few changes of clothes and folded them nicely into the drawers near the foot of his bed.
"Didn't you bring your uniform?"
"Uniform? I didn't get one… should I have?" Envy looked back through the open door to the students passing by, and for the first time noticed they all wore the same black slacks, button-up shirt and tie.
"Yep! Casual clothes are only allowed outside of the school. So c'mon! Let's head down to get you hooked up." He hopped from the foot of his bed and grabbed a hold of Envy's arm, pulling the bewildered boy after him.
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"So, you didn't get a uniform, hmm?" A heavy set woman circled Envy, eyeing him up and down. "Usually they're sent out in the mail for you to have when you arrive."
"Yeah, well, I didn't know I was even coming here until yesterday."
"So…" The woman pushed her glasses back up her nose and peered back down to her clipboard. "Wrath Culus, let's get your sizes. Please remove all your clothes but your underwear."
"What? I'm not stripping naked in front of you." Envy clung desperately to his remaining dignity.
"I'm sorry, son," She peered over her glasses, "But you're going to have to in order for me to get your sizes. I don't want you wearing a uniform that is too big, or too small; it won't give a good impression of the school."
Envy bit back any rude retorts and slowly began to remove his clothes, starting with his sweater. He hesitated, unsure as to whether any bruises and cuts remained visible across his chest and shoulders, but knowing he didn't have a choice, continued until he stood stripped of anything his boxers.
The large woman turned to face him from her desk against a wall, clutching a measuring tape in hand.
"Well, aren't you a tiny one; have to start fattening you up." She tapped a protruding shoulder bone to emphasize her point.
Fading, brown bruises littered his chest, but she didn't seem to notice, or did but didn't say anything.
"Well, you're tall, but a lot skinnier than most of the boys here, so I'm pretty sure we'll still be able to find a uniform in your size. It's really only the higher sizes that are all out."
The woman disappeared into an adjoining room, leaving Envy uncomfortably bare in the center of the room.
"Hey, Wrath! Guess wha—" Ed burst into the room, but skidded to a stop when he realized how uncomfortable his intrusion was for the both of them. "Oh, sorry!" He slapped a hand over his eyes, and thought for a moment to remember what he'd come in to say. "Uhm… oh, right! Some of the guys and I are goin' to watch a movie later on, d'you wanna come?" He was eager to help the new boy make friends.
"Uh, sure." Envy wrapped his arms protectively against his torso, turning away from the blonde boy.
"Okay! Well, uh… just ask Mrs. Fansilia to point you in the direction of the TV room when you're done here." Ed spat out quickly and then ran from the room.
'Oh, great.' Envy thought to himself, peering down his chest at the healing abuse. 'Maybe he didn't notice.'
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Running to meet the other guys in the TV room, Ed couldn't help but blush over seeing the nearly nude body of his new roommate, but at the same time questioned the bruises clearly evident across his chest. Why did he feel such concern for this new boy? It made no sense.
TBC…