9 Roommates (Adria)

"❤️Hiiiiiiiii! I'm Audrey!❤️You're Adria Pendragon right?❤️Your brother is sooooo hot!❤️I can't believe he's in evil!" My new roommate says all of this in one breath, with sparkling blue eyes as her dark red curls bounce about.

"OMG, seriously?! I met him earlier, he was really nice! I'm Jade by the way." Says another dark skinned dark haired girl. She holds out her hand.

I consider refusing but since I'm stuck here until I find a way out it might be better to have allies. I reach out to take her hand. She enthusiastically grabs mine and vigorously shakes it up and down. I force an awkward smile. "...Adria Pendragon, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"OMG you smiled!!! I was thinking you couldn't since you were expressionless the entire time!"

Wow. I don't even know how to respond to that. "Um...okay." Does she start everything with OMG?

"Anyway, which guys do you think are he cutest❤️ in our school?" Audrey speaks up.

Ugh boys, one of my least favorite topics. I quickly look around for something to divert their attention and notice that there's four beds in our room. "Um...is there someone else in our room?"

"Hmm?" Jade glances over at he abandoned bed I'm standing by.

"I don't know. I think there might be someone else. Anyway I think Darien wins in overall cuteness but then again Ryder and..."

I tune the girls out and decide to go explore the castle. Just before I go I grab my favorite black cloak. I'm not at all comfortable with this glittery dress I've been forced to wear as a uniform. Aunt Sophie may have managed to get rid of the shapeless black outfits of evil but nothing was done to good's outfits.

I stride through the hall in my cloak, completely covered. Most people I pass ignore me but the few that do notice me toss a few strange looks my way. But, they are mostly too immersed in their friends and themselves to pay much attention to me.

Suddenly, I bump into a large, rowdy group of boys. "Watch where you're going, witch." The boy smirks.

"Whoa, what's a witch doing in the school?"

"Haha, I bet you're too afraid to show what's under there!"

I glance up and find that they are the boys my roommates were discussing earlier. I only recognize them because of the School for Good entrance ceremony. The tradition there is after all the girls come in the princes come in and toss a rose to the girl of their choosing. Many girls were gossiping about each boy that came up. I just stayed in the shadows, in the corner and out of sight. No one would throw to me anyway.

I ignore the boys while muttering under my breath, "says the pansy princies who only know how to look cool."

I continue on, eventually just wandering aimlessly, until I come to a balcony. The doors and closed before me. I suspect this might be the place my mom, Agatha freed a gargoyle and turned it back into a human. All the same, curiosity pulls me forward. Of course, the doors and curtain are the same light pink as the rest of the castle, that I am by now sick of.

I push aside the curtains and open the door. As the curtains flutter back into place I lock eyes with the other occupant of the balcony.

A girl.

With red hair and emerald eyes. Her hair is cut short and long lashes frame her eyes. Super cute. Even I, usually unfazed by anything, find my self awestruck at her cuteness. But what is most distinctive about her is the large pearl sized tears dripping down her face and dainty pink nose. She is sitting on the balcony edge with her back facing me and her head is turned to me.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" I say, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Her voice says.

I turn around. Does she need help or something?

"What?"

"Um...I don't know the way back to the dorms." She looks down embarrassedly and blushes cutely.

"Uh, okay. Just go up those stairs, take a right, then another right."

"Okay, thank you!" The person turns around and hops off the balcony ledge. I freeze in shock.

"Er...are you perhaps a boy?"

She-he is wearing the typical prince coat and pants.

She looks up at me, aghast. "Did you mistake me for a girl too?!"

"Err...sorry. You are a boy right."

"Of course! I'm Alex son of Kiko and Tristan!"

I recall the names from my parents tales. Apparently, Kiko was the only princess from Good who was nice to my mom when all the other princess were mean. My mom described her as really sweet and nice. My face inadvertently breaks into a smile.

"I'm Adria Pendragon." When Alex sees my smile, he immediately turns red.

"What's the matter?" I ask him.

"N-nothing." He mumbles.

"Why were you crying?" I inquire instead.

"I, well, everyone says I'm too much like a girl. Back in my kingdom all the guys used to fall for me or make fun of me," he looks down despondently.

I feel bad, but I can't say I'm surprised with a face like that.

He looks up at me. "I wish I could be strong and cool, like your brother actually. I saw him before the test."

I start to hear Cedric mentioned. God! Does everyone know about him? I wonder whether I should warn him about my brother's true character but his star struck gaze tells me it's too late.

"I wish I could be strong and brave." Alex bemoans, once again on the verge of tears.

I watch as his eyes brim, about to start dripping again. "I'll help you."

I start. ...Did I say that?

Alex turns to me excitedly and grabs my hands. "You'll really help me be like your brother??? Thank you so much!"

I force a fake smile. What have I gotten myself into?