The Myne twins - 1

The morning was one of those rare mornings, a morning of mid summer that was a lot like a pleasantly sunny morning of mid winter. Excited and surprised people were sighing and smiling, almost unconsciously, while rushing out to bask in the warmth. All the while wishing every morning was like today.

The morning wasn't so beautiful in the Myne household though. Anyone who had ever been to Yung city would have definitely heard of the Myne family. Anyone who had ever read up on the Frinth province would know of the Myne family. Such was the glory of the family that was old as time itself in the province and the city. Back to the morning, the cause of the distortion of beauty was a son of the family, Trim. Trim was given two choices by his parents, join the military and continue the family legacy, or study business and join the family business to increase the glory. As far as the family was concerned, Trim had always been wilful, which was fine for a pampered son of a family like the Myne family. Only now did they realise that Trim was actually a child who never really grew up. Trim refused to pick either choice, instead stating that he wanted to study computers. That was fine. Especially since he wanted to do so at the Capital University, which wasn't only the best university in the province but also one of the best in all of the country. The fact that he got in was something that would have made the family proud. But when asked what he wanted to do after graduating, Trim unashamedly announced that he wanted to make games. And not even those big games that made huge splashes, but simple and little indie games. His parents easily saw the declaration for what it was, an absolute lack of ambition. More importantly, a great desire for aimlessness.

And so, his request was denied. Trim would definitely not study computers at Capital University. If he couldn't decide between the choices given, the decision would be made for him. Unfortunately, the family greatly underestimated Trim. He snuck out in the middle of the night, rushed over to the Capital University and got himself admitted. The family, shocked after learning of his disappearance, refused to put up with his antics, and refused to pay the tuition. They were expecting to hear from Trim soon, and were prepared to demand his return home. But Trim never called. Even after the academic year began. Only then did his parents check with the university, to learn that Trim had actually earned a full scholarship.

'Damn,' all of the family swore. 'If only Trim directed his unquestionably great ability in the correct direction.'

The orchestrator of this great play, Trim, was happily enjoying college life. He should have been studying, like he planned. And he did, the first few days. And then, he saw Khite Meer. It wasn't love at first sight. Meer was sure pretty, but Trim wasn't the kind to be smitten by just pretty looks. But there was something about her, something that made him curious. The longer he looked, deeper past her skin he saw, and harder it was to look away. A month was all it took for him to be absolutely smitten. As pretty as she was on the outside, she was devastatingly beautiful on the inside. He felt like it was destiny.

He courted her shamelessly, succeeding easily in becoming friends. But he had always been vocal and clear about his intentions, friendship wasn't what he was after. He wanted romance. He wanted her heart and her soul and all of her. And he was already offering himself on a silver platter.

So, his time was divided between studying and chasing after Meer. His great fortune was the friends he made, the three boys he shared his dorm with and others.

Trim was the first to arrive, and so he could choose the bed relaxedly. There were two double bunk beds in the dorm. He laid in each before choosing the bottom bed away from the door. He had the dorm all to himself the first night. Late into the next morning, Bud and Shaw showed up. They arrived at the same time for registration. Upon being assigned the same dorm, the two immediately struck up a friendship. For years to come, the two would say it was friendship at first sight. They walked into the dorm to see Trim sprawled on one of the two lower beds, looking like a complete bum. He was in loose shorts that had scrunched up high, revealing his shapely thighs that made for a disgusting greeting. The thin tee was pushed up to his chest by the hand that was resting on his breast, as if caressing it. His eyes weren't fully closed, even though he was clearly asleep. His mouth was open, leaking a stream of drool, and curled in a lecherous looking grin. He certainly looked like he was enjoying a very pleasant dream. The evidence was the tent in his shorts.

Bud and Shaw were frozen, unable to feel the flowing time. It was to this sight, one sleeping without a care and two staring in shock at the one sleeping, that Gordon walked in to. Unlike the other three, Gordon had always been a hostel boy. He had seen pretty much everything hostels had to offer. And so, he was unabashed as he walked over and set his bags on the remaining lower bed.

It took a while to register, but when it did, Bud and Shaw screamed in shock while pointing at Gordon.

'You can have the upper beds,' Gordon said with a happy smile.

'Oh, hello,' Trim greeted, as he was awakened by the screams. He was scratching his chest as he remained on his back. Shoving the other hand into his shorts, he made himself more comfortable before sitting up.

Bud and Shaw fell deeper into shock. Trim looked at Gordon, who gave a satisfying explanation.

'Must be first timers to hostels,' Gordon said. 'I'm Gordon. But please call me Gord. It's easier on the tongue and the ears.'

'I'm Trim. My first time too,' Trim offered.

'That's fine,' Gord replied. 'Some adjust easily. Some need more time.' He said the last part looking at the other two boys.

Bud and Shaw had shaken themselves free of their shock by then. And introduced themselves.

'Bud.'

'Shaw.'

By evening, the four were friends eager for the rest of their inseparable lives. And the hierarchy was established too. Gord, with the most experience of hostel, was the eldest. All three agreed that despite his easy embracing of the hostel life, Trim only deserved to be the youngest. And so, Bud and Shaw occupied the middle. The hierarchy would actually prove to be necessary in their life at college.

Gord was a rounded student. Good enough in academics. Barely short of spectacularly good in sports. He was almost immediately inducted into the computers department soccer team. He was a dazzling defender, impossible to breakthrough in a frontal fight. But that wasn't all. He was also shockingly good as a midfielder. All that skill coupled with his bright green eyes, lean muscle and lips that glowed like the setting sun when he smiled, made him a magnet for female admiration. He quickly found a permanent place in the list of handsome males of the university.

Bud and Shaw were the ideal students in class. They were attentive to the professors, listened with care and took beautiful notes. They finished all the assignments exactly as required by the professors. They never missed a class, were never late, and never complained. Their grades were right at the top. They were the darlings of the professors. That was enough, coupled with the fact that they were besties with Gord, they had just enough affection from the female population.

Finally, Trim. He was an odd one. There wasn't anyone in all of the university who doubted that. He made no effort at hiding that he was from the Myne family. But he also made no effort at claiming it. He was handsome, in a very different way from Gord. He was the kind of mysterious beauty that pulled people in out of curiosity and then had them bedazzled. Also, he was very, very smart. The things he liked, he was astonishingly good at. The rest, he couldn't be bothered to make the smallest effort at. That reflected in his grades. Some subjects, his grades were the very highest. Others, he was barely passing. When asked, he didn't hesitate stating his like or dislike, and made it ample clear that he wouldn't change.

Truth be told, all three would rather not be partners with Trim for class assignments and projects. But there was no helping it. Gord, Bud and Shaw were stuck with Trim. Only, they couldn't have imagined for just how long.

The four were inseparable. Their friendship was renowned. The identities of Trim and Gord killed off any thoughts of acting against the four. But that wasn't important. The important thing was that having realised that his feelings for Meer were of romance and love, Trim burst into the dorm and made a demand of his three friends.

'You all have to help me win her heart.'

'What are you on about?' Gord asked. He wasn't one to mince words out of hesitation.

'Meer,' Trim answered excitedly. 'I just realised that I have fallen for her. You're going to help me get her to fall for me.'

'Sorry,' Gord rejected immediately. 'I've always been in a boys only school. My experience with the female gender is limited. Actually, I would like to learn too.'

Trim didn't question Gord's claim. Their histories were no mystery. The two of them stared at Bud and Shaw. Bud had two sisters who spoiled him plenty. And Shaw had so many cousins who were girls and who were always teasing him. It was decided that Bud and Shaw would take the lead on the operation 'making Meer fall for Trim'.

'First, learn her likes and dislikes,' Bud suggested, after accepting his fate.

'I already know,' Trim answered immediately. And he really did. Having observed her closely for a couple of months, he had a pretty good understanding of Meer.

'Then, give her lots of what she likes and remove all she dislikes from her path,' Bud stated, as Shaw nodded.

Gord looked doubtful, as if wondering if that was truly enough. Couldn't Meer do that herself? She was a strong girl. Just the fact that she could straighten out Trim with a few words was evidence plenty enough. But he didn't voice his doubts in the face of Trim's visible excitement.

Thus began the courting of Meer. The following morning, Trim was right outside of Meer's hostel, with a cup of hot almond milk that she loved in the morning. He was the first thing Meer would see walking out.

'What are you doing?'

Trim offered her the almond milk in reply. 'For you,' he said in the sweetest voice he could manage. 'Don't you love hot almond milk in the morning? I'll be getting you a cup every morning. So, don't you like me now?'

Meer gladly accepted the cup. But gave him a strange look. 'What are you talking about?'

'I like you,' he answered easily, without a shred of embarrassment. But a blush was spreading across his face. 'I don't mean like a friend or someone you are familiar with. I mean romantically. I mean, like, love. Yeah. I love you. So, I want you to love me too.'

'And you think getting me my favourite almond milk in the morning will make me love you?' She was amused. She wasn't the slightest embarrassed as she asked the question.

'No,' he answered, shaking his head. 'Not by itself. But I'll be getting you more of what you like. And removing all you dislike from your path. That will work.' He sounded confident, even though it was Bud's idea. He didn't have room in his head for doubt.

'Okay,' she said, and walked away with a warm smile. She stopped after a few steps. 'As for what I dislike. There's one.' She was pointing at a senior from the sociology department who confessed to her at the end of the very first week. It was love at first sight, he told her. And he wouldn't accept her no.

'Done,' Trim replied with a solemn nod. You don't have to worry about him anymore, his eyes were saying.

Meer's friends were stunned by the entire exchange. They were burning up from embarrassment. They couldn't keep from wondering if that was how a normal confession went. Did the movies and stories all get it wrong?

That evening, the senior in question was in the basketball court, playing with his friends, when seven guests showed up uninvited. Trim had brought along his three best friends. The two biggest boys of their year also joined them. Daze and Blaze were twins. They were both well over six feet tall, bulky like apes and so quick it was unscientific. They were on the soccer team with Gord. Daze was a defender. Blaze was the goalkeeper. The trio were the impregnable fort. With the three of them standing in front of it, the goal seemed frighteningly tiny. The two were also very showy about their fondness for violence. Trim and Gord wondered though if the twins were actually secretly mushy hearted. The last one was Haver. Haver was average at everything. Preferred to stay in the shadows. Despite how good he was at being impossibly silent, it was impossible for him to be entirely missable, primarily because he was drop dead gorgeous. Not handsome, not dashing, not even beautiful, but gorgeous. His skin was so smooth, girls drowned themselves in tears every time they looked at him. His features were so divine, everyone was absolutely certain that even goddesses departed far away, lest they burn in their own envy when their eyes fell upon him. His voice was so sexy, boys and girls, and men and women, went quivering in their knees with just a hello from him. His eyes were like the scythe of the grim reaper, one look and all would be frozen. Describing every part of him would take forever. And so, the phrase was copyrighted for him, drop dead gorgeous. As if that wasn't enough, he was the darling of his generation in the Klim family. That was a family that had the same status as the Myne family. Put simply, Haver was untouchable. Just having an ill thought about him ensured the most painful death in the hands of the overbearing family. As fate would have it, Trim and Haver were the best of friends since they were less than a year old. So, when Trim was going out to a fight, Haver would definitely go along.

'You,' Trim called out to the senior, pointing disrespectfully. 'Get over here.'

The seniors were furious. Even though they could see that the group of juniors looked formidable, they weren't frightened. Mainly because even though they had heard of the reputations, they hadn't seen the faces. And so, they had no idea they were staring into the faces of terrifying existences.

'Shoo.'

It was the senior they had come for, shooing them away with his hands as he spoke. The other seniors burst out laughing. They were even commenting on the stupidity and the ignorance of the group of juniors.

Daze and Blaze broke into an ominous grin. 'Shouldn't we beat them up?' They questioned.

'Would you be okay if you get into trouble?' Bud asked.

The twins froze. They honestly didn't know. They looked at Gord, who shrugged.

'I would be fine,' Gord answered simply. 'I'll just hide behind Trim.'

The twins were enlightened, as were Bud and Shaw. They all looked at Trim, who shook his head.

'You've got it wrong,' Trim spoke in a sagely voice. 'I'm clinging to my dear friend's thigh.'

And all looked at Haver, who didn't shy away from the looks. He welcomed a small prideful smile onto his face, and all but Trim were dazzled.

'Stop enchanting them,' Trim said, knocking lightly on Haver's head. 'We need to beat up those ignorant and stupid fools.'

Haver swallowed the smile, while remaining oblivious to the knock on his head. There were precious few who were allowed to do that to him, and Trim was one of those.

All eyes turned toward the seniors. The twins were licking their lips, looking truly like apes ready to leap into battle with insignificant mutts. Gord was flexing his muscles. Bud and Shaw were ready in position to fall back. Haver wasn't going to move, because he wasn't going to malign himself by touching those idiots. And Trim was lost in his head, preparing the words of advice for the senior troubling Meer.

'Go,' Gord declared.

And they burst out.

The seniors who were still laughing were stunned silly. Like deers caught in headlights, they were frozen. And they got trampled upon. The twins tore through them like a bowling ball tore through pins. Gord was a lot more judicious, and a lot more lethal. He punched into the soft parts of the bodies, so the injuries would be internal, neither too light nor too showing. The seniors realised they had gravely underestimated the first years when they were all sprawled on the ground, but it was too late by then.

The last two seniors were being beaten down by the twins when Trim ran over.

'Why are you three so quick,' Trim complained. He looked at the six seniors groaning as they lay in unsightly positions on the ground, without a shadow of pity in his eyes. 'My turn,' he said to the seniors. 'First, I'm not sorry for my friends here. Even though they were far too lenient.' Haver nodded, like truer words had never been spoken. 'Please entertain the thoughts of revenge. So that, when you came at us, I can show my friends how it's truly done. Of course, I might not look strong enough. I agree, I am not. But I do know many who are strong enough. If I can't find them, I'll just ask Haver. I'm sure he knows plenty.' Haver nodded in agreement, as if saying finding any number wouldn't be difficult at all. 'Secondly, and lastly, don't even look in Meer's way. No, don't even think about her. She said she dislikes you. Since I'm chasing after her, she made it my responsibility to clear her path of dislikes.'

Pleased with himself, about having said what he wanted to with the most clarity, Trim gave the fallen seniors the widest smile. Then looked at his friends, and clapped. The six of them quickly joined the applause. And then, the seven good men walked away.

That very night, not more than two hours had passed, when the seven of them were called to the office of the director of their department.

'Explain,' the good looking fifty year old man demanded.

The rest turned toward Trim, who shrugged and offered the truth. Meer was called, and she admitted to the truth just as easily as Trim. She even looked impressed with Trim and his friends. Looking at the couple smiling at each other, Klaugh felt a headache coming.

Prof Klaugh was the director of the computers department. In the three years since he accepted the position, and in the twenty years prior as a professor, he had seen all kinds of students. He understood students like Trim and Haver, who came from terrifying backgrounds. He knew they were trouble all by themselves. But when coupled with friends like the other boys and someone as strong minded as Meer, they could be terrifying at a whole other level. Klaugh knew there was nothing he could do but tell the seniors to let it go, because if they pressed on, then he would have to act on Meer's complaint as well.

And so, the matter came to an end with a stern reprimand for the overly excited juniors and a light warning for the seniors to not trouble girls. The seniors learned of the terrifying identities, of course, and wisely agreed to drop the matter, and decided to stay far away from the whole lot.

Back out in the open night, Meer looked at Trim with undisguised appreciation. 'Good,' she praised. 'That's the way to do it. I think I might be starting to like you too. Keep at it.' She gently patted Trim's cheek, laughing at his stunned face, and walked away.

That night was bright as the middle of the day for Trim. He sure couldn't sleep. And, his friends, basking in the same brightness, couldn't sleep either.