6. Cold reception and an awkward situation.

Chapter song: Psycho Killer - Talking Heads

Thirty minutes later, the atmosphere at Julius' welcome party was lively, with laughter and cheer echoing around the room. Despite being the center of attention, Julius chose a quiet spot at the edge of the table, sipping his drink while observing the boys' antics with a hint of amusement.

He was startled when a voice interrupted his solitude. "Could you pass me the bottle of water?" The voice was pleasant, yet direct.

Julius turned to find Agares seated beside him. Caught off guard, he froze for a moment, his hand hovering awkwardly before he quickly reached for the bottle. Agares, with an impatient glance, took the water and poured it into his cup before sipping it with a practiced grace. Julius watched, his gaze inadvertently fixed on Agares' lips as they parted to drink.

Sensing the stare, Agares glanced at him briefly before taking another sip. Julius, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, looked away. An uneasy silence fell between them, and Julius, eager to dispel the tension, attempted to initiate conversation.

"So, um, how long have you been a house leader, if you don't mind me asking?"

Agares gave him a brief, indifferent look before responding, "First year."

"First year?!" Julius blurted, surprised.

Agares chuckled dryly, taking a piece of fruit.

"Yes."

"Oh, I didn't realize first years could become leaders. That's impressive," Julius remarked, genuinely impressed.

"It's nothing special," Agares shrugged.

"Right," Julius replied, feeling the awkward silence return. He fumbled for something to say, wondering if conversation had always been this difficult.

As he hesitated, Agares spoke up, breaking the silence. "Why did you change schools?"

Julius was taken aback by the personal question and the genuine curiosity in Agares' tone. "Um…my dad moves around a lot because of his job."

"I see. What does your dad do?"

Julius was caught off guard again. "…He's an architect. Designs buildings for high-tech companies."

"I see."

Agares' demeanor seemed to soften slightly, prompting Julius to take a chance. "Can I ask you something?"

Agares raised an eyebrow, clearly interested despite his reserved nature. "Go ahead."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I've been feeling like I might've offended you or made a bad first impression…"

"What makes you think that?"

"I don't know, it's probably just my imagination, but it seemed like you didn't like me," Julius admitted.

Agares studied him intently. "…What gave you that impression?"

Julius felt his heart race under Agares' scrutinizing gaze. "Ugh…your attitude?"

Agares nearly choked on his water, spilling some as he reacted. Julius, panicked, grabbed napkins and attempted to help.

"It's fine," Agares said, taking the napkins and cleaning himself. "I wasn't expecting that answer at all. You're probably the first person to be so honest with me."

"And to answer your question," Agares continued, "I don't dislike you at all."

Relief washed over Julius, but Agares' next words struck him hard. "How can I dislike someone I don't care about?" 

The rhetorical question felt like a punch in the gut. Julius was left with a pang of disappointment as Agares made his departure. "I'll be taking my leave now. Have a pleasant sleep, Loriana."

Julius sat in silence, grappling with the unexpected rejection and his feelings of hurt. 

"Hey man, why are you all alone?" Silas' voice broke through his reverie.

Julius looked up to see Silas, his usual playful grin in place. "C'mon, the guys want to ask you more about your life."

Seeing the eager faces of his new roommates, Julius forced a smile. The cloud of discomfort lifted, and he engaged with his new roommates. Agares was an ass so he wasn't going to let his behavior ruin his mood. 

The next morning, Julius awoke feeling groggy and unrested. The unfamiliarity of his new surroundings made it hard for him to fall asleep, and he knew it would take time to adjust.

He reached for his phone on the nightstand, checking his messages. He received one from his friend back in Westwood and another from his mom that was sent the previous night. She had asked if he was settling in and if everything was going well.

Julius quickly replied, knowing she would worry if he didn't respond. After sending the text, he quietly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, careful not to make any noise.

The house had three floors, each with a bathroom. Since Julius was on the second floor, he headed to the bathroom nearest to Knox and Eirie's room. As he approached, the door opened, with Eirie coming out of it. Despite his disheveled appearance, Eirie still looked somewhat ethereal.

Eirie's eyes widened at the sight of Julius, and it looked like he wanted to flee.

"Uh, good morning," Julius said with a half-hearted smile.

Julius noticed Eirie's shyness from their brief encounter the night before. Seeing him with messy blond hair and glassy blue eyes made Julius feel a bit awkward. The feeling seemed mutual, as Eirie's greeting was equally uncomfortable.

"Were you going to use the bathroom?" Julius asked.

"Ah, j-just a quick pee," Eirie replied in a low voice.

"Oh, then go ahead. I'm planning to take a shower, so you can go first," Julius offered with a smile.

Eirie nodded and hurried into the bathroom.

Three minutes later, Eirie emerged, his face slightly flushed. He thanked Julius before returning to his room. Julius didn't dwell on Eirie's behavior, attributing it to his shyness, and proceeded with his morning routine.

*

Later, while walking to class, Julius recounted the interaction with Eirie to Silas. Silas responded with a hearty laugh.

Julius looked at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Silas shook his head, still smiling. "Don't worry about Eirie, man. He reacts like that around attractive people. He's one of those superficial types obsessed with looks."

Julius felt even more confused. If Eirie was superficial, why was he acting that way towards Julius, who didn't consider himself particularly good-looking?

Noticing Julius' confusion, Silas grinned. "It's always the good-looking ones who don't realize they're good-looking."

Julius scoffed, thinking Silas was joking. "So what does that make you?"

Silas looked at him with an innocent smile. "What do you mean?"

"You're aware of your good looks, so doesn't that make you unattractive by your theory?" Julius asked pointedly.

"There are exceptions. Some guys know they're good-looking and use it to their advantage."

"And those intentions aren't always good?"

Silas shrugged. "Beauty is power. Some use it for good, others for bad."

Julius laughed. "And you use it for good?"

"Of course!" Silas replied.

"Sure~" Julius said, grinning.

Silas rolled his eyes at him as he put his arm around his shoulder. "C'mon let's get to class before we're marked as tardy."