As if it Never Happened...

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Emory glanced back at his black car, pressing the lock button lightly. He watched the lights flash and heard the car emit a small beep. He hummed softly to himself, currently distracted by the alternative rock playing through his wireless ear buds. His phone, wallet, and school ID were neatly tucked in separate pockets in his black jeans that barely covered the top of his black and blue asics. He wore a red t-shirt and a black windbreaker. Glancing around, Emory headed towards his dorm room to drop off his backpack and to catch some sleep before the introductory meeting in the afternoon. He'd been up all night driving and needed some sleep. Running a hand through his hair to push it back some, he started inside. Up two flights of stairs and he was outside his door. Swiping the ID, the door popped open and he slid inside, closing the door behind him. He glanced between the two beds with grey sheets. Closer to the window or door.. They both had desks and closets beside them, and there was a bathroom on the other side. Emory tossed his stuff by the bed by the window, kicking off his shoes at the foot of his bed and dropping his jacket beside it. He flopped down onto the mattress, stretching and letting out a huge yawn. As he looked to the bed, it suddenly occurred to him he didn't know his roommate.. Had he not been assigned one this year? Shrugging, he decided he'd find out when he had some sleeping. Setting an alarm for an hour before the meeting, he rolled onto his stomach and began to drift off.
 
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Article:
"Nineteen-year-old Clarence Avery was released from Linton's Mental Institution yesterday morning at 10:30 a.m. Now we should be wondering, is this a good idea? How do we know that the boy has really been fixed? Considering how he brutally murdered his older brother at the age of just fifteen, should we be so sure that he won't kill anyone else? What makes us think that simple pills will keep him sane? And should we even let him be staying in a dorm room at a college? All we know is, we sure feel sorry for the poor soul that may as well be the boy's next victim..."
Source: The Linton Times


Clarence read the rest of the news article as he stood in front of the building he'd be living in for the next four years of his life. Why doesn't anyone listen to my story...? He knew he didn't kill his brother for no reason...well, he didn't even kill his brother...but that was a story for another time. And if he were being completely honest with himself, he didn't regret it. His brother was the worst part of his life...he was glad that he was gone.

Clarence crumpled up the newspaper and threw it in a nearby recycling bin, then adjusted the messenger bag on his shoulder and gripped the handle of his suitcase. He wore a pair of black studded skinny jeans, along with some light blue converse and a dark grey sweater. He had a scarf around his neck, since it was kind of cold, but it also matched the color of his shoes, so it didn't look too bad either. He took a deep breath and walked inside the building, then headed straight for the elevator. He stepped back as the doors open, revealing some other, what he believed to be students, that stepped out, but as soon as they caught sight of him, they averted their eyes. Great...is it always going to be like this? He shifted his gaze to the floor as he stepped inside the elevator, then pressed the button that matched his floor number.

When the doors finally opened, he carefully stepped out, making sure nobody else was around, and quickly headed towards the door that matched the number on his key. He wondered if his roommate was already inside when he stopped in front of the door...or if he even had a roommate. He placed his hand on the knob and slowly turned it. It was unlocked. So he did have a roommate. He stepped inside, albeit quietly, and took a quick look around at the room. Wow...much better than the padded cell I had at the as- mental institution. He quietly closed the door behind him and glanced over at the filled bed. Asleep already? He walked over to the empty bed, setting his suitcase down on its back, then pushed it under with his foot, along with his messenger bag. He tried his best to quietly crawl onto the bed, though it did creak, causing him to cringe. He figured he'd sleep, too...The past few days had been rather stressful for him, and he could really use it. He just hoped to god that his roommate wouldn't recognize his face, though, how could he not? He'd been all over the news and newspapers for the past few weeks, the same way he was four years ago. He sighed and moved himself into a laying position, not bothering to cover himself with a blanket, and soon found himself drifting into a deep sleep, better than he'd had in years.
 
Emory only mumbled softly as, unknowingly to him, his roommate got settled in. He was lost in a dream state.

Precisely at 4 pm, his alarm went off. Emory groaned, reaching over and hitting his phone to get it to shut up. He yawned, sitting up as he did so. Glancing over, he noticed his roommate. A slightly confused expression crossed his face. Wasn't that the same guy on the news? Oh yeah.. That guy was supposed to be here... Well... As long as I don't bother him, I should be okay, right? Emory watched his roommate curiously. He didn't look like someone who would just randomly kill someone... He wondered how much the news had gotten wrong. He knew they tended to do that. Standing, he decided he should get ready for the introductory meeting. He went to the bathroom, still lost in thought about his roommate. He should at least introduce himself... They were going to be living together..
 
About five minutes after Clarence heard an alarm, his eyes slowly opened. He looked over to the other bed, which, was now empty. I guess that was his alarm...

Clarence still felt pretty tired, since he hadn't been getting much sleep lately, but his mind was awake now, and it wouldn't be going back to sleep for several hours.

He slowly slid out of bed and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. He rubbed his eyes, then knelt down and pulled his messenger bag out from under the bed. He opened it, then reached inside and grabbed a bottle of pills. He then realized he didn't have a water bottle. Great. I can't swallow these dry! He shook his head and stood up, placing his bag on his bed, but he kept the bottle in his hand. He figured his roommate might be in the bathroom, since the door was shut, so he supposed he could ask if he had one. He sighed and sat down on the bed, looking at the bottle of pills as he twirled it in his hands. He knew he had to go to the pharmacy tomorrow so he could get his other pills, the ones that kept his anxiety low. He hated taking those ones...while his usual pills were supposed to keep...that side of him supressed, leaving him to be his normal kind, sweet, and shy self, the second set of pills he had to take made him irritable and sarcastic, but still quiet.

He groaned and stood up again. He supposed he should look a bit nicer for the introductory meeting, though he was fairly crossed about going. So many people would be there...so many people that would recognize his face...But he had to go. He needed to know the information. So he pulled his suitcase out from under his bed and pulled his shirt off, along with his scarf, then began searching through his suitcase for what shirt would look the nicest. He didn't want to look too formal, so no dress shirts. Maybe a nice sweater? He clicked his tongue and kept looking, and at one point he must have dropped his pill bottle, because it wasn't in his hand anymore. But he wasn't interested in that at the moment, he just wanted to find something nice to wear.
 
Emory finished getting ready. He was still wearing the same clothes, but he had brushed his teeth. Noticing his roommate was up, he spoke. "You going to the introductory meeting too?" He asked curiously, going to his bed to put his shoes back on.
 
You know what? I think a nice sweater will do just fine. He grabbed a dark red sweater, and was about to pull it on when he suddenly heard a voice, which caused him to jump and place both hands on either side of his suitcase to steady himself. He stayed still for a bit, thinking of what to say. He slipped his sweater on first, then closed his suitcase ad slid it back under his bed. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he realized that his pill bottle wasn't in his hand, but when he looked to his right, there it was, on the floor a few feet away from him. He took a few steps towards it and bent down to grab it, then slowly stood upright again and turned to his roommate. Whoa.

He blinked, taking in the other male's appearance. The corner of his lips turned up in a small smile, and he hesitantly stepped towards him, until he was just two feet away from him. "Yes...and um...I'm Clarence. It's nice to meet you." He said quietly, just slightly extending his hand.
 
Emory glanced between his roommate and his hand a moment before finishing tying his shoe. He took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you Clarence. I'm Emory." He gave him a weak smile. Okay... This guy seemed nothing like the news said. He stood, wriggling his toes to make sure he didn't have his shoes too tight. "You ready to go?"
 
Clarence smiled a bit more when Emory shook his hand. He'd almost expected him to awkwardly move away from him.

"Yeah...All ready to go..." He said, moving over to the door. But he paused an turned back to his roommate. "Wait...are we going together?" He asked, unsure. "Look, you don't have to...I mean...I know how it would look...if you..." He sighed, shaking his head as he averted his eyes. He knew it was probably bad enough for the guy to have to share a room with him, so he didn't want to make it worse by actually having Emory be seen with Clarence.
 
Emory watched Clarence, silent for a moment. "I'll leave that up to you." He said calmly. If he hung with Clarence, he was almost sure to be ignored and avoided by people... But he figured he wouldn't get too many friends in the first place. First of all he was protective. Most people don't like that in college. He was responsible and a bit of a geek, not to mention gay. He hadn't told anyone really, but he figured if he did make good friends, he'd have to tell them eventually, and he knew that would repel many people anyway. Hanging with this supposed crazy guy couldn't be that bad... Right? Emory started out the door, figuring he would get going and let Clarence decide on his own.
 
Clarence bit his lip in thought. Emory was pretty friendly...maybe it wouldn't hurt too much if they were seen together this one time...

By the time Clarence had actually decided, it had been a few moments after Emory left, so he quickly hurried out the door, shutting it behind him of course, and spotted Emory. "H-Hey! Wait up!" He called, then trotted over to him. He flashed him a smile, then began walking beside him. Yeah...one time wouldn't hurt...
 
Emory glanced behind him when he heard Clarence. He was a little relieved Clarence had decided to go with him. Clarence was the only person he knew here, and even though they'd just met, it was better than nothing. He hated being around people he knew nothing about. When Clarence caught up, Emory smiled ever so faintly and continued his trek to the introductory meeting in the lobby.
 
Clarence stayed by Emory's side until they reached the lobby, which is where there were...many other students. He fell back a bit, beginning to walk a little slower. He could practically feel the eyes on him,and he kept his gaze downward, trying his best to not hear the whispers he knew were floating about the room. He bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them as he quickened his pace a bit to catch up with Emory again. He moved a little close to him, almost as if for protection. Why couldn't he have gotten his anxiety pills today? "Th-They're all looking at me..." He whispered. "...They're all talking about me..." He knew he should've just stayed in the room. He could have asked Emory about the information afterwards...but now it was too late.
 
Emory glanced around. "They're all mean, that's what." He said softly back. He noticed a guy in a football jersey scoffing and he glared at the guy, tilting his head a little and tensing. His actions seemed quite threatening. He didn't look too strong, but the way he stood showed off the muscle he did have, and the look in his eye dared the jock to try him. The football guy looked away and Emory sighed, looking back at Clarence. "Aye... Relax a little... Okay? Most of the people here are a bunch of jerks." He said gently.
 
Clarence glanced up at Emory and offered a small smile, though it was fake. "...You know...I didn't expect you to be so nice to me, Emory...most people aren't...I mean, I suppose it's just out of fear...and because of what I did...but..." He sighed. "...I-I don't know, nevermind...I guess I'm just trying to say thank you for being nice to me." He looked back down at the ground again, a small smile still on his face, but it was more genuine. I shouldn't have to keep my head down...or my eyes averted. That's not fair...

After a few moments, he lifted his head, and kept it that way, trying his best to ignore the gazes that came his way. Though, he accidentally made eye contact with a guy with obviously bleached hair, and he regretted it, because no sooner than he did, the guy smirked. "Freak." He said quietly, but just loud enough for Clarence to hear. That word...Clarence hated it. Deeply.

Clarence blinked and looked at the ground once again, and he stopped walking. "U-Um...Hey, I think I'm just going to head back up to the room....I'll see you after the meeting..." He said quietly, hoping Emory heard him, because not two seconds afterwards, he turned on his heels and ran back towards the elevator. Once he was inside, and the doors were closed, he covered his face with his hands. Why do I even try? He stepped out of the elevator when the doors slid open, and since he wasn't paying attention, he didn't see that there had been a small group of people waiting for it. So when he ran out, he bumped into a girl, causing them to fall to the ground, Clarence on top. Once she saw his face, her eyes widened and she released a scream, shoving Clarence off of her. Clarence scrambled to his feet, holding his hands out defensively. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you!" He said, but it was like she didn't even hear him. "HE TRIED TO KILL ME! DID YOU SEE THAT!? HE TRIED TO KILL ME!" She screamed, pointing at Clarence as she looked at her friends. One of the guys looked positively furious, and he grabbed Clarence by the collar of his shirt, slamming him agains the wall. "You think you can just come here and try to kill people, pal? I don't fucking think so! You better take a good look around, because you're not in a looney bin anymore!" The guy shouted, then threw Clarence away from him. Clarence hit the ground with a grunt, and decided to just stay down until the group left. Great. I already know there's going to be tons of rumors about this... He listened as the group hurled insults at him as they walked away, the girl crying hysterically.

It felt like an eternity until those elevators finally closed, and it was just silent in the hallway. Clarence got up quietly and slowly walked back to the dorm room. He opened it and closed it behind him, then sat on his bed. After a few moments, his eyes watered, and he began to release sobs, burying his face into his hands as he rested his elbows on his thighs.

These next four years were going to be Hell for him.
 
Emory sighed as he heard Clarence leave. He wished he could help... An ear-piercing shriek from a distance sent chills down Emory's spine, but he ignored it. The headmaster had come on stage and was now speaking to the student body. Emory listened intently, as he planned on referring all the information back to Clarence..
 
After a few moments, he laid back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his tears slowly coming to a stop. 'Stop that. It does no good to cry or feel sorry for yourself. So knock it off.' He heard a voice say in his mind. His eyes immediately went wide as he had a realization. He hadn't taken his pills. He looked around for his pill bottle, and luckily, it was still on the bed, though he'd accidentally kicked it off while he was looking for them. He reached down and grabbed the bottle, opening it, then shook two pills out and tossed them in his mouth. He closed the bottle and let it drop to the floor, then stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom. He turned the sink on, cupped his hands, and filled them with water, then drank it, swallowing the pills with it.

He sighed and left the bathroom, going over to flop back down on his bed. He pulled the covers over himself, folding his arms under it, and turned his body so he faced his wall, staring at it as he got lost his in his own thoughts.
 
Emory tried his best to focus on the headmaster's speech, however, nearing the end she mentioned Clarence. The more she spoke, the more agitated Emory got, as she was basically telling everyone to avoid him or baby him. As bid them good day, Emory turned, pushing through people until he got outside. He wasn't going to sit on the elevator, so he went to the stairs, slamming the door behind him.

It took him several minutes to climb the stairs, and the exercise calmed him. He lightly knocked on the door before he entered. Closing it, Emory flopped down on his bed. "Hey..."
 
"...Hi..." He said quietly, not moving.

He was frowning at the wall, blinking slowly. He had thought about many thing while he'd been in the room, but some things stuck with him, and he wanted to get another opinion. "Do you ever think how things just...happen? Like....Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Because I don't...I think everything that happens was meant to happen...otherwise it wouldn't have happened, right?" He sat up slowly, turning to face Emory. Before he continued, he leaned down and untied his shoes, then slid them off and set them next to his bed. "Certain people are made to be feared...or ridiculed...or cherished. And obviously...it was meant to be that way. There are no accidents. Nothing is ever an accident...Maybe all the things I've done...including murdering my brother...they were supposed to happen. Maybe just to bring me here to meet you...maybe just to bring me here to live in Hell..." He paused for a long moment, then laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Or maybe it's all just meaningless and I'm just an idiot." He said, his voice much quieter.
 
Emory was surprised by Clarence's questions. He blinked, slowly and thoughtfully looking at the ground. After a few minutes, he decided he'd found an answer. "Personally, I do think everything happens for a reason, and I personally think those reasons are always for the better. That's my own belief, and I think everyone is entitled to that." He said calmly. "There had to be a reason you snapped at your brother... People don't just turn on other people. It had to happen for a reason that was for the better. I like to come up with reasons sometimes... Maybe you coming here was to show the jerks here that they can't go parading around like they own the world. They have to look at what's around them, because they won't always get what they want." He sighed, stretching. "Maybe the jerks here are jerks to teach the staff how to appropriately handle situations. Maybe the school is here to someday turn someone's life around and set them on the right path." He ruffled his hair, ready to spend the night preparing for his classes tomorrow and relax while getting to know Clarence. "But all in all, yes, I do think that everything that happens was meant to happen And has a reason." He sat down on the edge of his own bed, watching Clarence again with a curious expression.
 
Clarence thought for a little while, listening to what Emory said. And...his words actually brought a small smile to his lips. "...You have a good view on things, Emory...I like you." He said, looking over at him with a soft smile. "...I think I'm just going to read for a little while...if you have any questions about anything, don't be afraid to ask. You know...'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.'" He said, then reached under his bed and grabbed his messenger bag. He opened it and pulled out a black blook with a plain cover, no words engraved on it or anything, and opened it as he scooted back on his bed until he felt the wall behind him.

We'll keep him, Clarence.

He bit his lip and closed his eyes for a moment, then began reading his book, curling his knees up a bit.
 
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