Book 1 The Beginning Part 1 Section 3

3

When morning came Mason started from his sleep, shocked rudely from his deep slumber by the sound of a trumpet, looking around in confusion he realised that it must have been played over the P.A. system. Sitting upright he blinked the sleep from his eyes and looked around, seeing his silent roommate ready to face the day, his uniform clean and pressed, his black hair wet from his shower. The boy sat there staring at him warily flinching slightly every time Mason moved. “Hey there,” Mason said and the boy paled. “We haven’t been introduced, I’m Mason,” he said and waited for a reply but the other boy just looked down at his hands. “What’s your name?” he asked.

The reply didn’t come for a long time and Mason thought that his new roommate was mute but then the boy peeked upwards and cleared his throat. “Peter, Peter Calloway,” he said in a small slightly hoarse voice.

“Nice to meet ya,” Mason said holding out his hand, straight away he regretted it, when the hand came close Peter flinched away. “It’s okay; I was only going to shake your hand I won’t if you don’t want me too.”

“I don’t like people touching me,” Peter said quietly.

“Okay I’ll remember that,” Mason said. He decided that it was time to get ready so he picked up the uniform that had been laid out at the foot of his bed and walked out into the hall and located the shower cubicles.

When he had finished showering Mason made it back to the room and found Peter waiting, as soon as he entered Peter left leading the way down to the Mess-hall. They made their way in complete silence, Mason at first found that slightly unnerving but then it became comfortable, he knew that he didn’t actually want to talk to anyone, that someone chatting away at him would disrupt the new calm he found in himself. A light touch on his arm brought back and he looked at his roommate. “What?” Mason asked.

“I think you should go in first,” Peter whispered not looking at him.

“Why?” Mason asked looking down at his companion, at first Peter didn’t answer and Mason continued to wait.

“It wouldn’t be good…it wouldn’t do you any good if you look like you’re my friend,” Peter said looking down at his carefully polished shoes.

“Why?” Mason said again but this time Peter didn’t reply, it seemed as if the last words had drained him so he sighed before walking forwards into the Mess hall making his way to one of the tables that had only a couple of people sitting at it and chose from the selection of cereal on the table. Ignoring the other occupants of the table Mason began to eat but he soon noticed that someone didn’t return his indifference, instead they loomed and finally he couldn’t stand it anymore. “What in the fuck do you want?” he asked.

“That’s not very polite, here I was going to give you some friendly advice and this is how you repay me?” the intruder said brushing back his blonde hair and shaking his head.

“Friendly advice?” Mason asked raising his eye brow. “What advice could you give me huh?”

“Well for one I could tell you that you are being rude to the wrong person, how about that for starters,” the boy said.

“You?” Mason said looking the smaller boy over, he was handsome and for a thirteen year old, as the marking on his shirt declared him, he was well built but compared to Mason he was tiny.

“Yes me, you may not realise it but you are talking to the son of the late General Phillip Conrad,” the boy said.

“The important word in that sentence is late, he’s dead” Mason said. “It doesn’t matter even if he was the fucking Grand Marshall; you’re still a recruit so you should start acting like one.”

“That might be true, but at least I don’t look like a demon hey Mutie?” the General’s son said smugly.

“It’s Mutate you arsehole,” Mason said quickly losing the little patience that he had, the difference between the two words might be minor but they were worlds away in meaning.

“Whatever but in my books you’re just a step above retards like Peter over there,” the boy said pointing to where Peter sat by himself.

Mason had had enough so he rose to his feet and stared down at the other boy who took a step back. “Look, fuck off or I’ll show you what a “Mutie” like me can do, I’ll even have fun doing it,” he said and grinned when the boy retreated. Great, Mason thought. I was beginning to think I’d actually have to hit him to get him out of my face, he thought to himself as he sat down again and returned to his interrupted breakfast. He had just finished his first bowl when another shadow interrupted him, this time he looked up to find a tall youth of the African-Strain who grinned. “What now?” he asked.

“The name is JT and I came over here to welcome you to the Sunrise View Academy,” JT said holding out his hand and Mason took it.

“Thanks, Mason’s my name,” Mason said letting go of the hand. “You’re a vast improvement on the last welcoming party.”

“What? Phil?” JT said. “I bet he can’t even spell welcome let alone make someone else feel it, especially if that someone falls into certain categories,” he said.

“I guessed that,” Mason said nodding. “You can smell one of them a kilometre away and look they come in packs,” he said gesturing to where Phillip sat with a group of boys, all of them Euro-stain, all of them looking like they ruled the world.

“That’s a sad fact of life,” JT said. “The ugly red head next to him is his best friend, it’s way obvious that Phil is the brains of the two and that’s not saying much, the others are a bit better but not by much.”

“There’s one good thing about all of them grouping together,” Mason said thinking. “At least it’s easy to know your enemy.”

“Yeah I guess so” JT said. “You’re Peter Calloway’s new roommate aren’t you?” he asked as he too looked over to where the small boy sat, but Mason noticed a completely different expression on the dark face, something like pity.

“Yeah I am,” Mason said. “Why’d you ask?”

“'Cause he's Phil's main target and he needs someone to look out for him,” JT said. “The little guy's every move just screams out target, someone like you keeping an eye out might stop those little snots.”

"I'll do my best then," Mason said. "Thanks for the welcome and the tip."

"Why don't you come and sit down with us huh?" JT said nodding over to a table.

"Thanks but no thanks, I don't feel like mingling," Mason said and JT nodded understandingly and went back to his table leaving Mason alone with his thoughts, where he remained until breakfast finished and everyone began to leave.