Uná O’Brian
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Uná got back to her room to notice that it was empty on Temperance’s side. She sighed and shook her head knowing that the girl’s temper got the better of her. Uná wondered if she’d have a room to herself or if she’d get paired with another girl. She hoped so. Every night felt like a sleep over only thing missing was the ocean. If there was something from San Diego, besides her parents, that she missed it was the ocean.
It was at that moment the door opened. A head of dark hair poked through, black eyes taking in the room. They fell on Uná and blinked.
”Oh,” came a soft voice.
”Hi. Sorry. I should’ve knocked.” The girl pushed the door open a bit wider, revealing herself and her luggage.
”I’m Aya -- your new roommate, I guess.” She didn’t move from behind the door frame.
Uná smiled at Aya.
“Akaw...I mean great. Sorry don’t mind me. I was hoping to get a new roomie. My name is Uná. Come on in I don’t bite.” Uná motioned to Aya to come in her eyes sparkling. She was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed indian style.
Aya gave a small polite smile and forced herself to enter the room. This was it. She was really doing this… going to mutant school. She replayed her conversation with Professor Everose over and over again in her head as she moved, berating herself for not just saying no thank you and ditching. But… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Her roommate seemed nice, she supposed. Aya glanced at her out of the corner of her eye as she moved to the empty bed, pulling her suitcase.
She was a pretty girl, with bright, fiery hair, sparkling eyes, and a smile that seemed to light up the room. She was young -- maybe a year or two younger than Aya (though Aya supposed Uná probably thought the same about her). Uná seemed to be the outgoing type though, which meant Aya would likely have to get creative with her excuses to not socialize. It was going to be a tiring year.
Aya set her bag near her bed when she reached it. She paused then, unsure of what do.
What else was there to do but unpack?
She looked over her shoulder to see Uná sitting on the other bed, watching her.
”Um,” Aya started, knowing it would be polite to make conversation.
”How was the first week of class?”Uná looked down at her feet and sighed.
Never lie. No matter what it is. Then you don’t have to remember what you said later. She heard that in her mother’s voice.
“It was fine I guess. I was spared the rigors of homework till this week. Didn’t really get to know anyone but my previous roommate though till this week. I was being careful.” Uná flopped over on her bed staring at the ceiling blowing out a breath.
“Should have stayed in my own head and kept to myself.” She looked over at Aya.
“But that would mean I’d have to regret something about...well today and I can’t.” Aya opened her mouth to respond -- it felt like she
should respond, like the other girl had just revealed something personal. But Aya was at a loss of what to say. She closed her mouth and turned to her luggage.
Look busy. She kneeled to open it up and start taking out her few belongings.
Uná popped up and sat on the edge of her bed. She tilted her head and watched Aya as she seemed at a loss of what to do. Uná stood up and realized that Aya was actually shorter than her. She immediately thought of Api and grinned. Walking over to the dressers she indicated hers.
“This one’s mine. So...I guess I can ask the over done questions that everyone, myself included, has asked just about everyone that we’ve met. Where are you from? How old are you? What kind of powers do you have? And the most important...are you single? You would not believe how many people I have met today that are.” Uná grinned at Aya and waited for her to answer.
Aya blinked at the way Uná rattled off her questions, her hands pausing over a pair of jeans in her bag.
”Umm, yes. I’m single.” She’d never
not been single. Never had the time or the nerve to even date anyone before. Aya forced her hands to pick up the jeans and place them on her bed with the rest of her clothes.
”I’m eighteen. Just graduated in the Spring.” Aya’s mind spun, trying to recall the other questions. Where she was from, and what her power was. Her pulse quickened.
”I’m from Hawaii,” she said, knowing that was usually a crowd pleaser. People tended ooh and ahh and tell her how lucky she was and how much they wanted to visit. Aya looked at Uná over her shoulder.
”What about you?” she asked, hoping her home state and getting Uná to talk about herself would distract her from the fact that Aya had only answered three of the four questions. She stood to start organizing and refolding her clothes.
Uná tilted her head but shrugged she tapped out a tune on her dresser as they stood there.
“I’m from San Diego. I’m sixteen and I’m pretty sure I’m single...I think.” Uná looked perplexed at the idea then shook her head. Aya raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about your powers but I have to let you know about mine. It could be vital to your life to know about them. I manifest illusions that can interact with reality. But I can’t control them consciously. My dreams and nightmares become real.” Aya had paused in her folding, eyes glued to the dress in her hands as she listened. Uná walked back over to her bed and sat down on the edge.
“I almost killed my parents.” She whispered as she leaned her elbows on her thighs and put her head in her hands. Aya looked back at her from across the room.
“I could have hurt people today. If something weird happens wake me up and hopefully it’ll go away. If it doesn’t then we’re in trouble.” Uná laughed without humor and shook her head.
“Didn’t expect someone like me to be dangerous, huh? Well you know what they say about books and covers.”Aya stood on her side of the room, looking at Uná, small and scared on her bed. She knew that pain -- the fear, the self loathing that came from hurting people. Aya wasn’t thrilled that apparently her life could be in danger every night but… she supposed if something happened to her, she deserved it anyway. She let out a slow sigh.
Mutant school.Aya put down the dress and slowly walked to Uná’s bed. She sat down on the edge, as if afraid it might pop under her weight. She lifted a hand and paused. Then she rested it on Uná’s slim shoulder. Aya gave her a light squeeze. Her mouth pulled into a small, hesitant smile.
”We’ll figure it out,” she said after a moment. It didn’t feel adequate -- Aya had never been great with other people. She didn’t know how to comfort or connect.
Aya pulled her hand back but didn’t get up from the bed.
Uná glanced at Aya and smiled weakly.
“Thanks. Don’t happen to have boy advice to go with that do you? That’d just be amazing. Cause I’m feeling like a kook getting worked over and tombstoned and I just can’t get a bomb all I’m getting is messy water.” Aya blinked. She’d understood maybe a third of that.
”Sorry,” she said, with a small laugh,
”I’m not really the person to go to for that sort of thing.” Aya pushed herself up from the bed and walked back over to her side to see about putting her clothes away, now that Uná’s mood seemed to have passed. She went back to her clothes and started seeing about actually putting them away.
A thought came to her then. She turned back to look at Uná.
”Sorry, but would it be alright if I borrowed whatever notes you had from class this week? Just so I can catch up.”Uná looked over at her notebook and leaned over to grab it.
“Sure.” She handed the notebook over to Aya.
“The classes are separated by the dividers. I'm gonna go run for a bit I'll be back later.” Uná headed to the door and went out shutting it softly.
Aya opened her mouth to say goodbye, but Uná was already gone. She spent a moment looking at the closed door, then down at the notebook in her hand. Opening it, she flipped through the first few pages, filled with her notes. Aya sighed and placed it on the bed. She’d go through it after she finished getting settled in, she supposed. Aya looked down at the notebook, her clothes laid out on her bed, and her half-empty suitcase.
There was still time, she supposed, to back out. But no, the time for that had passed. She was stuck here. Aya wasn’t sure she wouldn’t come to regret it. With a sigh, Aya went back to unpacking her suitcase.
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