Lover's Rock~ Todd Anderson

03

Neil pushes his way through the crowd of boys, carrying two suitcases. As he enters his room, Knox quickly passes by. "Hey, how's it going Neil?" he was offered a smile before walking towards his dorm.

"Hey, Knox," Neil called out to him, interrupted however when Cameron appeared leaning against the doorway. "Neil, study group tonight?" the boy Cameron offered a big smirk on his face.

"Yeah, sure," Neil said looking away from his stuff to Cameron as he continued to speak. "Business as usual, huh? Hey, I hear you got the new kid. Looks like a stiff!" He begins laughing until he notices Todd coming into the room. "Oops!" he quickly leaves with a smirk on his face. Neil tries to keep from laughing as Todd enters the room and sets his luggage down on his bed.

"Listen, don't mind Cameron. He was born with his foot in his mouth. You know what I mean?" He pulls some papers from his blazer pocket and playfully whacks Todd across the back with it.

Charlie comes to the door with a smug expression on his face. Knox and Meeks are close behind him. He points at Neil "Rumor has it, you did summer school."

"Yep. Chemistry. My father thought I should get ahead. How was your summer Slick?" Neil walks towards his friends with a wide smile on his face. "Keen," Charlie smirks thinking back on his summer raising his eyebrows.

"Where's your sister Charlie" Neil asks as Knox enters the room followed by Meeks. He turns to his side as Cecilia begins to make her way over walking fast with a large smile on her face as she pulls Neil into a hug "Neil! Oh, how I missed you. How are you?"

"Cecil! I'm good thank you but oh how I missed you too" They both pull away from the hug as Charlie walks in followed by Cecilia who sits on Neils's bed beside Charlie.

"Gentlemen, what are the four pillars?" Charlie makes himself comfortable on Neil's bed and lights up a cigarette. "Travesty. Horror. Decadence. Excrement." Cecilia goes to grab the cigarette desperately in need of it but Charlie moves it away shaking his head as if to say 'no' at his sister passing it to Neil

Meanwhile, Todd is by his bed unpacking his luggage trying not to make himself known to the people there, especially the blonde girl sitting on the bed opposite from him, "Okay study group. Meeks aced Latin. I didn't quite flunk English. So, if you want, we've got our study group." Cecilia nods her head along to what Neil is saying."Sure. Cameron asked me too. Does anyone mind including him?"

"Hmm, what's his speciality, boot-licking?" Charlie takes another puff of his cigarette before finally passing it to Cecilia."Come on, he's your roommate."

"That's not my fault." Charlie lets out a scoff with a smirk on his face. Meeks seems to notice Todd for the first time. "Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Steven Meeks." Neil quickly gets up from his spot by the window.

"Oh, this is Todd Anderson." Todd turns around and shakes hands with Meeks. Cecilia takes a long look at him as she blows out the smoke. "Nice to meet you." Meeks offers a smile.

"Charlie Dalton." Charlie continues to lie on the bed, looking smug as Cecilia rolls her eyes giving her brother the cigarette before leaning forward her eyes never leaving Todd "I'm Cecilia Dalton"

Todd leans forward shaking her hand ever so slowly "Todd Anderson" she offers him a smile before leaning back and looking at her brother who stares at her with a frustrated look "What" she replies confused.

Knox extends his hand. "Knox Overstreet," he introduces himself. Neil glances at Todd before saying, "Todd's brother was Jeffrey Anderson."

"Oh yeah, sure. Valedictorian. National merit scholar." Charlie nodded along with an approval look much like his twin sister Cecilia

"Oh well, welcome to Hell-ton," Meeks said, slowing down his words to sound scary.

"It's every bit as tough as they say unless you're a
genius like Meeks." Cecilia said as you stated at Todd again. "Meeks is a genius" Charlie quickly rushes in "The twins flatter me. That's why I help Charlie with Latin, Cecilia just likes to take my extra pudding" Meeks looks over at the twins who give their signature cheeky smile

"And English, and Trig." Charlie coughs out. There is a knock at the door. Charlie quickly stamps out his cigarette on the floor and Neil tries to wave the smoke from the air as Cecilia jumps off Neil's bed moving herself away from everyone else
now standing next to Todd's bed.

"Hi, It's open." The door opens and Mr. Perry walks into the room. Neil quickly rises from
the window.

"Father, I thought you'd gone," Neil says with a slight voice crack. "Mr. Perry." the other boys say as Cecilia just rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"Keep your seat fellows...and lady, keep your seats. Neil, I've just spoken to Mr Nolan. I think that you're taking too many extracurricular activities this semester, and I've decided that you should drop the school annually." Mr Perry says with a tight smile

"But I'm the assistant editor this year." Neils previous smile had one disappeared "Well, I'm sorry Neil" Cecilia can see that Neils father really doesn't care and he shows little to no empathy towards his son. "But Father, I can't. It wouldn't be fair." Cecilia's heart broke just looking at Neils's expression

"Would you excuse us for a moment?"Mr. Perry walks towards the door and Neil hesitantly follows. Mr. Perry pauses by the door and smiles at the other boys before closing the door the boys all gather around the door rushing to hear as Todd and Cecilia stay where they are.

"Do you mind if I sit on the edge of your bed Todd?" Cecilia looked over at him to see him trying to avoid eye contact.

"Uh, you can sit there" Todd says going slightly red as Cecilia smiles at him before she could say anything else Meeks comes back over

"Todd, you're welcome to join us for the study group tonight." Meeks offers him a smile before walking out. "Yeah, come along pal." Knox says as he begins to leave. Todd looks up from his desk where he is setting his alarm clock. "Thanks."

Charlie begins to slowly walk over hanging his head before looking at his sister and reaching out his hand Cecilia looks at Todd before wishing him a goodbye in hopes she will see him soon before she looks over at her brother who begins to lead her out the room she gives Neil a soft smile before continuing down the hall to her room.