The Only Thing Stronger Than Hate (Minizerk)

Chapter 1

Simon's POV

I'd been so excited to go to college. I'd looked forward to it for all of my final year at high school.

I already knew this year was going to be amazing. Today, I was moving into my dorm room, and after that, I'd be heading down to the student hub to meet the other first years.

I was lucky enough not to have a roommate. There were people in the same block of apartments who I could make friends with, but nobody I'd be forced to socialise with if I just wanted to go back to my dorm in peace.

With an excited grin, I pushed open the door to my dorm, holding it open for the security guard who had been kind enough to help me bring up my bags and suitcases.

"Thanks for that, mate," I smiled as he placed them down against the wall.

"No worries, let me know if you need a hand when your roommate gets here." He said.

"Oh, I don't have a roommate, but thank you anyway." I nodded appreciatively.

"Oh, lucky you, enjoy having all this free space to yourself." He chuckled before leaving, closing the door behind him.

I got to work, setting my room up perfectly. Since this was a two person room, even though I had plenty of space, I only bothered organising the half on the same side as the bed I decided on.

I put up my posters, made my bed with the new bedding set I'd purchased just to feel like college was a fresh start, and set up my devices at my desk along with neatly stacking up my books there. That was almost everything, just my clothes remained.

I decided that wasn't important just yet since I wanted to get some lunch at one of the on-site cafés and then head down to the student hub. But before I left, I neatened up my bags and put the empty ones under my bed. I left my suitcase of clothes leaning against the wardrobe.

With my headphones in and Mindless Self Indulgence blaring, I made my way down to one of the cafés. I picked a quiet table in the corner and skimmed the menu before deciding what to order.

"Good afternoon. Are you ready to order?" The waitress smiled.

"I think I am, thank you. Can I just grab a southern fried chicken wrap and a latte?" I asked, returning the smile.

"Of course, any sugar in the latte?" She asked, but my attention had been caught by another boy who had entered the room. He looked familiar. "Sir?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I zoned out. Two, please. Thanks." I said apologetically.

"No, you're fine! I'll get that started for you." She nodded before heading off back to behind the counter.

My gaze wandered back over to the boy who was now sitting at a table in the other corner. He wasn't looking at me, but I could see his face clearly enough.

He had a slender face adorned by freckles, a short and dark beard sculpting it. His eyes were a misty hazel.

He looked so familiar to me. He was probably in my high school. But whoever he was, I either never spoke to him, or he'd changed a lot.

My food arrived a little while later, and I ate it quickly, leaving a tip for the waitress before hurrying down to the student hub.

It was buzzing with students, stalls, and societies strewn everywhere.

I saw a huge swarm of people gathered around the sign up stall for the football team tryouts.

Instantly, I gravitated over there. I'd always loved football and had been on the team throughout all of high school. This would probably be a great way for me to find friends here and give me something sociable in the week to look forward to.

"Oh my god, Simon?" A familiar voice called.

I turned around to see who it had come from, to be faced with one of the old members of the football team from my school. He was in the year above me.

His hair was fluffy and dirty blond. His eyes were a bright blue colour that stood out against his pale complexion.

"Harry! Hey! I didn't know you came to this college." I grinned. Finding friends would be easier than I'd thought.

"Yeah, I decided to stay close to home in the end. You hear to sign up for tryouts?" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I am. Is there any room left for my name?" I ask, hope evident in my tone.

"For you? Always." He clapped my shoulder before heading round to the other side of the stall and writing my name down. "I haven't seen you in over a year now. We should catch up."

"Definitely. I'd like that." I nodded.

"Okay, well, if you give me your number, I'll text you sometime. We can arrange something." He suggested.

"Sounds good to me." I smiled as he handed me his phone for me to add my contact to.

After mingling for a while and deciding none of the other clubs interested me - especially since I had football - I headed back to the apartment block to go to my dorm.

Just inside the entrance, the same familiar boy from the café was arguing with a staff member.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we have no other dorms. There's no more room in any other dorms for you to move into." The staff member apologised, though the look in his eyes said he didn't care much for what this boy was complaining about.

"I don't care if you have no dorms spare. I can switch with someone. I'm sure somebody will switch with me." He exasperated.

"Actually, that's not possible, sir. Your living agreement is already signed. It's binding for this academic year unless there's a safeguarding issue, which, in this case, there is not." The staff member was losing patience.

"Do you understand the hell this is going to put me through? I can't live with him!" He ran a hand through his hair, tangling his fingers into the locks in frustration.

I walked by awkwardly after having eavesdropped on their conversation, trying to pretend I hadn't heard it. I didn't have a roommate, so the staff member had lied, saying there was no more room in any other dorm.

When I reached my dorm, I flopped onto my mattress, taking out my phone to text my parents and let them know I'd settled in pretty well so far and signed up to join the football team.

Tension cut through the air like a knife as the door slammed open, and the boy from earlier came in, throwing down his bags after shooting me a deadly glare. I sat up abruptly.

"Excuse me? This is my dorm." I said awkwardly. Had the staff member changed his mind and let him come here?

"It's mine too, but I'm not exactly happy about that so mind your own fucking business. Keep to your side of the room, and I'll keep to mine. Keep your mouth shut, and I'll keep mine shut too." He spat.

I was taken aback. Was I the person he was trying to transfer from living with? That made no sense. I wasn't even supposed to have a roommate.

"I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't even know who you are. So don't talk to me like that. I'm sorry if I've done something, and I'm sure we can start over." I tried to make peace, knowing how easily this year could take a turn for the worst living with someone like this.

He stepped toward me, so he had to look down to meet my eyes, his own full of pure hatred.

"Joshua Bradley." He said in a harsh and quiet tone, the calm but venomous nature of it making me nervous.

As soon as he said that name, every piece of the puzzle fell into place, and everything that had happened since I got here - thinking I knew him, hearing him talk about swapping dorms - it all made sense. My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach as a sense of dread washed over me.