Taura Akita the emo, Sumie Ito the clean freak and Inoue Toyama the weirdo. Oh joy! Slitting my eyes so that they’re sharp and pointed like darts, I saunter down the hallway where dorm 529 lies. Floorboards moaning as I step on them, I look around the hallway unimpressed: paint is trying to escape from the walls by peeling itself off the plaster. Spider’s webs hang in the corners right next to dorm 529. There are dorms on either side of the hallway and at the very end facing you directly is dorm 529- my new home.

Kicking the door open as I have no free hands as a result of lugging all my belongings in one go to my new room. Blindly walking in, I nearly trip over somebody on the floor….

“What are you doing, stupid emo?” I demand, my voice a snarl like an angry dog who is keeping watch with a policeman.

Black hair flowing down her back glistening because of the sad excuse for a light in this room, Taura is kneeling down on the floor, her face red. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Uh impersonating our new room mate the freak,” I snap back as I look at her cold hard glare. Tongue between her teeth yet still she closes her mouth, she looks like she has braces as her dark green eyes go wide. “What is? Now move,” as I step over her I slowly raise my head,

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Set on living up to my cold hard appearance; I’ve walk right into a fast streaming river and have fallen into the waterfall following it up without realising and nowI can’t get out of it…

Rocking back and forth on the top bunk of the bunk bed that is to the right side of the room and by the two chest of drawers is Sumie- the freak being comforted by Inoue who is rubbing her back while wearing white plastic gloves. Cold hard glares from three pairs of eyes push me out of dorm 529 and all the way out the school.

You may as well finish what you started.

“Oh it’s the freak and the well no one really knows who you are- anyway get off my bed,” my voice is a brick wall that nobody can break down or destroy or even quiver but it’s all an act. The hard cold glare: it’s an act. The evil as the Devil insults: they are an act. It’s all an act….

“Go to hell Leiko,” says Taura while gnawing at her lip. Black hair falling over her left eye she looks me in the eyes nervous, but she still looks me in the eyes.

“I said,” ignoring Taura, “get off my bed.”

“She’s not moving,” Inoue says trying to look strong but I’ve punched her enough times to know that she’s as weak and frail as an old lady shaking as she is close to the end. “you know she has OCD. We have spent twenty minutes sterilising this bed- she’s not moving. Come on, be a decent human. Try being even slightly affable.”

Disgusted, I tut- who does she think she is? “Good, the bed will be clean for me then. Oh and by the way stop acting smart, it’s pushing my hit Inoue buttons.”

Curly brown hair dancing around her head, Sumie looks up. Wide dark eyes look terrified like I’m about to shoot her. Is that the way the world sees me. Dark skin glowing, her purple glasses frame her frightened eyes while she gulps. I can’t stand the suspense that’s eating me alive, the guilt that’s drinking the colour from my face, the tears that are drowning me in their toxic bodies but they do not slide down my face but I can feel them inside me….

It’s clear: everyone thinks I’m a monster. There’s nothing I can do about it….

“Fine you have that bed,” I spit and look at her like she’s dirt despite the fact that I don’t feel that way about her. “I’ll have the bed below you but that doesn’t me that I’m not above you in everything else- I’m above you as a person.”


“What bed do you want…..um…..um…. yeah what bed do you want?” asks Taura to Inoue while she hesitates as if she was going to say something but forgot.

“Is it alright if I have the bottom one Taura only I feel scared when I’m on the top- I don’t like heights,” Inoue replies timidly.

Everyone stares at Inoue with confusion until Sumie asks, “Why are you scared of being five feet up in the air- it’s not high at all….no offence or anything I was just wondering.”

“Oh it’s just I’m not good with heights,” squeaks Inoue in return.

“Okay that’s fine- I’ll sleep on the top bunk then,” whispers Taura. Interrupting the silence that follows, a loud ringing bell sounds out in the hallway signalling that we need to go to our classes now. Without looking at each other we all file out of Dorm 529.