[center][u]Outside Male Dorms[/u][/center]

Tyler stepped out of the dormitory expecting to be met with a breath of fresh air, but was instead assaulted with the acrid odor he had come to expect of the inner cities he often slept in. A brief flash of cold nights and even colder concrete flooded his thoughts, as well as a hint of surprise at how quickly he had gotten used to clean air that the smell of tobacco smoke would affect him so, even if brief. The source of the smoke, two women he guessed were slightly older than him but still attended the school eyed him critically. For a moment, he decided that he would simply ignore them and continue on his way, even taking several several steps to do so. But then one spoke.

[i]“Seems like the old bat of a Headmistress will let anyone into this Academy now.”[/i] The words were bitter, almost as if they were spit at him, and despite himself, Tyler’s ears warmed. His steps away from the building faltered and then stopped as the second girl spoke. [i] “His parents must be rich, why don’t you go ask, Lilly? You like rich men.”[/i] she snickered, but Tyler kept his back turned, clenching his teeth slightly before wondering why he hadn’t just kept on moving. The other, presumably Lilly, spoke again. [i] “None of these freshmen are worth my time, Victoria… but since you insist.”[/i] Not soon after the words left her mouth, Tyler felt a sharp tap on his shoulder. 

Reluctantly, he turned, finding the same critical gaze from both women as he had seen not seconds before. He tried matching it, and Lilly spoke again, this time directly addressing him. [i] “I am going to go out on a limb here and say you’re new. You must feel so accomplished and your family must be so very proud of you since receiving that acceptance letter. This used to be an exclusive school, mind you but I am not sure that’s the case anymore if they let people like you in. What do you think?”[/i] She purposefully blew smoke in his face, but he held his breath, watching Lilly with a guarded expression as she tilted her head, challenging him. The statement actually shocked Tyler into momentary speechlessness. He had never even heard of this school, let alone had known that it had been very exclusive, and he was suddenly overcome with a brief glimpse of depressed confusion before hardening his expression further and returning his thoughts to the situation at hand. 

“Yes,” he responded in a rather flat tone, “I am new. No, my [i]family[/i] is not proud. I don’t even think they know if I’m alive or not, let alone that I am at a school of all places.” He paused, taking a moment to inspect the girls as they had him, pursing his lips and feigning exaggerated disappointment. “You say this place used to be exclusive…” His eyes met Lilly’s “Was that much before your time here? Or did you receive a similarly unwanted comment from someone when you were a freshman?”