I glance at the little menu on the wall as I enter. There’s lots of standard fare; pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs, as well as some Romanian food. I’m not in the mood for any of it. I just grab myself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee and sit down at one of the tables to eat.
I’ve only taken a few bites when I hear a tray clatter and Owen sits down across from me.
I stare at him as he grabs his fork and starts eating. He hasn’t said anything. He just takes a few bites, stuffing his cheeks full of pancake, before I decide to break the silence.
“Uh, hi.”
He swallows his mouthful. “Hi!” he replies brightly, and grabs some of his milk. He keeps eating.
“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing around. There are plenty of other students in the dining hall he could’ve sat with. It didn’t have to be me.
“Well, Piers is sleeping in, and Bennett’s working on his project,” Owen replies, taking a small bottle of maple syrup and pouring more on his pancakes.
“Okay … but then, what are you doing?”
He licks some syrup off his fingers. “What do you mean?”
I watch him for a while. He eats like he’s been starved his whole life. He’s surprisingly well put-together for it being so early in the morning. While most people are in hoodies or even pajama bottoms, he’s wearing a palm-leaf patterned short-sleeve button-up and nice jeans. He’s done his hair, too. It’s tousled perfectly.
I guess I never noticed before because he’s always stripping down for PW. I guess you don’t have to worry about your shirt getting dirty if you aren’t going to wear it.
I squint. He’s always had long hair on top with shaved sides, but the sides had been growing out. Now, however, they’re shaved close again.
“Did you get a haircut?” I ask, breaking the silence again.
He looks up at me and grins. He’s got a dimple in his cheek.
“Yeah! I cut my own hair. Wanna touch it?” He leans over the table and bends his head down.
I feel like I have no choice. I reach out and rub the fuzzy hair on the back of his head. “You feel like one of those al mi’raj,” I say, referencing the rabbit-like creature with a penchant for human blood and the razor-sharp horn to get it.
He sits up, still grinning. “Thanks!”
I watch him eat for a little while longer. I finish my food before he does, but suddenly it’s rude to just leave him alone.
He notices I’m done. “So, what are you doing today?” he asks.
I shrug. It’s the weekend, so really … it’s just more of the same. I sit up and stretch my arms out over my head. I was thinking of heading out to the training grounds to get some extra practice in. There aren’t going to be many days left without snow on the ground to slow me down and make training even more miserable.
When I tell Owen this, he just raises an eyebrow. “You know Black, you don’t have to always be on, you know?”
I fold my arms across my chest.
“I just mean you’re allowed to have some fun, once in a while,” he says. “Come on, follow me.”
He stands and motions towards the exit.
I narrow my eyes. If this is some poorly-veiled attempt to get me outside alone so he and the others can jump me lock me out, I’m not falling for it.
“We have a truce,” I say, suspicion heavy in my tone.
“I know we do. I just …” He shuffles his tray awkwardly on the table and looks away. Does he not know what to do if he doesn’t have Piers and Bennett around?
“Fine,” I say, just wanting him to stop making that helpless expression. “I’ll go outside with you.”
He’s cheerful again in an instant. “Great! There’s this place around the back of the main building where we like to play wall-ball.”
“Wall-ball?”