well, this is awkward [freddie]

[swanlake]

It was early Friday evening, and already she was in her pajamas. Then again, who could really blame her? It was quite possibly her first night that since she'd arrived at Baum Academy when she was able to relax. There wasn't any unpacking to do anymore (she'd finally managed to put away the last of her clothing and rearrange the bookshelf to her liking), there wasn't a scheduled meeting to meet RJ in the library for their project...


Oh, right. At the thought of RJ, Alpha sat up from her sprawled out position on the bed, making a face as she realized that she had forgotten to give RJ back the book he'd allowed her to borrow for the project. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Glancing around her side of the room, the brunette spotted the foreign text among her own books. It was mocking her, she could feel it. Jeering her with the silent fact that it didn't belong with her, yet it had obviously gotten itself comfortable where it should not have been.


With a scowl, Alpha rose from the bed and grabbed the book, knocking down some of her own belongings in the process. And she'd just managed to get everything perfectly organized. For the love of....


A calming deep breath, and then Alpha was heading out of her dormitory, book in hand, door closing -- but not locked -- behind her. Now, RJ lived in the same building, she recalled him telling her. Now to remember what floor and room....


After a search that lasted several minutes too many (Alpha was distressed after the first few), she finally found the room. Feeling confident again, the brunette knocked gently on the door. She heard a voice inside, then footsteps, and the door swung open. "Hi, RJ, I'm just bringing....."


Her voice trailed off as Alpha stared at the male who had opened the door in slight horror. No, this was certainly not RJ. No, definitely not. Had she gotten the right room? Her light blue eyes -- now wide with shock -- glanced at the door number again, just to be sure. Yes, this was the right room. Which meant that this had to be his roommate. Oh, dear.


His roommate was not wearing any clothes. Well, he had boxers on, and it wasn't like Alpha hadn't ever seen a guy in just his boxers before. However, the guys she had seen in their boxers had been her brothers, when they'd walk around the house in the mornings or at night. Embarrassing, to say the least, when she'd have a friend over, but they'd all swooned at her brothers. Then Jason had left home two years ago, the youngest brother, and she was free of that sight for a while.


Needless to say, she wasn't quite used to it anymore. Plus, this boy standing in front of her was not her brother. No, this boy wasn't as tall as any of her brothers, though he was towering over her a little. Then again, it seemed like everyone could tower over Alpha. But that wasn't the matter at hand. No, the matter at hand was that Alpha was looking up into the boy's face to avoid looking anywhere else, her pale skin turning a slight shade of pink from embarrassment of finding the boy in what appeared to be not the best state. Not to mention that her own outfit wasn't the definition of modesty either.


"Um, I'm terribly sorry. I was just looking for RJ....Is he here?" Oh please, oh please, oh please be there.

||the outfit that doesn't define modesty either||

[FREDDIE FOSTER]

”IF YOU WATCH HOW I MOVE YOU’LL MISTAKE ME FOR A PLAYER OR A PIMP
BEEN HIT WIT A FEW SHELLS BUT I DON’T WALK WIT A LIMP—”

It wasn’t that Freddie had a pre-Friday night outings “routine” or anything like that. He didn’t go through the same motions every time, never gave himself pep talks in the mirror, didn’t think about what time he was supposed to be ready by (because really, when had RJ’s insistence that they “be on time” ever managed to phase him?). What he did do, however, was jam. Rock out, lay on the couch and play video games while obscene rap music blared so loud the walls shook, whatever you wanted to call it, Freddie made a point to do each and every Friday before heading out for the evening.

Admittedly, this round was a tad disappointing. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that RJ was missing from the picture—out talking with Coach Taylor or something, he thought he’d heard him say—and therefore unable to engage in the volume war that typically ensued between the two teenage boys. Long ago it had been established that never, under any circumstances that did not involve loss of limb or death, would Freddie listen to that complete and utter crap that was pop, rock, or—shudder—country before going out for the evening, even if said outing was just to the movies. RJ had never cared too terribly about the type of music, however. Always (although he managed to roll his eyes quite often at the amount of swears) it was the volume at which Freddie listened which he complained about, insisting the two of them were somehow going to manage to be expelled if they decided to play music at a reasonable decibel level.

So, naturally, Freddie always found a way to crank the stereo as loud as it would go, never mind the fact that it also meant he could hardly hear himself think.

“LOOK, I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO GO LEFT—LEFT LEFT LEFT, YOU IDIOT!” The sound of his yelling at the football players on T.V. were only slightly audible over the din created by 50 Cent’s musings on life “In Da Club,” and Freddie found himself growing increasingly frustrated by the fact that no matter how many obscenities he yelled, the Pittsburg Steelers still couldn’t seem to score a touchdown. “JESUS, YOU IDIOT, HE’S WIDE OPEN—”

It was a miracle he heard the knock on the door, really. Then again, maybe not. He’d texted Will earlier, after all, requesting that she bring some food over to this side of the dorms, as he’d just recently finished the last of the potato chips and had no desire to eat an apple, pear, or carrot any time soon as RJ would no doubt suggest after berating him for wolfing down the last decent morsel of snack food in the room.

Once the thought of an edible delivery fully settled in over the ruckus he’d purposefully caused, Freddie shot up off the couch in an instant, practically running for the door. “COMING!” Sock-clad feet skidding to a halt just in time to prevent himself from careening headlong into the thing, Freddie wrenched the door open wide, a large, shameless grin plastered wide over his face. “I hope you brought Chinese, because I swear to God—Who are you?” he blinked as the realization that this was not Will hit him in the form of a metaphorical train.

“He’s…not here.” Obviously. Freddie spoke somewhat skeptically, giving the girl a quick once over that wasn’t so much in search of assets as it was reasons. RJ didn’t invite girls over. “You can come in though, if you want. I was just um…watching football. And he should be back soon, so. Freddie shrugged, swinging the door wide for this mystery girl to enter.

“I’M INTA HAVIN’ SEX, I AIN’T INTA MAKIN’ LOVE,
SO COME GIMME A HUG IF YA INTA GETTING’ RUBBED—”

Freddie’s eyes widened unspeakably wide as 50’s infamously crude chorus bellowed throughout the dorm, and he found himself slinking backwards automatically until he found the stereo’s remote, cast recklessly aside in the corner. Picking it and the pair of jeans it rested upon up, he clicked the music off while awkwardly hopping to pull his trousers up as quickly and efficiently as possible so as to conceal the “Peelin’ Good” banana boxers he was currently wearing. Once all had been properly situated and the only sound left in the room was the ringing of awkwardness and the announcer’s voice from the television, Freddie cleared his throat. Offering the girl a somewhat sheepish smile, he shrugged. “Sorry ‘bout all that. I uh…wasn’t expecting anyone. I’m Freddie, by the way,” he added as half-embarrassed afterthought. “RJ’s roommate, though you probably guessed that…”

[swanlake]

To say she was taken back by this boy's words was basically an understatement. Alpha was actually quite scared by his outburst -- "Who are you?" -- but then, the boy calmed down. Told her that RJ wasn't there at the moment, and invited her in.


It wasn't like Alpha wasn't used to the sight of a boy's room, though this boy did seem slightly embarrassed by his living quarters. Or perhaps by the music he was listening to, which had chosen the moment Alpha took a step inside the room to emit lyrics that really wouldn't be considered appropriate in Alpha's household. That shocked her as well, but the boy turned it off before the music became too vulgar.


And then he introduced himself. Freddie. Alpha could remember RJ mentioning his roommate once or twice before, so the name was a little familiar. Despite her initial surprise, the brunette had to fight back a giggle as Freddie hopped around to put on a pair of pants. But right then wasn't the time for giggles.


"I'm Alpha," the seventeen-year-old introduced, extending the hand that wasn't holding the book towards Freddie. "Um, I was just hoping to drop a book off for RJ. He let me borrow it the other day, and I never gave it back..."


She took a moment to look around the room, surveying the boyish charm it held. Oh, it reminded her of home once again, how her brothers never seemed to really bother cleaning up, despite how their mother would scold them and demand it to be tidied. They too usually spent afternoons and evenings watching sports - though the Megalos household had never been football fans. More along the lines of baseball, though Alpha had never found the appeal in any sports, to be honest.


However, when in Rome, do as the Romans did. "Umm, who's playing?" she asked, gesturing towards the television as both teams started to line themselves in their positions on the field. Not that she was truly interested, but it was polite to ask, right?