Excerpt: "Blake" working title

They entered the building towards the right, more directly behind the first building Blake had met Ms. Ambrose in. Noise trickled out of doorways as they entered the main room, which was oddly silent. Walking in the double front doors, a large recreation room was slightly to the left, filled with a ping-pong table, a fooze-ball table, and a pool table. Several overstuffed armchairs populated the area as well, some over the marble floors, some over richly colored area rugs. To the right was another room filled with comfy sitting arrangements, leather couches this time, and only one large rug. A flat screen television took up the greater part of the wall nearest to Blake, showing a documentary on World War Two. Hitler flashed across the screen, yelling in German, but the TV was on mute. A hallway led down in front of Blake, with doors facing the hallway. Blake assumed those were rooms. He had signed up for a private room, but roommates were a choice for the students. He had only mentioned “quiet study time” for his parents to pay the extra fee for a single room. A handful of boys looked up with Blake and Albert entered, mildly interested by the new guy. Albert raised his hands as if wildfire whispers had spread, and much to Blake's disappointment (but not surprise) made an announcement.
“Now, now Gents, this is Mr. Blake Pennyworth. Moving in today and all. You all show him around, be the courteous men we've come to expect from your time at Ambrose.” Albert smiled to Blake, as if welcoming him to a secret club. Blake did not change his expression. Albert missed a beat, and moved on. “Where is Mr. O'Flannery?” Out of Blake's worst nightmare, he could not have picked a more lame looking student. An overweight redhead who'd been sitting alone with a textbook in the room with the pool table raised his hand. He got up to come and meet Blake, tripped over his own feet and nearly fell flat on his face. Blake groaned inwardly.
“I'm him. Me, I mean. I'm Craig O'Flannery. Great to meet ya.” He extended his chubby hand to Blake, who took it. Clammy and slightly sticky, Craig gripped his hand without hesitance and shook. “I'll be showing ya around. It's easy to figure out, once you...figure it out.” Craig laughed awkwardly, and smiled at Albert, who smiled back. Blake didn't smile. This was his first friend, a freckle-filled ball with hair cut so short his forehead took more space than his other facial features combined. Social suicide, no doubt, and he hadn't even met anyone. Blake nodded, and took a step towards to TV, feigning interest. Albert gave Craig a piece of paper that must have told Craig where Blake's room was, and Craig started for the steps to their right, just past the TV room. Blake silently thanked his parents for the single room, and assurance that Craig was therefore not his roommate. Maybe there would be some hope.
“Well, I'll see you around campus, Mr. Pennyworth, I'm sure. Mr. O'Flannery'll take great care of you. And welcome.” Albert smiled again, and saluted before he turned on his heel and quietly left the dorms. As soon as the door shut behind him, the three guys who'd been sitting on the couch jumped up, on running to the window next to the TV, peering through the curtains to make sure Albert had left. Another one, a white boy with pitch black hair was propped up behind the sound system, messing with some wires, it looked like. The last boy stood in front of the screen as if he worked in the stock market on Wall Street, waiting for a crash.
“Guys! We'll get into trouble!” Craig whined, taking a step away from his plot to the stairs.
“Can it, Fatass.” the black-haired boy replied.
“But guys...” Craig shifted his weight from one leg to the other, and brought his hand to his short hair, biting his lower lip. “We'll really get it if they find out! That was a close call before-” Craig was cut off the the sudden booming sound of a woman moaning. Instantly three women, nude to the extreme, invaded the TV room via the big screen. The guys all cheered, and the guys who'd been playing in the rec room rushed to the couches. Blake smiled.