Chapter 2 Loud.

"And here we can see how the changes between..."

Dylan had his eyes focused straight on the projected notes and diagrams, yet he could barely hear a single word being said as his mind kept going back to the morning. After that, he'd managed to dissuade his mom to let him get his errand in his way back from class. Thankfully, it wasn't something they needed immediately so she said yes.

No way he was going back out after... whatever that was.

The minute their eyes met, he could've just played it cool and give a gentle nod or just a simple *hey*. But NOOO, he just had to hit his head and fall a most disgraceful fall. Thinking back now, he didn't understand why he had tried to run away. He wasn't doing anything bad.

...maybe not, but it's not written anyway that staring in pure admiration and lust at a complete stranger was legally wrong.

His eyes did a quiet stare into thin air and he had to admit.

"Haaa, that's stupid. It is wrong" he mumbled underneath his breath. The hunk's image came back to him again and he found himself try to suppress a smile.

Without a doubt, his new neighbor was exactly his type.

No corrections he would make. He wondered if he was also a student, he looked a little older or the same age as him, that was fine. Anything's fine so long as he's hot.

"Hey,"Someone nudged him lightly from the side and he turned to see Kira giving him a silent look of grimace. "Why the hell do you have that creepy smile? Did you enjoy the class so bad?"

Dylan finally noticed how rowdy the class had gotten and he blinked himself back to reality.

"Wow, that ended quick."

Kira's face pulled a dead look, "Are you kidding? It felt like ages to me."

He packed up his stuffs and they both made their way out. Walking down the corridor past the other students.

"I'm heading to the meeting room, what about you?"

"Same, I need to meet Dory for the next series of the book I'm reading now. But I must say, you guys are going real hard for this party."

"Well, it's the freshmen's party we've been holding off for so long, lab practice and our schedule didn't just match. And now we have the perfect time to ourselves, what's better than an all-night party with the next day being the weekend? But if I do hate anything about this it's the fact that we have to share the hall with the loud ones."

"Huh? Oh, you mean the Literature students, why? I think they're pretty chill. I sometimes wonder if their graceful and quiet demeanor was all thanks to their brains being filled with nothing but Shakespeare *Thou and thy*, which also bring me to the theory that what if what we study is what builds our character?"

"Stay in line Kira," he stopped her before she could begin her long theory trip again. "It's not them, as in the department, but them as in that group in that department."

"Oh! oh!" she finally got on track. Then her face squeezed up, "You mean 'The bro gold', ugghh. That name makes me hurl everything how do they live with that?"

"I ask myself the same question."

They finally got to the room, and when Dylan pushed the door open they both froze in their steps.

"Speak of the devil." Kira muttered behind him.

"Justin, throw that here!"

"Heads up! Ayyyyyyy!"

"Nice catch."

"Nice throw."

For a minute, they watched their short display, then Kira shook her head and curled her way in from beneath Dylan's arm leaving Dylan behind.

His eyes remained on them as he felt his anger brew up as usual, none of them have anything close to his type. Just a group of mismatched raccoons, and the one person with brown hair and eyes was the loudest among them, Casper.

He finally noticed him and he smiled "Oh, hey, cutie's here."

"Are you crazy?" Dylan shut the door behind him as he went up to them and grabbed the trophy they'd been tossing around. "What about this looks like it's okay to pass it around like a ball."

"Hey, come on cutie, we were being careful with it." Casper came up behind him.

"I told you," he clenched his fist, spun around real quick and threw his fist right at his stomach. "Don't call me that."

A loud tap came after and Casper threw him a cocky smirk as he'd managed to block off the punch with his hands as guard.

"Come on, a cutie is a cutie."

Dylan felt a nerve strike him, he threw a slap with his other hand but Casper deflected it like he saw it coming. A kick to his front leg, a kick between the legs, a slap on the other side of his cheek, head, and a stamp on his toe... he deflected it all.

Having all his weapons in lock and shocking Dylan to an extreme.

"You... Let go."

"Only if you promise not to hit me. I dance to your tune all the time, wouldn't it be weird not to know them."

Dylan scoffed out a smile, "Then I'll like to see you dance to this."

He'd hit his head once, another shouldn't be a problem. With that in mind, he drew his head back and threw it forward with a huge force. The loud impact sound made everyone in the room coo in pain as he watched Casper release his grips and grab his nose in pain.

"...fuck." Casper muffled.

"That ones new."

"Totally."

"Guess you have a new one to counter, Caster."

The others commented through their laughter.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near that trophy shelf, alright?" he pointed at the others who threw up their hands in a surrender. With a final glance at Casper who was now gathering himself, he walked away and went deeper into the room where Kira and Dory waited with a smile.

"You done with today's episode?"

"Don't get me started, it's like they only come down here to mess with me."

"Haha, tell me about it," Dory chuckled then she pointed, "Heyy! You have your hair down today, what's the occasion?"

"Embarrassment," he sighed, setting down his bag. "I can't think of a better occasion."

"What do you mean?"

He stared at the two who awaited his response, he couldn't exactly explain to them that he'd hit his head while ogling at his new hot neighbor.

"I hit my head," he shoved his bangs off his forehead and they winced.

"And here I was thinking you were spicing up for tonight's party. Doesn't that hurt?" Kira asked.

"Like hell."

"You should put on some ointment. Did you do that?" Dory questioned but all he could do was sniffle.

He didn't.

"I'll get the first-aid."

"I'll do it," Casper rushed past them and Dylan's dead eyes took over.

"What now?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," he smiled harmlessly as he made his way back with the small box in his hold.

"We can't have your pretty face getting hurt now, can we?"

Dylan grimaced at the wink that came after. Yet he found himself take a edge sit on the table as Casper stood next to him and began fiddling around the box.

He couldn't open it.

"Hold on, isn't it like this?" he chuckled confusedly.

Dylan remained quiet for a minute, but then he let out a tired sigh as he felt his head throb in pain. "Just give me that."

Casper pursed his lips but gave it quietly. Dylan pressed it open and took out the ointment in a second, Casper stretched out his hand for it but Dylan lightly smacked it out of the way.

"Forget it, you already lost your chance."

He pushed up his bangs and carefully located the burning pain, as he rubbed in the cold liquid he noticed Casper's gaze on him.

"What?"

Casper blinked, his voice softening. "Nah, was just thinking you look pretty with your hair up, and down. It's cute."

Dylan's hand fell in disbelief, "You know, for a Lit major guy you're very not conscious of your use of words. Pretty and cute, those words are used for the female gender, I'm a guy. Get it straight." he glared.

Casper fell silent and Dylan thought he was going to give back a lame response or make it a joke, but he only gave back a quiet nod. "Alright. Sorry, my bad."

He eyed him suspiciously, but he was glad he didn't have to take the long train around that conversatuon. Placing the ointment back into the box, he gave his bangs a little shake to put them back in place and he he heard turn around with a loud groan that caught him off guard.

"W-what is it?"

Casper turned back to him like he was trying to suppress a smile but he failed as he perfect white teeth came into view. "Sorry. I just- are you coming for the party tonight?"

"Of course I am, I'm a committee."

"Yeah, yeah you are. That's cool, I'll see you tonight then." Casper smiled again and gave his cheek a little poke before dashing off.

"What's up with him these days?" he found himself ask no one in particular.

"I've never seen Casper smile that much except when he's with you." Kira said.

"It's like we weren't even here." Dory sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Dylan asked obliviously and the two others stared at him for a minute like he'd failed to see what was right in front of him.

"You know, Dylan, if I wasn't this close to you or your friend, I would still have the opinion that you're one of the smartest in the faculty." Kira said with the shook of her head as Dory joined in.

Was that a compliment or a silent diss?