Chapter Text
Chapter 1: ACE
Water trickled down the window's of the dorm, falling onto the rosebushes, which had just been painted red and now were bleeding onto the lawn. Riddle would be mad. Ace could think about it, the housewarden fuming red at the flagrant stupidity of Cater for not painting them sooner.
Ace sat up in bed, lightning flashing across his disheveled face and hair. Deuce groaned from across the room, covered in at least three blankets to block out the sound of the storm. their other roommates were either quietly sleeping through the storm or trying to. They hadn't experienced a storm like this since the start of the year and even then Ace was sure the thunder had not been this loud.
For a moment the thunder slowed and only the pattle of rain across the roof was heard, silence, maybe he could just.. fall.. to.. sleep.. now..
Thunder boomed startling him back awake again, "ugh.." suddenly. a scream.
Deuce shot up from his bed, his hair messier than Ace usually saw it. "did you hear that?" the boy yelped, eyes flicking to the door and then to Ace again.
"Don't worry 'bout it Juice, probably some guy afraid of the storm.." He reassured Duece, and in part himself. Surely it had to be the case, Ace knew of a guy in Savanahclaw that was afraid of storms, maybe it was a common thing?
"yeah.." His roommate echoed, pulling back his mountain of blankets to fall asleep again. yeah Ace thought drifting back into dreamland like lightning.
-♡♤♧♢-
The morning came, a limpid day to which only the drip of rainwater from the roof was the remnant of last night's storm. The red wallpaper contrasting with the day's beautiful blue sky.
Ace got up, yawning as he went over to get dressed. Deuce woke up in turn, as well as their other roommates, the boys rushing to get ready before it was time for breakfast. Today felt weird.. something twisting viscerally in his gut said so, he couldn't put a finger on it.
Once the dorm was ready they entered through the portal, through the hall of mirrors and into the cafeteria. Ace traipsed through the hall, Deuce by his side, His roommate now dressed in the Night Raven College uniform as opposed hot pink pj's (In which Ace would never get over how funny they looked).
"Hiya Freshies!" Cater yelled, pulling his arm over Ace's shoulder and pulling out his Magicam before Ace could get a word in. Deuce was also entangled in Cater's strange hug of social media torture but simply posed for the camera. ugh. "Storm last night was cray-cray lol." Ace begrudgingly nodded, taking in the upperclassman's dialect.
"tell me about it." Deuce yawned, entering the cafeteria and jumping in line immediately.
"I would, but I'm afraid Trey's waving me over to his table- gtg!" Cater waved goodbye before strutting over to the green haired boy calling him over. Ace would've said something more, if his stomach didn't rumble in opposition to the idea.
-♡♤♧♢-
The clatter of the lunch trays hit against their table as Ace and Deuce sat down. Upon Ace's tray was heart shaped waffles covered in whipped cream and strawberries- though it was good it could never compare to Riddle's tart that Ace had eaten the first week of school and had paid for in an epic battle.
He wasted no time and started stuffing the thing down his throat, muffling words about how hungry he was to Deuce.
A crash, someone slamming into the table closest to the door, the sound of glass shattering to the cold stone floors. He choked down his last bite of waffle before he saw what happened.
"Help!" a savanahclaw student ran, brushing himself up from the catastrophe on the floor, he heaved- placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
"Help" He repeated, pointing back to the door in which he came, Riddle angrily stepped forward tapping his foot impatiently waiting for the boy to explain his behavior. "there's been a murder!" the student peeped out. Riddle stumbled, taken aback. whispers flooded the room until the whispers turned into yells. suddenly, that waffle didn't feel so good in Ace's stomach.