“Yes, I’m eating, yes, I’m taking care of myself and no I haven’t met any nice girls yet.” Simon replied automatically into his phone as he stepped into the park that would lead home. The twenty year old university student loved his parents dearly but couldn’t help being thankful that he was over a thousand miles away from them. He’d had to fight them tooth and nail to even get them to consider letting him cut his summer trip home short.
It wasn't as though Simon didn't want the attention, he loved it to be quite honest but his mother could be one of the clingiest women to walk this earth. At moments he felt as though he was being smothered and not for the first time in his life the adoptee idly wished his parents had added more children to their family. At least that way they could have shared in the affectionate, well-meaning burden that was his parents.
"I love you too, I'll call soon. I promise." Simon smiled to himself ruefully as he tucked his phone into his back pocket. He'd spent the majority of his walk home from dance class with his ear glued to the phone as his mother droned on about what was happening at home but now he finally had a chance to take in his surroundings.Summer was coming to a close in Dallas, and he was sure that he couldn't be the only one grateful for it, but it also meant school was on the horizon. At the thought a grimace flitted across his face as he ran a tan hand through his dark hair, the still damp threads subtly wetting the collar of his light blue t-shirt.
You could say that school wasn’t exactly his thing; in fact he often said those words himself. Sure, Simon passed, did most of his work and occasionally participated but it really held no interest. The Seattle transplant was here because his parents demanded he get an education, or at the very least try. So he picked a school a reasonable distance from them that would offer him a scholarship for dance and shipped out for Texas, biding time until he could live life the way he wanted. On his own terms.
It was at this juncture in his inner diatribe that he caught sight of a friendly face, although Simon wasn’t sure if Art would agree with him there. The other boy was so different than himself, it was very nearly fascinating how the two wound up speaking let alone becoming roommates. Simon could honestly say he had never met anyone quite like Antares before, which only made Simon like him that much more. He’d always been a fan of mysteries, and though they shared an apartment it was nearly like pulling teeth getting Art to talk to him all. Yet Simon knew if anyone could bring someone out of their shell it was he.
Coming to a stop a few feet from the pair, Simon shifted his duffel bag further onto his shoulder while lowering a hand to greet Ares, allowing the dog to catch his scent if she so chose. “How’s things, Art? You look about a million miles away.” He offered congenially in greeting, wondering if his taciturn roommate would bother to return it.