Inspecting the school

Galen lay in bed, staring blankly at the soft red light of the digital clock. The numbers drifted in and out of focus, his attention momentarily arrested every minute when the time changed, slowly blurring again as he tried to will himself to sleep. They read 5:23 when he finally allowed himself to give up on the idea and slipped out of bed, running a hand through tangled white hair and eying the darkness from whence his sleeping roommate's snores originated enviously. He'd been trying to fall asleep since twelve - well, really, he'd been trying to fall asleep for days - and he wished for the nth time that he could conk out as easily as his roommate, or at least convince the school psychiatrist to prescribe some sleeping pills. She'd said in their introductory session yesterday that he was a suicide risk, and that until she was sure he was emotionally stable he wouldn't be getting any pills of any kind. He thought now, staring at the darkness, that maybe he'd be a little more stable if he could manage to get some sleep, but he was smart enough not to say anything like that to her face.

He pushed the frustration from his thoughts, slipped on a hoodie grabbed at random from his still packed suitcase and quickly fastening the two rows of customized buttons that led up to his wings. In the darkness he couldn't tell the color - not that it made any difference to him anyway. He spent a moment trying to decide if he needed a hat or not, telling himself that no one would be out at this hour, eventually digging out a wide-billed knitted cap and tucking white hair carefully underneath. Pajama bottoms were discarded in favor of worn jeans, a dull black and white striped scarf draped around his neck. When he was finished, dressing, he sat down on the edge of the bed, tying his shoelaces blind while he tried to come up with somewhere to go.

He grabbed the map of the school he'd gotten from administration, stepping out in the hall to study it under the fluorescence. Now would be as good a time as any to explore the school, before classes started and students came pouring out of the woodwork. He had noticed the towers yesterday when he arrived, jutting into the air, quiet and old and rising far above the rest of the school. He'd go there; it was sure to provide a good view of the rest of the campus and help him decide how to go about his inspection.

The walk took longer then he thought, and the time he found the door leading into the tallest tower, the sky to the east was already beginning to lighten. He quickened his pace, taking the winding staircase two stairs at a time. Better hurry... It won't be long before everyone else is up.

The stairway was exceptionally long, and narrow; Galen had to hold his wings as flat against as his back as he could to keep them from scraping constantly against the stone wall. He was cursing silently, wondering how long the stupid staircase was, anyway, when a feminine voice echoed down at him from somewhere above him. He started slightly, surprised that he hadn't heard her footsteps earlier, and poked his head over the edge, frowning quizzically when all he could see was a quick glimpse of pink a few flights above him.
"Miss it? It's not going anywhere," he called back, a little grouchy that his solitude had been interrupted before it had even begun. He was curious, however, about the girl and the view, and he climbed the remaining flight of stairs a touch faster then before.

He pulled the door open, quirking an eyebrow almost imperceptibly at the sight of the impossibly tiny girl before him. She was easily a foot shorter then him, and it was vaguely disconcerting. "What kind of person gets up at five-thirty, anyway?" He wondered out loud, shooting her a quick glance before turning his attention to the room itself.

Galen could tell the precise moment she noticed his scars. Not that it was difficult - in fact, she was more obvious about it then most people, making no effort to hide her shock. He grinned toothily in her direction, feeling her eyes on his and almost but not quite returning the gesture. He shifted blank eyes away and stepped into the room, habitually running his eyes over it methodically. He'd quickly gotten used to responses like that, and they never really bothered him. He figured he'd do the same thing, if he saw someone looking like he did.

"Ah," He turned towards her, tapping the side of his nose playfully. He could hear the hint of shakiness in her voice, the way she hesitated before entering the room, and it was one of the times when he felt vaguely guilty instead of relishing it, when he wanted to fix it instead of make it worse. "See, I have no choice in the matter. Insomnia lends itself nicely to early morning walks." He grinned again, walked in the opposite direction from the girl, found a window that provided a complete view of the campus. Pushing it open as far as it could and leaning dangerously far out, he pulled out the folded map from his pocket, comparing it to the grounds with keen interest.

Galen folded the map again, placing it back in his pocket and resting his arms on the windowsill. To his left, the sun was slowly rising, the last traces of night disappearing in a golden haze. To his right, he could just make out a pair of pink legs dangling out the window. He leaned out further, relishing the feel of the brisk wind across his face, holding on to his hat with one hand so that it didn't go flying. From here he could see the town in the distance, and the sea beyond that, glittering in the morning light. It was quiet - the girl had gone silent, the only reminder of her continued existence a pair of pink tights in his peripherals.

"... Just trying to think?" He guessed, resting his chin on his arms, eyes focused blankly on the ocean in the distance. "Sorry if I interrupted." That was an explanation that made sense to him, getting up early to be alone with your thoughts. He wondered briefly if he should leave, but she didn't say anything, and he liked the view.

Galen pulled himself back into the room, glancing over at the girl with vague interest. The idea of exploring the school wasn't as interesting as it had been ten minutes ago; somehow he felt that he had already seen the best it had to offer. At any rate, at the moment he was content to stay in the tower and watch the sun rise with pink-girl.

He returned the grin, toothy and automatic, eyes reflecting nothing of the emotion. "It's not as interesting as you might think," he said smoothly, neatly dismissing the topic. "I'm sure you've guessed most of it already, anyway." It was a lie, but he didn't particularly mind his past being reduced in someone's mind to 'some kid who used to cut himself'. In some ways, it was actually preferable to the truth.

"Perhaps yours is more interesting?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence and inclining his chin towards her. The way she'd said 'troubles', the way her eyes seemed to glaze over every time there was a break in the conversation intrigued him in spite of himself. "Maybe voicing your problems will help you come to a solution."