the beach | noel miller

ix

January

"How fucking hard is it to pick your clothes up from the bathroom floor and into the laundry" Rose exclaiming to her roommate for the hundredth time. "We don't even have a laundry" Devon stands there looking dumbfounded. Wanting to scream she puts her hand through her hair, trying to talk herself from strangling him, "put it in your fucking room then." Devon and Rose fight more than anyone in the house, which in some way makes them closer than anyone in the house. They know how to push each other's buttons without going to far, honestly Devon volunteers to be her punching bag most of the time, wanting her to at least let all of her anger is she has bubbling up, out. Although they'd never admit it they'd be bored without each other with Marcus being like a grandpa an Cody being acting like a dad, they needed someone to roughhouse from time to time.

With the other two roommates sitting in the lounge room, Rose joins them. Her off season which is summer in a typical teenagers point of view started a few days and shes already losing her mind. Of course keeping up with her regime she goes to the gym everyday and attends some out of school classes of her muscles don't lose their memory, Rose feels like if she doesn't have that escape she desperately needs she'll probably jump of a bridge. Crossing her legs she waits for Marcus and Cody to at least acknowledge her, looking too busy on their computers. She rolls her head back hearing Devons footsteps coming to terrorise her, flopping down on the couch and kicking his legs up on her clean pants her wants to puke, "are you fucking moronic? get them off me" exaggerating her disgust. Cody looks up laughing at the scene unfolding in front of him.

Devon is the first to pop the question, "so what're we doing?" looking around the room, finishing his sentence with Rose's least favourite words "we should have a party." The words "No" never flew out of her mouth faster, while on the other hand Cody and Marcus suddenly get their interest peaked. Looking at them like they failed her she lets out an annoyed "really?" Devon smiles as he ruffles her hair, "majority rules rosie" looking at him she furrows her brows "what if I object it?" calling back to their first rule of the house. When they first moved in together they watched some courtroom show to bond, laughing at the stupidity of it Marcus brought up using court slang to settle arguments. Example being if one roommate thought the other was in the wrong, they'd object and visa versa saying its overruled. Swearing by this like oath they take their lack of knowledge on court slang very seriously. "You really hate the idea that much" Devon asks sighing yet Rose just argues back "Do you recall the last party? I'm traumatised. Also why can't your friends have one for once in their mid twenty lives." "I'll let you invite your little highschool friends" he says pouting, ignoring the fact Rose graduated early. Why so you can sleep with them?" earning laughs from the two other boys.

With Cody recording this whole thing she knows the hate comments are incoming. Letting her weak side win she mumbles a whatever, threatening them if everyone isn't out by 1:30am she'd have their balls.

Assuming Cody is texting the groupchat filled with their friends her mind flickers to the though of Noel, wondering if he'll come. Kind of wanting to text him and kind of not wanting to look like she likes him - platonicly - she opts for not texting him. Asking Cody the ever so not suspicious question of "who's coming" he simply says check the groupchat. To her somewhat content she sees Noel's name, if it wasn't for the other day she would of just thought it was another number. Seeing the groupchat flood with their versions of RVSPs she types a vague but threatening message.

We peaked in highschool 😞

Rose: if you all aren't out by 1:30 i'll have everyone's head.

Sam: you'd never get all of us

Devon: she will, shes angry today :(