Dorm Room 210 [Original]

Dorm Room 210: Stormy Weathers

"What?"

"Do you want some?"

"No thanks," I say.

"They're a little soggy for me, thought you might want it," he continues.

"Why?"

He's silent for a few seconds, glancing at the door wearily despite how quiet the world outside is.

"How's Rachel?"

"Fine," I say. The glances I shoot at him become more frequent. His shoulders are stiff and he nods repetitively.

"Good."

We continue in our silence, probably more aware of the other than before. I'm tempt to ask why he wants to know, but the question only confirms what I already know. They haven't spoken a word since their fight, and Jesse is taking the separation a lot more worse than Rachel.

"Do you know everything?"

I shrug. "Depends on everything."

His eyes squint. "Don't make me spell it out to you."

I lift my head. "She's told me what she wanted to tell."

"Then you would know how much of it I screwed up," he says. "She's never going to want to talk to me again. This isn't the first time it happened..."

I reach for my phone beside me and clench it. I didn't know what to reply with; he seems to goon without realising what he's sharing. I decide to keep quiet until he finishes his rant. Half of the time I barely pay attention to because of how much he repeats: "Rachel and I got along great in high school", "her dad doesn't like me", "fuck, I screwed up."

"Don't tell her any of this," Jesse says in the end, rubbing his chest as though the thought of me running off to tell Rachel hurts him. "I just needed to let it out."

"And you chose me to say this to because?"

Jesse rolls his eyes. "You're too shy to say anything to anyone."

"Okay," I say, and go back to my assignment. Jesse leaves without a word, mumbling about waiting for Noah makes him frustrated.

Nicole and Rachel visit after lunch in my dorm, apparently needing to escape from stress. They bring chocolate, individual ice cream containers, popcorn and movies. I shake my head at the sight of Channing Tatum dropping the whiteboard marker in 22 Jump Street.

"Oh, he's beautiful when he swears," Rachel says.

"He's just so...perfect," I join in, unaware of the scene change.

Rachel nods. "Like angels spent an extra day just to make him look like that."

Nicole rolls her eyes. "We get it, he's beautiful."

"Well excuse me for not appreciating honest men." Rachel leans over and flicks popcorn on Nicole's face. I lick the buttery salt off my fingers as she picks up the fallen ones off her clothes.

Nicole slouches her head on my shoulder. "Have you two kissed and made up already? He's looking more pathetic than usual."

Rachel lays her head down on my right shoulder. "I want to talk but he's putting a lot of distance between us—like I'm a plague or something."

"He wants to talk to you, too," I say.

"How'd you know?"

I chew on popcorn to mask the grin spreading across my face. "Saw him before. Couldn't stop pitying himself." I nudge Rachel. "Does your dad really hate him that much?"