My New Roommate

First Day

Jose lay sprawled on his stomach, the sheets tangled around his legs. His Calvin Klein boxers, stretched taut over his big glutes, were twisted from a night of fitful sleep. Nestled in the crook of his arm, its head tucked under his chin, was a worn brown teddy bear, no bigger than a pint of ice cream.

Suddenly, a piercing, relentless scream tore through the quiet of the dorm room. Jose's eyes shot open, grogginess battling with irritation. He swatted blindly at the bedside table, searching for the source of the assault. His hand missed, and with an ungraceful flail, he tumbled off the bed, landing on the cool linoleum floor with a muffled thud.

"Ugh, shut up!" he grumbled, untangling himself and finally slamming his palm down on his phone, silencing the insistent alarm.

As he pushed himself upright, a familiar morning stiffness settled in his lower region, a not-so-subtle reminder of soon to be twenty. He groaned again. He definitely needed a cold shower to deal with that.
A few minutes later, Jose emerged from the small, steamy bathroom, a towel slung low around his waist, water still dripping from his hair onto his broad shoulders. He grabbed his phone from the floor, pulled on a pair of comfortable, faded jeans, and watched as it vibrated with a new email notification. He tapped it open, scanning the subject line and then the first few sentences.

Subject: New Roommate Assignment - Fall Semester
"Mr. Jose Garcia," it began, "this is to inform you that amidst the new semester beginning, your new roommate will be arriving today or by tomorrow morning."

Jose read the last line again, a knot forming in his stomach. A new roommate. He instantly pictured Mark, his last roommate, a loud, obnoxious slob who talked incessantly, ate all his snacks, and left dirty dishes everywhere. Jose had been relieved when Mark finally failed enough classes to be forced to transfer, leaving him with blissful, albeit temporary, solitude. The thought of another Mark-like nightmare sent a shiver down his spine.

Jose toweled off, the damp strands of his dark, curly hair clinging to his forehead. He ran a hand through it, coaxing it into a stylishly messy look that framed his sharp cheekbones and the curve of his jaw. He pulled on a dark grey t-shirt that hugged his athletic, slim physique, highlighting the defined muscles of his chest and arms. For his bottom half, he stuck with the comfortable, faded jeans, opting for a pair of clean white sneakers that offered a casual yet put-together vibe. A quick glance in the mirror revealed his hazey brown eyes, sharp and intense behind the round, wire-frame glasses perched on his nose, mirroring the focus he often held.

Fully dressed, Jose grabbed his backpack and headed out, the usual morning buzz of the dorm building already in full swing. He navigated the familiar hallways, the scent of stale coffee and disinfectant hanging faintly in the air, until he reached the common dining hall. The expansive room was a cacophony of clattering plates, murmured conversations, and the distant rumble of the industrial dishwashers. He grabbed a quick, uninspired breakfast of scrambled eggs and a piece of toast, eating quickly, his mind already drifting to the day ahead.

With his stomach full, Jose set off for his first class of the semester: Genetics. The walk across campus was brisk, the morning air still holding a hint of coolness. But as he approached the imposing, red-brick facade of the Science Building, a knot of tension began to tighten in his stomach. It wasn't about the impending lecture or the complex world of DNA; it was about them.
His gaze darted around the bustling corridor as he stepped inside, his hazey brown eyes scanning every face.

The "Three Douchebags," as they were unofficially known, were a group of upperclassmen, bullies who seemed to revel in making the lives of others miserable. There was Jamie, the ringleader, all arrogant swagger and crude jokes; Liam, his towering, silent enforcer; and then the sly, manipulative one, Alex. Jose wasn't looking for trouble, but he knew with a chilling certainty that they were always looking for him.