A Funny Game We Play

Chapter 1

It was fine by me, even as I slipped one toe out and touched the wood floor that was presumably littered in those stupid red plastic cups and magazines with made-up actors and actresses. Home sweet home, as I would like to call it.

As soon as I was out of my all-too-comfortable bed I headed straight for the bathroom to do my usual routine. Wash my face, brush my teeth with my dentist toothbrush (as Sam likes to put it) and apply the very light make up that made me look naturally pretty, or so I hoped to believe. Not like Jasmine who gets up five minutes before class starts, hurries to get ready and then on her way throws on so much make up that it would put a clown to shame and yet still looks absolutely and positively gorgeous.

When I get to my room I find a pare of my dark skinny jeans, Jasmine gave me a bunch that were small on her, and a nice white V-neck shirt that was baggy since all my clothes were mostly hand-me-downs from cousins. I dressed plainly, unlike Jasmine who dressed as if some kind of fashion designer dressed her, a designer probably did since she had the money for it.

Since it was only seven forty-five  and classes started at nine o’clock sharp, I made my way over to the Caribbean Coffee and order two coffees for me and Sam, like I did every morning. Mine was usually a Caramel Macchiato with soy milk and Sam’s was a black coffee, premium roast, I don’t know why he liked it, I tried it once and couldn’t even swallow it. As I paid the cashier and grabbed the hot coffees that warmed my hands, I made my way to Sam’s building, I had it almost memorized because this is what I have been doing ever since we started college here in the fall, now it was November and Sam still couldn’t wake up by himself.

Once inside the sleeping building, I walked over to the stairs and climbed two flights up, on the way I saw someone passed out which was typical, even for a Wednesday morning. As I reached his floor I had to ignore the millions of boys, hot or not, with towels slung low on their hips or shower bags swinging in their hands. Look forward and walk, is what I kept repeating to myself in my head, just look forward and walk.

 

As soon as reached his dorm room and shuffled around in my pockets looking for the spare key he gave me, I gave him one of mine and he gave me one of his, I remembered the conversation, he spoke lowly after he helped me move some of my stuff in, “Hey, Nattie,” He said, he always called me Nattie even though I resisted it, it was short for Natalie, my actual name, “Here,” He handed me a silver key attached to a gold key that was my dorm key, “And if you need anything, anytime, you know where to find me.”

In the end I gave him one of my keys too, but I usually use his more then he used mine, actually I think the last time he was in my dorm was in October and Jasmine was having one of her it’s-a-weekday-yay parties.

I opened the door and arrived in his dark room, closing the door softly behind me and setting down the coffees on the key table that was never actually used, it was funny. I remembered trying to explain that keys and such go on the key table, but Carl and Sam had just starred at me, just lost in their own thoughts, apparently they were thinking of fantasy football.

“Such boys,” I scoffed quietly as I looked at their blue painted walls, to the underwear (disgusting) and half eaten food that was scattered along the floor, I stepped over his backpack, a black The North Face one that was usually found in the middle of the room amongst all the garbage and made my way to his bed where sleeping Sam lay happily.