All At Once

Hate

Damn you, Jenni.

Apparently she had also rented out the house to a boy named Lucas because his previous home was getting renovated and he needed a place to live.

My parents are going to be furious when they find out.

I'm currently sitting on the kitchen counter top, snacking on a Rice Krispy treat while I wait for Lucas to get out of the shower. We were originally fighting over who would go first, and I had pleaded with him to let me go, but of course, being the asshat he is, he ran upstairs and beat me to it. He offered me to shower with him if I wanted, and that's why I've decided that I hate him.

Jenni seriously couldn't have chosen someone more polite?

"Hey J Bear, get off the counter," a voice interrupts.

"J Bear?" I ask, staying on the counter.

"Yeah. Because your name is Jess and you eat a lot," he says smugly, picking the treat out of my hand and finishing it.

"Are you serious?" I cry, trying to snatch the delicious morsel of food back. "You literally just ate, took a shower, and now you want to eat again? I'm already running low on my snack supply."

"Like I said before Jess, you eat too much."

"Ugh! You're impossible," I groan.

"No, you're just frustrated because you like what you see," he says, winking.

"I don't think so. It looks like your face caught fire and someone tried to put it out with a hammer," I respond. Without looking back, I grab a towel out of my suitcase and head upstairs to shower. That was a straight up lie, but I smirk when I hear his laughter downstairs.

"You know if I wanted a bitch then I would've bought a dog!" Lucas shouts.

By the time I get out of the shower and unpack all of my things, it's dinner time. Lucas told me that there were restaurants down town where I could catch a quick bite, but I feel really drained, so instead, I stay at the house and decide to cook dinner. He went out to get groceries hours ago, so I guess he isn't coming back any time soon. Sucks for him because my spaghetti recipe is delicious.

Walking over to my beats pill, I turn up the music from my Spotify playlist.

"You get the limo out front..."

I squeal in delight as Hannah Montana blasts from the counter, ignoring the wave of nostalgia that overcomes me. When we were little, Nina and I would dress up as Hannah and Lola every Halloween.

As the spaghetti cooks, I let my childhood-loving self take over and rock out to the theme song. It has been a long time since I've had the house to myself, and singing my heart out is my favorite way to let off steam.

Another memory comes over me.

Aiden used to tease me about my singing.

Suddenly, the music is turned off, and Lucas enters the house, his hands full with bags of groceries, and a smug smile on his face. Behind him stand three boys cracking up over my little...erm...performance.

"Guys, this is my roommate, Jess," he says.

Someone please kill me now.

I stand still, completely embarrassed, as Lucas' friends each introduce themselves.

"I'm Chris," a blonde boy says. He is more stocky than Lucas, and has the build of a football player. Chris looks more like a twenty year old than a seventeen year old, especially with his chin stubble and intimidating demeanor.