Dorm mates

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You're about to leave for college. Everything you're bringing with you is packed into the car and you shake as you double check everything you need is in your backpack.

Purse. Check.

Laptop. Check.

Chargers. Check. 

Climbing into the car with your parents, you take a deep breath as you try not to think about the fact that you would not be back home for the next few months.

***

Pulling up to the student accommodation, your jaw almost hits the floor at how beautiful everything is. Tall, gothic buildings sprout in every direction and autumn red vines cling to their stone skin, holding them in place on the ground. You had seen pictures. But they didn't do justice to the view you now had access to. 

Dragging one of the suitcases behind you, you locate one of the RA's to ask where to go. Giving him your name and letting him check a form of ID, he directs you round one of the corners and tells you to go up two floors.  

Once you reach the directed room, you check the room number with the folded piece of paper in your hand. Yep. This is it. Thankful that your parents had given you some space to orient yourself alone, you bite back the stinging sensation of tears that threaten to give away your fears of homesickness and student stress. Swiping the keycard to unlock the door, you stumble your way inside, in an attempt not to be floored by the huge bag you hoisted with you. 

A small squeal escapes your mouth as you realise there's a girl already in the room, lying out on the bed closest to the window, one leg folded over the other as she flicks through a magazine. 

"Oh, hi," you splutter out, rectifying your stance as you stand awkwardly at the door. Behind you, you can hear excited chatter and warm greetings being made between other students and their roommates. Without saying a word, the girl turns her head to you...and then back to her 'reading'. 

Unsure of what to do, you continue,

"I'm y/n. Your roommate...I think...at least, I think this is my room..." you chuckle, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you hadn't blown this first impression in front of her. Who you can now see as being insanely beautiful. 

Again, without looking at you she speaks,

"You can have that bed then."

Even though she made no effort to move at all, you can only imagine that bed as meaning the ... only other one in the room? Feeling it was a bit too soon to start cracking sarcastic jokes, you mumble a "thanks" in response and endeavour to start unpacking.

About an hour later, you think you're done. Even though most of her stuff had spilt over into what is technically your space, you made do with the compromise and decided against pointing it out to the person who seemed unimpressed with your company, to say the least. 

Sitting precariously down on your own bed, you mumble,

"...you didn't tell me what your name is..."

"Huh?" she snapped back, causing your heart to leap in regret at such a stupid move. She doesn't want to talk, idiot!

Shaking your head nervously from side to side, you make the gesture of 'forget it', hoping that she will forgive you for interrupting. This is going to be a helluva long year. Pulling your phone out of your back pocket, your heart twinges again as you read the text from your mother telling you that they are halfway back down the road to your home and will call you later in the week. Releasing a breath you didn't realise you had been holding, you blinked away the tears that had formed over your pupils. Trying to come up with a reply that didn't sound needy or upset, you-

"Demi."

Your head snapped to the side at the sound of her talk again. 

"My name's Demi," she elaborated, wearing a smile that could easily be misconstrued as patronising. 

Giving a shaky smile back, 

"Nice to meet you."

"Are you okay?" she asks, her gaze piercing your skin as she now refused to take her eyes off of you. You feel beads of sweat begin to form on your forehead and kind of wish that she was still giving you the cold shoulder instead. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," you answer, "thanks."

Trying not to shrink away under her unrelenting stare, you realise she is now sitting upright on the bed, leaning towards you as if she's about to let you in on some sort of secret. Feeling like her question expected some sort of reciprocal, you speak,

"And are you...okay? Are you okay?" It comes out more as another question to yourself but perhaps she just refuses to answer. 

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to come off so icy," she explains, although not appearing to be that sorry about it. But you're not really in the position to be refusing apologies.

"That's alright. Moving day is kinda tough. Did you just arrive this morning?"

"No, a few days ago. My dad wanted me out the house as soon as possible so emailed the college to ask for an early admission," she said, a matter of factly.

"And you've been here all alone until today? What have you been doing this whole time?"

"Nothing much, I guess. Just looking around here and outside and stuff."

"Oh. Not to pry but - why did your dad want you to come early?"

"Just douchy stuff, you can imagine" although you really can't "wanted some 'alone time' with all the girlfriends he has on speed dial every week."

As she mentions this, she makes a gesture with her hands to show that all of this is just bullshit. And that she knows it. 

"I see," you cringe at the subject, "what are you studying?"

"Music," she replies, "you?"

"Literature."

Silence engulfs the room again as you both sit trying to work out what to say next. As it stretches out, you feel your eyes fill up with tears again at the thought of being without your parents for so long. Noticing your discomfort, you catch her move off the bed from the corner of your eye and approach yours. Holding out her hand she asks,

"I found this really cool ice-cream shop like five minutes away. Wanna come with?"

And as you accept her offer by taking her hand gently, those tears don't even get the opportunity to fall down your face.

It's short - I know. I didn't really know where to go with this one :/

Please vote and comment any prompts so I actually have a direction to go with next time!!

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