Dead If You Do

Chapter Three

On first glance, it looks cosy enough; a large window takes up most of the wall on the left, opening up to a view of the mountains. Knitted blankets already adorn the seats and a yellow rug offsets the entire room, making the white walls brighter as it sits beneath a small, glass coffee table.

But that's not what gets my attention. It's them. My dorm mates.

Scattered in front of me are three strangers.

Two girls and one guy, making me the fourth and final student. One of them, a girl with purple streaks running through her hair, frantically waves a towel at smoke drifting from the microwave's door.

She curses under her breath as she opens it up with a click, throwing the steaming mess onto the countertop. The plastic bowl is melting and the popcorn is black – how do you burn popcorn?

Sitting on the sofa lies another girl; her dark blonde hair is pulled into a loose braid and next to her is a book, Codename Villanelle. Her attention is diverted to the smoke, perfectly-shaped brows knitted together as she watches the scene take place. And there, standing by the kitchen counter, is a guy. He has a red cup in one hand, and by the looks of the glass bottle in the other, it's not just coke.

I bite my lip: what did I just walk in on?

Amy, however, isn't fazed. 'Hey, guys,' she says. 'Found your last roomie in Main. I'll accept thank yous in cash.'

Almost in sync, three pairs of eyes turn to me, burning into my skin. I try not to shuffle or grit my teeth, but the heat in my cheeks instantly gives away my nerves. Is this what it was like for Elliot when he moved to NYU? Probably not. Elliot just has a way of instantly blending in, yet here I am feeling like I'm on trial for roommate of the year.

'Ha!' says the girl on the sofa, making me jump. 'You owe me ten bucks.'

'Damn it.' The guy pulls a note from his wallet and hands it to her with a wince.

'Thank you,' she chirps happily, turning to look at me as she folds the note into her pocket. Her eyes flash and she stands up with a smug smile. 'Dan was convinced you'd be a guy. I'm Eden, by the way.' She squeezes me into a hug and I startle. 'The one burning all the popcorn is Riley, and that idiot is obviously Dan.'

There's a pause as I take them in. It's true what Amy said – they don't seem like a bad bunch. Dan is taller than all of us, with broad shoulders, dark skin and kind eyes. Riley is the second tallest, with long legs and more piercings than I can count.

And Eden? Her bright grin reminds me of a ray of sunshine. I almost wince just by looking at her. Releasing a heavy breath, my muscles begin to thaw. For weeks, I've been worried about who I'll get, whether we'll be polar opposites or if we'll get along.

Looking at Eden's grin, I feel relieved. Somewhat.

More time must have passed than I'd realised, though, because Dan looks at Amy with a blank stare. 'Does she talk?' he asks.

I shake my head, pulling myself together. 'Yes, I do. Sorry. I'm Haley. It's really nice to meet you all.'

'Well, Haley, it's nice to meet you too,' chirps Eden.

Riley walks to us. She wears an oversized sweater and a pair of black leggings. On her wrist, I see the markings of a tattoo. 'You sure took your time,' she says. 'Great to meet you, though.'

'There's a party planned tonight,' Eden interjects, throwing Riley a look. 'To melt the ice. Did Amy tell you?'

I nod. 'Starts at seven, right?'

'Yup! Which is in, like, twenty minutes. So you better unpack quick.'

She grabs my hand and pulls me towards a corridor leading to a wooden stairway. I lift my bag and start climbing, luggage thumping against each step.

'You're number four, right?' Eden doesn't give me a second to answer as we reach the top. She guides me to a door and smiles. 'This is you. Got your card?'

I hold it up in my hand and she snatches at it. She swipes my card across the scanner and it unlocks with a click, the red light turning green.

'So, you always need your card to open the door. And remember to lock it once you're inside, because it won't do it automatically.' Her cheeks hint with red. 'I learnt that the hard way.'

'How long have you been here?' I ask, ignoring the instinct urging me to ask what happened and why her cheeks are pink. Instead, I rock my hip against the wall and smile. 'You seem to know your stuff.'

'It's my first year here, like everyone else in this dorm. But my parents and I arrived yesterday. Dad works with the college's admin team, so we had to come early to sort out his work.' She pauses, tilting her head. 'How long did it take for you to get here?'

'The flight was only three hours,' I reply, 'but most of the travelling time was taken up by the car. Feels like forever when you get travel sick.'

'God, I can imagine.' Eden crinkles her nose, but somehow makes it look pretty. 'Remind me not to go on a road trip with you.'

I laugh, if only to fill the silence that lingers after her words. 'So, the meet is in twenty?'

She nods, a strand of golden hair falling across the side of her cheek. 'Yup. Not long to prep.' She begins to turn away. 'I've gotta clean myself up too, so I'll see you out there?'

I smile. 'Yeah, sure.' How is she not nervous?

'Okay, perfect. If you need me, my room number's five.'
           
My brows instantly knit. 'Five? I thought there's only four of us.'

'Oh, no.' She shakes her head. 'The other guy went to get some drinks. He's called Wesley. Kind of quiet, to be honest, but not bad looking either. He's number three – right between us.' A wink. 'So, I'll see you downstairs?'
           
I nod. 'See you in twenty.'
           
She steps to room number five. 'And don't be late!'
           
Eden's door slams with a bang, and I'm just about to go into my room when the sound of footsteps rising from the stairs stop me. For a second, I think it's Amy with some last-minute info, but when a pair of green eyes rise to meet mine, I freeze. No. Please, god, no.

I take a deep breath. It's the guy from Main. He looks soaked; strands of hair stick to his forehead and his shirt clings tightly to his body like a second skin. I try not to look too hard at the muscles lining the white material.

'Hey,' he says slowly. 'You must be Haley. I'm Wes.' There's a glint in his eyes –  and not a good one. He smiles. 'It's great to meet you.'