Code of Silence

Code of Silence - Chapter 8

Despite it being the first time either of us had spent living alone, or at least away from home and familiar surroundings, Alex and I had settled into university life quicker than either of us could have expected. We'd become self-sufficient, managing to cook, feed and look after ourselves like most students eventually do. I'd moved from university halls into shared accommodation with a couple of students I had got to know through the university rugby club.

It was fairly basic place, but in a decent part of the town. Three bedrooms, a shared bathroom and an open-plan kitchen-diner downstairs, with one of the bedrooms unexpectedly going free due to the wanderlust of a departed friend. Their buddy had dropped out at the last minute, figuring a gap year was more important than the sports psychology course he'd been accepted for. I'd got on well with my teammates from the start, and we discussed the possibility of me taking the room over a quiet beer following our initial club training session. I took up the offer of renting it without further thought; it felt right, a stroke of luck. It was a typical student house, tidy on the outside, communal areas receiving the occasional hurried clean-up ahead of the arrival of a parent or landlord, and generally a mess behind each of the closed and lockable bedroom doors.

Alex had been a little more selective than me when researching the options, and instead chose to remain on the campus for the first year. The room provided was on the first floor of a new development towards the rear of the campus. It smelled of everything new, from the purpose-built study area, to the freshly painted walls, and the mattress and pillows that were there to be used with the bedding each student had to provide themselves.

There was a simply-equipped cooking area, and a dual-ring electric hob with a microwave oven mounted on the wall above. A neat fold-down table secured to the wall provided enough dining space for two to share a meal. Alex was concerned that, while the rooms were a safe and very convenient option, they may not be the most peaceful or private, but seemed pleasantly surprised by the soundproofing and the solid night's sleep achieved from day one. Alex's mother and the twins had helped with moving in, and the place had a homely feel about it. It was within easy reach of the main university buildings, for food or supplies from the campus supermarket, or for visiting the coffee shop, student bars, gym and swimming pool: it had everything.

One night, a couple of weeks in, Alex messaged me. It was a reminder about the second IT session with Professor Khan that evening after lectures finished suggesting we meet at the campus coffee shop and catch up for an hour or so before heading over to the lab. Setting off a little later into the crisp darkness of the evening, I was looking forward to catching up with Alex.

The first couple of weeks had been a blur of attending new lectures and putting names to faces, those of both lecturers and new acquaintances whom we were destined to sit alongside during the forthcoming year. As if that wasn't exhausting enough, the urge to party was ever foremost in the mind of most students. A chance to play hard after hard work, to be on the loose where before we'd never been too far from home, to push boundaries and to pay the price if we overdid things.

I had certainly made the most of it, largely down to the sports activities I'd signed up for as an extension of what I enjoyed doing back home. Alex, on the other hand, was more reserved. Party invites were mostly through messaging apps, nothing formal, no specific plans just spur of the moment decisions to go out and let off steam. Whether at the student bar on campus, or via a bus ride into town, it was a rite of passage for most, and Alex was no exception. A little more sensible than me, however, Alex knew when to party but also when to stop.

Soon, I was sprawled on the same battered old sofa we chose most times we visited the café, scrolling through my phone with leather jacket and rucksack to my side as an armrest. As I raised my gaze from my phone and looked around, I saw Alex arrive and join the queue at the serving counter. Having looked up at the options on the blackboard Alex then glanced over, pointed at the menu above, raised eyebrows seeking an answer. I gave a thumbs up back immediately, and the usual coffees were ordered.