ANOUSHKA
It's safe to say that I have been avoiding Creighton. Ever since he sent me that message I've been suspicious of him. There was a hidden threat somewhere in his message.
I finish my classes for the day so I decided to head back to my dorm and watch more romance movies. As the sight of my dorm came into view, I notice the principal at my dorm.
"What's going on, Principal Walters?" I ask him.
"I suppose you have heard of the fire that took place over a week ago." he begins.
"Yes."
"One of the dorms has been completely destroyed. We are working to fix it however we need a place for him to stay and your dorm is the only spare room."
Him? No.
"Please don't say what I think you're saying," I murmur, closing my eyes and hoping this is all a nightmare.
My dorm door opens, and Creighton was standing there with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey roommate," he says, smiling at me.
"No. No. No. And lastly no." I repeat, my voice getting louder with each word. "I can't share a room with him." I practically spit the word.
"It's only temporary." the principal tries to reason.
I let out a laugh that had no humour to it. "Then I'll move out. I'll dorm with someone else."
"Stop being childish." Creighton says, rolling his eyes.
"Childish?" I retort, letting out a dry laugh. "Childish is you setting my sweatshirt on f-" he cuts me off by clearing his throat. Yeah it might not be a good idea to mention Creighton setting the sweatshirt on fire.
I roll my eyes before turning to the head teacher. "I thought boys and girls weren't allowed to mix."
"Yes, they aren't however we spoke to your parents and they trust Creighton. You two are neighbours apparently."
"What if I don't want to room with him?" I ask.
"It's only for a few weeks while we set up another dorm."
I bite my bottom lip, debating whether or not I could actually live with Creighton for a few weeks. I wasn't scared of him in a way that he could hurt me. I just really didn't like him. He was arrogant and had psycho tendencies, like burning a sweatshirt because it was my ex-boyfriend's.
I feel a hand touch my back and I tense. I look up at the principal, who had a reassuring look on his face. "If it makes you feel better, another girl will be living with you two," he says.
"New girl?" I question quietly.
Oh, God.
"I'll let you two talk this out." the headteacher says, dropping his hand from my back and walking away.
Creighton's gaze hardens as he watches the principal walk away. "Isn't that inappropriate?" he asks.
"What?"
"He was touching you."
I roll my eyes. "It wasn't like that." I tell him.
He raises a brow. "If you say so." he murmurs, leaning against the door, his arms crossed against his chest as he stares at me.
"We have roommate matters to discuss." he says, smiling cockily.
I huff and storm inside my dorm and I hear the door close.
"Starters, it's way too purple in here," he says, looking around the main room.
He walks over to the kitchen and picks up the kitchen towel. "Purple tissue, really?" he shoots me an unimpressed look.
I storm up to him and grab the tissue out of his hand. "Stop judging." I snarl, slamming the tissue on the counter.
"That's hard to do," he murmurs, amused.
"We aren't changing anything. If you want to stay in my dorm, you'll learn to love the purple. Plus, isn't purple your favourite colour?" I tease.
He shrugs. "At least it isn't pink."
I roll my eyes. What's wrong with pink?
"I have other issues to talk over with you." he begins. I sit on the couch and he sits beside me. "Why have you been ignoring me?"
I let out a humourless laugh. "Oh sorry. You set your dorm on fire because of a sweatshirt and you think that's fine?"
He shrugs. "It was a warning Angel. Why would you give me your ex-boyfriend's sweatshirt?" he asks as if it was a normal thing to do.
"Oh my bad." I incredulously reply. "Sorry for being a decent person and lending you something to wear when it was raining."
He doesn't say anything instead he just flashes me his mischievous smile. "Well why don't we begin by throwing out all of your ex-boyfriends sweatshirts, hm?"
"Absolutely not. Yes we broke up but those sweatshirts are the most comfortable sweatshirts I have ever worn. Maybe if you tried it on instead of burning it, you would have agreed." I reply.
"I have many sweatshirts, Anoushka." he states.
"Well, you aren't my friend nor my boyfriend to be lending me your sweatshirts."
"I'm your roommate." he tries to reason.
I roll my eyes. How am I going to do this?
"We need to talk over rules," I say, changing the subject.
"One, no snooping through my things," I say. "That also includes no burning my sweatshirts."
He nods his head, a wary smirk on his face.
"I have a lot of dark chocolate in the cupboard and if you eat it I will kill you."
He smiles and nods his head.
"Every Friday night, I stay up late and watch a true crime murder documentary. Do not disturb me."
"I'll watch it with you." he shrugs.
"Last but not least, you can't bring girls over."
That took him by surprise. "Why not?" he asks.
"It's disrespectful. I don't want to walk into the bathroom and see another girl in there. If you want to hook up with someone, go to their dorm."
He nods his head. "That's reasonable."
"Then we're done," I say, standing up to walk back to my room.
"I haven't spoken my rules," he says, making me freeze. I look over my shoulder at him.
True. "And what are your rules?"
"Don't snoop in my room."
As if I haven't already done that but I nod my head anyway.
"Tutoring a few times a week."
I roll my eyes.
"And lastly, We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together."
My mouth drops. "Why?"
He shrugs. "You have your rules I have mine."
"Fine."
"I'll see you tonight then," he smirks.
Oh, God.
•••
"So you didn't bail on dinner tonight," he says, as I walk into the dorm.
I was wearing purple sports leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. I had just finished my pilates.
I look over at the dinner on the table.
"I didn't know you cooked," I say.
"You don't know a lot about me."
True. "I need to shower first."
He furrows his brows. "The food will get cold," he says. "Shower afterwards."
"Okay," I murmur. The food smelt great so I didn't really want to pass up on it.
"What did you make?" I ask.
"I didn't know what you liked so I settled with pizza."
"I do love pizza," I say with a small smile.
"Who doesn't?"
I sit at the table and he sits opposite me. "You know you could have just ordered pizza."
"Well where's the fun in that?" he asks, with a lazy smirk.
"I guess we should ask when the new girl will join us?"
He shrugs. "Already did. Sometime next week." he says.
Oh. "Have you met her?"
"No."
"I hope she's nice." I murmur, looking down at my pizza.
"Why? Willing to make friends?" he teases.
I shrug. "It would be nice to finally have a friend and not be known as the girl who staged her enemy's disappearance." I simply reply.
I freeze. Fuck. I should not have said that to him. I glance back at him. He was still, his eyes slightly wide and his mouth parted. Fuck.
I clear my throat and I open my mouth to change the topic but he beat me to it.
"I don't blame you."
Those four words made my heart drop and my pulse race. My throat dries as I register his words. I don't blame you. "I thought-"
"You thought wrong." he cuts me off. "I never for a second thought you had anything to do with her disappearance."
"But-"
"She tormented you but you aren't as cruel as she was," he says. "You wouldn't ever hurt someone like that."
My pulse was racing. I don't think I've ever heard anyone tell me that I wasn't cruel. That was my image. I was the bitchy girl who had no friends.
I never knew Crieghton saw me differently.