10.28.16
This is the shortest chapter I've ever written, I hope it's enough, though.
Enjoy!
~*~
You know, when I first answered the ad for a new roommate, I didn't know what to expect. I needed somewhere to live, and finding a place on my own wasn't going to cut it. So I found an ad that seemed promising.
WANTED: One roommate - M or F
Looking for an independent person, but open to hanging out once in awhile. Friendly, but not too friendly, I need my space.
The apartment has two rooms, one bathroom, a small kitchen and a living space. Once arrangement is agreed upon, apartment expenses will then be discussed (furniture, kitchen supplies, etc.). Your share of rent will consist of $410.
I answered her through email, and we seemed to get along fine and understand each other's wants, so we agreed. Now, halfway through the semester and she does this. Yeah, she's brought guys home before, but they're usually confined to her room. And while not super quiet, I could generally get some sleep. Now I'm wondering if this had happened before during other times I wasn't at the apartment. Ugh. I need to take a shower.
"Hey! Hold up!" I slow from my near running pace as I allow Sean to catch up to me. My fists clench by my side as I fight to contain my anger and disgust. Is there a memory eraser? Oh hell. This is all new nightmare material. A shudder runs down my spine at what I just witnessed. Never. Again.
"Hey, hey," Sean says once more, grabbing my upper arm. His touch brings me out of my head momentarily, and I see that I've somehow made it outside. How'd I get so far ahead of him? "Sang, hold on. Where are you going?"
"I don't know, okay? I just know I'm not going back there. Ever." I'm fuming now. I might have been able to forgive her defacing our shared furniture if she hadn't left me stranded at the arena. I can't believe her!
"I can't go back there," I state. "She brought me to the game, bribed me with a free ticket, and ditched me! Left me there alone with no way back to go screw some faceless penis!"
"Okay, you need to calm down," the boy says, his hands resting on my shoulder.
"Don't tell me to be calm!" I snap. Okay, maybe he has a point. His face comes into my line of sight, and I try to focus on it.
"Sang, if you don't calm your breathing, you're going to pass out," he tries reasoning, "and I really would prefer you not pass out on me right now."
"Why? Am I too heavy for you?" I sass. Whoa, Sang, calm your face.
He chuckles, thankfully. "No, not on any other day. I just played hockey for a few hours, and I'm a little tired." He gives me a heart-stopping grin. He's clearly forgiven my outburst. I take the time to try to even out my breathing.
Sean gestures behind him with his thumb. "Though, I'm sure with some effort, the four of us might be able to carry you." He winks at me, letting me know he's teasing. I debate for a moment whether to give him shit. I decide against it and look back towards his car. I'm sure it was closer to the door when we got here.
"Why'd they move the car?" I ask. Were they trying to play a trick on us? I wouldn't put them past it, as Mister Sixty-Nine is one of the inhabitants of the vehicle.
He looks at me like I've lost my marbles. "How out of it were you when you were storming away like some angry goddess?" How many times in one night is this guy going to have me question his realness? Because I swear, no one talks like this. At least to me they don't.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when you kept strutting past the car, I had to stop and let the others know to stay put," he explains, "because you just kept going. You were not about to be deterred by anything." He seemed to be a little in awe. By what, I'm not sure.
"Oh, well." I look around, trying to plan my next move. Where do I go? I don't know anyone else. And like I said, I am not going back into that apartment. At least, not until I find somewhere else to live. But where? I supposed I could try a hotel while I figure it out.
I turn my attention back to Sean to see if he'd be willing to drive me to the Holiday Inn nearby. He speaks before I can, though.
"So where do you plan on going?" he asks, like he can read my mind.
I giggle a little, and I notice his eyes brighten. "I was actually just going to ask if you'd give me a ride to a hotel." At my request, a dramatic gasp left his mouth with an equally dramatic hand to his chest. "What?" Did I say something?
"You think I'd let you sleep on the streets after that?"
"The streets? I sa—" He places a finger on my lips.
"I know what you said. But why would I allow you spend unnecessary money when I have an extra bed at my place?"
I raise an eyebrow at him. "But—" What is with him and cutting me off?
"Shush. You're coming with me." He grabs my hand and pulls me toward his car that supposedly did not move. I'm not convinced. Not even when we stop at the car and I notice we're right by the entrance that I usually use. It had to have moved. Shifty hockey players.
Sean firmly but gently pushes me back into the front seat of his car and closes the door before walking around to his side.
"So, your roommate really is a bitch, huh?" I finish putting on my seatbelt and look to my left to see a tuft of red hair leaning between the two front seats.
Sean buckles up, starts the car, and we start moving.
Falling back into my seat, I say, "Don't say that. It's not very nice." Even if it might be true.
Right now, I'm feeling really unforgiving about the whole situation. We'll see how I feel in the morning... or next week.
"Well, I can't believe Freeman." Luke, I think?
"Oh my god," another boys says, this time I believe it's Gabriel. I really need to look at them when they're talking. I try to discreetly turn around in my seat. Not an easy feat with a seatbelt and four others with their eyes practically glued to you. "Coach Anderson is going to be pissed when he finds out Freeman skipped out on the game to go screw some chick."
"Sang." I stop my adjusting and look up to Sean. He keeps glancing between me and the road. "What are you doing?" Now they're for sure all staring at me.
My eyes shift from boy to boy before resting on the one driving. "I don't know who's talking," I explain in a whisper. I blush when he starts laughing.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he says as his laugh turns to chuckles. "You just reminded me of North trying to be sneaky, or, well anyone not named Luke Taylor." I look at him curiously.
"It's really hard to be quiet on leather seats, you know." For some reason, that gets him going again—him and the three in the back seat this time. I've never known myself to be that funny.
They seem to calm themselves again. "Okay, okay, turn back around," Sean says, patting my leg. "I'll give you a play-by-play."
"But I wanna see her face!" Gabriel whines. "I like it." My eyes widen. What is up with these guys, for real? I don't know if I can handle their brand of banter.
"Me too!" Luke agrees.
"No, I'm not in the mood for goofing off," Sean says seriously.
Nathan gives his own two cents also, " Aw, come on, Doc. She's perfectly safe."
I turn to Sean. "Doc?"
"Pre-med. They like to joke. Now turn around." I do this time, though I don't bother trying to be quiet.
"Man, didn't know we had two North's now..."
"That was Luke," Sean tells me, and I smile. He's actually going to tell me who's talking. It feels like I'm reading a book. Or listening to audio at the very least. "And I'm just trying to be the responsible one here."
"Show off."
"Nathan," Sean says. "And he shouldn't talk; he's the biggest showoff of them all." I see the teasing grin on his face, and I giggle.
I decide to change the subject. "So pre-med? Isn't that hard with hockey?"
"Yeah, I'm taking things slow. I'm in no hurry to get my full degree," he explains. "I'll probably get it eventually, but I won't be heartbroken if I don't." He shrugs when he says this. It looks and sounds truthful, but it feels like a lie.
"Why wouldn't you finish?" I question.
"If I make it to the NHL, I won't have time for doctoring."
"But what if you're forced to retire early?" I argue. I don't know why I am, but I've always admired hockey players that earn a degree before jumping to the pros. Unfortunately for me, the car is completely silent when I finish my question, and I know I've said something wrong. I could smack myself.
For the second time, I try to change the subject, racking my brain for anything to break this awkward silence. "Who's Freeman?"
"Declan Freeman, forward, number seven."
"Gabriel." Sean.
"Playboy and number one asshole."
"Nathan."
"Naked man in your roommate."
"LUKE!" That was a chorus of the three other boys in the car. For the infinitieth time this night, my face turns red. I pound at my head as I try to once again erase those images from my brain. Dammit, dammit, dammit. A hand softly grabs my left one, stopping my assault on my skull.
"What? She asked," he says innocently, and I know that it's Luke this time, defending himself.
"Dude, that's just fucked up." The disgust is obvious.
"Bro, not cool."
"Gabriel, Nathan." My hero.
"So, that was, um, one of your teammates?" I ask a little uncertainly, nervous to bring up a topic so close to the conflicting event.
"Yup," he says, popping the 'p'. "See? We told you it wasn't North."
"Luke. And Coach is going to be so angry," Sean tells me. "He'll likely suspend Declan for a few games."
"But he wasn't playing tonight?" I ask.
"Yeah, healthy scratch."
"Nathan."
Nathan continues through the interruption, "Coach wanted to get one of the younger players in tonight. Felt it was a good time to do so."
"I'm sure Victor will appreciate this temporary lapse in judgement." Sean looks at me and explains, "He was the one to take Declan's place tonight."
"Victor Morgan?"
I feel four sets of eyes on me. "You know him?"
"Gabriel." Sean is really keeping up with this! I'm impressed.
I shake my head. "No, I remember his name from the program. He played well tonight."
"But not as well as me, right? Hattrick master," he gloats. I should tell him that that's unbecoming.
We pull into a driveway, and Sean turns the car off. I notice three other cars in the driveway.
"You all live together?" I ask.
"Yup, and one more. Luke and his brother share a car. North lives next door, though, with three others," Sean explains, pointing to the house on the left side.
"Five here and you say you can fit one more?" I question, eyeing the house in front of me.
"Oh, sure," Sean assures.
We get out of the car, and I follow them to the front door. Nathan unlocks the door and we all step inside. They remove their shoes, and I follow suit, placing them neatly by the door.
Mussing my hair, Sean tells me, "I'll be right back, short stuff. Keep theses knuckleheads company, will you? Make sure they keep their hands to themselves, yeah?" I smile and turn to the others. Nathan has plopped himself on the couch, turning on the TV.
"Sang, come watch with me." I turn to go join Nathan, but a hand on my shoulder stops me. I face Gabriel who seems to be staring at something above my head. I start to turn around to see what he's looking at, but he stops me from doing that as well. Then his hands move to my hair, fussing with it. I notice Gabriel muttering under his breath, but can only catch a few words 'touch,' 'hair.' and 'idiot.' I can only let him finish.
When he does, his attention returns to me, rather than my hair. "I'll go find you something to wear to bed." At this, I'm reminded that I have nothing with me. Meaning I already have to go back tomorrow. I drop my head into my hands, groaning.
"Hey, cupcake, what's up?" I look up at Luke through my fingers.
"I have to go back to my apartment tomorrow. I don't have anything but my purse with me," I explain. I let out a noise of frustration at another realization. "And I don't have my phone charger with me! How am I supposed to let Jade know that she needs a new roommate?"
"Hey, one thing at a time," Luke stops me before I explode. "One, what kind of phone do you have?" I pull out my iPhone and show him. "Great, you have at least five people here who can lend you a charger." I let out a breath of relief. "Two, if you really can't handle going back tomorrow, we'll figure something out. And three, you can let North tell Jade." He grins at his last plan as if it were the greatest idea ever.
"Why would North do that?"
He just shrugs, the look on his face telling me that more is going on in his head than he's making me privy to.
"Sang," I hear Sean call to me. I look over to him, and see someone following behind him. They guy is wearing glasses, his hair nearly perfectly in place. Despite the comfortable clothes made for nighttime, he still exudes perfection. "This is our last roommate."
The guy holds out his hand to me, and I look at it for a moment before realizing he wants me to shake it. I take it and introduce myself. "Sang Sorenson."
"Nice to meet you, Sang. I'm Owen Blackbourne," he greets smoothly.
"I hope you don't mind me camping out here for the night," I say apologetically.
"I don't really have much choice, do I?" I suddenly feel bad, but he winks at me, and I relax. What is it about all these men that has me so on edge? And I was serious before, they are the most attractive men I've ever seen. I'm almost positive they're some scientific experiment.
"Hey, Coach!" Nathan greets from his spot on the couch.
"Nate," Owen replies.
"Coach?"
~*~
Thanks for reading!