Chapter 5: I look like a cat who decided it might be fun to go for a swim.
Sarcasm. Classified as harsh, caustic personal remarks too or about someone ;less than subtle remarks.
No matter what fancy words are used, sarcasm remains one of my favorite tools used in writing. The idea was revolutionary. I am just one of the millions of lives that sarcasm has affected. I make sure to show my gratitude everyday.
Despite one minor flaw, sarcasm is perfect. This flaw being that when used in an unspoken manner, sarcasm can be misinterpreted. The author may be implying a completely different idea than is portrayed to the reader. Sarcasm is best shown through tone. The author has no physical voice in the work, consequently, the most effective expression of sarcasm, intonation, becomes futile. This can cause confusion and possible conflict. When used too frequently, the reader begins to question the authors true intent of the words. The miscommunication can lead to the loss of trust between author and reader. This trust is the single most important thing as a writer. Without the audiences trust, you have no case, no reason for writing. Because without trust, you have no audience.
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I knew it was going to be a gloomy, dark, and wet day even before I managed to extract myself from the comfort and warmth of my bed to take a look outside.
Waking up to this weather on a normal Sunday morning would result in me making some tea or hot chocolate and sitting down with my laptop trying my best to conquer my newest form of writers block. However, today was no normal Sunday. In fact, it was the last official day of summer. Classes would start again tomorrow.
Surely there would be several parties thrown honor of the last day of summer. Undoubtedly trashing some of the newly cleaned and painted dorm rooms.
I don't like parties. As I mentioned before, I prefer being alone. And though I am alone, I'm never lonely. At any given moment, one could probably find me sitting in the closest, uninhabited, place I could find around campus with a book in my hands. I entrench myself in literature, finding that I can live the lives of characters without having to leave the spot I've staked out. I would rather be alone with my books than surrounded by people I didn't have any desire to know.
All I want to do at the current moment is pick up a new book that's begging to be read, but I can't. And that ladies and gentlemen, is because of park Jimin.
Because he had my bags sent to the main housing office on campus, my supposed comfortable morning would now be spent slowly trudging my way to the office, in the middle of a storm, with no umbrella.
Once again finding reasons to justify my immediate feeling of dislike towards the boy, I set off hoping to catch a break in the rain.
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I was soaking wet. As I walked hunched over, my hoodie pulled over my head providing nothing but the illusion of protection, the rain had somehow managed to reach every inch of my body.
I have no doubt that as I stumbled into the office looking like a cat who had decided it might be fun to go for a swim, my sanity was questioned. The waiting room was completely devoid of life. Most people probably not fighting for a chance to have a discussion with Helga, the woman who, oh so kindly, 'helped' me yesterday.
A squish sound, akin to that of a child walking with wet flip flops, emanates loudly with every step I take on the tile floors. As I approach the desk, I notice Helga is no longer alone.
Beside her sits a boy, a year my senior, with perfectly groomed brown hair accompanied by very prominent cheek bones that in turn, accentuated his soft jaw. The boys head was bent and he bore a soft smile.
It was blatantly obvious to me that he was enraptured by the book in front of him, hidden by the slight upward curve of the reception desk. I knew this look well, having worn it many times myself.
For the first time in two days I allowed a genuine smile to appear on my face. "What is this? Seven... times you've read this book? And your poor little noggin still can't comprehend anything? Maybe it's time we return to our ABC's hmm?" I said, leaning over the counter as if trying to inspect his book though I already knew what I would find.
"Harry Potter is destined to go down as one of the great 2000s classic series', I will forever be but a lowly Shepard to her royal highness J.K Rowling." The boy responded, trying desperately to maintain a poker face "though she remains oblivious to the fact, she is my greatest mentor, her angelic words, never fail to leave me in awe." He was smiling at me now, knowing that his rambling, if continued, would soon lead to a place only his mind could follow.
The boy hops down from his stool behind the counter so he can walk around the desk and greet me properly.
"How you doing Jongdae?" I ask my best friend.
While I prefer being alone, Jongdae is the only person I can be around without wanting to stab my eye balls out and vise versa. Both of us are awkward and prefer reading over actual human interaction.
I met Jongdae last year in our introduction to language course. One day a particularly air headed kid named Jackson raised his hand in the middle of a lecture to ask what exactly a comma was and why it was shaped like a reverse tear drop. Somehow in the midst of rolling my eyes, I made eye contact with Jongdae who wore the same exasperated expression. From this point forward, we began to share these looks everytime someone would do something dumb. With Jackson in the room, this happened fairly often.
The first word we spoke to each other was about three months after our silent conversations started. I had asked him to plug my laptop in to the wall charger and our friendship blossomed from there.
"I'm doing great actually. My aunt Helga needed help running the desk here during the first week of school, but it seems only a few people will be showing up today." He said as he glanced at the empty waiting room. "Speaking of which. What are you doing here and why in the world are you soaking wet, didn't you bring an umbrella?" He asked incredulously
For the first time since seeing Jongdae, my smile slips off my face replaced by my usual hard set expression.
Jongdae notices this change and raises an eyebrow in response.
"I need to pick up my bags. My idiot roommate told the delivery guy that he had the wrong room." I explained.
"Okay well, we no longer have any bags in the office. It appears they have all been claimed." He replied warily checking the system.
My eyes surely look like they are going to pop out of my head any minute.
"So my luggage is lost?" I seethed.
"yyyyeah." Was his response.
I just about lost it. However, losing both my sanity and everything I own in the same day is not a recipe for success.
Everything I own is in those bags. Losing them was not an option. It would be different if it were one bag with pairs of clothes, and while this was mostly the case, a few pieces of luggage contained my entire being. As the image of my laptop pops into my brain, I see every thing I have worked for, my entire existence contained within, gone. It was gone. Surround me with the most valuable jewels on the planet,but without the simple form escape I found encrypted within the laptop, I had nothing.
I could see Jongdae looking at me like he was trying desperately to understand. The deer in headlights look on my face was an obvious indication that there was something of great value hidden within the depths of my suitcase.
I didn't want to think about the harsh reality that was quickly crashing down on me, and when Jongdae opened his mouth to console me, I interrupted.
"I'm going to need a room change. Now. " I sneered, venom in my voice.
A slightly taken aback Jongdae spoke in a hesitantly, "I can't change people's rooms Yoongi" a hint of an apology in his voice, "you know that." A calm but tentative expression resting on his face.
The look on his face indicated that he hadn't missed my not so subtle change of topic. However as the current valedictorian of the class of 2019, Jongdae was smart enough to know that bringing it up would only make matters worse for us both.
"There has to be some loop hole" I asserted. Looking at my friend desperately, pleading for mercy with my eyes.
My day already ruined, I knew I could not deal with my cheerful roommate. Not today. Not ever.
He looked at me with analyzing eyes before a look that said I-don't-know, I-really-shouldn't-be-doing-this grazed his face.
"Okay." He said carefully, "There is one way. But it's neither immediate nor is it a guarantee. "
Not about to reject any possibility of getting rid of Jimin, I curiously reply "I'm all ears man. I'll take anything at this point."
"Campus policy requires that for a room change to be made, one of two things has to happen. The first," he paused, "is when the disabilities of one roommate conflict with the other to the point where it could be harmful. That isn't the case here as neither of you have any serious disabilities. The second requirement however, mandates that each person who is assigned a dorm, must remain there for a full semester. At which point, if another student has dropped out during that semester, there is an option to move into said dorm." He said.
"I have to wait a whole semester?" I asked with disgust.
"Only if the college doesn't need the room for a new student who is transferring in from a different school. After that, there is a waiting list. But seeing as school literally hasn't even started yet, I think you're name will be first."
The implication of his words slapped me in the face. The chance of me switching rooms, although there, was miniscule.
Even if I did manage to secure a room for next semester, I would still have to live with Jimin for several months. I feared that by then I will have committed suicide not being able to deal with the friendly boy.
"Okay" I say, " I'll see you later."
I turn for the door bracing myself to enter the pounding rain.
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Again, the rain had soaked me to the my core. Now that, I was utterly pissed off, I intended to head straight to my room so I could spend the rest of my day sleeping far away from my thoughts.
I smelled it before I saw it. The delicious smell of rosemary and roasted potatoes. My stomach automatically growling in hunger as the scent hits my nose. .
I look into the kitchen to see Jimin standing by the oven.
Upon hearing the door open, Jimin turned to face me and smiled. "Would you like some ?" He held up a plate of roasted potatoes.
"No. I'm going to my room" I bit out. Not wanting to have conversation with the very person who has me in such a bitter mood.
"Woah dude" he said when he noticed my appearance. "Decide to go for a bath in the rain did we?" He chuckles.
The lightheaded air with which he says this makes my blood boil. He was the reason I was so miserable right now. I was surprised by how strong the urge to punch him was.
You see, my confident and careless aura along with my dark clothes gives people the idea that I would be quick to fight anyone who crossed me. That was the goal anyways. This deception was what I had relied on to get me through middle school and highschool with minimal damage, but to actually feel like I was living up to the image I had carefully construed? It scared me. I didn't want to turn in to the person everyone viewed me as. So I clenched my fist, refusing to act on what I was feeling, and decided to stick to my venomous remarks instead.
"No you ignorant shit, I went to get my bags and a room change only to find that everything I own is gone and I'll be stuck with you for so long I want to kill myself."
Jimin looked only slightly affected by the hate in my voice before a small smile came to his face.
Was he mental? Can he not see how mad I am with him?
"What the fuck is your problem" I said referring to his stupid smile.
"Uhm..." Jimin said. Finally looking discouraged. The smile on his face was almost gone as he realized that I wasn't just upset. I was upset with him.
"What. Did I hurt your precious little feelings?" I said with a smirk. Satisfied that I had finally gotten through to this kid.
Jimin looked like he was about to open his mouth and say something when I interrupted.
"Please. Save it for when you're crying to your mommy."
The subtle smile on his face faltered and for just a moment, an emotion I couldn't quite catch replaced it. The look left almost as quickly as it came though and his signature smile was back.
As I looked at him though, I noticed this wasn't his normal giddy smile. This one seemed practiced and somewhat forced. It was hard to tell really but if you really looked, you could see it. The other thing I noticed was the mildly vengeful look in his eyes.
"Hey Yoongi?" He said still smiling "You're really a class a Jack ass."
Then he left. He walked out the door, plate of roasted potatoes in hand.
I smirked in victory and walked into my room glad to be rid of him for a while.
I threw myself backwards into my bed and stared up at the ceiling for a bit before I decided to roll over into a better position. As I rolled, something orange in the closet caught my eye. The door was almost shut. Only cracked slightly. Sitting up to get a better look, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
There was no way. Absolutely no way. Extremely confused, I stood up and walked the short distance to my closet. Upon opening the door further to confirm my suspicions. In my closet sat all five of my suitcases neatly organized by height and color.
Scenarios run through my mind as I try to figure out how this could be happening.
Did Jongdae trick me and tell me that my luggage was gone only to place it in my room?
No. That couldn't be it, I had come straight back to the dorm and it was impossible for him to have beat me here.
It's about the time I decide to chalk it up to the influence of black magic mixed with transportation, I notice a note on my dresser.
Picking it up, I move to sit on my bed. The messy handwriting is difficult to read but still legible.
Yoongi,
I stopped by the housing office early this morning and grabbed your stuff. You were right. I am somewhat responsible for what happened so I'm sorry. :)
-Jimin
OH!!! By the way, I'm going to hangout with a few friends in around 30 minutes. It's like 2:00 right now and I'll be back in 6 hours at the most.
Roasted potatoes in the fridge if you want them. :)
I suddenly felt extremely bad. I had told Jimin off not knowing he was trying to help me. While I was still upset that I had to trek through the rain twice, some of my anger left me.
I was extremely relieved to find all of my stuff in perfect condition, somehow untouched by the rain. I pulled my laptop out of my bag and hugged it to my chest making a mental note to buy a flash drive the first chance I got.
Walking into the kitchen another wave of regret hit me. Jimin had even gone out of his way to make extra food for me. Lord knows I can't cook but it was apparent that Jimin at least knew enough to keep himself alive.
Pulling the fridge door open, I decided there was no point in letting the food go to waste. As I plopped a bite of food into my mouth, I got a flash of the macncheese I had eaten last night. A few of the same feelings reoccurring. This dish was simple, with nothing more than herbs, potatoes , butter, and cheese, yet somehow it was delicious. My body grateful for the much needed meal.
Once I was done, I cleaned my plate and returned to my room, preparing myself for an all nighter. School started tomorrow and I had an entire rooms worth of stuff I needed to unpack and organize. Despite knowing I was about to contribute to my own misery, I pulled out my first suitcase and got to work.
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A/N
I'm actually pretty proud of this. It was hard to write because I was at a loss for what direction I should move. But I ended up figuring it out. Also, can we all stop and take a moment to realize that this chapter is triple the length of any of my others? Please. Let's do that.
I'm so proud that I can actually see my progress. YAYY!!!
Anyways, stay lovely guys.
L.L.L.
- Syd