i've uploaded three times today now. literally, what's happening? anyway, i loved writing this, so i hope y'all enjoy!
words: 1456
. . .
I tapped my foot on the barstool's footrest as I waited. It was 9:55 AM, and I'd come early to make sure I was the first one there. I wanted to make a good impression, and being punctual was one of the ways I would.
A ring was left on the kitchen counter from Travis' morning coffee, and I scrubbed it off and yelled at him to remember that coasters existed. But he was already out of the apartment at his 8:15 history class. Usually, I would've called him to make sure he wasn't kidnapped by a mob or something since I still hadn't heard from him (after all, he was the person who shared the renter's bill), but I couldn't find it in myself to care.
I was meeting my internet boyfriend.
The possible image of Tmesis94 floated through my head: I pictured him being a very soft figure, with some scruff perhaps. He probably wore light jeans and flannels, and maybe some hipster glasses. I hoped he was tall, but I wouldn't have minded if he wasn't. He'd told me I was beautiful without even seeing me, so I knew his heart was gorgeous no matter how he looked.
I'd told him I was wearing a sage green sweater, and I expected a navy blue beanie on him.
I couldn't wait.
9:58.
Deep breaths, Katie. You've got this.
I inspected my sweater to make sure it didn't have any stray wrinkles in it. The watercolor cactus on the front of it seemed brighter and happier, like it was preparing me for what was coming. Even if we technically hadn't made it official, our dating had definitely been real. I couldn't wait to meet him physically.
Liz wandered to the counter where I sat and slid a caramel mocha over to me. "For good luck." She grinned and pushed up her clear-framed glasses.
"Thanks, Liz," I said, taking a grateful sip.
The clock ticked past ten, but I offered the excuse that his bus may have run late. He got out of class at 9:45, but it could've taken some time to get to the coffee shop.
Surely he wouldn't have stood me up.
There he is!
A blue beanie came into view, on a man with beautiful black hair and kind brown eyes. I couldn't believe it, he was actually here. He'd come. He wore a Cavetown shirt and ripped jeans, and made his way to the side of the shop I was in.
He's perfect.
I opened my mouth to say something, but he walked right past me and to a group of people at the table on the wall. They greeted him excitedly and depleted into quiet chatter.
10:06.
I was hopeless.
I looked for Liz over the counter to pay and go home, but before I could, someone touched my shoulder.
"You're PlantLadyy?"
The voice behind me was surprised and uncertain, shakily muttering my online username. This was it. The moment I'd been waiting for. I swiveled around with a smile, ready to take in the sight of my mystery boyfriend whom I'd dated online for so long. He was here. He hadn't ditched me. We were actually meeting.
With a curly mop of auburn hair, a tall frame, and a navy blue beanie, Tmesis94 was none other than...
"Travis?"
Oh, no. No, no, no.
Tmesis94 absolutely could not be my horrid roommate. This couldn't be happening. He stood in front of me with bashfulness, which I'd never seen out of him, but that didn't mean I could trust him. Not one bit.
"What are you doing here?"
"Same thing as you," he admitted, "meeting my online date."
It all clicked. English Liberal Arts major, same campus, same time frames...
Same annoyance for their roommate.
"So I'm a strict prude?" I hopped off my barstool and put my hands on my hips.
"You were way different online," he scoffed. "And you said I'm sloppy and immature."
"You said I acted like a nanny!"
"And you said I was good for nothing. I can go all day, sweetheart."
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, strategizing my next move. How on earth could I not have realized Tmesis was Travis? Not only was the username a nerdy English reference, but he'd told me his roommate was hellbent on murdering him yesterday!
"But, you're so... not like him," I breathed in utter confusion.
He grinned. "I'm literally the same person as him, Kates. You just didn't get to know me."
Feeling heat rise up my cheeks, I growled, "And you didn't get to know me."
"I guess we're at a stalemate, then."
We stood and stared at each other for a moment, taking in the situation. The first day we met in person, we'd argued over who got what bedroom and it all went downhill from there. I supposed that we'd gotten off on the wrong foot, but our personalities had clashed so badly on that day that we didn't give each other a chance to make up for it. Sure, he was a slob sometimes, and careless about my groceries, and never did his laundry...
But he was also my Tmesis. He wrote snippets of poetry for me, he professed his darkest secrets to me anonymously, and he had a warm soul. He was smart, and kind, and passionate.
He was my online boyfriend.
"Woah, you're my online boyfriend." I plunked back onto my seat and took a large gulp of coffee. I felt like my brain had gone to sleep, my thoughts and actions all seemed fuzzy.
Liz flounced up to us, beaming as she took us in. "Is this him, Katie?"
Travis' eyebrows shot up, which was definitely something I pictured Tmesis doing. "You talked about me?"
"Obviously." I looked at Liz with pleading. Surely she had some cure to this nightmare. "Liz, this is Travis. My roommate."
She scrunched her nose up, ready to throw hands at the boy whom I complained about so much.
"...And my boyfriend."
She clamped her jaw shut and widened her eyes. "Oh."
"I'll have a peppermint mocha, hot." Travis interrupted her shock with his order like he hadn't a care in the world as to what was going on. "Extra chocolate sauce."
"O-okay," Liz managed before turning and leaving us.
I knew he was gazing at me, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. After all this time, the boy I'd hated with so much passion was really the person I was slowly falling in love with.
"Katie, look at me."
I reluctantly looked up to see the most serious face I'd ever seen Travis pull. He sat on the stool next to me and took my hands in his. I would've knocked him away if he hadn't looked so sincere. Just like Tmesis.
"I know I'm not what you expected, and you certainly aren't what I did, either. But it is what it is, and I'm willing to put our past behind us to look at our future."
A lump that wouldn't dissolve rested in my throat, and I couldn't say anything in that moment that would've made any sense whatsoever.
So, he kept talking.
"I really like the PlantLadyy you, and I really want to get to know the Katie you. The right way." His cerulean eyes yearned for my reply. "I'm not giving up on this."
My heart melted as the familiar words came from his mouth. Tmesis had told me that when it was storming and we lost internet (I hadn't known it was in the same apartment, of course). We both had left frantically, only to go to my coffee shop and his favorite cafe to connect there. He told me those exact words.
I'm not giving up on this.
I took a deep breath, hoping it would serve to clear my head. "Travis, you've been the worst possible roommate ever."
"So we've got stuff to work through-"
"Let me finish. You've been the worst possible roommate ever, but if you really mean it..." I shut my eyes. "Let's start over."
Beaming, he gripped my hand tighter with a shake. "Hi, I'm Travis."
I rolled my eyes, but played along. "I'm Katie."
"You're so much more beautiful in person than I could've imagined," he hummed, easing back into the stool with a smirk.
I could feel myself blushing, but I smiled regardless. "You're taller than I thought."
"Hey, I know we've only been dating for a couple of months," my boyfriend started, leaning back into me.
My breath caught as he chuckled, his breath bouncing off my cheek.
"...but do you wanna move in together? We'd make a heck of a good pair of roommates."