Chapter 5

• I am watching a Netflix series but I can't concentrate. My roommate and his friends are in the living room with their loud voice and sex talk. It's distracting. Who even talks like that? Open and vulgar.
• " God, I'm so horny right now. I need a blow job." A voice I recognize to be Carter says.
• They laugh. With the sound I assume it's just Jake and his friends. I thought he said he wanted to throw a party. I look at the time at the bottom of my laptop and it's past six. I want to leave the apartment and maybe go someplace but I have nowhere to go. The only friends I made are just Landon, Nat, and Lana. And I don't even know their houses. Plus I've never been the guy who always goes out. I'm always comfortable in my room and I love being by myself.
• " Unlike us, Jakob is always getting his dick wrapped in different lips. Fuck I'm jealous." Carter says again. They laugh.
• I'm trying not to pay attention to their vulgar conversation but I can't. Their voices are loud and it feels as if they're screaming.
• " What makes you think I've fucked a girl recently?" Jake asks this time.
• " Oh come on. You were at Nicki's this morning before you showed up at school. Everybody knows you're a slut Jakob." Brad says.
• I'm grateful he doesn't bring his women here. I don't know how I'll react when they start going at it. Jake's room is opposite mine and I will definitely hear everything.
• " Did you bring her here? Nicki." Carter asks.
• " Fuck no. I've got this annoying weird kid as a roommate. I don't think I can bring my women here anymore."
• " You've got a roommate?" Brad asks at once. I notice he has a little accent. And it sounds nearly British.
• " Yup. A freshman and he's a dick." I angrily shut my laptop. Is he aware I can literally hear everything he is saying? For God's sake what is his problem?
• " Why would you get a freshman roommate? And the way you talked about him, he must be a pussy." Carter says.
• " What?" Carter whines like someone had just hit him. " I'm just saying he's probably a dick."
• " Shut the fuck up." Brad says.
• " Mr Romanoff brought him yesterday. I don't have a choice. He already paid and all that shit. I guess you saw him. He's this blonde kid who sat with that dark girl and that faggot today."
• " Landon?" Brad asks.
• " Yeah."
• " So what, he's a faggot too?" Carter asks.
• I wish I could just stand up and go to that living room and tell them to keep their voices and conversation to themselves and mind their business. I know Jake is an asshole but this is too much.
• Jake chuckles including Carter. I don't hear Brad laughing.
• " I don't fucking know man and I don't give a shit. That Landon kid is too much. Rubbing his gayness on everything. It disgusts me." Jake says, his voice is a little quieter than before.
• " So why do you care what your roommate thinks?" Carter asks. I grab my phone as I try to do something with myself. To distract me from their conversation.
• I should probably just go to the library to study.
• " I don't give a fuck about what my freshman roommate thinks. What the fuck is wrong with you Carter?"
• " Calm down man. I'm just saying 'cause you said you can't bring in women with your roommate just across the hall. That's unlike you." Carter defends himself.
• I tap on the word puzzle game on my phone. I've never wished for the ground to swallow before but now I desperately want to get out of here.
• " Shut up Carter. It's called decency." Brad counters.
• " Jakob doesn't even have that." Carter points out and they laugh. They definitely do act like kids.
• " But come to think of it, you've never wanted a roommate, Jakob." Carter points out. I thought they were done talking shit about me.
• " I don't even want one. My father made it his responsibility to get me one. Reasons why he went behind my back to tell Romanoff. This shit is fucked up."
• Oh I see now. The rent is pretty cheap and the house is expensive and beautiful. His father probably didn't trust him and they were desperate for a roommate for Jake.
• " At least he's not a player like your slutty ass. He won't give you trouble." Brad says.
• I stayed back and listened for Jake to tell them that he thinks I'm gay. But he didn't say anything. I'm surprised and grateful at the same time.
• " What's up with the party tonight? Why aren't you getting prepared." Carter slurs, like he's drunk or maybe high.
• " Tell me you didn't invite people?" Jake asks.
• " Just a few hot girls from sorority. You of all people should know a party without girls is a girl without a fucking vagina." Carter says.
• " Where do you get your references from? God, you sound like an asshole." Brad says.
• " Fuck's sake Carter, I fucking told you this party is strictly for the guys from the soccer team and maybe their girlfriends." Jake says. He sounds stressed.
• " Are you bringing your girlfriend?" Brad asks Jake.
• I hear Jake snort loudly. So he's got a girlfriend? And sleeps around too. If my parents find out, they'll freak out.
• My phone bings as a message notification appears at the top of my screen. A message from Lana.
• LANA: YOU UP FOR SOME STUDYING TONIGHT?
• " I don't have a girlfriend. Stacey and are I just fucking like two regular adults." Jake says from the living room.
• I zone out on their conversation and type a response to Lana.
• ME: WHAT TYPE OF STUDYING?
• She replies at once.
• LANA: THE TYPE OF STUDYING WHERE PEOPLE READ BOOKS. I'M NOT TAKING YOU TO A URGY I PROMISE (wink emoji) IT'S A LITERATURE CLUB, YOU WILL LOVE IT.
• Oh finally, an excuse to leave this apartment.
• ME: SURE. WHAT TIME?
• LANA: I'M ON MY WAY TO YOUR APARTMENT RIGHT NOW. JUST GET YOUR ASS OUT OF YOUR BED.
• ME: YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I LIVE.
• LANA: TRUE. I FORGOT. TEXT ME YOUR APARTMENT ADDRESS AND I'LL BE THERE TO PICK YOU UP. DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF, I DON'T OWN A CARE, SO WE'RE WALKING. (Another wink emoji)
• I chuckle and get out of bed. I quickly get dressed in a blue sweatshirt and dark jeans. I brush my teeth, run my fingers through my blonde curls and adjust my glasses. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and grab my backpack as I leave my room.
• Time to face Jake and his jock friends. I walk down the hallway to the living room and there they are, smoking and drinking. There are beer bottles on the coffee table, some uncorked while others are corked. Jake is shirtless, he's just coming out of the kitchen with a cigarette in between his lips and a beer bottle in his hands. He wears grey sweatpants that's a little low on his waist.
• Oh God I'm staring at Jake again. This time it's a little too obvious that I'm checking him out.
• I blink my eyes and bow my head as I head to the door, not once looking at his two friends. I don't even belong here. With my glasses and my dislike for things like alcohol and drugs.
• " Roommate?" I hear Carter ask as I shut the front door. Not really interested in hearing Jake's reply.
• I walk down the curb and I see Lana. She sees me and waves at me. Lana is older than me by maybe a year. But the fact that she makes a great friend pleases me. She's pretty and nice and sort of smiles a lot. I wondered how she ended up dating assholes and getting her heart broken too many times.
• " This is a fancy apartment you've got there, Ash. What are you, a politician's son?" Lana says as she approaches me.
• We walked side by side to the university.
• " Na. I'm actually under scholarship."
• " How do you end up living in that apartment? I think Jakob Pierce lives around this part of campus too." Oh, I didn't tell her Jakob is my roommate.
• " He's my roommate."
• Lana stops walking at once. " Are you fucking serious! The asshole who treated you like shit yesterday is your roommate?"
• " Yeah. It's crazy. I went home that day and it turned out my mystery roommate is Jake." I turn to look at her.
• She smiles dreamily and we start to walk again.
• " Maybe the universe wants you two to date." She says to herself. I roll my eyes.
• " Jake is straight."
• " So if he wasn't straight you would have maybe dated him?" She asks, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
• I grip the strap of my backpack rather too aggressively. I don't want Jake. I don't want to be with anyone. I've never really imagined myself with anyone before and I liked it like that. Aside from Bryson whom I once had a crush on in highschool, it was a little surprising I find Jake attractive. It was strange and scary.
• " Oh, I get it. You've never really dated anyone?" Lana asks. I thought she knew that already.
• I might be good looking but I'm weird. I know that. She hooks her arm around mine as we near uni. Lana is short. Petite and I can see her head.
• " Don't worry there's nothing wrong with being single." She says and I laugh.
• " So what were you doing before I texted you?"
• " Watching a Netflix series on my laptop. I've been trying to leave the apartment since Jake and his friends are planning on throwing a party."
• " Oh you poor thing. That will be bad. Jakob's parties are always lit. There will be lots of girls, and booze and smoking."
• " I guess. So I am planning to get home pretty late. He warned me to stay in my room and not try to ruin his parties."
• " He told you that?"
• " Yeah."
• " He's such an asshole."
• Involuntarily my mind drifts to Jake and his naked torso. I feel the blush creeping up my neck at the thought. I groan.
• " Are you okay?" Lana asks as she looks up at me. I can't believe I groaned out loudly.
• " Yeah, I'm fine."
• We walk inside the classroom and there are few people here. It's a small classroom with desks and chairs. I count at least fifteen people and a lady who I assume is in charge is giving them a message.
• " Hey Lana."
• " Hi. Ms. Hopkins." Lana smiles at her. I stand awkwardly by the door and look above the heads of the students.
• " And who's that?"
• " That's my friend Ashton. He's a freshman and I invited him to join us."
• " Hello Ashton." Ms. Hopkins shakes my hand. I give her a polite smile.
• " Nice to meet you."
• " You too. Please have a seat." I sit next to Lana at the back of the classroom as Ms. Hopkins talks about a famous writer and his works.
• It was pretty good, better than I imagined. We engaged in discussion as we talked about our favorite books and why we like them. The guys aren't much. About seven guys and eight girls. By the time we were done, it was past 10. Jake's party should be about to die down.
• I say my goodbye to Lana as we go our separate ways. I can hear the loud music from outside my apartment as I stand outside. God why did I decide to come home so early. It's already 15 minutes past ten, why are they still partying? I sigh and enter inside the apartment. There is a girl and a guy making out desperately in the foyer. I look away from them and hurriedly go to the living room. It is worse here.
• People dance and make out as they drink. The living room is a little cloudy as it is covered with smoke from the cigarettes. I don't bother to find Jakob as I hurry to my room. I push the door and I freeze at what I saw. A total stranger and a girl are having sex on my bed.
• " What the hell. Get out of my room!" I yell at them and throw their clothes at them.
• God I can't look at this.
• " Oh God I'm cumming." The guy groans as he grabs the girl's waist.
• " Oh baby yes."
• " Jesus, get out!" I yell as I look anywhere else but these two strangers.
• " Fuck baby." The guy says and I notice them getting off my bed.
• The girl giggles and drags down her skirt. She puts on her top over her bra while the guy wears his clothes. This is too disgusting to watch.
• " Don't you come back here."
• I angrily lock my door as they leave. I stare at my bed disgusted. I run my fingers through my hair and drag the sheets out. I take it to my bathroom and throw the sheets in the hamper. I wash my hands and go back to my room and dress the bed with another sheet. Once I'm through I change out of my clothes and get back to bed with my pillows covering my ears.
• God I need to move out by tomorrow. I can't take this. I believe a roommate is supposed to seek permission from his roommate before doing anything this annoying. My phone rings and my dad's calling. I put the phone on silent as I try to fall asleep.
• I open my eyes later and I notice it's dawn. I don't have classes today, thankfully. I planned on washing those sheets and working on my essay and maybe try to look for a job to assist my parents too. I try to get out of bed but there's something strong pressing me against the bed.
• That's when I noticed it, a pair of strong arms around my waist and the soft breathing of someone behind me. Their breathing is warm as it tickles my nape. I slowly push the duvet aside and stare at this arm. Why does it look familiar? I turn around slowly in order not to wake them. I pause at once as I stare at this face.
• Oh my God. This isn't happening. This can't happen. What's he doing here? How did he get here? Sleeping next to me with his arms holding me.
• Oh shit. Jakob Pierce is in my bed.