Chapter 2 Dormitory

• *Author’s POV*
• Heading back on the road to Beredes, an undeniable tension settled between them like a dense fog. The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the winding highway. Thodoris pulled over, the gravel crunching beneath the tires as he parked on the shoulder and sparked a cigarette.
• “Are you sure that guy didn't spill something on you?” he asked.
• Sandra, with a disinterested shrug and an eye roll, responded, “I've got no clue what you're on about. Who's this dude?”
• A swirl of smoke gracefully escaped Thodoris's lips, waltzing around his face in a sort of mystical haze. Before he could say anything, he let out a resigned sigh and attempted to clear his throat of the lingering smoke. The tension hung on his face, noticeable even through the fading smoke.
• “Dude's Sylvester Ingram, but everyone calls him Sly. He's got some beef with me, so I need you to steer clear, all right?” Thodoris stressed.
• Annoyance still lingering, Sandra gave a tight nod, arms crossed. Instead of delving into the Sly intel, she pivoted, launching an attack on Thodoris for not trusting her. Lucky for him, Thodoris was no stranger to handling that side of things.
• After three hours on the road and finally, hitting Black Ball's campus. The campus loomed in the fading twilight, the buildings standing tall as the shadows of the past. With the school app doing the check-in magic, Sandra and Thodoris headed for the office.
• The never-ending line winding around the place removed any enthusiasm they had gathered along the way. Finally getting to the front, they snagged their campus visas and room keys. First stop: room 204 on the second floor for Sandra. Her roommate, Carnie Balayan, had already set up camp.
• “Hey there!” Sandra flashed a smile, wrestling her lone bag through the door. The hallway echoed with the distant chatter of other students and the soft hum of LED ceiling lights.
• “Hey,” came Carnie's monotone response, setting the vibe for the roommate rendezvous.
• Facing each other, the roomies did the whole introduction dance, swapping majors and whatnot. Once Thodoris was done doubling as a porter, he tossed out a handshake to Carnie. “I'm the boyfriend,” he introduced himself.
• Carnie shot him a puzzled look, then headed for her desk, snagging the book she'd been into. “I need to go downstairs,” she mentioned, waving the book around.
• Sandra and Thodoris just stood there, almost holding their breaths, watching her leave. The dorm was bare-bones, with just two beds, desks, chairs, and some not-so-inspiring white walls. “Welcome home!” Thodoris cracked a joke.
• Taking in the surroundings, Sandra felt a sudden loss of energy. "I'll just deal with unpacking tomorrow," she mumbled, scrunching her face. Thodoris plopped down on her bed, testing the waters. "Do you think your roomie will mind me if I crash here for the night?"
• Grabbing his arm, Sandra stood her ground and said, "I do. Now, c'mon, we gotta get you settled in." As they strolled back to the car, they observed everyone else going about their business; most people were hardly concerned about unpacking their bags.
• The boys' hostel had a bit more of a wild vibe. They weaved through the crowded hallway, aiming for room 711. They skilfully dodged a few characters who seemed to have started the party without them. Finally making it to safety, Thodoris shoved his bags under the bed and checked out his roommate's side.
• "He seems tidy enough," he said, casually brushing the neatly tucked-in duvet.
• In a bid to make his girlfriend stick around, Thodoris pulled her into a tight hug, muttering words she couldn't quite catch. Showering her neck with multiple kisses, his real agenda surfaced. "Nice try, but we gotta be up early tomorrow. Charge your phone, okay?" Sandra rebuffed his advances.
• Undeterred, Thodoris swiftly attempted to outsmart her. "All right, help me find my phone," he suggested, even though he knew it was right there in his pocket. With a playful grin, he waited as Sandra started digging through his bag, malice dancing in his eyes.
• "Sure, it's not in the car?" she asked, noting his gleeful expression.
• "It's in my pocket," Thodoris admitted, his honesty laid bare. Sandra barely had a chance to respond before Thodoris cut in, "I want you to stay a little longer. You won't die," he pleaded a hint of desperation in his eyes.
• She stuck around for a bit, managing to unpack Thodoris's bags. Bending down to organize his shoes, Sandra could feel her boyfriend's sneaky hands making their move.
• "Tho!"
• "Babe, come on. Why are you acting like a virgin all of a sudden?" Thodoris playfully inched closer.
• "I'm tired. It can wait for tomorrow," Sandra said, gently evading his advances. Tilting his head up and counting the dust particles on the ceiling, Thodoris replied, "Now I'm only going to dream of you."
• "Good. Now, walk me back. I want to sleep," Sandra commanded, and off they went. Strolling through the hallway, they bumped into Phillip Webb.
• "Yo man," he greeted Thodoris, the two sharing a casual handshake. "See, you brought your wife along," he teased, nodding toward Sandra.
• "Room number?" Thodoris swiftly jumped in.
• "711."
• "See you, roomie. Just dropping off my girl," Thodoris said, finding the energy to pick up the pace as they continued down the hall.
• Sandra wasn't exactly thrilled about Phillip, but his timing was kind of handy. After a lingering goodbye kiss, Thodoris took off, leaving Sandra with some alone time. Carnie was already snuggled up in bed, so she perked up.
• “How long?” Carnie asked.
• “We are going for four years,” Sandra replied, hunting for her pyjamas.
• Dropping her head back on the pillow, Carnie chimed in, "I don't do commitments. If you need your space, just give me a heads-up. I've got the hookup game figured out.”
• Their chat stretched into the late night, uncovering unexpected things in common. By the time they wrapped up, Sandra's clothes were all sorted, and her outfit for the next day was good to go.
• Come morning, Sandra found a pink ribbon tied to her wrist. Now, Thodoris wasn't exactly the romantic sneak-into-your-room-at-midnight type, so it was a bit of a surprise. The dorm room had that chill early in the morning, so she covered her exposed shoulders with the sheet.
• A tiny tag dangled from the end of the ribbon, reading, "Nice to meet you."
• Carnie seemed a bit concerned about the idea and threw out the suggestion of getting their room keys changed, just to be safe. Since classes hadn't started yet, they figured they had some time to sort out this room security thing.