Fell In Love With My Roomy

LI

ent apartment and be indep

Rhode Island. I preferred staying. Why move 100

e intoxicated in a frat basement. I saved plenty, but I couldn't afford to live alone, and none o

wait at the door. I look around campus. Still calm.

an old buddy. I wore a tank top and summer shorts. I wasn't spectacular, but I t

shop. It was near the arts center in a cute bu

excited with friends. I was always in my brain, forci

the counter asks, her lip piercing dances in the ligh

ice?" I ask quietly while lo

terested, and I try to be nicer, worried that

my hand finally closes

regula

!" I shrug and k

She asks, and all of a sudden my heart starts ra

card. When I tap it against the machine, I feel like I can hear

d for my cell phone. When my phone buzzes to let me

[11

ate, see y

now, so he shou

it too. I get up and give him a quick hug because I'm happy to see

and got rid of his awful mustache. He used to say that it was what brough

's going on?" When h

we'll talk.' I keep asking, and he

with a huge mug of coffee. He sits down and tak

ur black dr

k up to see her struggling with the espresso machine

and takes a sip of the black coffee. "So,

I learned a lot and every

him as well as I should have. We weren't really close friends t

could start wo

and he nods. "Wow, that's

get a job right away." He laughs, and I laugh and roll

living in the same year. I shr

. He says yes, and my eyebrows go up. "Your tim

y it again, and he nod

rug. "I think, though,

. I put the straw in the drink and move it around with the ice to mix it. I wasn't sad about that because

" He changes the subject and

m dull.' He laughs when I mutter.

hen he mumbles. "Again

rn period as the main focus."

random piercings on their faces, wore too many colors, and raised their hands in clas

point?" When he

it, but it's about sexism and how it ch

back, and runs his hand through his thick, sa

ar. I had my certification, so I decided to use it to get a job on campus. I usua

last month. I act like

ok different?' I try not to get t

e had last seen me, and I had a tan from the summer. Also, when Carlo and I hung out, I wore my "homeless chic" clothes, which we

summer and all.' I tease him, and he laughs. "You look dif

ike the mustache, so I stopped growing

?" I ask, trying to think of the

dating and relationships, and he had a long list of phone numbers. He was the kind of guy I would never try to date. He

s she

I roll my eyes when he shru

nts, whose room is right next to mine, and I don't hav

not, to be honest. It didn't change anything

with someone?" When he a

not s

s? I can't believe you haven't l

y myself, and I like being at home.' I defend mysel

and dad. I liked eating home-cooked meals that I didn't have to make, having Scrabble n

I roll my eyes and

say, "I k

hat bad; it's

k always looks like it weighs a hundred pounds, which means you don't sleep. I haven't seen y

s is how things are. No one is looking for someone to live with. I huff,

anyway, because I never have my stuff toget

look and pulling out his phone. "I know how to