“I need to pee real quick.” She winked when she veered toward the girl’s toilet. “Wait for me?”
Nodding, I gestured to my dorm room. “I’ll just drop my bag off.”
“Okay.”
With a deep breath to boost my bravery, I approached my room and listened for the icky sounds of coitus. The room was, thankfully, quiet. I knocked just to be sure before using my key to unlock the door.
The moment I entered the room, my nose wrinkled at the musty smell of sweat and day-old Chinese food Brian forgot to throw away. The combination was revolting, but I swallowed my complaints. I didn’t want to cause waves or give my roommate another reason to dislike me. If he had switched our USB drives unprovoked, then I feared what he would do if I actually angered him.
I grabbed a garbage bag from under my bed and tossed the Chinese food, old tissues, and various other candy wrappers and trash littering Brian’s side of the room. At his bedside, I recoiled when I spotted a used condom sitting on the side table between our single beds—the side table we shared!
Gagging, I snatched several tissues from my box of Kleenex and threw the pile over the condom so I wouldn’t see it. Once my dry heaves ceased, I gingerly rolled the tissues into a ball with the condom nestled inside and added it to the garbage bag.
There. Done.
After tucking my bookbag under my bed, I grabbed the full garbage bag and tied it closed. I would pass the trash containers on the way to the mess hall, so taking the bag with me would eliminate an extra trip later.
When I verified the room was tidy, I hoisted the bag over my shoulder and stepped toward the door. It opened inward, almost smashing me in the face, and I lost my footing as I dodged the swinging wood. Crashing to the floor, I winced at the pain pulsing in my tailbone as Brian swept into the room in nothing but a towel secured at his hips.
“The fuck are you doing on the floor, Queerbie?” Reddish-brown hair stuck to his forehead, wet from his shower, and I withered under the harsh scrutiny in his blue eyes. “Do you have any idea how pissed I am at you right now?”
I crawled to my feet as he waved me away so he could access the tiny closet he used for his clothes. At the beginning of the semester, he claimed he had more clothes and needed the closet. My own clothing lay in plastic containers under my bed.
“I didn’t know you had company.” I kept my voice and gaze low, hoping meekness would ease his frustration.
“She almost stopped! Do you have any idea how annoying an interrupted blowjob is?” He eyed me with disdain. “Oh wait, you wouldn’t, would you?”
There were many things Brian disapproved of when it came to me; my virginity ranked somewhere between my frequent nightmares and his assumption I was homosexual.
“You can’t just come bursting in whenever you feel like it,” Brian continued, snatching clothes from the closet and tossing them on his messy bed.
“B-but this is my room, too.”
He ignored my sputters. “Just ’cause you can’t get any action doesn’t mean you’re allowed to sneak peeks at my dick.” I physically stepped back in horror at his accusation. “I put up with a lot of your shit, Queerball, but I won’t be nice next time.”
If I was being honest, I didn’t think he was being nice this time. “I’m sorry, Brian. I didn’t—”
“Yeah, yeah whatever. Just wash my bedding this weekend, all right?” He loomed over me, hands on his hips. I leaned away, avoiding looking directly at his bare skin as I nodded. “Good. Now get the hell out. There’s no way I’m dropping this towel in front of your voyeur ass.”
Tears stung my eyes as I rushed to the door, garbage bag in hand. I paused at the doorstep and shoved my hand into my pocket. “I think our flash drives got switched.” I held out the USB stick, and a gleeful smirk stretched his lips.
“Oops. Wonder how that happened?” He snatched the USB out of my hand before retrieving mine from the drawer at his desk and tossing it to me. He didn’t even try to hide his giddiness. What a jerk!
“Hey, Riley?” Bethany peered around the doorframe. “You ready to go?”
“Yes,” I squeaked, swallowing the lump in my throat, and she shot Brian a guarded stare as he sauntered toward us, still wearing his towel.
A flirty grin tipped his lips as he dragged his gaze down her body. “Bethany. Hey, girl. How you doing?”
“Ha, please.” She patted my shoulder, adding pressure to get me moving, and I complied all too willingly.
“Oh, come on! How come you’re so buddy-buddy with Queerbie here but not me?”
Bethany wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders and steered us toward the stairwell, glaring scathingly behind us. “The fact you call him Queerbie should answer that question for you. Asshole.”
The last part was muttered under her breath as we started down the stairs, and I smiled to myself at the show of solidarity her insult held. It was far from polite, but I appreciated her disapproval. It made me feel less guilty about my own misgivings when it came to my roommate.
“I don’t know how you put up with him, Riley.” Bethany opened the front door as I carried the garbage bag with two hands. “Do you need me to write up a report?”
I balked, shaking my head resolutely. “No, please don’t. It’s no problem. He just likes to joke around.”
Crossing her arms over her ample chest, she glared at the bottom step leading to our dorm building. “Joking is one thing, but if he’s treating you badly or making you feel unsafe—”
“It’s fine.” I patted her arm awkwardly, doing my best to appear sincere. “I promise. If things get bad, I’ll tell you.”
“You better.” She leveled me with a stern stare, and I dipped my head submissively.
She meant well, I knew that. But reporting him for rude behavior wouldn’t solve anything. I would sound ungrateful, come across as a whiner or, worse, a tattle-tale. In the end, it would just cause waves, and if there was one thing I learned in my lifetime in the foster system, it was to never cause waves. The last time I did, I ended up at the institute, and I would rather die than go back there.
No, I would make this work. One way or another, I would survive freshman year. I would prove to Ms. Janet that I hadn’t made the biggest mistake of my life by moving away to attend a secular college. And I would prove to myself that, for once, I could accomplish my goals without ruining everything! I finally had the chance to experience what every young adult wanted—a normal, independent life.
I didn’t think it was too much to ask for.
Chapter Two
The crisp autumn air carried a hinted promise of rain, though the sky was clear. A light breeze tickled my skin, and I pulled my sweatshirt tighter across my chest. When the sun shone, the October air was easy to dismiss, but the chill invaded the moment the sun made its descent. As dusk settled over the college campus, I shivered.
After dumping the trash into one of the large garbage canisters off the side of our dorm building, Bethany and I made our way toward the student center. Slowly, allowing time for me to stop her, she slipped her arm into mine until we linked at the elbows. My cheeks warmed as she gauged my reaction, and when I smiled shyly back at her, she beamed.