The Loudest Silence

Mason

I kept a steady eye on the paperclip that was clasped between my two fingers. Tossing it into the air, I followed the paperclip with my eye and waited for it to fall back into my open hands. I repeated this same process over and over again as Isabella's words rang in my mind.

Those marks are from cooking.

Bullshit.

She and I both knew that burn marks did not appear in perfectly aligned circles, yet she still fed me the same excuse she gave a few nights ago. In that moment when I had asked her once again, I had seen something flicker in her eyes. For a brief second, I thought that maybe she would tell me something, even the slightest hint about where those marks had truly came from. But that flicker in her eyes had gone as quickly as it had come, making me think that maybe I had just imagined it. 

If Isabella was truly in danger, why hadn't she taken the chance to escape yet? 

Her father hadn't been seen lurking anywhere near the campus, meaning that she had every opportunity to run from him. The only explanation I could muster was that maybe this was what Isabella wanted. 

Maybe she was truly an accomplice to her father's crimes and I was simply looking for an excuse to feed myself.

Why did I care so much, anyways?

I continued toying with the paperclip in my hand, and had barely heard the footsteps approaching the door, when the door to my door swing open. Fletcher barged in, textbooks in hand along with a large cup of coffee, and trudged over to his side of the room. He was mumbling quietly to himself as he dumped all of his belongings onto his bed whilst kicking off his shoes. 

I remained silent and watched him with a raised brow, as he took a large sip of the coffee. I was appalled and a little impressed at how utterly oblivious he was to my presence. He seemed to be in a world of his own, completely unaware that there was somebody else in the room.

It was slightly concerning. 

Clearing my throat, I watched as Fletcher's soul nearly left his body as he did a small jump in the air. His hand was placed over his heart as he quickly turned around to face me. His previously calm face was now splotched red, as he stared at me with wide eyes. I gave him a small wave, and watched as he let out a deep sigh of relief before dropping his hand.

"I thought you were an intruder!" Fletcher finally exclaimed as he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Furrowing my eyebrows at his words, I sat up straight on the bed and set the paperclip down on the bedside table. 

"It took me having to clear my throat for you to even notice the 'intruder.'" I deadpanned as I cocked my head to the side. 

"I just didn't expect you to be here. You don't really spend too much time in here. But I'm not complaining, I get to have a single room, for the price of a double." Fletcher rambled as he plopped down on his bed. 

He wasn't wrong. I rarely spent the night here, and really only came to the dorm if I needed a quick change of clothes or to freshen up before going to class. 

"Touche." I said to him, hoping that Fletcher wouldn't ask about my whereabouts. In the first weeks of moving in, Fletcher was particularly nosy and insisted to know every small detail about me. After receiving brief one worded responses, he soon came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to get much out of me, and hadn't asked much since then.