Wanted: Roommate

“Dammit.”Joy murmured as a paper fell out of her folder. She didn’t pay any attention as the piece of paper flew across the hall. She couldn’t care less; she was late to class. It probably wasn’t important.

It had been stressful the past week when she decided to leave her helpless roommate and temporarily stayed at her friend Casey’s room. “I can’t stand her. She smells weird and she freaks me out. She leaves every single night, at the middle of the night, and then brings pot and random people in. She’s messy and makes fun of my music taste,” Joy had said with a sigh. “And sadly, there’s no other space in the campus for me to move in.”

She was speed walking when she checked the time on her phone. Then she burst into a run. Clutching her folder and her bag against her chest, she threw open the door and ran in. Thank God Mr. Nichols wasn’t in yet. But she was the last one in class so there was only one seat left. Right down the middle of the massive room. Perfect, everyone decided to come to class today. 

It was hell, the trudge up the steps to the seat. She had to pass through the narrow space to reach the middle. “Sorry,” she mumbled from time to time. Some of her classmates were shooting glares at her. It wasn’t her fault, why didn’t they just scoot over so she didn’t have to travel this far? When she finally reached her seat, she lost her balance and had to hold on to the desk right next to hers. Her hand slipped from the pile of papers on top of it and she fell right on the floor. Some of her classmates snickered and some, well they just couldn’t care. Joy silently thanked them for not making a big deal of this huge mess of embarrassment. It’s okay, it’s a Monday. Just a Monday. She started to get up and she felt hands helping her up.

“There you go,” a voice said as she stood. “Rough morning, huh?”

She turned her head at the voice. It was- What was his name again? She knew his face, but she can’t seem to remember his name. “Yeah,” she breathed out with an awkward laugh. “Thanks,” she said, almost a whisper. The guy gave her a smile. She noticed the papers scattered on the floor and started picking them up. As she was piling them together, she saw a flier and it caught her eye. Wanted: Roommate. She sat on her seat, then handed the pile of papers to the guy. “Hey, umm, need a roommate?” She asked sheepishly.

The guy grinned. “Yeah! Uhh, y’know anyone interested?”

Joy thought for awhile. “Me?” She said. “Unless you require me to be a guy.”

The guy’s grin grew. “Nope. I just need someone to pay half the rent. No other requirements. Unless you’re secretly a serial killer, then no thank you.”

Joy laughed. “I could be, y’know,” she said. “But seriously, that’s it? No need for interview or baggage check…?”

“Nah, you’re good.” The guy handed the flier to her. “My number’s there. Just let me know.”

“Casey, I found a place!” Joy announced as she walked in her friend’s room. She dropped her bag next to the door and joined her friend on the bed.

“That’s great! How?” Casey asked.

Joy pulled her shoes off before moving further up the bed. “Some guy in my class. He was looking for a roommate.”

Casey stopped typing on her laptop. “Some guy?”

Joy sat up. “Y-yeah, now that I thought about it, I don’t even know his name.” She quickly got off the bed and reached into her bag. She started to dig in through her papers.

“Jesus, Joy. You don’t even know his name and you’re already moving in?”

Joy turned back to her friend. “He’s my classmate and he seems like a good guy.” More digging. “He just needs someone to pay half the rent. He’s not strict on anything.”