The Roommate Rulebook

Rule 2

Rule 2 (Not proofread).

“I don’t like the sound of this,” I repeated, following Dev down the passage and into the living room. Dev looked over his shoulder and rolled his eyes.


“It’s tradition. I’m going, Ash is going and now, because you live with us, you’re going to,” he droned. I frowned.


“But I don’t like motorbikes, I don’t see why I have to go and get dolled up for some crappy evening,” I retorted. Dev squatted and put his hands on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes before smirking.


“Neither of us give a shit, go and get ready.” I stared him out before he chuckled and twisted my shoulders, navigating me back into my bedroom.


Ash, as I’d been told the day before, did some bike racing and tricks locally for some backstreet money every Sunday. Unfortunately for me, both of my roommates went every week and because I was the youngest and apparently in Dev’s ‘loving care’, I had to go along too in order to make sure that I didn’t injure myself if left unattended.


I didn’t do much to myself in the end, mainly because Ash kept opening the door when I was halfway through changing.


“Piss off!” I yelped, when the door flew open for a third time. Ash’s stubbled face and tousled hair appeared in the doorway and he grinned.


“What’s the matter?” he cooed. Instead of supplying the idiot with an answer, I walked over to the door, slammed in it in his face and proceeded to get ready.


I checked my phone one final time before putting on an extra layer of mascara. My mum had called the night before to check up on me and see how I was doing, but my dad refused to speak to me. I’d not only ‘disappointed’ him, but I was also now named a disgrace to the family. Because my Melinda, my sister, was so hardworking and gotten further in life than the average person would, I seemed like the world’s biggest letdown. Let’s just say that my dad wasn’t exactly easy to please.

Ash left before Dev and I on his bike to make sure that he had everything prepared, while Dev and I took off an hour later, piling into his car.


“So, what’s the difference between normal racing and backstreet racing?” I asked as I buckled my seatbelt. Dev started the engine and then looked at me.


“Backstreet racing isn’t overly legal and it’s done in the backstreets?” he offered. I rolled my eyes and sat back in my seat, gnawing at my lip nervously. Before I’d left home, I had been quite into sports and was one of the top runners in our college so I was used to going places where there was going to be quite a few people. Only difference was that I knew them and where I was going with Dev, I didn’t know anybody.


“Do any girls go?” I enquired when we’d gotten going with the music blasting. Dev nodded, leaning one arm on the wheel.


“Yeah, loads. Well, the girls that are on the pull, mainly. Don’t be surprised if you run into one coming out of Ash’s room tomorrow,” he warned. I nodded, scrunching up my nose.


“Am I going to be able to sleep tonight?” I asked hesitantly. Dev laughed and shook his head.


“Probably not.” He paused for a moment, tapping his hand on the wheel with the beat of the bass. “Never know, you might meet some girls that go to your college,” he offered. I answered with another nod, grunting.


“Perhaps. Only if I want my friends to also be Ash’s booty calls,” I muttered. Dev chuckled again and gave me a look before letting his eyes travel back to the road.


“Good luck finding a female that isn’t.” I let out a scoff and watched Manchester pass us by.


Ash had shown me a few of the streets a few days before and we’d managed to remain civil with each other long enough for him to show me the college and the shops. The shopping trip was where he mysteriously disappeared, leaving me lost in the middle of Manchester.


“I don’t want to finish my course,” I admitted and Dev almost choked on the peardrop he’d been sucking on.


“What? Then why sign up?!” he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.


“I didn’t, my dad did. Why do you think my course is incomplete?” I asked.


“Because you’re thick?” he offered. I smirked and shook my head.


“I look thick next to Mel,” I muttered. “But no, I just didn’t turn up. I’m not fit for education, I’m more of the working kind,” I said. Dev let out a deep breath and shook his head.


“The college has you down as one of the students and I promised your dad,” Dev started and tapped the wheel, grimacing.


“I know what you promised my dad but I had no intention of going to college to begin with,” I added.


“Just sleep on it, you might fancy it in the morning,” he said. I just raised an eyebrow and he shrugged, sighing.


“I’m going to need to call your dad,” he warned.


“Seriously?”


“Yes, seriously.” I groaned at his words and slumped back in the seat.


“He won’t know if I don’t show up,” I tried to convince and Dev gave me a look.

“I don’t want to drop you in the crapper, Al, but it’s my neck on the line here,” he said, pulling into a parking space.


It was far from what I’d expected. Dev had parked outside of a small, run down pub and was getting out while stretching his legs. I’d half expected a large dirt track or something, not a small, grey building with a wooden sign.


“I understand that, Dev, I do. I want to find a job and in six months, I’m 18, so my dad won’t have any control over me anyway,” I convinced. Dev took one look at the pub and then at me before letting out a grunt.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow. Come on.” I followed as he pushed the door open and greeted a guy that was behind the bar. He offered me a smile as Dev approached and asked for a beer.

“Make that two?” I asked, resting my arms on the cold wood next to my cousin. The guy smirked, his blue eyes moved over my face as he grabbed a beer for Dev.

“Sure,” he said with a small smile. Dev rolled his eye and nodded his head in my direction.


“Aren’t you going to ID her?” Dev asked. The guy just raised an eyebrow at my cousin and passed me a can simultaneously.


“She looks 18 to me,” he justified. Dev gave up and looked over at a door on the far side of the empty room. The tables were all cleaned and the chairs were resting on top, giving a clear path to the back of the room.


“Everyone’s already out there.” Dev nodded at the bartender’s words and started towards the door.


“Matt, man, do me a favour and watch my cousin until I find Ash,” Dev threw over his shoulder.


Matt leaned forwards on the bar, his biceps flexing underneath the grey fabric of his shirt.


“So you’re Alex,” he opened with. I nodded and moved my leg up to sit on the stool.


“The one and only. How do you know Dev?” I asked. He moved the towel that he was washing the bar with to over his shoulder.


“We went to school together,” he explained. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something else, a door swung open and a petite girl in an apron and matching grey shirt strolled out, carrying a box.


“Matt, get your ass in gear,” she hissed and put the box on the bar. I looked at her with a surprised eyebrow raised, taking in her multi-coloured hair which was tied up above her head.


“Latest conquest?” she asked and I frowned.


“Excuse me,” I started but Matt cut me off.


“Sorry, please ignore my sister,” he said, not looking at me. “This is Dev’s cousin, Alex.” The girl’s eyes widened and she sighed, slapping her forehead.


“I apologise, force of habit. I’m Sid, nice to meet you,” she replied, holding her hand out to me.


“Uh, nice to meet you too,” I muttered, taking my hand back.


I must’ve stayed chatting to the siblings for a good ten minutes before Ash popped his head around the door. Matt had cleaned up the bar and Sid, which I found out was short for Sidney, had cleared up the remaining tables and had taken the stool next to me.


“You coming through, dumbass?” Ash asked, leaning on the doorframe. I shook my head, frowning in his direction.


“No, I’m fine here, thanks, you prick.” Ash’s eyebrows raised and he chuckled, pushing the door open to saunter through.


“Someone’s sour today. PMSing?” he asked, ignoring my snort of indignation before turning to Matt and Sid. “Alright?”


Sid nodded and Matt made a grunting sound, passing him a beer.


“How are the races going?” Matt asked. Ash leaned one elbow on the bar and took a swig of the beer.


“Come to a halt at the moment, someone flipped over the bars,” Ash muttered, clearly irritated.


As they continued their conversation, I glanced around at the emtpy pub, which gave me an idea.


“Hey, Matt,” I interupted. Matt looked from Ash to me without a second thought.


“Yeah?”


“Do you have any jobs going?” I asked.


“Might do, I’ll ask the boss tomorrow and get Dev to let you know,” he offered. I nodded in thanks and swung one of my legs over the other.


After Ash had finished explaining the situation, he put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me from the stool, grasping my shoulders to manouever me to the door.


“Hey!” I exclaimed, twisting in his grasp. “Let’s continue these little rules, shall we? No touching me,” I hissed. Ash groaned under his breath and twisted me around, pushing me towards the door again.


“Just move.” He had me out of the door and towards the races so quickly that I didn’t have time to say goodbye to Matt and Sid, who I guessed, were watching from the bar.

A.N: A quick apology for the time of which it took me to update but as most of you know, I lost someone close to me so didn't feel like writing for the week. But thank you for understanding :)

Please comment and vote, if there are any mistakes, I haven't proofread so all I can do is apologise for them :P