The six-month housemate

Eighteen

EIGHTEEN

"Hi, do you mind if I sit here?"

First day of Uni, everything was looking good. The buildings at Kingston were quite nice, and I didn't feel like a stranger. Obviously, there were some people who knew each other, but I wasn't the only one walking alone in the corridors. I'd seen a couple of girls and guys I'd met on the previous Saturday, said hi, but for this class, I wanted to sit next to a girl whom I didn't know, to try and find friends who weren't Alex's.

That's why I had gone towards a girl sitting in the second row, alone, her bag, I assumed, on the place next to her. I didn't know exactly if it was an attempt to keep the spot for one of her friends, or just to stay alone. Either way, I decided to engage a conversation, unfortunately, the only answer I got to my question was a blank stare.

"If you do mind, it's totally fine, I'll go and sit somewhere else..." I turned around to look if there were any spaces left.

"No, no, sure you can sit next to me!" The brunette said, shooken out of her daze. She took her bag off the table.

"Thanks." I smiled. "I'm Emma, by the way." I said while sitting down.

"I'm Jane." She smiled in return. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to having people asking to sit next to me." She looked down shyly.

"It's fine. Why don't people don't want to sit down next to you, though?"

"Well, I'm kind of 'the nerd'." She answered, making quotation marks with her fingers. "In high school, people who wanted to sit next to me were generally the popular kids who wanted to get my answers on a test, or do their lab-report with me. Well, more like having their name on my lab-report."

"Ah, I know the kind..." I smiled understandingly.

"Yeah, that's kind of why I left the US. To try and escape from them." She laughed.

"You're American?"

"Yeah."

"I'm just surprised because you don't have an accent."

"I know. Have you lived in London for a long time?"

"No, I moved in last week. I lived in France before."

"That's so cool. Do you live on campus?"

"No, apparently I'm not old enough. I live at friend's house for now."

"I don't mean to be nosy, but aren't you the girl who came in with that really good-looking guy this morning? On his motorbike?"

I sighed. I'd forgotten to put an alarm clock on, which was really contrary to anything I'd ever do, so I'd woken up late, and had to hitch-hike Alex's motorbike in order to get to Uni on time. I didn't mind the motorbike part, my dad used to drive me around all the time on his when I was a kid, but the part where I was seen with Alex bothered me because it obviously meant, in other people's eyes, that we knew each-other well, and so I'd have that sticker on. Just like Jane had a "nerd" sticker on her head where she came from.

"Yeah, I am that girl..."

"I'm sorry if my questions are bothering you, like I told you, you're the first person I've ever speaken too about other stuff than homework in a really long time, so..." Jane said, looking a little ashamed.

"It's fine, don't worry. Friends ask that kind of questions." I smiled.

"Okay, so I just have one more question and then I'll let you talk a little. You know, not blurt random stuff out." She smiled. "Are you two dating?"

"No. We live under the same roof, but I guess we're just friends."

"What do you mean I guess?"

I was about to answer when Alex came into the class. Speak of the devil... He went to the back of the room where a few of his friends were sitting; Jane and I just looked at him as he said hi to them, and asked something I didn't hear to one of them, who pointed in our direction. Alex came to see us.

"Hey Em, why don't you sit with us at the back? We saved a spot for you."

Oh, so he actually came to see me, not us.

"I'm fine, thanks, I'd rather sit here, to be able to listen. Plus, I'm not going to leave Jane alone. Jane, this is Alex, whom I live with, Alex, this is Jane, my new friend."

They both nodded in each other's direction.

"Er, okay, well, I'll see you after class then." He said awkwardly.

"Yeah." He turned away and started to go back towards his seat. "Oh Alex?" He turned around. "I'm not sure I'll be coming home with you, I'd rather take the tube and walk a bit if that's okay with you."

He stared at me blankly for a second, looking almost hurt, before shaking his head slightly. "Sure, that's fine. See you at home then."

"Yep."

I turned back towards Jane, but at that moment the professor came in, and started introducing his class to us. I listened, jotting down a few notes from time to time. Jane shot a few curious glances in my direction, and I told her quietly I'd talk to her afterwards. I couldn't help but replay the expression on Alex's face when he went back to his place, an expression of hurt as if the fact I'd told him I didn't want to go home with him was the ultimate rejection. I hoped this wouldn't become another issue between him and I... Seriously, his atitude was kind of contradictory, even if it had been better in the last few days. Who ever said the girls were the only ones to have mood swings?

Hi!

I'm on holiday, yay! This morning, I opened wattpad and looked at the stats of this story, and realised that there are over 900 reads. That's like 100 les than a thousand. Thank you so much!!! It literally made my day :)

I hope you liked this new chapter, don't hesitate to vote and comment! Any feedback is appreciated :)

Again, thank you so much!

the_rugbywoman