Seaglass Promises in the Midnight Sky

Roomates

Lorraine met Taylor when she was eleven. She had found this smooth rock that she thought was pretty and she wanted to give it to someone. Taylor was sitting alone near a tree. She was always getting in trouble for antagonizing the other kids. Lorraine thought she was kind of funny though, even if most of her jokes were a little mean too.

She found out pretty quickly that all Taylor really wanted was someone to listen to her. She could talk for hours about the weirdest of things. Some of it was typical for a girl of their age, boy bands and tv show romances. The rest of it was a combination of science and history. That's the thing about Taylor, she wants to change the world.

When Taylor showed up, all confidence and summer spirit, Lorraine thought that maybe things would be okay.

She was enveloped in her best friend's arms and she felt all the tension pour out of herself. She felt safe.

"You and me have a lot to talk about," Taylor whispered before letting go and stepping back. Lorraine attempted a smile as Taylor turned to greet Belly.

"Hey, roomie." She said with a smirk. Now that she had arrived the sleeping arrangements were even more complicated than before.

The three of them walked in together, finding the parents talking in the kitchen. Susanna was mutilating a watermelon and Laurel was watching on like she was holding herself back from jumping in and saving the poor fruit.

"Oh, Taylor, it's so good to see you." Susanna said when she took note of the trio's entrance.

"Hey, am I still with Belly or do I get to room with one of your boys this summer?" Taylor asked sliding into a seat at the counter and picking up a piece of watermelon off the cutting board.

The sound of a door shutting and voices warned Lorraine of the imending arrival of the boys, all of who she had been avoiding for the last few weeks. Steven would be back in a few days and he was the only one Lorraine felt safe hanging around, even then she wouldn't dare for more than a few hours lest she face Taylor's wrath.

Confirming her suspicions, both Fisher boys stepped into the room as Susanna started answering Taylor's question.

"Ha, we're a little smarter than that. Conrad and Jeremiah are going to be in Conrad's room, Steven and Belly will take Jeremiah's room, and you will be with the lovely Lorraine in Belly's room." Outrage erupted from both sides of the room.

"No. I am not sharing a room with him." Jeremiah protested looking horrified. At the same time, Conrad argued, "Absolutely not. He's gonna break my stuff."

"I'm not going to break anything, I'm not five."

"Really? Are you sure? You look five." Conrad mocked.

"I do not!"

"You kinda do Jeremy." Taylor commented idly, while looking Jeremiah up and down as if she was geniunely contemplating it.

"That's not my name! Why are you here anyway?" Jeremiah countered, rounding on Taylor.

"Ouch. You didn't miss me?" Taylor made an exaggerated brokenhearted face, clutching her heart with one hand while reaching for another piece of watermellon with the other.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Belly was engaged in a spirited, at least on her end, debate with her mother about her sleeping arrangements. 

"I'm not sharing with Steven, he snores."

"He does not." Laurel responed, unenthused and wholly unconvinced.

"He sounds like a dying whale. Besides he's not even back."

"Where do you suppose we have him sleep when he gets back? Taylor will still be here." Laurel pointed out, gesturing to the other girl.

"I don't know the floor?" Belly suggested.

"Just because your brother isn't here doesn't mean you can relegate him to the floor. He's not a dog."

"He could have fooled me!"

"Belly!" Laurel admonished.

"What?!"

Lorraine looked between both arguments. The parents' plan made sense, it was the most logical solution to their problem, but no one would be satisfied. She took a deep breath and forced the words out of her mouth, loud enough to be heard over all the fighting.

"I'll sleep on the couch."

The reactions came slower this time. Lorraine went on, explaining that everything else could just be the same as the year before. Everyone had been happy with that arrangement.

"Lorraine, we can't ask that of you, it's unfair." Laurel said, though all of the others fell silent, apparently having no objections to this plan.

"I'm happy to do it." Lorraine argued, her voice firm, unyeilding. And that was that.