I Hate My Roommate - side story

CHAPTER 24

Sage's POV

"Wouldn't it hurt too much to keep your mouth shut?" She screamed when Louis explained the occurred. "You don't understand what it's like! Why in the fuck are you meddling in?"

"Then explain it to us, Elle!" I shouted back from the kitchen island.

She faced me for the first time since she arrived. I noticed her eyes soften and I suddenly felt hot, like I was about to be indulged by a whirlwind of emotions, all at once. There was no way to read what could happen next. No percentage of probability was reliable enough.

But she nothing said and the words came out of my mouth before I could think about them. "Michelle, I love you." I heard my voice. "You got to let me help you, please."

But the silence got back and she only stared at the floor, starting to space out. I turned to Louis, wordlessly calling out for me so he could do something. She finally lifted her head when her name calmly echoed in the house.

"Fuck off, will you?" Ok... Not what I was expecting. "I'm tired, ok? I'll see if I can get some sleep." How did her voice smooth so suddenly?

And with the backpack she kept the whole time, Michelle went up the stairs, without giving us a last look, like we had vanished and it was just her in the house. I looked at Louis looking down at the floor, carrying a sadly disappointed expression.

"Let's go. Mrs. Kellet will do the rest."

A sharp silence was surrounding the living room as we quietly grabbed our bags and drove outside. I wondered if crossing that door was the right thing to do. If I shouldn't have run upstairs and hugged her tightly.

"She really loves you, Sage." Louis' voice woke me. He was standing behind me, exposing this comforting smile. "Without you, she forgets how to breathe."

"How can you be so sure of it?" I leaned on my car, crossing my arms in front of me. "Also, I don't know if it's a good thing."

He looked away and then back at me. Michelle didn't know how to balance her feelings, he said. She felt too much and yet felt so little, she was empty and full at the same time. Angel and demon. Broken and whole.

I went home and Michelle stayed in my head the whole night, so permanent that on the next day, right after the first class, I rushed to her lock, knowing that she would be there, next to Hannele or Kamala.

I waited around five minutes, but Elle didn't show up. So I started heading to the library when my eyes caught Eli seated on the floor, with their legs crossed.

"Where's Elle?" I asked as soon as I got close, glancing at their drawing on the iPad screen.

"Good morning for you too, Sage." Eli raised a brow. "She's not here."

"What? What do you mean?" I was in a rush and they weren't helping.

"She didn't come to class." They said.

I thanked them and, without giving any trouble to warn someone or care about my next classes, walked to the parking lot and drove to her house. I didn't know what I was doing back then. But I needed to see her, I needed to talk with her. I wanted to comfort her, hug her with affection and just be there.

When I parked the car in front of her house, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for any reaction, any unforeseen or unlikely behavior.

I buzzed the bell three... four... five times until I hear her voice from the other side. "Fuck's sake. Wait!" She opened the door and covered her face from the sunlight, but removed it immediately, exposing her dark circles to me. "What are you doing here?"