Roommate Roulette

3 | Smart-ass

{~ Evelyn ~}

I didn't mistake the way Grayson glared at me. His eyes narrowing. His mouth pursed in distaste.

Alaina broke the silence that loomed over the table. "Surprise?" She did half-hearted jazz hands. If it weren't in this situation, I would've snorted.

Grayson's gaze never wavered and only flickered between everyone. He cleared his throat before he said, "You're kidding, right?" 

Since no one did anything to reply, I shook my head. "I didn't know, obviously. The school had a mix up, and Josie already tried to ask and... and they said there weren't any more rooms available."

He groaned in annoyance and stood up, completely forgetting about his belongings on the table and shouldered his way past other students. 

"Where is he even going?" Wyatt asked, more to himself than others. Josie, Val and Forrest all rushed to follow Grayson. "Oh. So we're doing this now?" He took a last bite and hauled Alaina and I to our feet, ushering us forward. "Lets. Go." His voice was muffled through the food and we jogged to catch up with the others.

"My shoes are untied." Alaina muttered from beside me. 

"Then I hope you trip and fall." Wyatt scowled at her and slowed down until we were behind the group again.

"That's excessive," I said, siding with Alaina.

"Ye—" She started to say, but then actually fell over this time. Her hand flew out to grip the closest thing to her—Wyatt. She caught him by surprise but he managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

I suppressed a grin when they both flushed red and immediately let go of each other. Ungracefully, may I add.

"I didn't mean literally." Wyatt murmured, picking up the pace as we entered a building. 

Alaina popped up on my right a few seconds later, I took it that she finally tied her shoes. "I know that, you dipshit." She paused, as if in thought. "Eve, hit him, will you?" 

"No! Don't!" Wyatt shielded his face with his arms.

"I won't, but feel free to." I shrugged, unable to stop the small knowing smile blooming across my face. I sped up and left them to their bickering.

When I got to the third floor, I found the front door already opened and unlocked. I hesitated before pushing it open, bracing myself to... silence? That doesn't seem right. I paused at the doorway and waited for a noise to occur.

"-est. Forrest. Where  in the world are you going?" I heard Val's voice from the kitchen as she added another comment. "Wait! Don't go in there! It's not even your room."

"And Grayson is my  friend." Forrest countered. I stepped into the kitchen and I found Josie and Val sitting on the stools near the counter. "Eve, I should be able to enter his room, right?" He asked the second he noticed me.

God, don't bring me into this. "I-I don't know." I leaned against the fridge and crossed my arms to seem comfortable. Everything here was so... different. I expected things to feel new and irregular, something that I'd get used to someday. Other than a possible routine, I find myself feeling like I don't belong, making more problems than I did back in California.

"You should talk to him. You're his future roommate." Josie suggested and was already pushing me forward, snapping out of my daze.

"Wait, what? Hold on—" I stumbled, pushing back to keep myself from trespassing forbidden territory just as Forrest shrugged and opened the door open for me.