𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓂'𝓈 𝒜 𝐵𝓇𝑒𝓌𝒾𝓃'

November 1st, 1994

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒩𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

Iris leaned awkwardly over her notebook, scrunchie on her wrist as her hair curtained her and her drawings from the world. Just busying herself as usual when she chooses to wait around for her roommates instead of running off to Theodore. Humming along to the quiet melody of something playing on the radio.

Everyone else still lost in their own thing, but on the tail ends of their routines. Valeria pulled at her curls as she worked to pull them up. Sally-Ann laced up her newest pair of boots. Tracey held up different pairs of earrings as she debated her look for the day.

Just a nice, quiet morning. Normal. Just an average day where Iris could almost pretend that all her problems were contained to just a normal life. Like the problem of the fact she really hated drawing people. Faces were her enemy. The head was an awkward shape, the nose too flat, the eyes too empty. She hated it... but she tended to draw or doodle whatever was on her mind, and well, that morning, it was Theodore...

Also, she really needed to finally let go of "the versatility of notebooks" and buy some sketchbooks.

Leaning back from her drawing, Iris scrutinized it momentarily before rolling her eyes and flicking it shut. Finally moving to pull her hair up for the day, Iris considered the one other normal problem on her mind.

"Is Theo allowed in the dorm?"

Three heads shot over. All very distinctive in just where their minds had jumped with that question. Sally-Ann was the furthest from innocent as she wiggled her eyebrows, "Only if you promise to make good decisions."

She got a well-earned smack by a perfectly thrown pillow from Iris, everyone breaking up their morning routine with some quick laughs... even Iris as she pretended to be annoyed. It should be noted that she couldn't quite get her smile to go away... not that it mattered right then.

"It goes farther than Theodore, though, right? The real question is, who is allowed in the dorm and when?" Iris gave Valeria a smile as she directed the conversation to the serious matter it really was.

"Yes, this extends to anyone we happen to meet. Boyfriend, girlfriend, friend that maybe not all of us share."

"It is about our combined boundaries."

Sally-Ann and Tracey had watched the back and forth with Iris and Valeria, letting the question settle in as their giggles had faded. Both really considered where their own opinions lay on something that suddenly mattered to the ability to function as roommates.... Hit with a question that had to come as they were getting older.

Roommates are tough. Having to learn to communicate and coexist. Having to deal with so many little fights and differences like how clean is really clean, or how late a light could be on, or how early the alarm can go off in the morning, and damn, the bathroom order was a nightmare. And then having to conform to the comfort of those you live with... Valeria had wanted a cat their second year, but Tracey was mildly allergic.

Valeria, Sally, and Tracey had started as roommates, and it was tough. They fought and had to learn how to change their fighting into communication. And... they were lucky. That all three of them could learn to communicate... that they had grown to be more like siblings. They were forced to live together, exist together, and eventually became friends as they realized they all were young girls experiencing life.

They were lucky that Iris had so easily conformed to their preexisting way of life... that she fit in so naturally. They were lucky. They got one of the good roommate situations. One where they grew close, where they respected one another, where they wouldn't fight into their seventh years. One where things could be talked about... everyone getting their input.