Roommate Roulette

19 | Young love

[-Grayson-]

My keys. I forgot them on the counter in the kitchen.

I knocked three times and waited for her to answer.

To my surprise, Val peeped her head out and squinted at me. "State your name and occupation." She hissed, completely straight-faced.

I crossed my arms, adjusting my gym bag on my shoulder. "Val, I live here."

"Yeah, and I'm George Washington." She huffed, cracking the door far enough for me to squeeze it. "In. In." She ushered, pushing my back further into the apartment. 

She disappeared in a blur of red hair and there were voices in the living room.

"I'm officially scared of Valerie." I texted Eve, dropping everything into my room.

A response came a minute later, hastily written. "Finally, someone who can intimidate you."

"Where are you?"

She didn't text back and I immediately thought of going to her room.

"Hey, Gray?" Alaina called out and I raised an eyebrow. "She's in her studying zone right now. We're kinda worried about her."

I sighed. "Thanks for letting me know."

I opened the door to her room without an invitation. "Go away, Josie." She snapped and I was taken aback.

"Not Josie." I raised my hands in surrender.

"Grayson?"

"Who else, smart-ass?"

She rolled her eyes at me, the piles of textbooks flooded her desk and floor. She flipped a page. "Do you need anything?"

"Attention, first." I said, occupying the space on the edge of her neatly made bed.

"You can get that later." She muttered, stress lines etching her face.

"These yours?" I pointed at the bag of Skittles and she nodded. I peeked inside and there were only the purple and red ones. "Seriously?" I asked, throwing once into my mouth.

"What?" 

"You didn't eat any of these colours."

A distracted laugh escaped her throat. "Yeah, cause the other ones are the best. Keep the rest if you want, I was planning to throw it out since I wouldn't eat it anyway." Multiple messages chimed on her phone and she tossed it on her bed without glancing at it.

"I only  like the purple and red ones. You're insane."

"Then you're an imbecile." She said, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"Want some?" I offered, holding it out.

"I'm trying." She murmured, brows furrowing and scribbling down notes.

"Are you listening?" I tucked a hair behind her ear to ensure she wasn't wearing any earbuds. 

"Later, though."

"Eve."

"Yes?"

"We're going." I stood and plucked the pen from her hand. 

She sighed and leaned back. "I can't. I still have midterms which is tomorrow and I feel like I'm not prepared enough." She tugged at her hair anxiously. "I slept for a few hours last night and it should give me enough energy to pull an all-nighter―Grayson!" She squealed.

I tossed her over my shoulder and her fists pounded against my back. Her laugh invaded my ears and my heart warmed at the sound. There she is.

"Put me down or I'm going to knee your chest." She grumbled, her tone not matching the laughing that followed.