The Rude Awakening of Love

1 - Moving In

Emerson's POV

"Omg Sav! I just got my room assignment." I exclaimed to my best friend. 

Savannah and I have know each other for 12 years. We are currently enrolled at the same college. I am a junior (3rd year) and Sav is a sophomore (2nd year). Since Sav is a underclassman, she has to stay in the dorm for another year, which left me finding an apartment with some random person. It definitely wasn't my first choice. I reached out to a few girls who were interested, but nothing ever passed the "let's meet up for coffee" stage.

"Well, who is it?" Savannah questioned. "Dakota Johnson" it read. "That name sounds so familiar" Sav trailed off. It did sound very familiar, but the only Dakota I know is a guy. I filled out my roommate match to be girls only, so it must be a coincidence that they have the same name. "I hope we get along" I gleamed hopefully. 

Sav and I spent the next hour trying to find this girl on Instagram. We looked everywhere and all we could find was the guy I knew with the same name. "Why can't we find this girl anywhere!" Sav let out a sigh. "What if she's super weird and has no friends" Sav said making a face. I let out a small laugh. "Sav, let's be nice. Maybe she goes by a different name and that's why we can't find her" I said. Sav shook her head, "Don't say I didn't call it."

MOVE IN DAY

I unlocked the door to my new apartment, with my dad following behind. I looked around the empty space and couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the empty rooms and the task of turning it into a cozy home. 

I was the first one to arrive. I was hesitant on whether I should pick my room or wait until Dakota arrived. 

I explored the apartment as my dad began to bring in the rest of my stuff. There were two bedrooms, one slightly bigger than the other, a bathroom with double sinks, a large living space, and a decent sized kitchen. 

I looked around the two bedrooms as I was anxious to begin unpacking. Although I was there first, I decided on the smaller bedroom so there was no argument about who got the bigger room. 

We brought in all my bags and began building my furniture. As much as I wanted to finish setting up my room and wait for Dakota, my dad wanted to take me out to lunch before he began his drive home. 

AFTER LUNCH

I said my goodbye to my dad and hugged tightly, before making my way back to my apartment.

I turned the doorknob on the front door,  my hand shaking nervously from wondering who would be inside. I opened the door to reveal more boxes in the living room. 

I noticed a guitar sitting carefully outside of Dakota's room. The door was shut indicating that someone was in there. 

I really wanted to meet her, but I decided to start unpacking. I figured that she would eventually come out of her room. 

I was right, while I was putting my plates in the cupboard, I heard Dakota's bedroom door open. My gaze shifted towards the hallway as her footsteps got heavier as she got closer to the kitchen.

She* turned the corner revealing a tall, tan, muscular man.

Dakota Johnson.

It wasn't a new girl, it was the Dakota that I knew. 

The Dakota that hit on my roommate multiple times last year. 

 The talk of the school.

The guy that flirts and hooks up with every girl.

Asshole.

My mouth hung open as I was at a lost for words. There is no way Dakota is my roommate.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer" he smirked. I quickly shut my mouth, gulping heavily. 

"What are you doing here, Emerson-Rose?" he questioned. "I-I live here" I stuttered at him. He remembered my name. 

He laughed, "There's no way. I filled out my roommate match to live with another guy. Not some girl like you." he bluntly said. Why did he make me so nervous.

"Well this is my apartment and I live here. You can suck it up or move out" I snapped back. Oh my. Why did I say that. I can't talk back to people.

 Dakota rolled his eyes. "Just stay out of my way and don't talk to me" he snarled rudely as he walked back into his room, the door shutting behind him. 

I let out a deep sigh and made my way to my room. With a mix of determination and a touch of annoyance, I began unpacking and organizing my belongings. 

I began to meticulously arrange my art supplies in my room as I heard music begin playing from Dakota's room. It began to get louder each second, until it was at the point that I could barely hear myself think.

 This is not happening.

 I quickly got up and banged on Dakota's door. I stood there waiting for him to open it, but he never did. "Turn it down!" I unsuccessfully yelled over the loud music. I let out a loud sigh and went back to my room and tried to focus on my own tasks.

----

After a few hours, I was finally happy with the way my room was set up.

 I smiled as I looked around my room. My perfectly made bed sat in the far corner. It had a white comforter with black and purple pillows. Across the room was my desk, which sat neatly organized. On the floor in the corner, sat two bean bags with more pillows and blankets. 

I finally decided to tackle the living room and face Dakota. 

As I was unpacking my first box, Dakota walked out of his room. I gave him a small "hi", only to be ignored. 

Yet, he stayed in the room and silently helped me set it up.

As the day went on, we quickly realized that we had different ideas about how to set up the shared spaces. I wanted a clean and minimalist look, while Dakota preferred a more relaxed and eclectic vibe. This led to a few disagreements between the two of us, but we managed to compromise and find a middle ground. 

As we finished unpacking, I found out that Dakota had a passion for playing the guitar. He was very serious when he told me not to go anywhere near it. 

By the end of the day, the apartment started to feel more like a home. It was a mix of Dakota's laid-back charm and my organized touch.