The Obsidians

Chapter 4

The evening was deepening. Liam closed the window, ensuring that nothing would get inside because of the light emanating from our room. It took my roommate nearly an hour to get through the final pages of his book, and judging by his expression, his hatred for it stayed. I heard him mutter words of criticism—useless, pointless, waste of time, rubbish—all echoing through our shared space as the afternoon waned.

At last, my belongings were unpacked, meticulously arranged so that everything was within easy reach, eliminating the need to search for a stray sock. I hadn't bothered to move the orange bottle from the bottom of my bag; it lay there untouched until necessity drove me to the bathroom to take one of the thin pills designed to "calm me down," as prescribed by my doctor. I felt no different before or after taking it, which I supposed was a small mercy. Yet the very thought of ingesting such a substance filled me with a desire to smash the bottle into oblivion.

"Hey, Liam?" A voice called from outside our room. "Are you in there?"

Liam turned and walked to the door without hesitation. He opened it to reveal a strikingly beautiful girl. Her long red hair flowed over a white blouse and a flowery skirt that grazed her ankles. A dreamcatcher necklace hung around her neck, and she held a few books in her hands, gazing at Liam with a mix of curiosity and familiarity. Liam, leaning nonchalantly on the doorframe, seemed utterly unfazed by her presence.

I remained motionless, faking interest in a random book from my desk. I flipped through it, absorbing nothing.

"The many branches of psychology that exist today cover the whole spectrum of mental life and human and animal behavior. Psychology has become perhaps the most diverse of sciences. It continues to influence and be influenced by the other sciences, etc., etc." I read in my head as their voices continued in the background.

"And yeah, that's Elias, my roommate," Liam said, and I wished for some divine intervention to strike me down, erasing me from this awkward moment.

I sat up, realizing they were both looking at me. The book in my hands had somehow disappeared. "Hey, nice to meet you," I said.

She was ethereal, her head tilted slightly as she waved. "Hello there, sorry to disturb you so late. I was just returning some of Liam's books I borrowed for my study group," she explained, and I noticed the books had now passed into Liam's hands.

"Oh, alright."

Liam wore a knowing smirk that I recognized all too well. "This is Daphne, art major, same class as me, though she's much better than I am."

Her red hair danced as she turned again. "Liam, come on!" She said and smiled at me, "It's nice to meet you, Elias. I hope we'll be seeing each other more. Don't be a stranger!"

With that, she was gone, leaving me to face Liam's smirk. He placed the books on his unmade bed and sat down, still smirking.

"So."

I buried my head back in the psychology book as I layed back down. "So?"

"I saw how you were staring at her."

I shrugged, still not meeting his gaze. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Oh, you do, mate," he chuckled. "You know very well. Someone has a small crush on Daphne Greenberg!"

I'll definitely remember her name. "I don't have those."

My voice was low, which made Liam drop the subject, though it was clear he didn't believe me. Even I wasn't sure what that feeling was. I wouldn't call it a "crush," whatever that word was supposed to signify. I simply thought she was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen.