Mr and Mrs Roommates

1

I am a girl and my name is Joseph.

Can you tell my parents have always hated me?

It doesn't help that my last name is Williams so yes, my name is Joseph Williams, and I'm a twenty two year old woman.

It's important that you remember my name. You'll need it for context later.

I'm sure you're probably wondering, girl, how can we forget?

But that's the least of my problems right now, and that's saying a lot because it's usually on the top of my list.

I'm standing in front of my boyfriend, Cole Watson's two bedroom condo with mind you, three huge bags and my little, brown, Pomeranian puppy, Ezrela.

Cole's eyes flickers between my bags and me.

I wince, not only because the sound of his heavy panting bothers me, but because there's loud metal music blaring from the speakers coming from inside the house.

"Surprise," I wave my hands in his face, flashing a bright smile, hoping to hide the thick layer of sweat coating my skin underneath this washed out green hoodie that probably belonged to my sister when she was in high school.

I fan myself with one hand, "goodness, it's so hot out here," I try to move into the house but he blocks my way, his eyebrows furrowing together at my bags.

"Um, Jo, what's with the bags?" He looks back at me, the confusion still etched on his face.

I clutch my bags and shrug, "so I'm moving in with you, happy anniversary!" I try to move in again, but he stops me with one hand.

"I don't understand," he lets out a confused chuckle, "moving in where?"

I let go of my bag, and clutch Ezrela against my body, looking up at him, "moving in with you," I add, barely audible.

He looks between Ezrela and I before stepping out and locking the door behind him. He places one hand on my shoulder, the other on his knee as he tries to catch his breath.

"What-" I start to say but he raises one finger up, and pants some more before looking up at me. Did I mention he's shirtless and dripping with sweat?

"What do you mean, moving in with me?" He stands upright, pocketing his hands and taking a step back.

"Well, I just, you know, I thought," I shrug, scrambling for the right words to say, with a sigh, I give up. I bow my head, unable to meet his gaze, "I got in a fight with my mom, so I kind of need a place to stay."

Silence.

I lift my head to meet his gaze but his eyes are fixed on my bags, "Jo, fights happen, you can't just go around packing when you have nowhere to go."

"Not this fight," I frown, thinking back to my mom's words, 'if your brother is as useless as you say, why are you still living with me after college, shouldn't you be the successful woman with her own apartment and a good job by now?'

My heart stings as I think about those words, I put one hand against my chest as if to rub the pain away. My mom has always taken sides with my brother, Devin a.k.a the world's most useless human, but she went too far this time.

I look back at Cole, who's still staring at me, waiting for an answer, "point is," I tell him, "I'm not going back there, and..." I trail off, "I do have a place to stay, here," I look at the door, "with you."

"Jo, you're forgetting I live with my sister and her husband," he chuckles in confusion, "that can't work, for us."

"But-" I offer him my best puppy eyes.

He wraps one arm around me, "but," he starts, "you'll go back to your mom, tell her you're sorry," he begins to walk away from the door, his other hand pulling one of my bags along with him, "you guys fight all the time, so swallow your big pride Jo and apologize like you always do, hm?"

"Cole, I-"

He doesn't even let me finish, he leaves me with my bags and turns around to leave. It's not until I hear the sound of his doors slamming that I realise my boyfriend has thrown me out, to the streets, on our anniversary.

Guys, I promise Cole's not usually an asshole, he's a good guy, really, I can't think of something now but I'm sure there's tons of good things he's done, like that one time he... Or that day he... You know what, I'll think of something.

He just doesn't understand that this time, my fight with my mom's different, my older sister, Bethany (can you tell she's the favorite daughter? They didn't name her Dawson or something) but Beth, she's married, pregnant with twins and always takes my mom's side, as she babies my twenty year old brother, just because he broke his ankle in what, fifth grade? And couldn't walk for a few weeks and has been limping ever since.

Well I can't go to Beth's, she'd ask me why I couldn't go to Cole's and then scream I told you so, he's not good for you.

So here I am, homeless, on my boyfriend's porch, with cars speeding past the busy street, people with actual jobs heading to work.

The only other person I can think of is Eli, my best friend, but even she lives with her boyfriend.

I sit on the stairs, pull my phone out of my purse and call her.

"Baby girl!" She gleams the moment she answers the phone and that tone disappears as soon as I tell her my story.

"Can't you go to Cole's?" She immediately suggests.

I scroll my fingers through Ezrela's fur, "well you know he lives with his older sister and-"

"Wait, I have an idea," she beams.

My eyes widen, "yeah?" I nod like she can see me.

"Bessie, you know her right?"

"Yeah that weird girl from your classes?"

"She was telling me her landlord needs someone else for the apartment above her, I've been to that complex, Jo, I promise you'll love it!" She says.

I hop to my feet, "Oh my God, yes!"

"But there's a problem..."

Of course, as it always is with me.

"It's kind of expensive, I think it's seven hundred a month and shared with a roommate, do you think you can afford that?" She asks me.

I think in silence for a minute. The only reason I've lived with my mom up until this moment is because I wanted to have a proper job so I could afford moving out but after today, I didn't mind using up all my savings on rent, it shouldn't take that long to get a job, especially now that I will have a space to myself.

"Eli I'm in," I tell her with a frown.

"Great, I'll send your details to Bessie right now."

"I'm on my way to your place."

If only I knew, guys, really, if only.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you liked this chapter, be a sweetheart and follow me on instagram @faithodulesi you're going to see this a lot so you better follow me now 😈 see ya!