The Space Between Us

Chapter 1: A Roommate's Arrival

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Ethan had always preferred solitude. The quiet hum of a library, the stillness of late-night study sessions in his dorm room—these were his comfort zones. His first year of college had been everything he had expected: peaceful, studious, and somewhat lonely. But now, in his second year, everything was about to change.

As Ethan sat in the corner of his room, typing up a paper, he heard the familiar sound of someone unlocking the door. He glanced up from his laptop, already bracing himself for the inevitable disruption. His roommate, Aaron, had just arrived, a month into the semester, after dealing with a mix of late enrollments and housing shifts. Ethan had been alone long enough to settle into his routine, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it being disturbed.

Aaron walked in with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his tousled dark hair barely contained beneath a cap. He had the kind of energy that could fill a room without even trying—charismatic, confident, and always moving. As soon as he stepped in, his eyes scanned the room with the kind of charm that Ethan found both unnerving and strangely comforting.

"Hey, man," Aaron greeted with a grin. "I’m Aaron, your new roommate. I promise I’m not a loud mess... well, I might be, but only when I’m having fun."

Ethan nodded politely, offering a small smile. “Ethan,” he said quietly, lowering his gaze back to his laptop screen, not quite sure what else to say.

Aaron placed his bag on the empty bed and began unpacking with an efficiency that made Ethan a little anxious. The change, the noise, the unfamiliarity—it was all unsettling, but he tried not to let it show.

"So," Aaron began, clearly unfazed by the silence. "What do you do around here for fun? I know the last roommate had an unhealthy obsession with his textbooks, but you don’t look like the study all day type."

Ethan felt the heat rise to his cheeks, wishing his answer wasn’t so obvious. "I... mostly study," he replied, unable to meet Aaron’s eyes. "I prefer to keep to myself."

Aaron, however, didn’t seem bothered. "No worries," he said with a laugh. "I get it. But hey, we’ll figure something out." He leaned back against the bed, eyes scanning Ethan’s side of the room. The calm, almost pristine space felt so different from his own chaotic side. "You’re pretty organized," Aaron noted, smiling. "I like it."

Ethan nodded but didn’t offer much else. He wasn’t used to people being so open, so friendly. He was beginning to feel the weight of the inevitable change in the air—the change of having a roommate, having someone else around, living with someone who wasn’t just another faceless name on the dorm list.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Aaron broke it with a casual, "You know, I’m going to grab dinner. You want to come? Or are you more of a ‘don’t leave your room’ kind of person?"

Ethan hesitated. He wasn’t the kind of person to easily slip into new social situations, but something about Aaron’s open, welcoming nature made him consider the offer. "Sure. I could use a break."

Aaron grinned. "Sweet. It’s a date then," he joked, grabbing his keys and heading toward the door. "Just kidding. But seriously, we should grab a bite."

As they walked out together, Ethan felt a flicker of unease, but also something else—something unexpected. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have his routine shaken up after all.

To be continued

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