Who did I get stuck with?

I guess it was my fault for procrastinating. If I had applied for college on time than I would have had my pick of the dorms but the temptations and distractions of summer had helped me delay an already delayed decision. All the same, I couldn't have been any less happy being stuck with Ivan Braginski for my roommate.

Ivan and I had gone to high school together. He was always a weird one, with his crooked nose and shabby flannel shirts. It would be a lie to say he had a lot of friends. Most of the time I saw him he was alone, probably the reason he was the only one left without a roommate already.

"So what were the odds we'd get the same room?" asked Ivan trying to manage small talk. 

"Well, we weren't the only ones from Hill Crest High to go here so..." 

My parents had already dropped me off and unloaded my stuff. Ivan was already there when I arrived. Right now I was just trying to put my stuff away. 

"Look we don't have to get along." I admitted up front, "I'll stay out of your way if you can stay out of mine." 

"Yeah, sure." Agreed Ivan. 

"Good. Then this year should go just fine." I said, all the while hoping I'd be smart enough to reserve a roommate next year. 

"Would you mind not hanging that poster up?" 

We just agreed to stay out of each other's business and he's already complaining. 

"Why? Skull Smashers are awesome." 

"Yeah I know. I'd just appreciate it if you wouldn't hang it up." 

"Look it's my side of the room and I want to hang it up." 

"But I have to look at it." 

"Then look the other way." 

"I'm asking you nicely." Ivan hissed, "Please take it down." 

"Fine, fine. Don't get your panties in a bunch. But you have to compromise on some things too." 

"Fine." Agreed Ivan, standing aside, "What do you want to change?"

 I looked over at his stuff. I'd have liked to have changed it all. All of it was old and dated. 

"Uh, I'll think about it."

Over all it wasn't so bad having Ivan as a roommate. He mostly kept to himself and other than the first fight about the poster he left my stuff alone. At times it even had its advantages. For example when he would leave his homework out and I could copy his notes. Or when he wasn't hungry and I could finish his leftovers. Yeah, it was all going fine until my friends stopped by for a visit.

"Why is your roommate sitting out in the hall?" asked Francis. A haughty young man for whom I have no polite description. 

"He always does that when I listen to Skull Smashers." 

"He's probably just annoyed it's not polka." 

"Are you kidding? A guy who wears as much cheap flannel as he does has to be a blue grass man." Proposed Antonio. 

"I don't know. He just hates the band I guess. He even made me take down my poster of them." 

"Oh yeah, I remember it. You got it at their concert when they came to town. It was awesome. Too bad it rained and we had to leave early." I knew Antonio since high school as well. He was a decent guy but a bit of a thickhead. 

"Well I think if you want to put the poster up, you should." Said Francis, "It's your wall and you should be able to do what you want with it. It's none of that Braginski kid's business."

"I thought we'd agreed to take that down." Ivan demanded when I'd hung it up the next day. 

"Why is it such a big deal?" I complained. 

"I just don't want to see it every day." 

"It's just a poster." I insisted stubbornly. 

"You got that from their concert, right?" said Ivan coldly. 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah I got one too. Shortly before my parents died in a car crash coming to pick me up." 

For a moment I didn't have anything to say. 

"What for real?" 

"Yes! You think I'd joke about something like this?" 

"Wha—uh—no... uh... sorry." I'd been so struck with surprise that I didn't even know what to say. 

"Whatever." Said Ivan, looking away, "Would you just take it down?" 

"Yeah, fine, whatever." I agreed, moving to remove the tacks that held the poster up.

"I've got to get to class." Said Ivan, taking his back pack and walking out. 

When he'd gone I looked down at the poster in my hands. To me it meant a great night with my friends, to Ivan it meant something completely different.

Come lunch I took my tray to the back of the mess hall and sat down with Ivan. He looked at me like I was being ridiculous. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Eating lunch." It was my turn to look at him like he was ridiculous. 

"You never eat lunch with me." 

"Yeah about that." I began, reaching for the saltshaker, "You see, I made some assumptions about you and I've realized that that's not very fair." 

"Look, I don't need your pity. I'm doing just fine." Interrupted Ivan. 

"The point is..." I picked back up, restraining my frustration, "I never gave you a chance. So do you think we could just start over?"

I watched his brows knit together and his lips twist into knots until he finally turned his head away. 

"You're lucky I'm a forgiving person." 

"Good. So...have you given any thoughts to your plans for next year?" 

Ivan rolled his eyes."Let's just see how this year goes, Gilbert. Let's just see how this year goes."