hiatus : c.t.h.

"roommate"

No email.

Ciara was 240% sure that if the magazine hadn't replied to her by the end of this week, she might actually die.

Another thing that sucked? It had been three days since she'd had any more contact with Calum then a few texts and a wave when she'd walked by his busking area two days ago. He'd apologized yesterday for not talking and explained vaguely that he'd been having to work harder recently. She suspected that he'd finally realized that their adventures had significantly cut down on his income level.

She couldn't help but feel guilty. Poor guy, they'd only known each other a couple weeks and he was already having financial issues because of her.

"Ciara!" Her mum's voice called up the stairs, muffled through the closed door. "Please come down here!"

A pensive feeling in her stomach built as she got up from her desk chair and opened the door, descending the stairs. It was a little ridiculous that her mother asking her to come downstairs still made her nervous, even as an adult.

The feeling wasn't helped when she saw not just her mum but also her father, both sitting at the kitchen table. "Hey?" Ciara said, the word coming out more like a question than a greeting.

"Sit down," her father said. "We have something to tell you."

"You're not having another kid, are you?" she joked as she sat down, in an attempt to lighten the mood. No one was amused.

"Your mother and I," her dad started, "feel that you've been in this house for too long, and it's effecting you negatively."

Damn it. They were going to cut off her year long cushion now. They had a university offer for her, and they were going to make her go. This was it.

"Dad, I'm fine!" she protested, her voice wavering a little. "I've just been nervous because of the magazine entry and - "

"We feel," he cut her off, "that a different environment would be more conducive to both your creative and emotional needs." He looked at Ciara's mother, as if conceding the floor to her. Ciara could feel her mouth drying up, a lump forming in her throat and choking her. She wasn't ready for university, she just couldn't do it yet -

"We've leased you an apartment not far from here, but far enough to where you can be self-dependent and have your own space. We will be paying your lease for a year, at the end of which you will either go to university or begin paying your own lease fees," her mother announced, looking rather proud of their solution.

Ciara was frozen for a minute. She still had the gap year? And her parents were paying for an apartment of her own? They wanted her to have a space "conducive to her creative and emotional needs?"

And then she unfroze. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, leaping out of her chair to hug her mum first, and then her father. "That's the best thing you've ever given me! Thank you so much!"

Both of her parents embraced her, rather stiffly but still smiling at her enthusiasm. "Remember to still be looking for school options!" her mother reminded her as Ciara settled back down into her seat with a huge grin. "And there is one other condition."

Ciara's smile froze. "What would that be?" she said cautiously.

"You need to find a roommate. I don't want you to be alone in Weybridge, and you haven't really been hanging out with anyone lately. I don't want you to be lonely."

For a moment, Ciara is completely stumped. All of her upper school friends are away at university, and lord knows her parents wouldn't want her advertising for any random person to come room with her.

And then it struck her.

"How would you feel about a male roommate?" she asked.

(a/n)

THIS WASNT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT ROOMMATE!5SOS OH YES

also i posted two chapters in one day what even is this

songs !!
• young god - halsey
• satellite - all time low
• harlem - new politics
• cast my cares - finding favour