roommates » jack gilinsky (#wattys2016)

one

nova +

it's been one week since i've moved in. a week of not making eye contact or talking to jack. he's usually not around anyway, so it's easy. though, i am going to admit that i'm a little lonely.

the other day, i went grocery shopping and met a girl at the supermarket. turns out she lives on campus and she's pretty chill. we exchanged numbers and she introduced herself as cara. now that i've made at least one friend, i won't be such a loner.

i run my fingers once more through my hair and examine myself in the mirror before walking out to the kitchen to eat breakfast. confusion washes over me as i see Jack at the kitchen table, but i don't think much of it.

immediately heading toward the freezer, i grab the plastic package of frozen waffles. the tension in the air is so thick and i don't think he's noticed me arriving into the kitchen yet.

so, i speak up. he doesn't want me talking to him, but what harm can be done by asking a simple, kind, and thoughtful question?

"want any?" i offer jack.

his muscular bare back is faced toward me and he remains silent, pretty much ignoring me and on his phone perhaps. i narrow my eyes and repeat my question.

"do you want any?" i ask, growing irritated at his childish behavior.

"no." he grunts, keeping his response to a limited one word.

i hear something clink against a glass and i angle myself to look at his front. a bowl of cereal sits in front of his as he swirls his spoon inside of it. that tells me that he's already obviously helped himself to breakfast. that i bought.

brushing off the thought, i pop two waffles into the toaster and then put the remainder back into the freezer.

"are you excited for school coming up?" i ask, trying to spark and start a decent conversation.

he rolls his eyes in annoyance and my eyebrows raise in surprise. what's wrong with him? he seems so moody. he's going to be my roommate for the next year, might as well get to know each other now.

"can you stop talking." jack grumbles.

i purse my lips and shrug my shoulders more to myself. i stand by the toaster and wait patiently for my food to finish heating up. jack abruptly stands, making the chair skid across the floor backward.

i snap my head in his direction due to the horrid noise that the chair made and he stops in his tracks. the bowl suspended in midair by his hands. his eyes rake up and down at my gray outfit and he blinks a few times.

"can you stop staring?" i mock, causing him to glare menacingly at me.

i stifle a laugh, but it automatically dissipates and disappears from his next words.

"i wasn't staring. you're just wearing something blatantly hideous." he comments.

being a female, of course i am going to feel self conscious due to hearing that from a guy. even if he is a narcissistic, egoistic jerk. though, i didn't think i'd be wounded that easily.

my waffles pop up from the toaster and i quickly place them on a plate, trying not to burn my fingers. jack gently places his dishes into the sink before returning back to his original spot.

hm, i would've thought that he'd leave and go back into his room or something. i drizzle syrup over my waffles before heading back into my own room.

"hell no." jack's voice booms through the apartment, making me stop in my tracks.

i face him with my eyebrows knitted together, puzzled. i tilt my head to the side as he stares back at me, impassive.

"what?" i inquire, not understanding why he just said 'hell no'.

"you're not eating in your room." he strictly says. "the last thing i need is for rats to be crawling around." he tells me, making me huff.

"that's not saying anything since there's already you walking around in here." i reply.

"your sarcasm isn't appreciated and is unwanted." he bluntly responds. "if you were wondering."

"thankfully i wasn't, but you still gave me an answer."

i bring my waffles and orange juice to the table and sit across from him, trying to push my food as close to me as possible. i'm not in the mood to fight back and argue with him this morning.

jack randomly reaches over, taking a drenched and sticky waffle from my plate. my mouth opens in shock and i gape at him bewildered.

"i just asked you if you wanted some a few minutes ago!" i exclaim, hugging my plate closer to myself.

he shrugs, a hint of a smile on his face, but he quickly resolves it. he licks the syrup off of his fingers after eating the whole thing.

"it just looked good." he tells me, making me narrow my eyes at him.

i shake my head in disapproval, "you're annoying."

"and you're ugly. what's new?" jack retaliates.

i don't reply or retort back to his rude information. maybe i should just get used to the criticism now. i pick at my food with my fork, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with his presence being so near me.

"don't tell me i hit a nerve." he grimaces, taking the fork from my hand.

he scoots my plate closer to him and cuts up the waffle. he holds his up to me, expecting me to welcoming open my mouth to the piece of food.

"here, eat."

i scrunch up my nose in disgust, "i can feed myself, thank you." i answer.

"clearly not, because i didn't see you eating." he snaps, chiding me in a way.

i stand from my seat, not being able to handle anymore of his annoying, witty, and ignorant remarks. i grab my keys that hang on the key hanger near the door. jack's eyes don't leave me once.

"where are you going, nova?"

"don't worry about it." i tell him.

he glares at me, "at least have the decency to put on a hoodie or something." he says while eating my food.

"no thank you, maybe i want people to eye me." i give him a fake smile, pulling up my leggings at the same time.

his eyes rake over my body again, "whore." he mutters.

my eyes widen, "you are unbelievably pathetic." i scowl. "you're so rude. how do you even have friends?"

"i'm not a prude. that's how. you should try not being a prude sometime, i'm sure you'd be the most popular person on campus."

"this is college, not high school. there are no populars." i casually inform him.

after attempting to shut him up, i head back into my room to grab my cellphone. there are a few missed calls from my parents and some text messages from cara.

[cara] hey! are you busy tonight?

[cara] want to go to a party?

[nova] sure

her reply is almost instant, which is slightly scary. as if it were meant to be, plans just came up, but what a cliche time. right when i needed something to take my mind off of things.

[cara] okay, it starts at 8. wear something sexy! send me your address and i'll pick you up.

i quickly send her my address and then head out to go and get away from jack, and get breakfast.

"i'll be back later." i call out to jack.

"i don't know why you're telling me this like i care." he murmurs.

i don't know either. i brush him off. i will be back in a little to take a power nap and then get dressed and dolled up for the first college party i've ever attended and let's just say my intentions are wild.

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