Beneath Your Beautiful (H.S. AU)

Chapter 2

When I signed up for sharing an apartment I'm not sure I thought it through. I had thought it was company, a way to get a new friend, a way to save money and a way to get my mind off of things, but as I stepped inside the apartment and saw boxes scattered all over the kitchen and hallway, I thought I might have made the wrong decision.

   There was no way any of my stuff could fit in here. I might not have much, but it seemed like the other person had already made sure there wasn't any room for me here whatsoever.

   I still hadn't figured out what to do with my bed and couch, so there I was standing with a box in my hands and a duffel back over my shoulder, wondering if I should just try to find an excuse to not go through with this once more.

   You can do this. My inner voice told me. People did this all the time. How hard could it be?

   "Hello?" I said taking a step inside the apartment, hoping my new roommate was somewhere inside, wanting to remove her own stuff and help me move my into the apartment.

   I heard some noise and then a brown haired guy stepped out of one of the rooms. "Hi." He said taken me completely aback, he was definitely not whom I expected to see.

   "You're not Maya," I stated, looking around confused wondering if I was in the wrong apartment, and I felt my heartbeat increase. I really didn't want to go back to the impolite landlord telling her there must have been some kind of mistake.

   He laughed at me, and I felt my cheeks flush. He was quite intimidating with his big muscular arms and tattoos that covered parts of his lower arms. "No. I am not."

   This was definitely awkward. "Okay. I guess I'm in the wrong place then," I said, my cheeks getting warmer and turned on my heels, already dreading the conversation I was about to have with the unpleasant lady downstairs.

   "You're Trinity?" He questioned, and I turned around again facing him with a nod.

   "That would be me," I faked a smile, wondering where he knew my name from.

   "I'm Liam, Maya's friend. She should be here soon. She's just by her parents' getting more of her stuff," he said.

   More stuff? How much more could this girl have, she had already used up all the space in the kitchen, hallway and what I could see also the living room. "Nice to meet you, Liam," I said politely, hoping this situation wouldn't get any more awkward.

   "You too," he gave me a smile, and I smiled back. "You need help with anything?"

   Now that I thought about it, I needed help with a lot of things. I needed help with removing those stupid boxes scattered all over the floor. I needed help moving my things from the truck. I needed help selling the truck, and I needed help fixing my heart. If I was lucky, he could at least help me with the first two. "Well before Maya gets back could you help me move some of those?" I asked directing my gaze to the boxes. "Otherwise, I'll never be able to get anything in here."

   "Of course. I think most of it is junk that just needs to be thrown out anyway. Her parents told her to bring everything with her," he chuckled, and I noticed a doll sticking out of one of the boxes. I guess he wasn't lying when he said everything and I feared how much more stuff was coming.

   "You attending Columbia too?" He questioned, while picking up a box.

   "Yeah. I'm a freshman," I said and left my stuff in the room that was going to be mine.

   "So am I, what's your major?" He asked, and I wondered if he was generally curious or if he was just trying to make small talk. I had never really been good with new people.