d e r e k
After avoiding me for the rest of library, Jake finally approaches me and offers to walk me to my room. Carl had only dropped off my bags and told me to go straight to library, so I haven’t been able to meet my roommate. I’m actually slightly nervous to, but Jake reassures me as we walk.
“It’ll be fine,” he promises. “He’s just going to be another friend you’ll make here.”
“What if we don’t get along?” I ask anxiously as we walk the hall. The sound of other people exiting the library creates too much background noise than I’d like, but I focus on Jake. “What if he hates me?”
Jake rolls his eyes, “He won’t hate you. Even if he somehow does end up disliking you, there will always be a staff member nearby to deal with whatever problem you two are having.”
“Do you know his name?” I ask. We make another turn and enter a hallway, with doors labelled with a number. Jake walks on the right side of the hall, and I follow.
“Do you know your room number?” he asks, ignoring my previous question.
I remember what Carl had told me and say, “261.” Jake nods and turns another corner.
“This is the boy’s corridor,” he explains. A boy walks by and waves to Jake enthusiastically. Jake smiles back before continuing, “You’ll be allowed to hang in your room whenever you’re free from activities, but besides that the library is always open, along with the TV room. There are two bathrooms; one at the beginning of the corridor and one at the end. You’re closer to the end one.” Jake stops in front of a door, the numbers ‘261’ painted boldly on the front. “I already showed you where the showers are. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all in the cafeteria, and the times for that are on your schedule. If you have more questions you can ask me, your roommate, George, or any other worker you see pass by. Good luck.”
Before I can tell him to repeat that again in more than one breath, Jake’s back is turned to me, and he’s walking away. I take a deep breath and turn back to the white, impending door. I lift my fist to knock before realizing that the doors open, and slowly turn the doorknob to walk inside.
The room is plain; there are two beds covered in sheets so crisp and so white, it’s impossible to think any had ever made contact with them. The walls areas white as the rest of the building, and I’m genuinely surprised they aren’t stained yet. There is one simple night stand in between the two beds, with no drawers, and one lamp hanging from the ceiling, a light switch by the door. One wardrobe stands in the corner of the room. I walk over and open the top one to find it filled with clothes- my roommate’s clothes.
I turn a full circle to get a better feel for the room. There’s one big window that takes up almost a whole wall, but it doesn’t open or close. At least it lets sun in and makes me feel less suffocated, though. I sigh and plop down on the bed with the schedule lying on it. My roommate seems neat, which isn’t that good, because I suck at keeping things neat.
The door is thrown open, making my head snap towards the entrance. A boy trudges in, closing the door behind him while stomping to his bed. He has a surfer look to him- tanned, blonde, with hair almost as messy as Jake’s, and bright, blue eyes. He plops down on the mattress, back turned to me, and strips off his shirt.
I watch as he neatly folds the shirt and places it in the top drawer, kicking the drawer with his foot in the process. Finally, he turns to me, eyebrows quirked and says, “Do you like the view?”
My mouth hangs open and I turn away, but the boy is laughing. I can’t help but feel like he reminds me of someone. “It’s cool, man,” he promises. “I’m just messing with you. I’m guessing you’re my new roommate?”
