the roommate → brad simpson | ✓

seven - "the biggest arsehole after theresa may"

"Hi, mum," I smile tightly through the camera of my laptop as she looked around confusedly at the screen, her eyes squinted as she tries to figure out how to use Skype.

My mum had decided that she wanted to meet Brad since she didn't know who I was living with. She claimed she was worried and didn't want me to be living with a drug addict or anything.

Brad had surprisingly agreed, much to my dismay, and was sat on the edge of my bed awkwardly, out of camera sight.

"Mum, you look here," Daniel laughs as he points at the screen and her eyes go to her own camera and she waves at me.

"Hey sweetheart! How's school?" She asks with a smile and Daniel chuckles at her as he sits next to her.

"It's going good, thanks," I answer her. "Lots of studying and homework."

"You best not fail any classes otherwise I'll have your head," she threatens me. "You've got all your supplies, correct? I can send some money for you to buy some pens—"

"If you give me money I'll just spend it on shopping," I roll my eyes at her and she scowls at me.

"You do that anyway," Brad mutters from the side and I shoot him a glare. My mum's head instantly perked up.

"Was that your roommate? Let me meet them!"

I shift the laptop so that she could see Brad, who was in a white loose shirt and some joggers. He rarely went out after six, so this was a standard outfit.

"Hi, Mrs. Heart," he says politely and I almost scoff at his polite persona he was feeding my mum, considering he had been nothing but rude to me since we meet. "I'm Brad."

"You're charming," she grins at him and I roll my eyes. "Has she been keeping you up late at night? She likes to listen to music loudly at night and keeps everyone up. If she does, throw a shoe at her."

He did that yesterday when I got back from Thomas' dorm and I slung the curtains open, daylight pouring into the room and the girl that had stayed with him overnight squeaking in surprised and hiding under the sheets which annoyed Brad.

"She usually sleeps before me anyway," Brad shrugs. "She likes to hog the bathroom, though."

Ten minutes later of my mother and brother and Brad complaining about everything I do, I end the call and kick Brad off of my bed.

He chuckles, "I feel sorry for your mum that she had to put up with a bitch like you for eighteen years."

"I feel sorry for your mum that she had to deal with an arrogant arsehole that will probably fail university," I retort and he scoffs at me.

"I'm going to meet my friends tonight," he concludes and I throw him an uninterested look as he shoves on his shoes and a stussy hoodie. "I'll probably be back after curfew, but don't bring anyone back."

"Got it," I say dismissively as he exits the room and I set up an episode of Friends. I typed out an essay I had to write for next week and as the time ticks by, I find myself getting more and more tired.

I finally close my laptop, Brad's not back and it's long gone midnight so I switch off the lights and decide to go to sleep. The peace is short lived as not long after, Brad comes stumbling into the dorm, not at all being quiet in the process and switches on the light.

In my state of sleepiness, I lift my head off of my pillow and look at him disbelief. He was either drunk or high, or both.

"Sorry," he giggles when he noticed I woke up and turns off the light.

He starts walking towards his bed, knocking into mine and apologised again before sitting on his bed and sliding off his shoes. When I'm sure he's not going to start moving around again, I attempt to go back to sleep but he starts talking.

"Mango?"

"It's still Margo," I sigh and turn over in my bed to see Brad facing me on his bed that he now was lying on. I could only see the outline of him due to the light coming through the curtains.

"I prefer Mango because it annoys you," he admits and I roll my eyes. Of course he prefers the nickname that annoys me.

"Do you want something or can I go back to sleep?"

"No, I just wanted to say goodnight. I know it annoys you when I say goodnight and you're already half asleep. So goodnight, Mango."

I sigh and turn away from him, closing my eyes and finally drifting off to sleep.

♡

"I bought you a spiced pumpkin latte," Britt holds out the cup as we walk down the hallway of uni. We both had lessons first thing so decided to meet up early. "You looking forward to the party tonight?"

"Thanks," I smile as I accept the cup gratefully from her. "And I honestly don't know. I got pretty much no sleep last night. I feel like my head is off my body and floating in space."

"Ugh, I get that feeling," she sympathises. "One time my dog wouldn't stop barking all night so I got no sleep. None. Nada."

"Your dog is the spawn of Satan," I agree. She had a chihuahua called Sparkles that she got a couple of years ago. We had a hate hate relationship and it always tries biting off my toes.

"How come you got no sleep? Unless you got a dog to stay with you, which is unlikely," she smiles as she sips on her own latte which reminds me I have one of my own which was scorching into my hands, so I take a sip too.

"My roommate—you know, the arsehole one? Brad?" I tell her and she nods. "He came in late far from sober and woke me up in the process. It didn't help I'd been writing essays all night."

This morning, Brad was still sound asleep since he hadn't got an alarm set. It took me an hour to get ready but he still hadn't even stirred up.

"I wanna meet that Brad guy," she says and I give her a warning look. "He can't be that bad. I mean, sure, he's living with you and everything but he hasn't jumped out of a window yet. He's bound to be a prick to you, you're really difficult sometimes."

"No, I'm not. I'm the most—"

Moments later, I feel someone grabbing my wrist and turning me around. I almost drop my latte but I prioritise it as I hold it tightly. I look up with an annoyed stare to see Brad looking angrily down at me.

"What the fuck?" He snaps at me, already causing a scene as he drops my arms. "Just because I was out yesterday doesn't give you a reason to trash my stuff!"

"Excuse you?" I scoff at him and push him away from me. "I'll have you know I didn't touch your stuff. It was all perfectly in place today when I left."

"Bullshit," he shakes his head. The vein in his neck was popping. "I know we don't get along but that doesn't give you the right to trash my stuff across the whole dorm. You're a fucking bitch."

"You need to calm the fuck down," I point my finger at him. "I haven't done shit to your stuff, because I don't have a reason to! Who do you think cleans up your things when you're out and you've left your clothes all over the place?"

"The bloody cleaner—"

"You and I know damn well that it isn't a cleaner cleaning up your shit," I interrupt him. "I clean it up because you don't put your stuff away anyway! Why would I go against that and throw your stuff about?"

His breathing slowed down, taking in what I just said.

"So I suggest you rack up another person in your brain that could've trashed your stuff instead of accusing me of shit. Now get out of my face before I punch yours."

He closes his eyes and lets out one last breath before turning on his heels and leaving, slamming the door shut as he walked out of the hallway. I glare at the people still watching me and they soon scurry off.

I turn to Britt who was confused.

"Surprise! You just met the biggest arsehole after Theresa May."

unedited.