Pain

22

Why was all of Jake's thing spread across the room? I made my way inside my room to see a girl talking with the chairman of the school and some other ladies. She was tall and had blonde hair, although it looked like she had colored it. You could almost see the brown roots starting to just grow.

"Well I came in here and then there was these girl's things and with then were some boy's stuff as well. Now boys are not allowed inside the dorm, my parents didn't raise me like that," she said in a thick southern accent.

"Who stays here?" asked one of the ladies.

"Ashley Jake McAllen," I said. They all turn their heads altogether.

"Is this your room?" asked the chairman. I nodded. "Boys are not allowed inside your rooms. But it looks like one of them is living inside here," he said pointing to Jake's jackets, perfume and shirts I brought with me. I could only laugh at their stupidity.

"Those are my stuff," I said.

"Well how possibly could the things belonging to a man, be your stuff?" asked the southern country girl.

"It's my stuff," I repeated. "What do I have to do to prove it to you? You come inside the room and invade my personal space. Should I not complain about you and shouldn't it be me who should be asking you the questions?" She stood there, her face looking blank. I turned to the rest of the crowd and continued, "why is everyone being sexist? Can a girl not wear a perfume that a guy uses? Can she not have shirts and jackets? Or would you rather I decorate my room with bikinis and thongs?"

All stood dumbstruck before the chairman apologised for their rude behaviour and left me alone with the country girl, who looked like the earth would eat her alive. The earth wouldn't but I just might.

Like I said, I just might, but I didn't. Instead I gathered all of Jake's things and put them away exactly where they needed to be. "Listen," the country girl said. I turned to face her and saw her scratching the back of her head.

Before she could say anything further I interrupted her, "....listen, save whatever you want to tell me. I don't need your apologies. Let's just forget this ever happened ok?" I said carelessly.

"Oh OK," she said, almost startled by my tone. "Well, I'm Caroline," she introduced herself. "You are?" She put a hand out for me to shake.

"Not interested," I said not bothered to say my name or anything further.

"Okayyyy," she said raising an eyebrow and turning back to her own side of the room. I wished we had borders to divide the space between us. I didn't want to socialise. I loathed having to socialise.

It amused me that when I was in school, all I was afraid of- secretly afraid of was to be alone; to end up a loner. When I desperately needed someone to talk to; someone to be with me; someone to become my best friend, I had no one. Then Jake came along and soon I lost the only person I wanted to talk to; to be with, and he was my best friend. Now I had invitations to become other people's friend. Well not technically invitations, but at least someone noticed I existed. I guess she had to considering I will be spending the rest of my college years here with her; unless she kills herself, transfers somewhere else, gets expelled or is never in the room. Why has wicked thoughts taken over my mind. What have you done to me Jake?