Two strangers. One room. And it doesn't end there. Rhys Hayes has been diagnosed with dyscalculia. He finds it easier to avoid talking than have to reveal his secret: why he can't tell the time, or why he doesn't remember directions, or why he just can't add up his goddamn money. This isn't what his personality should be described as, he has so much more, but who's gonna tell him? Verena Estelle just turned nineteen. Living in an orphanage her whole life has left her inexperienced. When she's finally ready to explore, to go to College, to just live, COVID-19 shows up and she's stuck in a Hotel room.... with a stranger. For a girl who's never had a home, why does living with him feel like one? For a guy who's been degrading himself forever, why do her words make him feel so positive? A story of how two strangers reveal their secrets and learn to accept themselves together, they're love-struck in quarantine but only to be pulled apart. Quarantine doesn't last forever and love doesn't either. Right? °•°•°•° If you're reading this, might as well check the first chapter out! A fast paced short story!

Noelle Simmons has always been the underdog next to her best friend, Kathleen Jones. Growing up together has always settled the fact that Noelle is Kathleen's pity friend, seeing as Kathleen becomes the center of attention wherever she is and Noelle is there to applaud her as everyone seems to step pass Noelle when she's next to Kathleen. Even when Kathleen brings the conversation back to Noelle, everyone seems to only notice one thing: Kathleen and how she's just simply everything. However, Kathleen keeps Noelle around for many reasons, but especially one: Noelle has helped Kathleen through her tinder matches, seeing as Noelle has her nose up a rom-com book and knows the way to flirt with the right guys. As they move in together to start their freshmen year at Iowa State, Kathleen makes it her mission to find the one, and Noelle will be there to help her along the way. Then there comes Ben Jacobs, star player on the football team who happens to be in Noelle's first-year creative writing class. As they happen to sit next to one another and coincidentally put in a peer-review group to share their work with one another, Noelle decides that she will ask him out without anyone stopping her. As she rushes to her and Kathleen's dorm room, Kathleen is soaring that she has a tinder match of all matches: Ben Jacobs. Kathleen enlists Noelle to help her talk to Ben by suggesting that Noelle gets a fake texting app on her phone to act like Kathleen with Kathleen's supervision--but when Noelle is typing away to Ben, only to be met with Ben's presumed infatuation for the supposed Kathleen, will Noelle continue to serve Kathleen's missions of finding the one or will Noelle finally prevail over her underdog title and constant subjection to Kathleen's shadow?