She’s back
A slam on the door stopped them before something irreversible could happen.
- Now what the hell is going on in here? - Lily yelled, slamming the door’s room.
- It’s not what it looks like, I swear! - Derek said, letting go of Odette.
- Ohh, c’mon, I’m not your girlfriend. But I leave you two for two hours and this is already happening? Derek, can you please keep your hands off of her? Please? - the redheaded girl said, looking at him, obviously upset.
- But we were just joking, she said she could hit like a guy and I wanted to see it. - the boy said, somehow ashamed.
- Yeah, Lily, it was nothing, really. We were just kidding, don’t worry. - Odette added, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
- Okay then, whatever. You both are big enough to be resposible for your acts. I don’t want to be a pain in the ass, I’m just asking you two to consider the consequences of your acts.
- Lily said, turning her back to them.
- But there’s nothing going on. Nothing will happen. We’re just roommates and we’ve established some rules. - Odette said.
- Good to know because it’d break my heart if something bad happened between you two. I mean, Derek, we all know how this would end up. So keep your whole man desiring every girl that walks by thing and we’ll be okay.
- But.. Hey! What are you talking about? You talk as if I were that bad. - he said, frowning. Odette couldn’t help and laughed out loud.
- What? - he asked, turning to her.
- Nothing, nothing. Lily is funny, that’s all. - she said, covering her mouth with one hand, still laughing.
- Okay, you both, don’t make me play the babysitter again, do we have a deal? - Lily said, crossing her arms.
- Yes. - they both said in unison.
- I didn’t hear you.
- Yes! - they yelled.
- Good. I gotta go help my new roommate unpack some things. Behave, kids. - the girl said leaving the room.
- Who is your new roommate, after all? - Derek asked, lying in the bed but still looking at Lily.
- Her name is Katherine. She’s a sweetheart.
- Oh, you could introduce us sometime, huh? - he said, grinning.
- Go away, Derek. - Lily said, closing the door behind her.
Odette caught herself feeling something weird inside her. She felt somewhat nervous for no reason. It was like something was about to happen, she just didn’t know what. She ignored the feeling and tried to distract herself. So she started to put some clothes inside her closet.
- Do you think she’s mad at us? - she asked, almost whispering, it even took a while until Derek realized she was talking to him.
- I have no idea. But maybe. So maybe we should… - he started.
- Apologize? Yeah. I think we should. And uh, maybe we should.. I don’t know, take it easy? Although I’ve known her for not too long I do care about her. I believe she wants what’s best for us. - Odette said, sitting in the bed.
- Yeah. And… We’re living together. I never thought I’d live with a girl this early. At first I thought it’d be a problem and I’ll confess I didn’t want to. But since Lily asked me and insisted you really needed a place to stay, I agreed. But Lily herself was somewhat afraid of what could happen so… I’ll just be honest with you. I promised her I’d behave to avoid any conflicts. - Derek said, staring at her, and she really appreciated the honesty.
- Oh, well, thank you. I mean, for letting me stay. I know it must be hard or even weird for you this whole situation. Just know you can be yourself around me, I don’t mind. And I promise I’ll do my best to make you feel comfortable enough around me. You won’t even remember I’m a girl.
- I surely doubt that… - he whispered, rolling his eyes - But we’ll both do our best to make this work out. Not only for ourselves, but for Lily too because she cares about us. Plus, she said I’d learn a lot from you.
- She did? Like what?
- I don’t know, you tell me. - he smiled and Odette had to avoid looking at that perfect and teasing smile.
- Well, I guess I’ll learn a lot as well. So we’ll just wait to see. - she said, getting up and finally looking directly at his eyes. - Hungry?
- Starving. We could go buy some things and I could cook.
- Sound great. Should we invite Lily? - the girl asked, grabbing the first purse she could find.
- I guess so. Let’s see if she wants to come. Maybe she could even eat with us and invite her new roommate. - he said, trying to act like he didn’t care.
- Ohh, now it makes sense. You wanna meet the new girl. Okay, I’ll go to Lily’s dorm, wait for me. - she pretended she didn’t care but deep down it bothered her, she didn’t know why.
Odette went to Lily’s room and knocked on the door. A beautiful girl with long brown hair answered, with a perfect smile. She was incredibly beautiful with her perfectly-shaped body. A bit taller than Odette, really skinny but with emphasized curves, she looked like a real model. Odette tried not to feel intimidated, so she just smiled back and introduced herself. The girl was, as she assumed, Katherine, Lily’s new roommate. Odette caught herself thinking “Derek will go crazy when he sees this girl” and she was surprised because she maybe cared about that. But she just tried to be polite to the other girl in front of her.
- Hey! I see you two have met already! - Lily said, coming to the doorstep.
- Yes, we have! Come in, Odette. - Katherine said and she was adorable. Too adorable.
- Oh, I’m about to leave. I just came to invite Lily… and you… to come with me and Derek to the grocery store, we need to buy dinner. - Odette said, unsure about how she felt about Katherine.
- Of course! We have to buy some things too. I’ll grab my wallet. - Lily said, running inside.
An awkward silence made Odette feel uncomfortable so she just kept tapping her feet, waiting for Lily. She heard a door closing across the hall and her heart suddenly skipped a beat or two. She tried to breathe as normal as possible because she knew who was coming.
- Why are you taking so long? Where’s Li… - Derek appeared and seemed shocked the moment he landed his eyes on Katherine. - Katherine? Is that you?
- Derek? I can’t believe this! I knew Lily’s best friend’s name was Derek, but.. This Derek? This is impossible! - she said, giggling and jumping into the boy’s strong arms.
He hugged her back, passionate and protective. It felt like they’ve known each other for years. Odette felt her chest heavy, but acted as normal as possible. She tried to think of something else because being jealous of Derek wasn’t normal or natural. She thought she was feeling like that because somehow she felt intimidated by her beauty. But she was curious. Why did they know each other? And how come Lily, his best friend since forever, didn’t know they knew each other? She waited and waited but they kept hugging and she felt extremely uncomfortable. So finally Lily came out of the door and stared at them like Odette. She turned to the blonde girl and looked into her eyes and Odette knew she was trying to ask “What is going on?” and she just muttered, barely audible, “I have no idea”.
- Um, hi? - Lily said looking at those two, still hugging. They let go of each other and looked at Lily, smiling.
- I can’t believe Derek’s your best friend! - Katherine said with her kitty’s voice.
- Do you.. What? Do you know him? - Lily was legitimately surprised, even more than Odette.
- Yes, Lily! Derek was my first boyfriend!
Then all Odette could think of was “Oh no.”.
The beginning
- Hi, you must be Odette. I’m Derek.
His voice echoed inside her head and gave her chills. She didn’t know where all that was coming from. She didn’t even know why she was feeling that way. It was like there was something inside of her making her hands cold, her cheeks blush, her heart race. She felt an incredible need of touching his face to believe it was real. She had never seen such a beautiful man like that one before.
His hazelnut hair, perfectly messed, was soft and shiny, swinging like the wind. He had such a perfect smile that even made her knees buckle, like he was hiding a secret. His hazel eyes were sparkling, incredibly intense. Odette tried to act cool although she was wondering how could someone be that beautiful. She immediately thought that the amount of girls he had dated now made sense. He was so charming and had those perfect muscles, with a rascal smile that could make you think he was about to do something wrong with you but you’d be okay about that.
Derek couldn’t stop staring at her as well. Her beautiful body caught his attention and her flawless long blonde hair hypnotized him. He gave his best smile and he could smell her perfume from where he was standing. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, looking right into those beautiful blue eyes, but he didn’t. How on Earth could he live with a girl like her? He wasn’t sure if it was a problem or a gift. He saw Odette biting her lips and he felt the tension. There was something happening between them and right next to her he saw his best friend, Lily, with a defeated look in her eyes. He could see her slightly shaking her head, disapproving him. He knew what she meant.
Lily finally said something to break the silence among them. She asked Derek if they could already unpack their things. She said her dorm was the one right across the hall and that she would be Odette’s “guide” for the first few days. She also said Odette and Derek should sit and talk about some rules now they were about to live together. They both agreed and said they’d do this as soon as they settle down their stuff. They had tons of things to organize, including schedules, furniture and other things. Both Odette and Derek were feeling somehow uncomfortable around each other because the tension between them was absurd. Everyone could see it. Odette caught him staring at her lots of times. And Derek caught her trying to pretend she wasn’t staring at him over 20 times.
After a few hours unpacking their things, they were almost done. Although summer was almost over, it was a very hot day. They were both sweating and as Odette was taking off her jacket, Derek took off his shirt. She froze for a few seconds as Lily screamed “Oh my God, gross, put on your clothes back!” and he laughed, claiming it was too hot. Odette got lost while looking at his abs and then arms and then back. She tried not to stare but that guy was teasing her. He had a perfect body she almost thought it was a lie. She cleared her throat pretending nothing was happening and proceeded to unpack. She got the big room because of the closet, that would fit all of her clothes. Derek seemed to be fine with the smaller room since he said he’d only need the bed. Most of the times. That made Odette open her mouth to ask if he meant what she was thinking but she didn’t dare. She just sighed and turned around to avoid eye contact. She heard Lily slapping his head saying “You’re such a jerk, I should set you on fire”, as he said, laughing, “Oh, LL, I’m already on fire.” and she slapped his head again.
Lily left for lunch, leaving them alone. They sat on the couch ready to establish some basic rules. Odette only demanded that they could split the house responsibilities such as cleaning, cooking and laundry, once she was terrible with these things herself. She could barely turn on the stove. Derek happened to be a great cook and that relieved Odette. He said he didn’t have any demand, as long as she respected his privacy and vice-versa. She was glad she had found someone who appreciated privacy as much as she did. She told him she was a big soccer fan so it’d be usual to find her chilling on the couch and screaming every once in a while. That part made Derek smile maliciously and a brief laugh came out of his mouth before Odette threw a cushion at him. They both laughed and the tension was still there but it seemed like they were both dealing with it better than before.
Derek’s first thoughts about Odette were “I’ve never seen a girl like her” and it was true. He was so used to shallow girls, with the same talk over and over again and he only had to smile to get them where he wanted to. But he felt that with Odette things would be different. He could feel how headstrong, determinated and hard to get along with she was. She was nice, that was also true, but there was something about her he couldn’t find out what it was and why was it bothering him so much. He tried to figure out what to do because he found her hard to resist but it was risky since they were living together. He thought about Lily’s reaction and that she knew how he first felt about Odette. But he also thought about Odette’s eyes. Her lips tried to say “go away” but he could’ve sworn her eyes were saying “come closer”. He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands, trying to sort out his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Odette was sinking into her own thoughts, trying to put herself together. She kept telling herself how wrong it’d be to get involved with someone like Derek for lots of reasons. Not only because they were living together but because she knew how it’d end. So she took a deep breath and kept organising her belongs, trying to ignore the wildness inside her. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she hoped to see Lily. But she didn’t.
- Hey, do you need anything? - Derek asked with a raspy and sexy voice leaving the door ajar.
- Oh, um, actually, I do. Could you please put these things in the upper part of the closet? I can’t reach it. - She answered, unsure of how she should treat him. She felt that if she were too nice, he’d feel like she’s into him. But if she were too unpleasant, the whole living together thing wouldn’t work out fine.
- Sure. Give them to me. - he said and as he lifted his arms she could see the bottom part of his back and some of his underwear. She bit her lips, trying to contain her feelings and she felt her cheeks blushing. She felt literally on fire. Would it become easier with time?
- It must be hard to be vertically challenged, huh? - he interrupted her somewhat forbidden thoughts.
- Sorry? - she blinked frantically trying to clear her mind.
- You know, it must be hard to be short like you. - he smiled, waiting for her reaction that came right after, when she punched his arm.
- Ohh, so now you thought it’d be nice to make fun of your new roommate, didn’t you? - Odette smiled, trying to be mad.
- As a matter of fact, I surely did. - Derek answered, not even caring about how hard she could punch him. He was sure that punch would leave a bruise.
- I might be a girl but I hit like a boy. - she said in the most threatening voice she could.
- You might hit like a boy but I’d seduce you before you could even blink. - he raised his eyebrows, sarcastically.
- Really? We shall see then.
And before they could even realize what they were doing, they were both tangled around each other, rolling in her new bed, Odette trying to punch his abs and arms as he tried to hold her arms with his hands and her legs with his own legs. They were laughing and acting like friends or even as a couple, they couldn’t tell. He rolled over her and held her hands against the bed, on top of her, his legs around hers. They suddenly stopped and just stared at each other. Their eyes locked with each other’s, neither of them dared to move. They were breathless, their chests moving heavily. Odette bit her own lips, full of desire, trying to get rid of his power over her, but she just couldn’t. It wasn’t emotional; It was really physical. For both of them. He could feel her body warm, burning. He wanted to do something right then.
So he started to move his face towards hers.
A new start
A loud noise woke her up. She had fallen asleep in the middle of clothes, notebooks, pens, papers and bags. It was her last day at home before going to college. She was feeling nervous and wondering if she had made the right choice. Everything would be different, she would have to live by her own, learn how to survive without her parents’ help. As she closed the door, she heard her mother asking her father if she was really making the right choice. She took a deep breath because she was asking herself the same. She knew it was wrong but her dreams were bigger than her limitations. Lying to her whole family and not feeling guilty enough to tell the truth made her wonder if she was a bad person. But she didn’t have time to think. The choice was made. She was about to leave.
She started to feel the rush and the adrenaline running through her veins and for one second she thought she’d give up. But, again, she took a deep breath and knew it was the right thing to do. She started to go through the plan on her mind once again looking for flaws. She found none. And felt good about it. She grabbed her phone and called her new fake roommate. Almost shaking, she heard a voice picking up the phone.
- Hello? - a voice stammered
- Hey, Lily, it’s Odette! - she answered and for one moment she thought the girl wouldn’t recognize her.
- Oh, hey! Where are you?
- I’m on my way. All ready?
- Yes. Same place, 9am. Right?
- Exactly. And… Thank you. - Odette whispered.
- Don’t worry. I admire your courage. - somehow she knew Lily was smiling.
- Thank you! See you in a few hours. - Odette replied, proud of herself.
A few hours later, she arrived at the campus. Reality started to weight on her shoulders as she tried to remain as calm as possible and follow the plan. Nothing could go wrong or else her dreams would be ruined. She had this weird feeling like it was all a dream. She suddenly thought it was all a dream. It was a bit hard to believe all that was happening. As she was carrying her luggage upstairs, her dad touched her arm.
- Where are we gonna meet your roommate? - he asked.
- Oh, right in front of my dorm. She’s probably already there. - she answered with her best and most convincing smile.
- I can’t believe you’re already this old. My little baby… In college… Living by herself.. Are you sure you’re ready for this? - her mom said, almost crying.
- Mom, please… I’ll be fine! We’ll talk once a week, remember?
- Once a week? Are you insane? We’ll talk everyday. No excuses.
- Okay, mom, okay. Here we are. Oh, look, there she is! - Odette said while waving at a girl standing in front of the door of her soon-to-be home.
The girl came and hugged her with a big smile on her face. She was a very beautiful girl with a long and shiny red hair and big green eyes. Her skin was white as snow and you could see some faded freckles on her face. Lily was her name. Her lips made Odette think of rubies and her body was in perfect shape. After they hugged, they both looked at each other, basically talking through telepathy. Lily could get Odette’s mute “thank you” as Odette knew she was trying to say “all according to the plan so far!”. The redhead girl turned to the other girl’s parents and shook their hands friendly.
- Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson! I’m Lily Fields, Odette’s new roommate. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
- Hello, Lily! It is a pleasure to meet you too. Please, take care of my little baby girl, okay? - Mrs. Ferguson said, hugging her daughter.
- Don’t worry, I surely will. - Lily answered with a big smile.
After lots of questions about Lily’s past, parents, interests, hobbies and every kinds of questions a mother could possibly ask, Odette’s parents finally left after a painful goodbye. It wasn’t that painful for her, though. She was happy to feel finally free. Her mother had a weird way to show her love. She had been beaten her whole life. But then her mother could put on a smile and pretend nothing happened. Their relationship was a really complicated one. Now alone, both girls sighed.
- Do you think they know there’s something wrong? - Odette asked, with an almost pitched voice.
- Of course not! I’m such a good actress. - Lily said clapping her hands.
- That’s good… When is my “real” roommate arriving?
- I told him to get here later than you for obvious reasons. He’s probably gonna be here within half an hour.
- Oh, okay. I’m kinda nervous about living with a guy. - she bit her lips, clearly nervous.
- Relax, he’s my best friend since we were three. He’s pretty nice. You’ll be just fine. And any problem, I’m right across the hall. - Lily calmed her, holding her friend’s hands.
- Yeah… I’m so glad I’ve found you! Who would’ve known we have friends in commom, right? - she said, aparently more relaxed.
- I know! Crazy! Such a shame all the dorms are already full or too expensive, including mine. I’d love to be your real roommate. But I’m glad we’re basically neighbors.
- At least that. Well, I’m just happy I could find a last available dorm. Although I had to lie to my parents because they’d never let me live with a guy and they’d make me give up on this amazing college. And he’s your best friend, such a coincidence.
- About that.. Can I ask you something? Although I know it’s gonna happen anyway… - Lily said, almost whispering the last part.
- Uh, yeah, sure, what is it? - Odette said, confused.
- Please… Please, don’t fall in love with him. I like you and I know where this is gonna end. So please, do your best to not fall in love with him. I’ve known him for years and I know how he’s like with girls. And it’s not really pleasent from the romantic view. So if I can give you an advice, this is it. Don’t fall in love with him. - Lily said, dead serious, as she kept eye contact the whole time.
- Um… Okay, Lily, don’t worry. I’m not looking for a relationship. I just wanna study a lot and graduate. Living with a guy is easier for me than you think. All of my guy friends always tell me I’m “one of the dudes”, so I’ll be fine about that. But um, about what you said, is he that bad with girls?
- Let’s just say he’s had more girlfriends/friends with benefits than I’ve had socks. And I’ve had more socks than you can imagine. - she said, nodding.
- Oh, wow. That makes things easier then. I won’t fall in love with someone like this.
- Good then.
A few minutes passed as they kept talking, getting to know each other and then they both heard someone comming upstairs. They were sitting on the floor in front of Odette’s new dorm and they heard the footsteps. They unwittingly got up to see the new guest.
Odette’s heart skipped a beat or two. She couldn’t breathe for six whole seconds.
- Oh. My. God.
Odette is a 19-years-old girl and she’s finally going to college. She’s been saving money to pay for rent and bills for a long time but she finds out it’s not enough yet. So, after weeks of searching for an ideal and affordable place, she sees herself trapped with an only option: Living with a guy. Knowing that her family won’t approve the fact that she might share an apartment with a boy and not willing to ask for money, she has to lie and tell them she’s living with a girl. Her neighbors, her roommate’s best friends, are always getting in trouble and she tries to remain as calm as possible whilst living in the middle of a chaos.
She knows life won’t be easy and she will have to be a grown up to take care of herself. While trying to survive college and her roommate, she will have to deal with a lot more than just her bills. Will she be able to be happy after all?
