CHAPTER ONE: BOY IN MY ROOM

  I should have just worked on that forsaken toilet when the issue was milder, if I had, I wouldn't be in this bloody mess. But there I was; halfway down the hall, arms filled with sketchbooks and rolled canvases, my brain still locked inside the charcoal-smudged anatomy sketch I had abandoned in Studio B in a haze to settle into my new dorm, and muttering to myself like a woman possessed.

  “I swear, if my temporary roommate is loud, I will lose my mind. I cannot deal with noise. Not at this crucial mo…”

  Thump!

  My body collided with something solid. My glasses slid down my nose and Mother Gravity chose violence.

  “Oh…”

  A hand, not so delicate, caught mine almost immediately, saving my head from what would have been a nasty hit. The contact jolted straight up my arm, sharp and electric, like my nervous system had been personally offended.

  I blinked. Twice. But I was still hazy, I let the hand pull me upright.

  “Careful,” a voice said. Low and seemingly amused. “You were about to eat the floor.”

  I nodded dumbly, still gripping the hand like it was an anchor keeping me tethered to reality. I adjusted my glasses in place and when I looked up to see my saviour, reality hit me. That hand was attached to a man.

  Well a boy if features were a consideration.

  I dropped his hand like he’d burned me. My heart slammed against my ribs in panic as I stumbled back, clutching my sketchbooks to my chest as if they could shield me from the embarrassment. Great way to meet my roommate's boyfriend. 

  “Oh. You’re…” I stopped, adjusting my glasses with shaking fingers. He stood unfazed and too obviously amused. “Sorry. I thought.. I mean, I assumed..” God! Words were failing me. This never happened because I don’t ram into people. I didn’t lose focus like this and I certainly don’t take strangers’ hands.

  I cleared my throat in a bid to compose myself. “I’m really sorry about that. I was talking to myself and didn't see you there. About my roommate. I think you are her boyfriend.”

 I gestured vaguely behind me, toward the door marked 4C, my temporary prison since dear silly me literally walked past it. Nice one Ola. 

  “I’m her roommate,” I added quickly. “I mean.. I will be, temporarily that is.”

  Please laugh politely.

  Please nod.

  Please exit my life.

  He stared at me, but not rudely. Like I was…the most entertaining movie or something. Then he laughed. A full, rich laugh that filled the hallway and bounced off the walls like it belonged there. My shoulders stiffened on instincts. Did I miss something? 

  “Wow,” he said, wiping at his teary eyes from laughing so hard. “That’s rough.”

  I frowned at him. “What is?”

  “ For one there’s no girl in that room.”

  I missed something..bloody sharks! “…What?”

  He pointed at the door. My door. “It’s just me.”

  My stomach dropped so fast I was sure something inside me cracked.

  “I…no. That’s not possible.” I shook my head, stepping back. “There’s been a mistake.”

  “Yeah,” he said easily with a smug smile. “You.” You son of a ….

  I dropped everything. My sketchbooks hit the floor in a collapse. Brushes were rolling everywhere but I didn’t chase it.

  “You’re joking…right?” I whispered in shock. 

  He chuckled, looking entirely too pleasing for someone ruining my life. “Wish I was though.”

  “No,” I said louder, already backing away. “Nope. Absolutely not.”

  I turned and power walked down the stairs, through the gardens, inside the administration building and into the dorm manager's office. But the horrible lady didn’t even look up when I burst into the office, breathless and demanding an explanation.

  “There’s a boy in my room,” I said trying my best to catch my breath.

  She sighed like I’d told her the printer jammed again. Then she gestured for me to seat but I definitely wasn't in the mood. She scribbled something on a sticky note. “Temporary reassignment?”

“Yes please.” If it can be done right now I would literally kiss her feet. 

  She slid the note across the desk. “Take this to the secretary.” That was it? No concern? No explanation? No, are you okay?

  I left clutching the note like a prayer request and heading to the left of the building for the secretary's station.

  Madam Anne was ancient. The kind of elderly that felt eternal with her ever glowing gummy smile and tiny glasses. She peered at her screen while I stood there murmuring under my breath.

  Please! Please!! Please!!!

  Her fingers tapped and tapped then paused. She looked at me over her glasses. “No other rooms.”

  My chest tightened. “But Ma..”

 “It’s fine Olandria,” she said calmly. “You’re sharing with Ernest Malcolm.” That name landed differently.

  Even I knew it. Literally everyone did. The rugby captain, a.k.a the golden boy. The campus hero with the stupid perfect smile and the reputation for being everywhere at once while owning every moment.

  She waved a hand. “Perfectly respectable young man.” I could sense the dreaminess in her voice, ughh! For heavens sake. “And the dorm rooms have full privacy. It’s temporary.”

  Temporary! Sounds like eternity considering how terrible you guys are at repairing things. 

  I nodded, there was nothing else to do. I just need to quicken the room repair process and I'd be out after a week or two. I knew Clara was having her best life in her boyfriend’s dorm so she couldn't careless if we spent the entire semester out of our dorm. 

  I walked back to ‘Royalty Dorm’ like someone headed for execution. When I reached 4C, the door was open and my stuff packed messily on the couch. Well that's nice …I guess.

  Mister smug face was sitting on the other couch. My couch. Well technically our couch now watching me like he’d been waiting.

  “Well,” Ernest Malcolm said, grinning like this was the best day of his life, “looks like we’re roommates and your welcome for my help.” He gestured towards the pile of my stuff. 

  I rolled my eyes and dropped on the couch next to my pile. My world had just split open and he looked thrilled about it.

 Ughhhh!!