2 - A Parasite!

Callum shifted. He cracked his knuckles one by one. He didn't look away from me. His gaze scanned my lean frame and lingered on my taped up glasses.

"The housing office had a vacancy," Callum replied. His tone dripped with fake innocence. "and I thought to myself, why spend my final year alone when I could be with an old friend? It's been what, six years? You've gotten scrawnier. Do they not feed you in the Lit department, or are you too busy crying over poetry?"

Sean let out a loud laugh and slapped Callum on the shoulder. "Man, he really does look like a librarian. You sure he's on the swim team, Cal? I thought he'd snap in half if he tried to do a flip turn"

I ignored Sean entirely. I didn't look at him. He was just noise, an extension of Callum's arrogance. I kept my eyes on Callum. "Get out."

Callum's eyebrows shot up. He sat up slowly. His movements were fluid and predatory. "Excuse me? This is my room too, Leo. I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't just show up here," I said. My voice grew louder. "You don't get to just walk back into my life. Not after everything. Not after what your father did to my mother."

The smirk on Callum's face didn't vanish, but his eyes hardened. He stood up. The height difference became immediately apparent. He towered over me. His presence filled the small room, making it feel like the walls were closing in.

"My father does what he wants," Callum said. His voice dropped an octave. "And I do what I want. And right now, I want to see how long it takes for you to break."

"I'm not going to break for you," I snapped. "I don't care who your father is. You are a parasite, Callum."

Callum let out a soft, mocking hum. He stepped closer until he was nearly touching me. I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "A parasite? That's a big word for such a small boy. Tell me, Leo, do you still use that same pathetic blue pen to write your little diaries? Or have you moved on to something more adult?"

Sean chuckled, leaning against the desk. "Look at this place. It's like a museum for people who are boring. Seriously Cal, how did you end up with the human equivalent of a beige wall?"

I clenched my fists at my sides. I refused to acknowledge Sean's existence.

"He's not my friend, Sean," Callum said, though his eyes never left mine. "He's just someone who doesn't know how to leave people alone."

"Oh, I know how to leave," Callum murmured. His gaze dropped to my lips for a fraction of a second. "I left you in the water, didn't I? And yet, here you are, still breathing. Still thinking about me every single day."

The cruelty of it felt like a blow to the stomach. I stepped back, my heel catching on the edge of a rug. "You are a monster."

Callum laughed. It was a short, sharp sound. "Maybe. But I'm a monster with a key to this room." He turned to Sean, his loud persona snapping back into place. "Let's go, Sean. I'm starving. 'Cazzo' (Fuck), I can't believe the cafeteria actually serves mystery meat on Tuesdays."

As they walked toward the door, Sean paused beside me. He leaned in just enough for me to hear him. "Try not to get too clingy, Hayes. Cal likes his toys, but he throws them away once they stop being fun."

The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the heavy silence. I sank to the floor.

My back hit the wood and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My hands were shaking. I looked around the room and saw my peace shattered by the intrusion of a man who represented every nightmare I'd ever had.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw a message from Alice.

{Alice: hey Leo! Just finished my studio session. You still coming to the cafe tomorrow? I found this weird art book I think you'd love.}

Alice Voss was one of the few people who actually knew me. She was an Art major with a grounded soul and a way of making me feel like I wasn't just a collection of traumas.

{Me: I can't right now. Something happened.}

{Alice: what? you okay? did Sushi get into the trash again?}

{Me: No. My roommate.... he's back. But it's not Mitchell.}

{Alice: who is it?? is it like someone weird?}

I looked at the name on the door.

{Me: It's Callum Reid.}