003 Laying Down the Rules

“What do you think you’re doing in my room?”

Kane’s voice snapped me back awake. My eyes inadvertently looked down. He was already wearing a pair of black calvin klien’s, thankfully. And he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to cover up.

My eyes darted back to his face.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to return your jacket and… to thank you.”

I dropped the jacket on a chair close to me.

“Most people would have left the room already, Noah.”

“Right… sorry, yeah.”

I hurried out and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I was not expecting that, but things could’ve gone worse.

He came out in a few minutes fully dressed and dried off. I apologized again but he dismissed it.

“If I’m going to permit you to keep staying here, you’ve got to go understand one thing. We are not friends so stay out of my space.”

“What are you… You’re not going to report me for staying here?”

“Contrary to what you think, I’m not the bad guy. You can stay till you have your housing issues resolved, no longer.”

“Okay…” We both went silent for a while before I spoke again.

“We need to set some ground rules.”

“I just did.”

“Well then, I need to set some rules because you’re still a boy and I’m still a girl and we need our privacy.”

He actually chuckled. I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or if it was a genuine reaction.

“You speak about privacy but you’re the one who wanted to see me naked just now.”

“I didn’t know you were in.” I ground out.

Then I went back into my room and returned with a pen and paper. I sat on the couch and looked back at him.

“You can’t keep having your friends here.”

“It’s my room, yes I can.”

“Well it would make me uncomfortable. So no boys here after 8pm.”

He raised a brow.

“8:30” The look remained. “Fine, 9pm. Take it or leave it.”

He shrugged and I wrote it down.

“And obviously we’ll keep to our rooms unless we need to use the kitchen…” I paused to write it.

“You’re not allowed to touch my stuff.” He said

I rolled my eyes “Oh how will I live without being able to touch President Dickhead’s things.”

“You might consider being nicer to me, after all I’m accommodating you.”

“Let’s just focus on this so I can go to class. We don’t ask person questions, ever.”

This rule was more for me, I wanted to avoid talking about my past or my condition at any cost.

“And we’re not friends. Put that down too.” He’d grabbed an apple while I was writing and he plopped down on the couch next to me but not close enough for me to care.

I looked over the list and paused to think, then the thought dropped.

“You don’t have a girlfriend do you?”

“That depends on why you’re asking.”

“I’m not looking for any trouble and I don’t think your girlfriend would take too lightly to you staying with another girl. So, uh… no partners here without prior notice so I can stay away.”

“She has nothing to be worried about with you.”

My eyes narrowed when I looked at him, I would just pretend I didn’t find that offensive.

“And no touching.” I added

“Hard pass.”

He got up preparing to leave when I said one more thing because in the occasion that he found out, I didn’t want to become a charity case again.

“And don’t worry about me.”

He didn’t acknowledge that but I wrote it down anyways, better that he didn’t ask what the rule meant.

He stopped outside the door.

“One more think Noah, Don’t fall for me.”

I scoffed. “Proud much?”

“Girls always fall for me. I’m just warning for you not to. Because I won’t and then you’ll have your heart broken.”

I got up.

“Goodbye, Kane. And my name is Nora.”

“Later, Noah.”

And he closed the door before I could complain again. He was such an infuriating individual.

I went back to my room to prepare for my day.

As long as we followed the rules I could go the whole semester without speaking to him again.

I took out my insulin for a quick shot before leaving, I’d been feeling weaker these last days with all the drama. It was a fresh bottle so I had to go into the kitchen for a knife to open it with. I used the syringe and dropped it on the counter in my hurry to leave.

I went about my day pretty decently, at the end of my last class, a girl approached me, she soon introduced herself as Dina. We got talking, I was excited to make a new friend and she offered to take me to a great spot for lunch so I followed.

“Here we are, Plato’s is the best spot on campus, just wait till you try their pasta. It’s to die for.” Dina finished in her sing song voice, I smiled as we sat waiting for our food with Dina had preordered for us. It came quick but I couldn’t eat it.

“I got creamy pasta…”

“Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“I just don’t prefer it. I’ll take it to them myself for a new plate.”

Dina looked surprised because according to her it was the best but I’d rather settle for basic pasta with marinara sauce. I account explain why the cream would be bad for me.

I stood up abruptly to avoid prolonging the conversation and turned unknowingly bumping into someone I hadn’t seen coming.

The plate slipped out of my hand, straight onto a short pleated floral dress. The sound of it shattering on the floor drew everyone’s attention as the place fell silent.

“Oh my god.” She stared down at the stain spreading across the fabric. “Do you have any idea what this dress costs?”

“I am so sorry, let me—” I grabbed napkins from my table, reaching for the stain, but she jerked back like I was the plague.

“Don’t touch me. You’ve done enough.” She pulled out her phone, taking a photo of the stain like she was building a case file.

“This is Prada, darling. Actual Prada. Not that you’d know the difference.”

A small crowd had already formed, phones half-raised, waiting to see where this went.

“I said I was sorry. I can pay to get it dry cleaned if—”

“Dry cleaned.” She laughed, sharp and performative, playing to the room now. “Sweetie, this doesn’t come out. You’re going to replace it.”

Her eyes swept over me, critiquing and dismissing me in the same glance. “Actually, never mind — I don’t think your little scholarship stipend covers Prada.”

I was on a 50% scholarship but I definitely did not dress bad, she was clearly just looking for reasons to mock me.

Someone in the crowd snickered and my face burned.

“I already apologized. That’s all I can do.” I tried to step around her, but she shifted, blocking me.

She reached out and grabbed my chin between two fingers, tilting my face up. “Aw. Look at you, all indignant.”

Her thumb pressed into my jaw and I yanked my face free. She only smiled wider, reaching to flick a strand of my hair off my shoulder.

“You’re freshman, aren’t you.” A finger jabbed into my collarbone. “I can smell the youthful ignorance.” She poked again, harder, daring me to react. “Go on. Push me back. I’ll have you gone from this campus by dinner.”

“Move out of my way.” I gritted.

“Wrong tone.” Her voice climbed, pitched now for the whole room, another poke landing square in my chest. “Go ahead, sweetie. Do something. I dare you to.”

My scalp prickled with heat, my vision blurred at the edges, the noise of the crowd, the stress, the missed lunch and the last few rough days, it piled up at once. I felt a familiar sensation in my stomach, my knees threatened to give.

Then, a voice cut through the murmurs, firm and sharp.

“That’s enough, Bianca.”

The room’s attention shifted. Dina’s hand found my arm, steadying me, and I lifted my head to see who’d stopped it.

It was Kane.