Filling Up My Roommates Novels & Stories

At his dorm, he showed me around quickly as we headed for his suite. A sitting room and two bedrooms. His other two roommates were guys on the soccer and swim team. Kyle half-joked that they spent so much time together that he thought they were having sex even though they both had girlfriends. I smiled and said, hey, fun is where you find it, better if you break a few rules. Kyle blushed a little and opened his bedroom door. A twelve-by-twelve room, two single beds, two desks. Some posters on the walls, a cheap rug on the floor. It didn't smell like boy. I tossed my duffle on the other bed.

"I don't have any money." I was so exasperated that I almost let out a derisive laugh. "Oh, so you're broke and proud of it now?" I held my arms across my chest and launched straight into lecture mode. "Listen to me, Ivy. We're roommates now, and roommates settle things clearly. You're living in my apartment and using my electricity—I think it's fair that you're cooking for me to offset rent. But you can't go over the top with power usage!

“Right. Keep telling yourself that, princess.” “What do you want?” “I guess he told you. We’re going to be roommates.” “I wouldn’t put it that way.” “So how would you put it?” “We’ll be sharing a condo. Separate rooms.” “If you shared a two-bedroom place with anybody else, wouldn’t you call them your roommate?”

Chapter 1 The dorm room smells like cheap takeout and the last desperate sprays of a vanilla-scented air freshener at least someone attempted to mask the stale beer and sweat from last weekend’s party. The single overhead light flickers just enough to make my temples throb, casting long shadows over the pile of textbooks, half-empty Red Bull cans, and a suspicious stain on the carpet that I really don’t want to examine too closely. Five of us are crammed in here….me, Jake, Tyler, Mia, and Liam, all sprawled across the twin bed, the desk chair, and the floor like we’re playing some kind of twisted game of Tetris.

"So, you're... both?" "Something like that," Fin said, shrugging. "You want to keep living, you keep your head down and you don't ask about my business. We’re roommates. We stay out of each other's hair. Sound like a plan?" I sank back onto my mattress, the exhaustion finally hitting me. "Yeah. Whatever. Just... don't do that again." "No promises," Fin grinned, then laid back and stared at the ceiling. The next morning, the breakfast bell screamed through the block. I dragged myself out of bed, my body aching in places I didn't want to think about.

Each bedroom had a study table, a dresser, a single bed, and soft beige curtains that brushed the windows gently whenever the wind slipped in. Our parents agreed to the arrangement because we told them we didn’t want anything loud or fancy. We just wanted to study, graduate, and return home. Of course, I was roommates with Raven. Who else would I rather share a space with than my best friend? We’d known each other since middle school—been through heartbreaks, bad grades, and late-night breakdowns together. Living under the same roof only felt natural.

“Maybe when your other roomie gets back we can have a girl’s night. Hopefully, she’s friendlier than the frozen twins.” Turner and Jessie, my other two roommates, weren’t twins in the literal sense. They just had the same resting bitch face and frigid attitude. I’d tried to introduce myself to them, but they turned away without a word and vanished into their respective bedrooms. Natasha was my fourth and final roommate. She was out of town for a few days visiting family, but she was supposed to be back by Wednesday. I crushed my now empty can and tossed it in the bin beside the kitchen island. “We can give it a try.”

He nodded as he checked it out. “This is nice. Way better than the tiny spots I’ve been looking at. Rent split sounds fair too.” He turned to her. “You sure you’re cool with a guy roommate? I know your ad said female preferred.” Mia shrugged. “I was hoping for a girl, but you seem normal. And I need someone now. If you’re good with the rules…no bringing random people over without asking, keep the common areas clean…we can try it.” Jamal grinned. “Deal. When can I move in?”

POV: Silver Preston I have barely managed to pull my toiletries from the depths of my duffel bag when Americus materializes beside my bed like a sequined genie, hands planted on her hips. "We need a bonding night." I look up from the narrow desk where I am attempting to arrange the handful of things I brought. A few textbooks. My phone charger. A small prescription bottle I slide quickly toward the back corner, out of easy view. "Mandatory roommate tradition," she continues, already pulling out her phone. "Non-negotiable."

I'm actually doing this. At 4 PM, my roommate arrived. Jessica Torres, Filipino, bright smile, sociology major. Her parents helped her move in. She was cheerful, organized and immediately started decorating her side. Fairy lights, photos of friends, colorful bedding. "Sorry I'm late! Traffic was insane." She said. "No problem. I'm Aria, music education major." "Jessica. But everyone calls me Jess." We worked out the room, who gets which shelf and how to share the space.