ROOMMATE
1080 Words
I woke up with a start, realizing I had slept off on the sofa. I was still trying to shake off the sleep, itching my eyes, when I saw Valentin come out of his room.
"Good morning," I said, trying to sound cheerful.
But Valentin just walked past me, not even acknowledging my greeting. He looked...off. His eyes were dark, his face pale.
I felt a pang of worry. What was wrong? Had I done something to upset him?
I tried to ask him, but he just kept walking. He grabbed his bag and left the house, slamming the door behind him.
I was left standing there, feeling confused and concerned. What had happened?
I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself it was none of my business. But I couldn't help wondering what was going on with Valentin.
And then I remembered the way he had caught me when I fell asleep, the way he had held me. It had felt...intimate.
I blushed, feeling a flutter in my chest. Was it possible that Valentin felt something for me too?
But then I remembered the way he had just ignored me, and my hopes were dashed.
I sighed, trying to focus on my day. I had classes to attend, things to do. But my mind kept wandering back to Valentin, wondering what was wrong, and if everything was okay between us.
I was walking back to my hostel, lost in thought, when my phone rang. It was the hostel manager.
"Ava, I need to talk to you about something," she said, sounding serious.
"What's up?" I asked, feeling a sense of trepidation.
"It's about Valentin. He's requested to change his roommate."
My heart skipped a beat. "What? Why?"
"I don't know, but he's been quite insistent. He wants to move to a different room, one with a different roommate."
I felt a pang of disappointment, mixed with confusion. Why would Valentin want to change roommates? We had gotten along fine, hadn't we?
"Okay, I understand," I said, trying to sound calm.
But inside, I was wondering what I had done wrong. Had I done something to upset him?
And then I remembered the way he had looked at me the day before, the way he had ignored me that morning.
Maybe it was more than just a simple roommate change. Maybe it was about us.
I entered the house, furious. "Valentin!" I called out, my voice echoing through the hallway.
He came out of his room, looking calm and collected. "What's up, Ava?" he asked, his tone neutral.
"Why do you want to change roommates?" I demanded, my hands on my hips.
Valentin shrugged. "I just feel uncomfortable sharing an apartment with a female."
I rolled my eyes. "We have separate rooms, Valentin. What's the problem?"
He hesitated, looking away. "It's just...I don't know. I feel like it's not right."
"Not right?" I repeated, incredulous. "We're just roommates, Valentin. It's not like we're sharing a bed."
Valentin's eyes flashed, and for a moment, I thought I saw something there, something he quickly suppressed.
"I know that," he said, his voice tight. "But I still want to change roommates."
I threw up my hands. "Fine. Whatever. But can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Why now? We've been roommates for months. What's changed?"
Valentin's expression turned cold, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "Nothing's changed, Ava. I just think it's time for a change."
I knew he was lying, but I couldn't push him further. Whatever was going on, Valentin wasn't going to tell me.
"Fine, then let's change roommates," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's not like I care."
I turned and walked away, heading to my room. I could feel Valentin's eyes on me, but I didn't look back.
As I entered my room, I slammed the door shut behind me. I was angry, but also hurt. Why did Valentin want to change roommates? What had I done wrong?
I flopped down on my bed, feeling frustrated. I didn't understand Valentin. One minute he was nice to me, the next he was cold and distant.
I thought about our conversation earlier, about how he had felt uncomfortable sharing an apartment with a female. It didn't make sense. We had been roommates for months, and he had never mentioned it before.
I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to confront Valentin, to ask him why he was really leaving. But another part of me just wanted to let it go.
As I lay there, I heard the doorbell ring. It was probably the new roommate, coming to check out the place.
I didn't get up. I didn't want to meet the new roommate. I didn't want to deal with Valentin's drama anymore.
But as I lay there, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was losing something. Something important.
VALENTIN'S POINT OF VIEW
I watched as Ava shut the door to her room, feeling a pang of guilt. A part of me wanted to stop her, to explain everything, but another part of me wanted to let her go.
I didn't know what to do. I was torn between my desire to be near her and my need to protect myself.
The doorbell rang, breaking the silence. I opened the door, expecting to see a female face. But instead, I saw a guy. Tall, muscular, with a friendly smile.
"Hey, I'm Max," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm the new roommate."
I shook his hand, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe having a male roommate would help me avoid the temptation that was Ava.
But as I showed Max around the apartment, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. He was going to be living with Ava, spending time with her, getting to know her.
I pushed the thought aside, telling myself I was being ridiculous. I had made the decision to change roommates, and now I had to live with it.
But as I watched Max and Ava interact, laughing and chatting like old friends, I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Maybe I had made a mistake. Maybe I should have just dealt with my feelings, instead of running away from them.
But it was too late now. Max was here, and I was stuck with the consequences of my actions.
- Writer
