ACCIDENTAL ROOMMATE

Lost

I stared at the latest notification from Ryan for a long moment before finally locking my phone without opening it.

I couldn’t keep doing this.

Every reel he sent somehow managed to leave me feeling worse than before.

With a frustrated sigh, I pushed myself off the bed and grabbed my wallet from the desk.

Maybe I just needed air.

The room suddenly felt too small, too full of thoughts I didn’t want to think about.

Across the room, Ethan was gone already, probably still walking around campus like he mentioned earlier.

For a second, I was glad.

Not because I minded him being there… but because I didn’t want anyone seeing the expression on my face right now.

I slipped my phone into my hoodie pocket and headed out of the dorm.

The evening air outside felt cooler than I expected.

The campus looked softer at this hour, the golden sunlight fading slowly as students moved through walkways and grassy areas in scattered groups.

Some people already looked completely comfortable here, laughing loudly like they’d known each other forever.

I couldn’t relate.

Everything still felt unfamiliar to me.

I walked slowly with no real destination in mind, just trying to quiet my thoughts.

Eventually I ended up near the small lake behind the library.

Ethan had been right—it was nice.

The water reflected the evening sky, and the area was calm compared to the rest of campus.

I sat down on an empty bench and let out a slow breath.

For the first time all day, things felt quiet inside my head.

Well… almost.

My phone buzzed again in my pocket.

I froze for a second before pulling it out.

Another reel from Ryan.

I stared at the notification without opening it.

Then, before I could stop myself, I clicked on his profile instead.

His account loaded instantly.

The first thing I noticed was his active status.

Online.

Of course.

I looked through his page absentmindedly until I drifted toward his liked reels again.

More videos.

More pretty girls.

More funny relationship videos he hadn’t sent to me.

I swallowed hard and quickly locked my phone again.

Why was I even doing this to myself?

I leaned back against the bench and closed my eyes for a moment.

The breeze moved softly through the trees around the lake, calming me slightly.

“Guess you found the lake.”

I opened my eyes.

Ethan stood a few feet away holding a soda bottle.

“Oh,” I said softly. “Yeah.”

He nodded toward the bench.

“Mind if I sit?”

I shook my head.

“Go ahead.”

He sat down beside me, leaving enough space between us that it still felt comfortable.

For a while, neither of us said anything.

We just sat there quietly watching the water.

It was strange, but the silence didn’t feel awkward anymore.

Eventually Ethan tilted his head slightly.

“So,” he said casually, “how are you liking college so far?”

I let out a small laugh.

“It’s been one day.”

“Fair point.”

I looked out toward the lake again.

“It’s okay, I guess,” I added. “Still feels weird.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I thought I’d feel more prepared for this.”

“You moved across the country too,” I pointed out.

“True.”

Another quiet moment passed.

Then Ethan glanced toward me briefly.

“You seem stressed.”

I looked down at my phone in my hands.

“Just tired.”

He nodded slowly like he didn’t fully believe me, but he didn’t ask more questions.

I appreciated that.

Most people would’ve kept pushing.

Instead, he leaned back against the bench and looked out at the water again.

“I got lost three times today,” he admitted.

I smiled faintly.

“Only three?”

“Okay, maybe five.”

That made me laugh quietly.

The sound surprised even me.

For the first time since arriving at college, things felt… normal.

Not perfect.

Not magically fixed.

But easier somehow.

Maybe it was because Ethan didn’t expect anything from me.

He wasn’t asking emotional questions or trying to force conversation.

He just sat there beside me, talking when it happened naturally and staying quiet when it didn’t.

My phone buzzed again in my hand.

I ignored it this time without even looking.

Ethan noticed the vibration but didn’t comment on it.

Instead he pointed toward the far side of the lake.

“There’s apparently a coffee place over there that stays open late,” he said. “A guy in my orientation group told me.”

“You trust random orientation people already?” I asked.

He shrugged dramatically.

“At this point, I have no choice.”

I laughed again softly, shaking my head.

The knot in my chest loosened just a little.

Not completely.

But enough that, for the next few minutes, I stopped thinking about Ryan altogether.