Normal guy
685 Words
The music played softly in my ears as the afternoon slowly passed.
Song after song blended together while I stayed curled on my bed, staring at the pale wall in front of me. The lyrics barely registered in my mind. Mostly, the music was just there to fill the silence.
Across the room, Ethan was still at his desk.
Every now and then I could hear the quiet tapping of his keyboard or the faint creak of his chair when he leaned back. It was strange how quickly the presence of another person had become normal.
Yesterday morning, I didn’t even know he existed.
Now we were sharing a room.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the music drown out everything else.
But eventually my phone vibrated lightly in my hand.
I ignored it at first.
Then it buzzed again.
I sighed and opened my eyes before pulling one earbud out.
When I checked the screen, it was Lily again.
So???
Another message appeared right after.
You never finished telling me about the roommate situation.
I almost smiled.
I typed slowly.
There’s not much to tell.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Does he snore?
I rolled my eyes.
I don’t know. I met him yesterday.
Another message popped up.
Have you guys talked?
I glanced across the room without turning my head too much.
Ethan was leaning slightly forward, focused on whatever was on his laptop screen.
Not really, I typed. Just normal stuff.
Lily responded immediately.
Wow. So you’re sharing a room with a random guy and it’s just… normal?
I thought about that for a second.
Normal probably wasn’t the right word.
But it also wasn’t as chaotic as it sounded.
It’s not that dramatic, I replied.
Another pause.
Then Lily sent:
Okay but be honest.
Is he cute or not?
I sighed quietly.
You are unbelievable.
Across the room, Ethan suddenly pushed his chair back and stretched his arms over his head.
I quickly looked back at my phone before he noticed.
He’s just a guy, I typed.
Lily sent a laughing emoji.
That means yes.
I didn’t bother replying.
Instead, I locked my phone again and slipped the earbud back in.
The music continued playing, but my attention drifted across the room again.
Ethan had closed his laptop now.
He leaned back in his chair and checked his phone.
A few seconds later, the familiar small smile appeared on his face again.
The same one I noticed last night.
Like whoever he was texting actually made him happy.
He typed something quickly.
His phone buzzed again almost immediately.
He chuckled quietly.
I looked away again, staring back at the wall.
That feeling returned.
Not jealousy exactly.
Just… a quiet kind of sadness.
Because I used to have that too.
Late-night conversations.
Random funny messages.
The feeling of someone being excited to talk to you.
Now my phone mostly stayed quiet.
And when Ryan did message me, it was things like those stupid reels.
I sighed softly and turned the music up a little louder.
A few minutes later, Ethan stood up from his chair.
I noticed him walking toward the door out of the corner of my eye.
He paused before opening it.
“Hey,” he said.
I pulled one earbud out again.
“Yeah?”
“I’m going to grab something from the vending machine downstairs,” he said. “You want anything?”
The question caught me off guard.
“Uh… no, I’m okay,” I said.
He nodded.
“Alright.”
Then he opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
The room fell quiet again.
I pulled the earbud back in and let the music continue.
But this time, the silence didn’t feel as heavy.
Maybe it was just because I wasn’t thinking about Ryan as much anymore.
Or maybe it was because I was slowly getting used to the strange reality of my new life.
New campus.
New routines.
And a roommate I never expected to have.
I closed my eyes again, letting the music carry me away from my thoughts for a while.
- Writer
