Focus
907 Words
By the time I came back from the bathroom, to check the hallway,the hallway was alive with noise.
Doors opening.
People laughing.
Someone loudly complaining about getting lost on the way to breakfast.
College in the morning felt completely different from the quiet night before.
I quickly brushed my hair again and threw on a pair of jeans and sneakers. My mind was still half asleep, but the panic from oversleeping had definitely woken me up.
As I grabbed my backpack from the chair, my eyes drifted back to the bed.
Ryan’s hoodie was still there.
For a moment I just stared at it.
Then I picked it up and folded it carefully before placing it inside my drawer. Not because I wanted to get rid of it… but because I didn’t want to keep staring at it every time I walked into the room.
My phone buzzed suddenly in my hand.
My heart jumped immediately.
Ryan.
I opened the message quickly.
But it wasn’t him.
It was my best friend, Lily.
Did you survive your first night???
I let out a small breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding.
Barely, I typed back. You will not believe what happened.
The typing bubble appeared instantly.
WHAT happened??
I hesitated before replying.
My roommate is a guy.
There was a long pause.
Then my phone buzzed again.
EXCUSE ME???
I laughed quietly.
Long story. My actual roommate switched rooms so now I’m stuck with him.
Lily replied almost immediately.
Is he cute?
I rolled my eyes.
Lily.
That’s not the point.
Another message popped up.
Okay but is he though?
I thought about Ethan for a second.
His messy hair from this morning. The way he awkwardly stood beside my bed trying to wake me up. The small smile he kept getting when he texted whoever he was talking to last night.
He’s… normal, I finally replied.
That was the safest answer.
Lily didn’t seem convinced.
That means yes.
I shoved my phone into my bag before she could ask more questions.
The last thing I needed right now was her turning my accidental roommate situation into a romantic comedy.
I stepped out into the hallway, joining the stream of students heading downstairs.
The morning air outside the dorm was cool and bright. The campus looked even bigger during the day. Students were everywhere—walking in groups, checking maps, or rushing toward buildings.
For a moment I just stood there, taking it all in.
This was really happening.
My first year of college had officially started.
And somehow my first day had already included:
An unexpected male roommate.
Crying over my ex.
And oversleeping my orientation.
Not exactly the smooth start I had imagined.
As I started walking toward the student center, my phone buzzed again in my pocket.
My heart jumped automatically.
I pulled it out.
Ryan.
My chest tightened instantly.
The message was short.
Sorry. Fell asleep last night.
I stopped walking for a second.
Then another message appeared.
How’s college so far?
That was it.
No mention of my roommate situation.
No questions.
Just a simple check-in.
I stared at the screen while students walked past me.
Part of me felt relieved he had replied at all.
Another part of me felt strangely disappointed.
I typed slowly.
It’s… interesting.
I hit send and slipped my phone back into my pocket before I could overthink it.
Maybe Lily was right.
Maybe I needed to stop focusing so much on Ryan.
Because right now my life had completely changed.
New place.
New people.
New experiences waiting to happen.
And whether I liked it or not…
One of those new people was currently living in the same dorm room as me.
⸻
About an hour later, I was walking back toward the dorm building after the chaotic orientation session.
My head was full of information I was pretty sure I would forget within two days.
As I stepped inside the building, I heard a familiar voice coming from the lounge area.
“Dude, I’m telling you, it wasn’t planned.”
I paused.
Ethan.
He was sitting on one of the couches with his phone held to his ear.
“I know it sounds fake,” he continued. “But the housing office literally put me in a room with a girl.”
I tried not to smile.
There was a short pause as the person on the other end probably responded.
Ethan leaned back against the couch.
“No, she’s actually pretty normal,” he said. “We just kind of stay out of each other’s way.”
I pretended not to hear the rest and walked toward the stairs.
But as I passed the lounge, Ethan glanced up.
Our eyes met for a second.
He quickly said something into the phone before hanging up.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“How was orientation?” he asked.
I sighed dramatically.
“Long.”
He nodded sympathetically.
“Same.”
For a moment we just stood there in the hallway.
Still technically strangers.
Still roommates.
Still trying to figure out how this whole situation was supposed to work.
Then Ethan tilted his head slightly.
“Did you at least manage to stay awake for yours?” he asked.
I groaned.
“Don’t remind me.”
He laughed.
And for the first time that day, the knot in my chest loosened just a little.
- Writer
