Rules
1757 Words
Taylor's POV:
I waited until everyone started packing up before I shoved my notebook into my backpack.
Apart from Elias’ presence, attending the meeting had actually been nice.
The room buzzed with conversation as people discussed the book, but I wasn't interested anymore.
I only wanted to go back to my room, eat something and sleep. I paused when a face appeared in my head and I couldn't help but groan internally.
I just wanted the room to myself at this point.
"Taylor."
I looked up to find Tony smiling at me. He looked weirdly attractive in his own way, and maybe it was the way his hair covered his ears.
Tony wasn't the only one whose hair seemed deliberately grown over his ears. One girl even tucked a loose strand back into place the second slipped behind her ear.
"You made a good point today."
"Oh..." I scratched the back of my neck. "Thanks."
Receiving a personal compliment from Tony was awkward, but it had me grinning.
"We usually continue the discussion in the group chat too. I'll add you later."
I nodded.
"Cool."
It felt nice being fully accepted because that was what I had been worried about.
Just as I turned to leave, a shoulder bumped hard into mine.
I let out a gasp when I stumbled and looked up.
Of course, it was the jerk!
He didn't even spare me a glance as he walked past.
"Rude," I muttered under my breath.
"What was that?" he asked without stopping.
My eyes went wide a fraction at the fact that he actually heard that.
"Nothing."
"Thought so,” he said then disappeared.
I couldn't help but glare at his retreating body. How did everyone even find him nice to hang around with?
By the time I got back to the dorm, my stomach was growling so I threw my bag onto my bed before opening one of the kitchen cabinets.
Instant noodles.
Perfect.
I let out a hum from my childhood memory as I pulled out one.
Ten minutes later, I was happily slurping the last strand when the room's door opened and Elias walked in.
I was thankful that at least I was done with my food when he walked in, which means no indigestion for me.
My eyes followed him around as he opened the fridge and drank straight from it.
My nose scrunched up as I looked at him in utter disgust.
The water trailed down his mouth then dropped to the floor. So barbaric.
As if that wasn't enough, Elias shoved his head into the fridge and brought out the milk.
“Please don't be disgusting,” I said immediately as he opened it.
He lowered the carton in his hand and looked at me in confusion, "What?"
Oh my Lord, he didn't even think it was wrong.
“Use a cup.”
He slowly leaned on the fridge and gave me a deadpan look, which I returned.
“Get the f**k over it, Tay Tay.”
My mouth opened and closed in shock. Someone should kill him already.
I hated how unbothered he looked as he plopped down on his bed without showering.
Elias pulled out something he was sitting on and my brows etched.
No it couldn't be.
Hell no.
I stood up and ran to the bathroom, almost tripping on my way.
It wasn't there. My towel wasn't on the door.
“f*****g hell. Elias!” I yelled at the top of my lungs as I stomped back to the room.
He was on his phone and only spared me a glance when I stood next to his bed.
My heart was beating fast as I balled my hand into a tight fist.
“What now?” he asked with a groan.
I let out a puff of air and said, “Did you use my f*****g towel?”
Elias’ eyes went to the cream-coloured towel he had pulled from underneath himself.
So he knew!
“I guess so,” he said, and my eyes went wide.
He guesses so??
I ran my hand through my tangled hair and let out a dry chuckle.
“Why?”
“It was near.”
I stared at him.
He didn't even look at me. Instead, he tapped on his phone and played a voice note.
I couldn't take this anymore.
I can swear on my life that he had his bath before me.
I let out a shaky breath to stay calm and said, “Elias, I don't appreciate you using my stuff.”
His eyes narrowed, and I wasn't sure if it was because of what I said or the notification he just received.
“Okay.”
“You're unbelievable.”
“I've been called worse, baby,” he said and let his eyes rest on me.
My heart skipped a beat.
“Did you just fall for me?”
I glared at him and could only wish I could smack that smirk off his face.
I snatched my towel from his bed and went back to my bed.
Just before I climbed it, I paused and turned back to him.
“You know what? Chloe was right.”
He frowned and tilted his head, “Who?”
I hated the fact that someone with such a bad character was sitting on the bed as if he belonged in a vogue magazine.
“My best friend.”
Elias went quiet, as if he was trying to figure something out in his head.
“High-school?”
I bit my inner lips and shook my head.
“Wait… not in uni, right?”
I didn't say a word.
"The one you've known for..." He checked an imaginary watch. "... Half a day?"
"That's not the point,” I said and let out an exasperated sigh.
It was embarrassing that he was right about that. Calling Chloe my best friend was really a stretch.
"Then what's the point?"
"The point is that we need rules,” I said as I picked up the pen on my table.
At least, he didn't touch it.
"For what?"
"For living together without me ending up in prison."
He let out a short laugh. Like an actual laughter that got on my nerves.
Ignoring him, I grabbed my notebook and ripped out a page.
In the biggest letters I could manage, I wrote:
ROOM RULES
Stop using my shampoo.
Stop using my towel.
Bathroom limit: Twenty minutes.
Don't touch my food.
Stay on your side of the room.
Knock before entering the bathroom.
Respect my privacy.
I proudly stared at it before I taped it on the door.
Elias walked over to it and read through it, squinting his eyes as if my handwriting was that bad.
“Your handwriting… you need to improve it.”
I rolled my eyes and went back to my bed.
I watched Elias walk back to his bed but instead of lying down, he opened his bag.
What was he up to now?
He walked back to the paper with a marker and when he opened it, I asked, "What are you doing?"
He ignored me and I sat up.
Underneath my list, he wrote:
MY RULES
Stop screaming.
Buy better shampoo.
Stop glaring at me every five minutes.
Don't touch my protein bars.
Mind your business.
I gasped and said, "You've got some nerve."
"I know."
I ran to him and ripped the paper off the wall before he could write another word.
"I hate you,” I said venomously, but he only shrugged.
“You're a jerk.”
"I know."
"And stop saying 'I know.'"
He paused then let a smile gradually creep onto his face, "I know."
I groaned into my hands.
We eventually got tired of arguing and settled for pretending the other didn't exist.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully… if we don't count the number of times, I had to wake up to tell Elias to stop laughing loudly.
It was now a bit after two in the morning and since I slept early, I was wide awake.
My eyes instinctively went to Elias’ bed and a frown appeared. He wasn't there.
There was definitely a curfew, so there was no way he was out of the dorm.
My throat felt dry when I let out a yawn, so I stood up to get water.
I had barely drunk from my cup when I noticed that Elias’ window was opened and rain was falling heavily.
I stared at his bed, which was getting wet for a second, then looked away.
I didn't care.
He wouldn't care if it was me.
I glanced at it one more time when I was done drinking, then let out a groan.
I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it if I didn't do something.
I begrudgingly dropped my cup and went to his window, trying not to think much about it.
That's when I saw him.
Elias.
He was crossing the courtyard with two more people.
My brows knitted together.
I didn't know if it was the fact that they looked comfortable in the rain or the black clothes they all wore.
That was definitely not for football practice.
A few seconds later, three more people joined them and I recognised two of them from the reading club.
“That's weird,” I said to myself as I leaned further.
One had a lamp? No, there was no lamp in her hand, but there was definitely a fire that the rain didn't quench.
Was I dreaming?
I rested my elbows on the windowsill to get closer, ignoring how the rain stung my face.
The group kept walking and headed towards the line of trees behind campus.
What are they doing?
One by one, they stepped off the path and disappeared between the trees.
Just before Elias vanished completely, he suddenly stopped.
Slowly…
He turned around and I felt my breath hitch.
Even though I knew that there was no way he could possibly see me from here, instinct took over.
I ducked below the window anyway. My heart hammered against my chest and I placed my hand on it.
Why was I even hiding when he was far away?
After a few seconds, I carefully peeked over the windowsill again.
The courtyard was empty, and the group had disappeared.
I stared at the dark forest for a long moment.
Whatever they were doing out was definitely not a book club meeting.
- Writer
