The 5th Roommate

Time

______

"Time isn't just the main thing. It's the only thing."

- Miles Davis

_____

I BREATHED IN the cold air as I pushed myself further, the music in my ears in perfect rhythm with my pounding steps. I inhaled when my right foot hit the ground and exhaled when my left foot did on the next stride. I focused on my breathing, the music, and the slow rise of day. I could feel the city waking up from slumber, the sounds slowly adding on to each other until it formed that constant buzz I've grown to love.

I took care of my body, and it showed. I ate healthy, worked out religiously, and took the time to track my progress. It made me feel amazing, and it gave me a sense of peace knowing this was something I could control. Normally, I would run outside with just leggings and a sports bra, but today was a bit cold so I opted for a windbreaker. I've been running for about thirty minutes now, and the constant swish, swish of my windbreaker was starting to annoy me. I could hear it through the music.

I stopped to catch my breath at the convenience store near our apartment building, greeting the owner with a smile and nod as I wheezed like someone who's been smoking for twenty years.

"You're up early," a honey-smooth voice sounded behind me. I turned around to see Reo with two full plastic bags in her hands, probably the essentials she needed for her stay.

I nodded, my heart beat accelerating as usual at just the sight of her. "So are you."

She chuckled, hefting the heavy bag.

"Oh, s**t, sorry let me help you with that." I moved to carry one, taking it from her gently.

"Why, thank you, Miss Leon."

"You can thank me anytime, Miss Crane." I winked. I hardly ever flirted, but it seemed so natural with her. "What's in this?" I adjusted the bag in my arms that seemed to be growing heavier by the second.

"A baby panda."

"Of course. You're in China. Why not grab the chance, right?"

"Exactly."

I chuckled. She was so easy to talk to.

"Nah I'm kidding. It's a sound system. For the kids."

I looked at her, c*****g my brow. "That's sweet and all, but you know they already have a sound system at the school, right? Inside and out the building."

"Shoot." She started to bite on her lower lip, making me distracted as hell. Then she shrugged, her flawless waves bouncing on her shoulders at the action. "Guess now I have speakers in our room then."

"And how, pray tell, are you so sure I'm going to like your taste in music?" I tried to sound skeptical.

"Who says I'm going to be playing music?"

"So it's porn? Naughty."

"Shhhh people might hear my secret."

I laughed. "It won't be so secret if you blast all that moaning through the speakers."

"Well then, it's a good thing I bought an extra foam so we can sound-proof your room." She waggled her perfect eyebrows then laughed with me.

"Oh my god, my roommate is a nymphomaniac." I tsked, shaking my head.

"You seriously need to stop spilling all my secrets."

I smiled.

"Whoa wait. Have you tried this place?" I stopped in front of my family's favorite restaurant, smoke steaming out from inside the busy place.

"I've been here less than 48 hours, Soraya, I can't say I have." Reo chuckled, wrinkling her nose against the cold.

I tilted my head towards the restaurant, my hands full. "Have you had breakfast?"

"Just a cup of coffee."

"You need real food. Come on."

We ended up ordering two large bowls of my favorite noodles, roughly translated in english to "Over The Bridge Noodles" and they were served piping hot in a large ceramic bowl. The bubbling beef stew smelled like heaven.

"Whoa, how does it cook when it doesn't have fire?" Reo's honey eyes widened in amazement.

"The bowl holds the heat in," I explained, digging my chopsticks into some raw, thin beef strips and dunking it in my bowl. After about three seconds, I pulled it back out, cooked. "See? Delicious."

"That's so cool," Reo breathed as she tried the same thing. She took her chopsticks and tried to grab a piece of beef. Failed. Tried again.

"I suck," Reo's eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. "At using these." Her pink tongue snaked out the side of her lip as she tried to readjust the bamboo sticks on her delicate fingers.

I laughed. "It's alright, they have forks and spoons here." She looked absolutely adorable.

Moments later, we were slurping down our noodles.

"Oh my god," Reo moaned. "This is amazing!" She was sniffling, and I knew it was from the heat of the soup against the cold.

I nodded in agreement as I grabbed a hard boiled egg and began to peel it, watching as Reo reached for hers and started doing the same. I split mine open and took out the yolk, popping it in my mouth. I left the white part on the side dish as I chewed.

I looked up just in time to see Reo eat her white part and drop the egg yolk on the side dish, and my eyebrows shot up in interest.

"You don't like egg yolks?"

"Nope," Reo chewed before speaking. "You?"

I nodded towards the side dish. She looked. Then looked at me.

"Would you look at that," she laughed. "We're so perfect for each other. You can have my egg yolks from now on."

I had no idea it was possible to eat with a grin as wide as mine.

After we paid, we started walking home. The streets were already becoming more busy as people left their homes for work in the early chinese morning.

"So were you born here?" Reo asked.

"Kind of...? I mean I was born as we were flying here over the Pacific ocean."

Honey brown eyes widened. "So what's your citizenship?"

"Pacifician." I said with a straight face.

"That's a thing?" She pressed the button for the elevator that would take us to my family's penthouse.

"Oh yeah," I nodded solemnly as we stepped on and the doors closed. "There are only ten of us. We're rare."

"Wow," she gushed, and I couldn't help chuckling. She's so gullible. "That's so cool."

I was looking at her like I was trying to stiffle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" She wrinkled her nose. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I shrugged just as the elevator dinged and I stepped off. "Nothing. Google it."

"You're weird, Miss Leon."

"Right back at ya, Miss Crane."

______

"Raya? Oh thank goodness you're back." My mom rushed, pulling off her jacket as she briskly walked to her office. "I need you to pick up something for me at the school. Just look for Miss Khol."

I threw my head back and groaned. "Oh no."

"Oh, yes." My mom frowned. "Be nice."

I threw my hands up while walking backwards to the shower. "I am nice!"

"Yeah, right," Reo playfully winked from her seat st the kitchen table. I stuck out a tongue at her.

I quickly showered and changed into black jeans, a navy blue tshirt and a grey sweatshirt. Instead of my leather jacket, I opted for my black jeans jacket. It was my typical outfit for winter. I didn't like to waste time thinking too much on what to wear. I grabbed my keys on the way out.

"Reo, isn't your orientation today?" My mom was saying, glasses perched on top of her head while her head was poked out her office.

Reo's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh. I totally forgot. Thanks for reminding me!" She got up quickly and I admired her athletic legs. Her jeans were so tight you could see she had such nice, long legs that I could admire for days. I wish my legs were as nicely toned as hers.

"Earth to Soraya," an amused voice broke through my thoughts.

The blush in my cheeks was noticeable, I just know it.

"What?"

"Your mom told me I could ride with you. Would that be ok?"

Or you could just ride me.

My eyes widened at my own thoughts and I visibly cringed at myself.

"Oh, or I could just take the bus." Reo mistook my expression for something she said.

"No, no, no, it's not that!" I waved my hands, blubbering. "I was just thinking of something and it wasn't good and, um, just, yeah. You can ride with me. I'd love it if you rode me-WITH me I mean. Ride with me."

Kill me now.

"Awesome." Her perfectly white teeth showed as she went to our room to change. I sighed and sat at the dining table, scrolling through social media on my phone while I waited.

She came out wearing jeans and an oversized jacket, her cheeks pink from the rush. "Let's go."

And for the entire ride to school, all I could think about was how amazing she smelled, and how I was going to avoid Miss Khol's s****l innuendos this time.