MY RIVAL BECOME MY LOVER

chapter 2:One Border One Night

The first week of sharing Room 14 with Brian was not living. It was war.

We made rules on paper and stuck them on the wall. Rule 1: Bathroom time - 5:30 to 5:45 Jay, 5:45 to 6:00 Brian. Rule 2: Cooking - Jay cooks Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Brian cooks Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Sunday we buy food outside. Rule 3: No bringing partners to room without 24 hours notice. Rule 4: No touching other person's books, laptop, clothes. Rule 5: The pillow wall in middle of bed must never be removed.

We both signed like it was a peace treaty.

But rules are made to be broken.

Morning bathroom war - we both woke at 5 AM, earlier than rule, to be first. We would run to bathroom like athletes. One morning we both got stuck at door at same time. Chest to chest. He was wearing only shorts, I was wearing vest. We stared at each other for three seconds, breathing hard, then he said "After you, champion" and I entered first.

Evening cooking war - My food is better than his. His rice is better than mine. When I cook, he says "You put too much water." When he cooks, I say "You put too much salt, you cannot cook." But we eat each other's food anyway because buying food outside is expensive.

And the bed. The pillow wall was our border. It divided Room 14 into two countries. My country had my blue blanket from home, his country had his grey expensive blanket. In middle, one big ugly brown pillow as border.

On night two, border failed.

I woke up at 2 AM feeling something warm on my leg. I opened eyes. Brian's leg had crossed the pillow wall. His leg was touching my leg. He was deep asleep, breathing soft, mouth slightly open. In sleep, he doesn't look proud. He looks like a small boy.

I wanted to shout, but I didn't. I looked at his face for one minute. Long eyelashes, soft lips. Then I shook him. "Brian! Your leg is in my country!"

He woke up confused. "What? Sorry. It's cold on my side."

"Your side is same as my side, it's same blanket!"

He pulled leg back but his scent remained on my side. That expensive cologne. I hate that I like it.

On Wednesday, big rain happened. Heavy rain. Floods everywhere. The kind of rain that makes the university field become a lake. Classes were cancelled. We were locked inside Room 14 whole day, no way to go out. Water outside up to knee.

We were bored. He was writing his new story on laptop, titled "The CEO's Secret". I was writing mine, "Love in the Hostel". Silent competition.

After two hours of silence, he broke it.

"Your dialogue is weak," he said without looking at my screen.

I got angry. "You are looking at my screen again! Stop!"

"I didn't look. Your screen brightness is 100%. Anyone can see. And your main character cries in every chapter. Real men don't cry that much."

"Your characters have no heart! Only money, cars. No real love. You write like a rich spoiled boy who never suffered."

He stood up suddenly. Closed his laptop. Came to my chair. Stood too close. I was sitting, he was standing. His height covered me.

"Show me what heart means, Mr. Storyteller with heart," he said, voice low.

My heart started beating very fast. "Brian, move back. You are too close."

"Why? Are you scared of me? The great Jay who is not scared of anything?"

"I'm not scared of you. I hate you."

He smiled, slow smile. "You think about me too much for someone you hate. You write stories with my name. You argue with me in class. If you hate me, why are you obsessed?"

I had no answer.

He took my laptop gently and read my story. It was indeed about two boys who hated each other since first year and were forced to share room.

He looked at me, eyes now serious.

"Is this about us, Jay? Honestly?"

I took laptop back. "No! It's fiction! Imagination!"

"If it's fiction, why is the rival called B. Mwangi? You forgot to change name."

My face burned. I was exposed.

He laughed, but soft laugh. "You write about me at night."

That night, power went off again at midnight. Total darkness. My phone died. I am scared of darkness since I was small.

I started shaking under blanket.

In darkness, I heard his voice. "Jay? Are you okay? You are shaking bed."

"No. I'm fine. Just cold."

"You are lying. You are scared of darkness, right?"

"No!"

Silence. Then I felt bed move. He removed the pillow wall completely, threw it to floor. He came close, but not touching me, just near enough that I could feel his warmth.

He pulled blanket to cover both of us properly.

"Sleep now. I am here. No darkness will eat you when I am here," he whispered near my ear.

For first time in three years of hating Brian, I felt safe. For first time, I wanted the night to be longer.

I slept. No border. No war. Just his breath near me.

And I wondered - what is happening to me?