After The BreakUp

Chapter Three

My mother sighs, "B22." Her heels are absurdly high considering how much walking we do. I insert the key into the old wooden door at the end of a long hallway, and when it creaks open, my mother lets out a loud gasp.

Two workstations and two single beds are present in the compact space. My eyes eventually find the source of my mother's shock: a wall covered in music posters for bands I've never heard of, with tattoos covering their bodies and pierced faces.

The female lying across one bed has brilliant red hair, eyes that appear to be coated with inches of black eyeliner, and arms that are covered in colourful Tattoos.

"Hey," she adds, flashing me a smile that, much to my surprise, I find extremely alluring. "Steph here." When Noah's eyes are fixed on her chest, she sits up on her elbows, causing her cleavage to press tightly against her laced-up top. I gently kick at his shoe.

“H-hey," I choke out, "I'm Tessa," with all of my manners flying out the window.

"Nice to meet you, Tessa. Welcome to WCU, where the parties are large and the residence halls are little."

The girl with the red hair widens her smile. As she observes the three scared looks in front of her, her head reclines into a fit of laughter.

Noah shifts uneasily as my mother's jaw is virtually on the floor. Steph approaches, closes the distance between us, and encircles my body with her frail arms. I'm briefly stunned by her adoration, but I thank her for her thoughtfulness. Immediately after Noah places my things on the floor, there is a knock on the door, and I can't help but wish that this whole situation is a joke.

My new roommate yells, "Come in!" Before she can say goodbye, the door opens, and two boys enter.

On the first day, were there boys in the female dorms? Washington Central may not have been the best choice.

Or maybe I could have first found a means to vet my roommate? My mother's face is covered in pain, so I may presume that her thoughts have followed a similar path. The poor woman seemed to be on the verge of passing out.

One of the boys remarks, "Hey, you Steph's roommate." There are hints of brown in the straight-up style of his blonde hair. His arms are covered in tattoos, and the nickel-sized earrings he wears are on his ear.

"Um . . . yes. I manage to say, "My name is Tessa.

Nate here. He smiles and reaches out to stroke my shoulder, telling me not to appear so anxious. "You'll adore this place." Despite his stern demeanor, his expression is friendly and welcoming.

Steph responds, pulling a large, dark bag from her bed, "I'm ready, gentlemen. The tall boy with brown hair leaning against the wall catches my attention.

He has metal in his lip and eyebrow, and his hair is a mop of thick waves that are brushed back off his forehead. My attention shifts to his arms, which are completely covered in tattoos as I go down his black T-shirt. His seem all black, gray, and white, unlike Steph's and Nate's. He is tall and slender, and although I am aware that I am staring at him in a rude manner, I can't help it.

I'm expecting him to introduce himself like his friend did, but instead he keeps quiet, rolls his eyes in irritation, and takes a phone out of the pocket of his slim black pants.

He's not quite as amiable as Steph or Nate. However, he is more alluring; something about him makes it difficult for me to take my eyes away from his face. I finally look away and seemed to be shocked when I saw Noah was still staring at me.