Chapter Text
elom.
after all these years of being in high school, experiencing my cringey freshman year, the most difficult junior year...i was finally moving into my college dorm room.
but nothing...nothing...prepared me for this.
zion grabbed the last storage container from the trunk of the car, following me into the building and then back to the room. so far we've done three full trips back and forth from the car, and we were finally finished. although i tried not to seem hella tired or else zion would tease me about that.
"your roommate hasn't arrived yet? i thought they'd be here by now." zion said as he put the container on the floor by my bed. i shrugged, brushing my hand through my hair in thought. he was right--me and zion had driven here as soon as we could, and my roommate had texted me that they would be moving in today too.
"at least you were able to put in your stuff first, or else you might not have enough space when they move in all their stuff." zion reasoned. i nodded, kicking one of my clothes boxes into the closet on my side. actually, i didn't even have a closet. my room was a closet itself. i swear to god, if i just spread my arms out wide, and then took two steps to the left or right, i would already hit the wall.
"also, at least you guys have divided rooms." zion stared at the door, which connected me and my roommate's rooms together. it was a dorm room layout that i've never seen before: one where two rooms were permanently joined together with a door.
"okay yeah, but what if it gets too crammed up in here and i wanna open it? i hope they let me because i don't wanna feel all squished, to be honest." i snorted, trying the doorknob to see if it was open...and fell onto the carpet on the other side.
i heard zion's breathy laughter, and then i pushed myself up with my hands. a few seconds passed before i realized that someone was standing in front of me.
a girl.
"um...hello." she spoke, brushing her hair behind her ear. i blinked at her twice and then gulped. say something. just say something. anything.
"i thought this was the bathroom...?" and i mentally slapped myself. thank god zion was there to quickly throw his arm around my shoulders and speak for me.
"hahaha, elom, that was a good one. sorry, my brother's just a little tired from the drive here." he explained. the girl laughed then, and by laughed i mean she really laughed.
she had that type of laugh where you immediately knew it was genuine, even if you just met her. and i loved it.
"that's alright...as long as he doesn't 'feel tired from driving' in the middle of the night." she joked. this time zion laughed, and he let go of my shoulders. nudged me with his.
"well i know your name...but i don't know yours." the girl said, still staring at zion.
"his name's zion." i cut in before he could reply. i felt his eyes glaring at me while i continued.
"what's yours?"
"my name's y/n." she said, twirling the bracelet she wore around and around on her wrist. i nodded, gesturing to my brother.
"he was here helping me out in the bedroom--i mean, he helped me clean up stuff in the bedroom so it wouldn't be so messy. i mean--" smooth, elom. very smooth. very mature, too. you're definitely gonna get her falling for you by the end of the month.
and to my surprise, she genuinely laughed again. i immediately felt like i just ran a marathon...like i just achieved something great. i did. i made her laugh. and i wanted to do it again, even if i sounded dumb while trying. even if that meant zion would be laughing nonstop as soon as i get back into my room and closed the shared door.
"do you need any help to organize some stuff in your room?" zion asked y/n, glancing at mine again. "elom's room is a lost cause right now."
"oh, i mean if you don't mind. i got some photos i gotta pin up on the wall and some lights. something about you tells me that you'd be great at putting up stuff on the ceiling." y/n looked at zion again and smiled. why couldn't i be as tall as him???
me and zion stepped into y/n's room, seeing how she had already started fixing her stuff in the closet and the dimensions of the small room. a dark wooden desk sat in the corner while her bed sat along the opposite wall. the desk's decorations were simple: a small potted plant and a photo of what looked to be her and her family.
y/n directed me and zion to where her photos were, telling us where to put them and what order she wanted them in. she put on music while we worked, and pretty soon, we were all singing along to no guidance by drake and chris brown.
every few minutes, i found myself glancing at y/n. her hair was beautiful, just falling on her shoulders in the most perfect way possible. she had one of those kind faces, a face you would never get tired of looking at. a face you would want to wake up to in the morning.
zion had to shove me to get me out of my thoughts. my mind was pretty fuzzy, but i was able to look away for a few seconds.
"damn, boy, it's like you've already fallen in love." zion whispered, snickering.
"oh hell no, zion. jeez, cut me some slack."
but zion could read me like a book. and...he was probably right.
and when everything was organized in her room, zion headed back into mine and started moving the boxes aside. i stood by the doorway with y/n, asking her some question about her decorations just to keep the conversation going as long as possible without trying to waste her time.
"yeah, i actually bought the string lights from urban outfitters." y/n explained, showing me the box the lights came in. i nodded, smiling a little.
"so uh...if you just need any more help, i'm right next door." i said, my hands awkwardly going in my pockets. y/n nodded, smiling back at me.
"thanks elom. you're a really nice guy." y/n said, blushing. wow, she thinks i'm nice. i need to say something. anything. something that'll show i have the balls to compliment someone back.
"thanks...and you're realy beautiful." i replied, combing my fingers through my hair again. y/n giggled, and then she leaned a little bit closer. i glanced at her lips, then back into her eyes. was she going in for a kiss?...i really hope so, or else i'm going to look like a total weirdo.
"can i kiss you?" she said softly. oh my god. my wish came true. this can't be real. this is wayyy too early. but despite my overwhelming thoughts, i bit my bottom lip, then nodded slowly. yolo.
"of course." i whispered back.
y/n leaned closer to me, her eyes closed. i reached out and wrapped my arms around her waist, noticing that she was more curvy than i expected. she fit perfectly in my arms, and i wanted to hold her there forever.
i closed my eyes and leaned in, ready to press my lips to hers. as soon as i kissed her, i felt my nose press into her--
--i mean...my pillowcase.
i blinked in the dark. looked around the room.
i was in my bed, but i wasn't kissing y/n. i'd ended up kissing my pillow like the stupid middle school boy i was before. and my arms were wrapped tightly around the bottom of the pillow. even more sad...i thought i had really got it made with a beautiful girl in my arms. stop being so sad, elom. what's gotten into you?
i moved onto my back and laid my head down onto the pillow, remembering what really happened during the day.
zion did help me move into my room. he helped me fix my closet, get my clothes and sheets washed, and he helped me find the dining hall and my classes.
and i did meet my roommate, y/n.
i didn't help her fix her room, nor did i step into it. all i did was accidentally fall through, and when i stood up, we just introduced ourselves and then the door had closed again.
but something about the smile she had when she closed the door...something about her genuine laughter when zion actually covered for me...
...made me think that a future with y/n could be true.