Roomate from Hell: chapter two, Julie Steimle [to read list TXT] 📗

Chapter 2


After a tearful goodbye that afternoon, our family parting ways, Dawn and I returned to the dorms tired and full. She went all the way up to the sixth floor while I fell into my bed on the third. Star was nowhere to be found but Lisa was there in the room obsessively planning out her schedule on a piece of paper, color-coded. Her imps were shouting for her to hurry it up so she could go jogging. I had the feeling she had already been jogging enough already that day.

As I lay on my bed my thoughts went over all the things I still had to do, distracted only by Lisa’s imps shouting for her to sneak into our dorm mother’s room for one of the lady’s fancy diet chocolate cookies. All my classes were scheduled, but they would not start for three more days. That gave me enough time to scout out the campus cafeterias to find out what food I could and could not eat since my garlic allergy prevented me from enjoying many things. It also gave me the chance to visit the beach to check out the surf. I figured I would do that the first thing in the morning. I also had to go downtown to finish off a few errands.

“Hey, Eve.”

I looked up and saw Lisa staring down at me with a smile.

“How about we roomies all go out tonight.” Her grin grew wider. “Star and I know the best nightclubs.”

I blinked at her. “I’m only seventeen.”

She smirked at me, leaning her elbow on the back of her chair. “So what? Like that matters. Bring your sister along if you’re scared.”

Raising my eyebrows I then sat up. Me, scared? It was clear Lisa thought just the same as Star, that I was a naive kid. Her imps were already suggesting that she get me drunk just to see me loosen up. However, I had always wanted to go to a nightclub just once to see what all the fuss was about. Bringing Dawn was, of course, a must. Especially since I knew Dawn really wanted to get in on the city scene, and I didn’t want her to try it without me around to keep her from doing something stupid.

Right away I hopped off my bed. “I’ll go find Dawn and invite her.”

Lisa watched me go, her face revealing shock that I had actually jumped at the chance. I was glad too because it also kicked out her impish thought to steal from our dorm mother.

Going up this time around I took the elevator, reaching the sixth floor and passing through the building with greater ease. I was getting used to these imps shouting college-aged temptations. And when I reached Dawn’s door, the shouts of imps from inside were somewhat docile, except for one.

‘Cut her. See if she bleeds.’

I blinked then nearly grabbed the doorknob to storm in, as Dawn’s imps would not make such a suggestion. However I heard other imps behind me suggest that someone sneak up on me and make me jump, so I didn’t get that far.

I turned.

Two upperclassmen co-eds standing behind me lurched back, grabbing their own chests.

“Oh…crap. You startled me!” One was tall and very blonde.

The other, a plump brunette with a lot of cleavage, swore aloud as she looked very disappointed. “What kind of freak are you? How did you hear us?”

Giving them both a dry glance, I was about to answer, but the door opened. The occupants obviously had heard them shout out. It was Dawn standing there staring at us.

“Eve, what are you doing up here?” She glanced back at Tabitha who was eying me.

I saw Tabitha turn to look into her mirror. Quickly, I set my hand on Dawn’s arm and said, “I’ve come to invite you to go clubbing with me and my new roomies.

Dawn cast a look at my hand, trying to pull back. “What? You want to go clubbing? That’s a first.”

I stepped into the room, pushing Dawn in also yet not letting go. The girls in the hall followed us inside the room, casting smirks at Tabitha who returned their looks with a glare. However I listened to her imps who were already disappointed that she had seen my reflection this time, their severe look at me for being sneaky. They knew what I was. I only had a reflection when I touched someone human. The same went for my shadow. I figured if I established that I really had a reflection Tabitha would not suspect me of being anything more than a college student and leave off staking me in the heart.

“Not a first,” I said, nearly dragging Dawn to the closet. “I’ve always wanted to try clubbing at least once.”

“They’ll try to get you drunk,” Dawn said to me as she practically hopped over now, grinning with blinks as if to remind me of something I already ought to know.

I reached into the closet and tugged at her dresses to look for one in particular. “And I know you want to try it out before you’re twenty one so—”

“What are you? Her mother?” the blonde that had followed us in asked.

Dawn cast them a smirk though my face immediately turned to a chastening glare.

“No.” I shook my head then stepped on Dawn’s foot so I could take my hand off her arm to pull out the red silk dress our great aunt had given her. “I’m her sister.”

The girls first stared, then busted up in laughter, flopping against the wall near the doorway as if having seizures. Their disbelief was somewhat irritating, even for Tabitha who sighed with a roll of her eyes.

Dawn glared at me for standing on her foot.

With my head I gestured to the mirror. It took a few seconds for it to register in her head what I was pointing to and further what it meant for me. But when it did Dawn flushed and blinked at me again, grabbing hold of my arm to keep the connection.

“You don’t look at all related!” the blonde said with a cackle.

I opened my mouth to explain, but never got the chance.

“She’s adopted, morons.” Tabitha rose from her bed and walked over to both Dawn and me with a chastening scowl. “And you two are too young to go clubbing. What would your parents say?”

It was the first time anyone outside my family had chastised me for rule breaking since spring break my freshman year of high school. I was staggered. I suddenly ducked my head, stuttering without a good reason to go behind it.

“Mom would think it was my idea then tell Eve to watch out for me,” Dawn replied in a snap. She was used to being shouted at. I never could quite get the hang of it. Dawn then stuck up her chest, nearly sticking up her nose as she glared at Tabitha. “And I think Eve knows that if I don’t go with her tonight I’ll probably sneak off and go clubbing anyway. But at least this way I’ll be with my sister, who always watches my back.”

I lifted my eyes to her. Dawn was beaming with defiance. I had to hand it to her—she really had guts. Not that I didn’t, but different things knocked me off balance.

Dawn then turned to me, her fist grasping the red dress, and said, “You’ll be wearing your red dress too, right?”

I nodded. Our great aunt always gave us matching outfits.

Dawn linked her arm in mine, grabbed her red pumps and then practically dragged me through the doorway into the hall. “Then introduce me to your roommates and let’s get going.”

The two upperclassmen started to cackle again, though this time they were teasing Tabitha once more about the roommate she got stuck with.

“A Goth chick for room 666 with a vampire sister! Classic!”

But Tabitha chased after us, ignoring the girls’ cackles. “You better get back in before midnight! They lock up at midnight on weekdays!”

Dawn gave her a wave, not even looking back.

When she and I were both in the elevator once more and the doors had closed, she exhaled a strong sigh and let go of my arm. It took a bit before Dawn said to me, “When did you realize my roommate was suspicious of you?”

I felt sick. Raising my eyes to her, I said, “When we were leaving this afternoon. I heard her imps shouting to stake me. She must have not seen my reflection in that mirror of hers back then.”

Nodding, Dawn cringed with an already worn look on her face. “Yeah. When I got back she started to ask weird questions about you. She asked if your quick departure last time had to do with the cross on the wall. Eve, she thinks you’re a vampire.”

I closed my eyes, banging the back of my head against the elevator wall. “A vampire in broad daylight? She believes that?”

Dawn gave a shrug. “I don’t know. She doesn’t seem well versed in old vampire stories. That’s for sure. I think she even told those other girls about her suspicions.”

And I had only thought they were calling me a vampire because of my pale skin and dark hair…unless, of course, if they noticed my teeth.

“The girl is pure Bible belt,” Dawn continued. “I know she doesn’t look it, but she started quoting scripture verses at me when I returned from lunch, and asked if I had dabbled in Ouija boards and Tarot cards. Eve, she’s a nut.”

My insides twisted. But I shook my head. “Quoting scripture doesn’t make her a nut anymore than disliking Ouija boards. Mom hates those things too.”

“I know, ok. Fanatic then.” Dawn cringed. “Either way, this chick gives off a creepy vibe, like those witches we met our sophomore year. You remember them, right?”

Remember them? I had never forgotten those witches. It had been three years since that time, but I still got nightmares about them and things they had made me do. And if Dawn got that same vibe from Tabitha, I knew that I really had to be careful.

The elevator doors opened.

Dawn gestured that we head on out. I led the way, passing through the girls in the hall since Dawn had not yet been to my room, but inside my chest I felt unsettled.

I opened the door, allowing Dawn go into my dorm room first.

“Oh, back already?” Lisa looked up from her schedule. It was now more elaborately drawn with actual times scheduled down to the minutes for exercise and ways to lose weight. I really had to talk to her sometime about that. Her schedule was obsessive.

Star still wasn’t there.

Nodding I then waved to my sister. “Lisa, this is my sister Dawn. Dawn, this is Lisa Lowell from Riverside.”

Dawn smirked and then glanced around the room. “Cool. And not shabby either. Your room isn’t that much bigger than mine.”