Syllabus week flew by and before I knew it, it was Friday. 

I had made the decision to wait until the end of the first week of classes to talk to Maria about her smoking problem. Part of me was hoping that she'd stop once school started, but I was so very wrong about this.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on Maria's door. I could smell the stench of pot seeping out from her room and could hear the loud punk rock music that she had blasting. After waiting a few moments, I knocked again. Still nothing. I started knocking furiously at the door, hoping that she'd hear me over her loud music. Her door finally opened and I accidentally hit her on the head with my knuckles.

"Ow! Jesus!" Maria cried, holding her forehead. 

"Oh shit! I'm sorry! I was just--" I began. She silenced me with a glare.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Umm...well...I..." I stammered. She raised an eyebrow at me. I cleared my throat.

Come on, Blake, this isn't what your father taught you to be like. Man up.

"Look, I just wanted to talk to you about...your smoking habits," I said. I watched her expression closely to see if there were any signs of her going psycho. She simply crossed her arms over her chest and took to examining her nails. "Since we both share this apartment, I think that we need to make it a space that's going to comfortable for both of us. However, because you are constantly smoking, it's no longer comfortable for me to be here. So I was just wondering if it was possible for you to maybe smoke outside and not in the apartment?" I asked her. She looked up at me and then did something completely unexpected.

She laughed. 

I blinked, confused.

"Damn, I didn't think it would take you two fucking weeks to say something. Shit," Maria said, still cackling.

My roommate is insane.

"What-" I began.

"Girl, I was trying to test you to see how cool you'd be. My roommates the past three years have been annoying as hell. Instead of talking to me directly they'd go and be all passive-aggressive. Leaving notes and messages and shit to get me to stop pushing their buttons," Maria said. "I thought you were going to be the same way with your Barbie-doll looking ass. But you actually confronted me," she said, chuckling. "Girl, you passed the test," she said.

"I'm so lost," I said, ignoring her Barbie-doll comment. 

"I was only smoking to see how annoyed you get and see how you reacted. Instead of being all cryptic, you confronted me personally. Would've been cooler if you came to me earlier. I don't even like smoking that much," she said. 

"So you smoked pot for two weeks straight to test me?" I asked. She started laughing again, clapping her hands together.

"Yeah! And you passed! Congrats, bitch!" she exclaimed. 

"You couldn't have left dirty dishes out constantly like a normal person?" I asked, turning my back and going towards the couch in the lounge area.

"That wouldn't have been as fun," she said, following me and sitting down in the beanbag chair. 

"You're insane, do you know that?" I asked.

"I'm a theater major. We love the dramatics," she said with a wink, giving me the double finger gun. I shook my head.

"So to be clear, you're going to stop smoking pot?" I asked her.

"Bitch, I'm not going to stop smoking pot. I'm just going to stop smoking in the apartment," she said. I looked at her and then shrugged.

"I'm okay with that," I said.

"So how was your first week of classes?" she asked me.

"Fine. Yours?" I asked.

"Girl, let me tell you. I made my schedule so that I only have to go to class three days a week and girllllll I am LO-OVING it," she said. I cracked a small smile. Maria's enthusiasm and sass were incredibly amusing. "Got any exciting Friday night plans?" she asked me.

"Just binging on Netflix," I said.

"Awww come on, girl. Live a little," she said.

"I have lived quite a bit, thank you very much. I'm more than happy to just sit here in my pajamas and binge-watch Gilmore Girls for the sixth time," I said. 

"You're coming to a party with me," she said, standing up.

"Umm, no I'm not," I said.

"Girl you want me to get the Mexican mafia after you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Excuse me?" I asked, sitting up straight.

"Bitch, I thought so. Go get dressed. We're going out, she said. 

"I really don't think--" I started. She gave me a look. "Okay, I'll get dressed," I said, standing up partially because I didn't want to start an argument and partially because I kind of believed that she knew the Mexican mafia. 

"Wear something sexy! We're getting laid tonight!" Maria called back, bouncing into her room. 

I groaned, closing the door to my room.

My roommate is a psychopath.

An hour later, I was dressed in a white crop top and black high-waisted cut-offs. I had to change five times before Maria deemed me acceptable to go out. Granted, the first four outfits I had chosen had consisted of sweatpants and t-shirts, but I thought it was absolutely unnecessary for me to wear something this skimpy.

"Want to wear my hooker heels?" Maria asked. "I use them when I need some extra cash," she added. I gawked at her. She threw her head back and laughed her loud, obnoxious laugh. "I'm totally kidding! You should have seen the look on your face!" she yelled. 

Maria's humor was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"Okay so I heard that some of the fraternities are throwing a party," Maria told me as we walked out of our apartment building. Ahead of us, I could see several girls wearing even skimpier outfits than I was. 

"Isn't it a bit cliché to go to a frat party?" I asked.

"Girl, have you ever been to a frat party? They are so lit!" Maria exclaimed. 

How was I supposed to explain to her that I didn't like anything that was "lit"?

"Man, my boobs aren't staying in this tube top. Here, hold my bag, will you?" she said, slamming her purse into my chest and knocking the air out of my lungs. She started adjusting her top, stuffing her hands into her shirt to control her breasts. "Ay, Jesucristo. These Latina boobs are only good for getting the guys, I swear," Maria said.

"You really have no filter," I commented, handing her purse back to her.

"Girl, you ain't seen nothing yet," she said as we climbed up the steps to one of the fraternity houses. There was a guy standing in a hot dog suit standing at the entrance.

"I thought hazing wasn't allowed in this school," I said as we passed him.

"Neither is pot, but that didn't stop me," she responded with a wink. 

Inside the frat house, the party was definitely, in Maria's eloquent words, lit. It didn't take long for me to completely lose sight of my crazy roommate. She had told me she was going to go find some drinks and then she never returned. Instead, she left me abandoned at a party that I didn't even want to go to. 

Grumbling to myself, I wove my way in between drunk dancing bodies, looking for the entrance. I quickly became aware of the fact that I was nowhere near the entrance and that I somehow managed to become more immersed into the party. Next to me was a staircase, which I decided to climb. Maybe from the height I would be able to find my way out. 

"Ayyyyy it's the hottie from across the hall!" I heard a familiar voice say. I turned around only to come face to face with James, my incredibly horny neighbor. He was holding two red solo cups, both filled to the brim with beer.

Great. 

"Hello," I said flatly.

"Want a drink?" he asked.

"No thanks," I said, stepping back and immediately running into a couple that was making out. I apologized profusely as they cursed me out and then moved away to the landing. I closed my eyes in frustration.

"I'm guessing you're having tons of fun," James said, crumbling up one of the cups and tossing it behind him.

"What gave it away?" I asked sarcastically. He chuckled.

"It's because you're not drunk," he said.

"I don't want to get drunk," I said.

"Who comes to a frat party not wanting to get drunk?" James asked incredulously.

"James, leave her alone, will you?" I heard another voice say. I saw a hand appear on James' shoulder. Sebastian appeared behind him.

"Man, Sebo, I'm just trying to get her to have some fun. Jeez," James said, taking a swig of his beer.

"Go away, you idiot," Sebastian said, pushing his friend away. James rolled his eyes and then made eye contact with a blonde girl who had a really bad spray tan.

"Heyyyy girl. How you doin'?" he said, going up to her. I shook my head after him and turned to face Sebastian.

"You don't happen to know where the exit is, do you?" I asked him. He laughed.

"So I take it you're having a blast?" he asked. I groaned and frowned. "Here, come with me," he said, taking my arm.

Instead of taking me to the exit like I had asked, he took me upstairs. I gave him a quizzical look. Most of the people up here were making out or having sex in the bedrooms. 

"Trust me," he said, noting the look on my face. He led me out to a balcony and then shut the door behind us. Immediately, the noise from the inside was cut off, save for the faint thump, thump, thump of the EDM beat that was playing.

Sebastian leaned on the railing of the balcony, the summer breeze messing up his already messy hair. I hesitated, but then went up next to him.

"So is this the part where you rape me and then throw me over the ledge?" I asked. He laughed, shaking his head.

"You forgot the part where I'd drug you first," he said.

"Oh, my mistake," I replied, a small smile on my own lips. 

"So how'd you like your first college party?" he asked.

"How do you know it's my first?" I responded. He shrugged.

"Just from the way you tried to get out of there so quickly," he said. I looked at him and then sighed, running a hand through my dark wavy hair.

"It's not really my scene. My roommate dragged me out," I told him.

"Your roommate the pothead?" he asked.

"Turns out she's not a pothead. She's just crazy," I replied. He chuckled and then we fell into silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, though. It was comfortable, like we had paused the conversation in just the right spot, allowing for the sounds of the night to drift around us. After a moment of silence, the doors behind us burst open and a couple staggered out, essentially eating each other's faces off. 

"Hey! Can we get some privacy?" the guy some, coming up for air before the girl brought his head back down to her face. 

"Oh my God..." I whispered under my breath as Sebastian took my arm and led me back into the frat house. "Can we leave now?" I asked him.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," he agreed. I followed him back downstairs and after dodging masses of dancing and drunk bodies, we made it to the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief once we got outside. The guy in the hotdog suit was still standing outside, a bored expression on his face. 

"Where to next?" Sebastian asked me.

"I kind of just want to go back to the apartment and stick my original plan," I replied.

"Which was?" Sebastian asked as we headed back in the direction to our apartment building.

"Binge-watching Gilmore Girls," I answered. He cracked a smile.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"You don't really seem like the type that would watch Gilmore Girls," I told him. He laughed.

"What? Are you kidding me? I totally ship Rory and Jess," he said.

"You're not gay, are you?" I asked him. He laughed again, his blue eyes lighting up in a way that made me feel oddly comfortable.

"My sisters loved that show. I'd sit there and watch re-runs with them whenever I lost rights to the remote," he said.

"How many sisters do you have?" I asked.

"Two older, one younger," he replied.

"Wow. Any brothers?" I asked.

"Nope. Just me and my dad," he said. "What about you? Do you have any siblings?" he asked.

Probably several that I don't know of.

"Nope. Just me," I said. 

"Lucky," he told me with a small smile. I shrugged.

"I don't know. It might have been nice to have someone else around to talk to," I said. He put his hands in his pockets and nodded.

"I guess. My sisters definitely helped shape me into the person I am today," he said as we reached the building. I led the way to my apartment. I had opened the windows so that the lingering smell of pot would be filtered out. I had also lit some candles. Now, the apartment smelled like fresh laundry, which was one of my favorite scents.

"How so?" I asked him, going to the windows and closing them. He sat down on the couch, making himself right at home.

"Well, my oldest sister is a lawyer, but she was always really into women's rights. And my second oldest sister is a professor here at Stanford. She teaches in the English department. Guess what area?" he asked.

"Women's rights?" I asked.

"You got it," he replied. "So I was pretty much raised to be respectful of all people and to believe in equal rights and opportunities," he told me.

"So what made you want to go into medicine?" I asked. "Keep talking, I'm going to go change really quick. I can hear you from my room, though," I said, closing the door to my bedroom slightly.

"It's kind of a long story..." he said and then fell silent. I shimmied out of my skin tight clothes and put on a pair of yoga leggings and a hoodie. I came back out and joined him on the couch, grabbing the remote. 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," I said.

"I don't mean to be weird--" he began.

"Sebastian, it's fine. I get it. No harm, no foul," I said. 

And I did understand. If he had personal reasons for choosing his career path that he wasn't willing to share with a complete stranger, then he had every right to keep them to himself. If he had started asking me questions about my past, I would have shut him down, too. It was best if we kept things casual and distant. 

"So, we don't have to watch Gilmore Girls if you don't want to," I told him, nestling into the couch. I grabbed the plush throw that I kept on the couh and threw it over my legs.

"I don't want to interrupt your plans for the evening, though," he said. I gave him a look and he chuckled. "Okay, what other TV shows do you watch?" he asked as I pulled up Netflix on the SmartTV and put in my account information. It was Maria's TV, but I had bought the couch, so we both shared.

"We could watch a movie instead," I suggested. 

"Okay, what movie do you want to watch?" he questioned, settling into the couch next to me. I was acutely aware of how close he was to me, but I made no effort to move away. He was so close that I could smell the faint scent of his cologne. It was a nice smell. It reminded me of business men and expensive suits.

"I don't mind. Just pick one," I told him. He started scrolling through the lists. I got up to get us some sodas and then came back. He still hadn't picked anything. "We are not spending all night picking a movie," I told him, sitting next to him. 

"I'm really bad at making decisions," he said. 

"Honestly, Sebastian. Just pick one. If it's awful, we'll just add it to the list of shitty movies to never watch again," I said. 

"Fine, how about this one?" he asked, settling on a movie.

"Just press play," I said, pulling the blanket up to my chin. 

The movie was about a man who lost his toddler son in an accident. To cope with the loss, he took a caregiving course and became the caregiver to a young man that had a muscular dystrophy disorder. Although physically incapable, the young man's mouth was more than capable. He had some snarky comments that were oftentimes inappropriate, but made Sebastian and I laugh nonetheless. 

As the movie progressed, I felt Sebastian move closer to me. He pulled the blanket over his legs as well and he got more comfortable. Again, I made no effort to move away from him. It was so uncharacteristic of me. I had been pushing him away since the day I met him, but now, a week later, I was sitting just centimeters away from him. 

I had no intention of making any lasting friendships at Stanford. I came to the school with the promise that I would get my work done and get good grades so that I could be successful and move on from my life in California to somewhere far away, where I could leave everything behind and start over. But I was already slipping up. It seemed as though Maria had taken a liking to me and unfortunately, so had Nate from all of my psychology courses. And now, I was finding myself getting further involved in knowing Sebastian. Just a week in and I was already failing miserably at my attempt in being a lone wolf. 

The movie took a turn for the emotional when the young man's estranged father was found and turned out to be a horrible person, as estranged fathers often are. I found myself emotionally involved in the movie and even found my eyes welling up with tears. 

"Are you crying?" I heard Sebastian whisper from somewhere next to me. I sniffled.

"Shut up," I said, hitting him lightly. He chuckled and put his arm around me. Immediately, I felt myself tense up. He was too close.

"It's okay. There's guaranteed to be a happy ending," he said. I politely pulled his arm away from me and scooted away from him slightly. 

"I'm fine," I said flatly. From the corner of my eye, I could see a subtle hint of disappointment on his face. I took a deep breath.

It's better this way, I told myself.

Now all I had to do was convince myself of this.

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A/N: I love me some characters with pasts. :)