~ROOMMATE ROULETTE~

~The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others~

- Mahatma Gandhi

Song - Location by Khalid

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"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to -"

"Zip it!" The brunette cut Sophie off.

Sophie's eyes widened in surprise at the brunette's sharp tone. She felt a sting of embarrassment and hurt, but she tried to remain calm.

"Okay, sorry," she said, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace. "I was just trying to help."

The brunette glared at Sophie, and her eyes flashed with anger. She scrambled to her feet, brushing off her clothes.

"Fuck you," the brunette muttered, gathering her scattered belongings.

Sophie watched as the brunette stormed off, feeling a mix of confusion and concern. She hadn't meant to upset the girl, and she wondered what she had done to deserve such a harsh reaction.

As Sophie stood there, trying to process what had just happened, she noticed a guy watching her from across the hallway. He was tall and lean, with piercing blue eyes and a charming smile.

She felt a flutter in her chest as the guy caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. She quickly looked away, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks.

What was wrong with her? She was here to focus on her studies, not to get distracted by cute guys.

She took a deep breath and continued on her way to her dorm room, trying to shake off the awkward encounter with the brunette.

Trundling her suitcases, she finally arrived at her room door. Ms Patel had handed her the room keys, so she took it out of her pocket. She paused for a breather and wondered what her roommate would be like. Would she be like her? A Christian? An unbeliever? A creep? An alcoholic? A thief?

Sophie's mind was filled with questions as she inserted the key into the lock and tried to turn it, but it was already unlocked. The door creaked open, and Sophie's eyes adjusted to the bright light inside.

The room was cozy, with two beds, two desks, and a wardrobe. Her eyes landed on a suitcase that was already open, with clothes spilling out.

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard a noise coming from the bathroom. The door opened, and a guy emerged, rubbing his hair with a towel.

Sophie's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the sight of her roommate; A DUDE? He was tall, with dark brown skin and a strong jawline. His hair got messy as he roughly wiped it with a towel.

"Hi, I'm -" Sophie paused the moment he looked up at her. "You?"

"You?"

They both yapped simultaneously, creasing their brows. They stared at each other, the air thick with awkwardness. Sophie's eyes narrowed slightly as she took in Aubrey's charming smile. She wasn't buying it. She remembered the way he had disrespected her at the casino, and her instincts told her to keep her guard up.

Aubrey, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to Sophie's wariness. He flashed her a disarming smile. "I'm Aubrey," he said, holding out his hand.

Sophie hesitated for a moment before voicing out. "I'm aware," she said curtly, dragging her belongings into the room.

Aubrey's smile faltered for a moment, but he recovered quickly. "Nice to meet you, again."

He couldn't stop staring at Sophie as she sat on the bed, gasping for air. It felt surreal that he was actually seeing her again, the girl that has occupied his mind for a while now. "I guess we're roomies now."

Sophie nodded, her expression neutral. "Unfortunately."

She turned away from Aubrey, focusing on unpacking her suitcases. She could feel Aubrey's eyes on her, but she refused to meet his gaze. She wasn't interested in making small talk or pretending to be friendly. Not after the way he had treated her at the club.

She looked around the room, noticing the posters that were already put up on the wall, above Aubrey's bed. The posters consisted of basketball imagines, rock bands, most of all, Lebron James.

"You like em?" Aubrey questioned her, when he noticed she was staring. He collapsed on his bed, eating an apple while staring at Sophie.

She shook her head, diverting her attention back to her suitcases. She then noticed that there was only one wardrobe.

"What the hell?" she stated, walking over to the wardrobe that already consisted of some scattered clothes, littered all over. Clothes she assumed belonged to Aubrey, since they appeared to be guy clothings.

She turned her neck to Aubrey in anger, but he was busy pressing his phone.

"Um, hello," she snapped her fingers, standing in front of Aubrey.

Aubrey looked up from his phone. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. I was in the middle of a very important conversation... with my mom."

Sophie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Save it, dude. What's with the wardrobe situation? There's only one, and it's already occupied with... " she gestured to the scattered clothes, "...your extensive collection of graphic tees and whatnot."

Aubrey chuckled, tossing his apple core into the trash can. "Hey, those tees are classics! And, uh, I guess I didn't think about you when I tossed my belongings in there. You can just, share with me, right?"

"Share a wardrobe with you? Are you kidding me? I'd rather die than accidentally wear one of your... " she shuddered.

Aubrey guffawed loudly, holding his stomach. Sophie never understood why people were fond of laughing when she was in the middle of a serious conversation with them.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, man, you're a tough crowd, Soph! I like that," he winked.

"Soph? Save your useless talks and do something about this wardrobe. It's a mess, where am I supposed to place my belongings?"

Aubrey looked around before shrugging his shoulders. "I have no idea."

Sophie's fist clenched as she gritted her teeth in frustration. "Get up, and come arrange your clothes by folding them properly."

Aubrey scoffed, going back to scrolling through his phone. "Look man, I feel amazing not having my Ma around, so don't act like her replica around here," he mentioned, without looking at Sophie.

Sophie's eyes widened in outrage, and she took a step closer to Aubrey, her hands on her hips. "Excuse me? I'm not acting like your ma, I'm just trying to get some order in this chaos you call a room!"

Aubrey looked up from his phone, examining Sophie's expression. "Oh, so now you're my roommate and my ma? I'm a lucky guy."

Sophie's face grew hotter, and she felt a flutter in her chest. She tried to ignore it, focusing on her annoyance instead. "Just get up and fold your clothes, dude. It's not that hard."

"Nah-uh, I. don't. think. so," Aubrey said, playing a game on his phone. He was so focused on the game, that he didn't realize when Sophie started throwing his clothes to the floor.

"Hey, hey!" Aubrey jolted up from his bed and bounced over to Sophie, towering her with his height.

"Have you lost it?" he yelled.

Sophie stood her ground, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "You're the one who's lost it, Aub. . ." she paused, trying to recall his name.

"Aubrey," he mentioned.

"Whatever," she spat. "I told you to fold your clothes, and instead, you're playing games on your phone?"

Aubrey's face was inches from Sophie's, his voice low and even. "And I told you, I'm not folding anything. Don't boss me around."

"I'm being bossy? You're the one who's being lazy and inconsiderate!"

Aubrey laughed, and he leaned in closer to Sophie. "You know, for a tiny thing, you've got a lot of fire in you."

Sophie tried to push Aubrey away, but he didn't budge. "Back off, Aubrey."

Aubrey chuckled, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Or what? You'll throw more clothes on the floor?"

Sophie's brows furrowed, and she felt a surge of annoyance. But before she could react, Aubrey reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair out of her face. The touch sent shivers down her spine, and she felt her anger dissipate.

"Hey, truce?" Aubrey asked.

"What?" Sophie furrowed her brows, pushing Aubrey backwards.

He stumbled backwards before staring at his reflection in the mirror. "I'll fold my clothes, and you won't throw them on the floor again."

"That's not a truce, that's just you doing what you're supposed to do in the first place."

Aubrey chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. Geez! No truce then. But I'll still fold my clothes, just to avoid any more... interesting... interactions with you."

"Whatever. Just fold your clothes."

Aubrey began to fold his clothes, whistling a tune as he did so. Sophie watched him, a mixture of annoyance and amusement on her face. She couldn't help but notice the way his muscles flexed in his arms as he folded.

"Wow," she thought.

Aubrey caught her staring and raised an eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

Sophie's face grew hot, and she quickly looked away. "No, I was just... uh... making sure you're folding your clothes correctly."

"Correctly? Is there some other method for folding clothes?"

"Well. . . Er, yes," she sputtered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh, really?" Aubrey asked sacarstically, folding his arms and leaning on the door of the wardrobe.

"Anyway, what's your major?" Sophie diverted the awkward discussion.

"Ugh, engineering," he said, going back to folding his clothes. "How about you?"

Sophie shrugged. "Undecided. I'm thinking maybe psychology or sociology."

"No way. I've got a friend who's a psych major. He's always talking about Freud and Jung and stuff."

Sophie laughed, folding her clothes too. "Yeah, I've heard of them. I'm really interested in learning more about human behavior and motivations."

"Ah, sounds nice. Whereas I'm being forced to study engineering."

"Forced? Why?"

"Well, my Ma thinks it's a better choice. Better than my basketball passion."

Sophie creased her brows in amusement. "You play?"

Aubrey nodded, placing his body spray on his desk. "Mehn, you've gotta see me on the court."

"No thank you. I can't afford bleeding eyes," Sophie teased, receiving a slight nudge from Aubrey.

"Nah, I know I'm pretty good at it."

"You want my honest opinion?" Sophie asked, facing Aubrey.

"Yeah, okay."

"You should follow your dreams and don't let anyone control you. Life's short," she shrugged and continued unpacking.

Aubrey stared at Sophie, a hint of surprise and appreciation in his gaze. "Thanks for the advice. It means a lot coming from you."

Sophie's expression softened, and she offered a small smile. "I just think it's important to follow your passion, no matter what others think."

Aubrey nodded, his eyes never leaving Sophie's face. "I appreciate your honesty. And I have to admit, it's refreshing to meet someone who doesn't sugarcoat their opinions."

"I'm just keeping it real."

"I like that."

Their eyes met and Sophie felt that same flutter in her chest, but she ignored it. She's here to study.

The tension between them dissipated, replaced by a sense of mutual respect and understanding. Aubrey felt a spark of connection with Sophie, one that went beyond mere roommate status. And as they stood there, locked in a silent understanding, Aubrey knew that what he felt for Sophie wasn't ordinary.

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