"You realize that I blame you, right?" I growled and brought the handheld device closer to my mouth so the person on the other end would feel the full extent of my anger. I fully intended on shouting and I wasn't going to let any of it go to waste.

"At most I take partial responsibility." My mum sounded genuinely unperturbed by my predicament. "With hobbies like soccer, basketball and long distance, I can honestly see why they thought you were a guy. I'm sure they assumed you ticked female to be funny. Your hobbies do make you sound like a jock. I bet they just thought you were being an entitled brat."

I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my knuckles against my forehead in frustration. This could not be happening. Not to me.

"I don't think you get it," I gritted out, my hand fisting of it's own accord. "I was assigned to a male hostel. Not co-ed, male!"

"I don't know what you want from me. I already told you I'd call the admission's office to figure this out. There isn't much else I can do. You'll have to make do until they can sort this out."

I could just picture her shrugging halfheartedly. I knew it in my bones.

She was either completely missing the frustration in my voice or doing an excellent job of pretending to.

I massaged the bridge of my nose roughly, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt.

"I can't do anything, love. I really can't." Her tone this time was softer, more sympathetic, bordering on the edge of guilty.

I sighed heavily and slumped onto my bed. Making my mother feel bad was not the purpose of the phone call. I simply wanted to pour my frustrations out on someone.

"It sucks," I mumbled, a frustrated scowl on my face as my gaze flitted over the tiny room.

"Suck it up. You're living in the boys dorm. Full of hot college boys. I know girls who would kill for that," A new voice chipped in.

"Sawyer?" I frowned, brows furrowing in irritation. "Mum, why am I on speaker?"

The sound of a pot or something metallic clattering to the floor followed my question, making me roll my eyes. She must have hoped she wouldn't get caught. She should've known better seeing as Sawyer can never keep her mouth shut.

"I have to make dinner and you want to rant. Hence, speaker," she replied sheepishly.

I scowled, awarding my carry-on bag a swift kick. And here I was feeling bad for making her feel guilty.

"You know how I feel about others listening in on my private conversations," I chided.

I didn't need to see her to know she was rolling her eyes at me.

"Oh calm down. It's not like the world is listening. It's just me and your sister. Spence is out, getting pasta," she replied.

"Your sister and I," I corrected reflexively. "And it doesn't matter. I don't like being in speaker and you know it."

In the short silence that followed, I knew they were both rolling their eyes at me and it only served to fuel my irritation.

"I, one hundred percent, blame you for this mess. Couldn't you have been like every other normal parent and given Sawyer and I female names?" I hissed, warily eyeing the doorknob as it was slowly being twisted one way then the other way. My unfortunate roommate was finally about to make an appearance.

He was in for a surprise.

"Oh calm down," Sawyer chipped in dismissively.

I didn't need a guru to know she was very much enjoying my situation.

"Shut up. Everyone knows you got off easy, Sawyer. I dare you to be named Tyler," I snapped without any real heat in my voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she replied, brushing off my jab.

My roommate had finally figured out the faulty lock and was now turning down the doorknob.

The door slowly opened to reveal a chubby kid in a Darth Vader t-shirt and glasses that looked too small in contrast to his generous cheeks. He had a duffle bag hanging from one shoulder, a backpack hanging off both and two suitcases at his sides as he scanned the room.

I sighed silently, eyes drifting shut for a moment as I wallowed in misery. I had pictured everything from a manwhore for a roommate to a sport's jock, to  a trust fund brat, to a stoner, to even a pierced miscreant. I had even pictured being lumped in with Josh and I had mentally gone over all the possible reactions to a boy finding out his roommate was a girl but not for one second in any of the mental simulations had I pictured the look of terror quickly followed by a shriek that my roommate let loose as soon as his gaze landed on me.

I winced, shrinking as far from the door as the tiny bed would allow.

"What was that?" Mum's pensive voice inquired, reminding me that the call was still connected.

I ignored her, forcing myself up from the bed.

I crossed the room in four strides, stretching out a hand as I got to the boy in hopes that it would ease a bit of his fear. "Hi. I'm Tyler. Your roommate."

He stared wide eyed at my outstretched hand, brows furrowing as if I had spoken a foreign language he had never heard before. I watched him visibly replay the sentence and mull my words over.

"I... I'm in the wrong hall," he announced.

"Highly doubt it," I responded, retracting my hand when he made no move to take it.

I turned on my heel and returned to my bed, depositing myself on it like a boneless lump. I quickly regretted it. The mattress wasn't half as padded as it looked. The bars of the supporting frame dug into my back.

I winced due to both that and my still very shocked roommate.

"Jenkins hall?" I inquired.

"Yes," he replied. It came out sounding more like a question than an answer.

"449F?" I spouted the room number.

"Yes?" His reply was even less sure this time.

It might have been a trick of light but he was also starting to look very pale. The kind of pale that told me he was either going to hightail it out of the room or faint. While I truly sympathised with him, I was in no mood to cart anyone to a hospital. I had no idea where it even was. I silently prayed if it had to be one of the two, it would be the former rather than the latter.

"You're in the right place. There was a mix up with my accommodation so you're stuck with me until it's fixed," I summed, my voice just as dreary as his expression.

I had the pleasure of watching his eyes go wide as saucers, then seeing him dart out of the room.

I sighed for the nth time.

His voice could be heard -mostly because it was too high pitched- as he asked a passerby if he was in the right hall. I didn't hear the reply but I didn't need to. I knew he was. Soon enough, he was dragging his feet back into the room.

I watched his re-entrance solemnly until I was distracted by my vibrating phone. A quick glance at the screen showed it was my mum calling. She must've hung up because I wasn't replying.

I swiped right and pressed the phone against my ear. "Yes?"

"Never do that to me again." Her voice was stern. "Who screamed? I was worried."

"It wasn't me," I answered quietly, tamping down the guilt that flared up in wake of her accusation.

I was only partly paying attention to her but that was because my roommate, whose name I couldn't remember, was slowly walking into the room, eyeing me like I was a strange mutant creature, and definitely not the fascinating kind.

"I know it wasn't you, stupid. I'd recognize your scream anywhere," she said. "You hardly ever scream. Who was that? Your roommate's obsessive girlfriend?"

I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or bothered by the scream comment. I also couldn't help but wonder; since I wasn't much of a screamer, shouldn't it have meant she would have a harder time recognising my scream?

However, I was more invested in how to explain to my mum that that was in fact my roommate himself although her guess was honestly more plausible than the truth because who would believe a grown man was scared of a female roommate?

"I wish," I replied and was shocked by how much I truly wished it was a psychotic girlfriend. "No obsessive girlfriend here. Just a very scared boy who probably thinks I'll rape him in his sleep."

Said boy froze, turning as pale as a ghost, big horror stricken eyes met mine. His expression was so exaggerated, I couldn't help but goad him a little by letting my lips slide into a smirk, then throwing in a wink.

Immediately I did it, I knew I had taken it too far. He turned paler than I would've thought was possible for a living person and backed away from me like I was all that was wrong with the world.

Guilt hit me like a sack of potatoes.

"I did not mean that," I apologized, unthinking taking a step towards him in my bid to placate him.

In response, he flattened himself against the wall and looked at me like I was the starved lioness to his juicy rabbit.

I winced inwardly and stopped in my tracks.

"Stop scaring the poor boy," Mum warned disapprovingly over Sawyer's background cackling.

Annoying little sisters. She was no doubt enjoying every minute.

"I know, mum," I replied, contrition obvious in my tone. "I have to go. I'm supposed to meet up with Josh in about twenty minutes. Call me as soon as you have any update?" I added.

"Of course," she replied instantly like this was already a given which it probably was seeing as I had been repeating it all day.

"And Ty," she said just as I was about to hang up.

"Ma?" I responded.

"You know if I had the spare cash, I would've paid for you to get your place or lodge at a hotel till this is all sorted out, right? You know that right?" Her voice was soft and low.

Mum was rarely unsure of herself so hearing that she thought I might not know that she would move heaven and hell for me if she had to simultaneously made me feel loved, humbled and ungrateful.

"I know," I replied quietly. "Say hi to Spence for me," I added before hanging up, aware that the little gesture would mean a lot to her.

Spencer was her first serious boyfriend since dad and even though she was always strong and never needed anyone's validation, I knew she secretly feared that Sawyer and I didn't truly like him.

Sometimes, our attitudes were a little cool towards him but it was more to keep him on his toes than because we didn't like him. We both loved our mum and anyone who made her happy was pretty much a messiah in our books and to his credit, Spencer really was a good person.

But, it was our mum. Sawyer and I had taken it on ourselves to make sure he stayed that way. They were together for well over a year before Mum worked up to introducing the single, kind and thoughtful tech geek to our family of three. He was the reason to my mother's wild, the grounded to her adventurous spirit, the yin to her yang. They were perfect for each and more than she clearly knew, Sawyer and I were happy for her.

She had raised the two of us all on her own since our dad died, teaching us the same ideals she lived by. That we could be and do whatever the hell we wanted as long as we weren't hurting anyone. That it was okay to be wild, crazy and adventurous just the same way it was okay to be grounded, sensible and driven. I was very much aware I had lucked out in the mum department.

I expelled a breath, dragging my thoughts back to the present.

My roommate still looked very much petrified. A part of me wanted to go over and smooth things over, reassure him that I was only joking but as soon as I made a move towards him, he scurried backwards again, backing himself up against the wall.

I really was a monster.

I sighed.

"Look, I was only joking. I want this to be over with as much as you do and if it makes you feel any better, I have about as much sexual experience as you do. Or even less. So there will be no raping happening," I reassured him, gathering my things -phone, purse and keys- as I did. "I'm heading out. I'll be back in a little bit. I'm sorry I made you feel threatened."

My apology was met with silence.

I sighed, ran a hand down my face and quietly slipped out the door.