Who Gives A Damn If We Lose The War

“So, your name’s Gerard, right?” I raised an eyebrow with a smile.

He grinned back, revealing a row of weirdly tiny teeth, “Yeah and you’re…Maddie?” he furrowed his brows and made it sound more like a question.

I nodded and laughed,“Yeah.” He seemed to be really shocked by the fact that I was laughing for some reason; am I really that scary looking?

“Umm, okay then, so, you…got any ideas?” He waved his hands around.

I grinned, “You Italian?” He seemed even more taken aback. “Um, y-yeah, part, I guess.” He looked at me strangely and I giggled.

“Cool, so am I.”
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I walked back to my dorm as my messenger backpack swung against my thigh and I held my sketchbook in my arms.

I took out my key and opened the door to find my roommate, Kelsey sitting on her bed, a bowl of popcorn in her hand and more than half of its contents, I saw, had been flung at our little TV.

“No Maria, don’t leave Pedro, Jose’s a dick!” her hazel-blue eyes wide with desperation.

“Kelz?” I asked, trying to get her attention.

She turned to me and smiled, “Maddie!” I smiled back.

“You missed the latest episode of “El Amor y El Almuerzo!” her thick English accent completely butchering the Spanish.

“Why do you watch that shit anyway, Kelsey?” I rolled my eyes and put down my stuff.

She gasped, “It is not shit!” She jumped down from her bed, toppling over her popcorn in the process, and came over to me.

“It’s the same plot, but with different names and maybe a different accent – get over it.” I shrugged.

“Oh Maddie, Maddie, Maddie.” She said, circling me. “It’s not just about that, it’s about the girl finding the love of her life and overcoming her troubles, and – “

“The hell would you know? - it’s in Spanish.” I said pointedly.

She groaned, “Whatever, I give up.”

I smirked and sat down on my desk chair. “So, how far are you along on that art project?”

It was my turn to groan, “I haven’t got anything down, but I have a partner now.”

This sparked her attention; she sat cross legged before me and grinned, “Ah! Is he cute?”

I popped an eyebrow, “How do you it’s a guy? I haven’t said anything yet.”

She rolled her, that stupid smile still stuck to her freckly face, “I can just tell.” She waved it off.

“Now, tell me. Is he cute?”

“I sighed, “I guess, he’s got these really deep hazel-ish eyes.” I squinted. “And this like, shaggy, I guess, black hair.”

She grinned even harder, if possible, and “Oh my gosh! He sounds so fucking hot!”

I furrowed my eyebrows, “Says the fucking lesbian!”

She rolled her eyes, “I’ve told you; I’m bi! I just like girls more.”

“Whatever Kelsey.” I shook my head.

I turned around planning to find my supplies and strike up some ideas, but instead found Kelsey’s projects littering every square inch of my desk.

“Goddammit, Kelsey Quinn, get your shit off my desk!” I yelled at her.

“Relax, Mads.” She emphasized ‘relax’. “You just need to have your life be one of my soaps.”
She raised her red eyebrows and nodded in agreement with herself.

I opened my mouth to give her a response, but she cut off my potential energy, “Starting with your partner.”