Roommates

— Carlin—

“No.” I answered as I forcefully stack and un- stack boxes containing office files. Freddy keeps on following me every moment I arrive at the office with Luna. I am tired and it feels like I’m going to pass out any moment. I feel emotionally, physically and mentally tired.

And Freddy following me only adds to the stress and the fatigue.

I’m tired of being at lowest point and then hoping that it will get better. It does get better for a while, making me think and feel that everything’s going to be okay in my life only for the good things to be ripped away from me.

Again.

And again.

A week after the fire, Freddy brought me clothes from her sister which fit me perfectly. As for a house, I had no choice but stay with Luna.

Not that I don’t want to stay with her, in fact, I was thankful and I keep saying so. Luna was kind and I could see in her eyes that she really, wanted me to stay with her. Not out of pity, but because she’s really worried about me and she wants to help me in any way she can.

But her roommates are a whole different story. They ‘try’ to be civil and not be overtly rude, but I could see and feel by the way they act that I am not welcome. Probably because I’m crashing on their pad, taking up a space in their already crowded apartment.

Freddy let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand on his already unkempt hair. It was sticking out all ways, giving him a rugged appearance. “Why? Tell me why?”

“Because I just can’t!” I shouted at him. Freddy looked at me, shocked, then replaced by frustration and anger. He looked like he wanted to wring my neck for being so stubborn. I took a moment to calm myself and control my temper.

“I just wanted to help you.”

“You already did.”

“I can do more, help more. If you just let me.” There was a pleading note laced into Freddy’s voice, like he’s trying to coax a child. He took a hand and held it with his, squeezing it, giving me warmth. The look in his eyes makes me want to just say yes.

“Freddy, I know you too, is living with your roommate. It’s not right for me to just go and live with you. And it’s not proper! Two boys and then a girl? If I’m your girlfriend, then there’s not much of a problem. But we’re friends who met and became close just two months!”

“My roommate knows about your situation; he’s cool with you using the spare room. Live with me. Let’s not waste the space in our house. You don’t have to pay anything and we have lots of--”

I quickly covered half of my face with my free hand and sneezed, interrupting Freddy mid-speech. “Why are you sneezing? Are you going down with a cold?” I pulled my hand free from Freddy and shrugged and move as fast as I can away from him to end our discussion.

“Guess the cold shower is catching up on my body.” I mumbled to myself, though Freddy unfortunately heard it. “Why are you taking a cold shower? Luna’s apartment may be cheap and quite run-down but it has hot water.”

Running out of patience, I stopped in my tracks and faced him. “Freddy! I am imposing on them, living in their house paying no rent. I have no right to use the hot shower because that is for Luna and her roommates!”

“Bullshit. Live with me and you have nothing to worry about. You can take hot shower as long as you want, you can even soak on a warm bath!”

I reached out to Freddy, my hand touching his arm. I smiled up at him, wanting him to know that I’m really okay. A cold shower is the least of my many problems. “Tempting. But no, thank you. Freddy please, I appreciate your concern and I’m grateful for all the things you have done and are trying to do to help me. I’m going to be okay.”

Freddy sighed and touched my hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. “Fine. But if you changed your mind, the offer still stands.”

“So…I saw you and Freddy’s moment on the file room earlier this afternoon.” Luna tried to sound nonchalant, but the tremble on her voice betrayed her real feelings. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, cursing myself for momentarily forgetting Luna’s feelings for Freddy.

“It’s not what you think…”I started, trying to find the right words. “It’s nothing. Really.”

“Right.” Luna sounded like she doesn’t really believe me. “Really, Luna…Freddy’s trying to help. But he already did enough and I reached out to his kindness enough times. That’s all. Nothing’s going on between us.” I looked at Luna, waiting for her reaction. She swallowed, opened her mouth, trying to say something only to stop.

She turned and looked at me straight into my eyes. “Freddy was holding your hand and kissed it. Please explain that to me. And if there’s nothing between the two of you, knowing that I like him, why didn’t you pull away?”

Oh god. How did we come to this?

“Luna. Look. We are friends. I’m feeling so tired and alone right now, that I seek all the warmth and comfort that is given my way. It was just that it was Freddy who was there and gave it to me. I’m not going to pull away from that. That gesture was out of friendship and nothing else. Please believe me…I can’t fight with you. Not now, not ever.” I squeezed her hand, trying to get her respond.

Luna smiled and squeezed my hand back.

— Freddy—

I was sitting on the couch, a bottle of beer on one hand, the other pressing on the remote while looking mindlessly on the television in front of me. Marshall was pressed next to me, keeping me company while I was looking for something to watch but instead, my mind drifted off to reasons I could use to make Carlin moved in.

I don’t know why I’m being so kind to her, like it’s my life’s mission to care for her and make sure that she’ll be safe and sound at all times. My friends’ keeps telling me that being too kind would soon bite me on the ass, and I am usually not this persistent when it comes to offering help to other people.

When I help someone and they refuse, I concede and tell them that the offer stands whenever they changed their mind. I do that only once. Once. But with Carlin, I have been bothering her every single time I caught her alone. I didn’t stop until our conversation earlier this afternoon.

I saw how tired she was in her eyes, and it made me guilty that I’m becoming one of the reasons why she gets stressed and tired. So I conceded. I thought and told to myself that I have done enough. I kept offering her help which she refused every single time.

That should stop me, right?

But it didn’t. And I will ask her again until she gave in.

Marshall got off the couch and headed for the door, waiting for Tyler to open the door to greet him.
“Hey Marshall! How’s your day? Were you a good boy?” I hear Tyler’s faint voice and Marshall’s whimpering. “Yo Fred.” Walking into the living room, Tyler and I bumped fists as a greeting took a seat next to me. I paid attention on the television this time, putting my thoughts on Carlin aside for a while.

“Your friend not here yet?” Tyler asked. I shrugged and took a sip on my now warm beer. “Doesn’t want to. Keeps on saying ‘thank you’ for the offer but won’t move in.” I sounded annoyed and when I looked at Tyler, his brows are almost forming a line.

“Well if he doesn’t really want to move in, then let him be. Though the room’s available when he changes his mind.”

“I know. And I said that too. It’s just that why can’t people just accept the kindness offered to them? Can you believe it, there’s not enough hot shower in the apartment they are staying!” Remembering Carlin’s stubbornness makes me unreasonably mad. What if she gets sick?

“Freddy, you are not, in any way…gay?” Tyler asked out of the blue. I looked at him, almost laughing at his genuinely worried face. I gave him a look, puzzled on his question. And then I remembered I never told him that my colleague is a girl and made no effort to correct him when he addressed Carlin as a ‘he.’

“I’m not, idiot. I’m just really worried.” Tyler expelled a sigh, and nodded to himself. He stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Well…even if you are, I’m still your best friend.”

“Good to know, dumbass!” I shook my head. Sometimes Tyler can be an idiot.

— Tyler —

After a nice, long, hot shower, I decided to kill time and unwind by inviting Freddy out to have fun in some club and even score some girls for the night. He looked really concerned and worried for some colleague whom he just met and became friends for only a month. Or is it two already?

What concerns me is how hung up and bothered he is about the colleague rejecting his offer. It made me doubt my best friend’s sexuality earlier seeing how he is acting towards the welfare of a guy. Or maybe he’s just being really kind while I’m starting to think like a dumb jerk.

After readying myself for the night, I went to the living room and told Freddy to get dressed for a night out. He grumbled a ‘pass’ but I told him I would drag him and even dress him myself if he won’t get a move. He did, dragging his feet.

45 minutes later, I’m on my third shot of my poison for the night and had scored five cell phone numbers. Freddy, lost in thought in a middle of a noisy club only had one beer. He’s thinking so hard that he didn’t notice the girls trying to flirt with him.

I tried to invite him on the fun, telling him that he should forget about his colleague to no avail. I stopped trying and just enjoyed myself. I even found a warm body I would spend the night with. The blonde was on the dance floor, shaking that curvy body of hers to the beat, looking very sexy on a skin-tight mini black dress.

“Yo Fred, I may not be coming home tonight.” I shouted over the music, not looking at him. Freddy followed my gaze and then gave me a nod and understood. We said our goodbyes and I headed to the dance floor, my hand settling on the waist of the blonde girl and moved my body with her. She smiled at me and pressed herself to me more.

Score.

I don’t know what time it was, I think it was dawn when I got home. I partied hard last night, went home with the blonde on the dance floor, had some wild sex and passed out. I woke up early for someone who is having a hang-over and found the blonde sleeping peacefully right next to me.

Wanting to avoid the awkward morning after one-night stand, I hastily wore my clothes and looked for a paper and a pen. I scribbled my usual parting on a pink piece of paper.

‘Had fun last night. Just wait and I’ll see you again, gorgeous.’

I don’t really know if that works for the girls, and I will never know because I don’t really see them again after. Trying to wear off some liquor on my system, I decided to take a bus and walk home instead of taking a cab.

The apartment was silent, Marshall sat up as he heard the noise I made entering the house but made no effort to run to me. He just looked at me and went back to sleep, knowing perfectly well his’ owner’s routine.

I headed straight to the common bathroom to relive myself. But when I opened the door, I was greeted by a short brunette drying herself with a towel. I’m not sure if the girl is real or I was hallucinating because I’m still drunk so I just stared at her.

I thought she was one of the girls I slept with then I remembered that I don't do brunettes. Then the though of Freddy taking a girl home crossed my mind. Well, that's definitely a first for Freddy. I stared at the girl from head to toe, silently.

Unfortunately she’s lacking the tits I prefer on my women, but she has a cute little ass which looked real smooth. Her legs aren’t overly long, but not short either; just the right length that made me think of it wrapped around me.

I wasn’t able to see her face because her long, dark hair is covering it, still dripping with water. I blinked and blinked again, but she didn’t disappear from my sight. Definitely human. And Fred's.

“Excuse me…” I called silently. She froze and her head snapped up to look at me. She stared at me, her eyes went round and then wide. She grabbed something and threw at me while she screamed at the top of her lungs.

— Freddy —

“I’m really sorry…I was surprised and scared and caught off-guard. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Carlin looked close to crying as she apologized again to Tyler who’s holding an ice-pack near his temple. Tyler glared at me, then at her, and then closed his eyes.

I was awoken by Carlin’s screams; I ran out of my room as fast as I can thinking worst and found Carlin and Tyler inside the common bathroom. Tyler was already in pain; Carlin is clutching a towel wrapped around her body in one hand, while the other is clutching on the handle of the wooden back scrubber.

“Who are you?” Tyler asked quietly. Carlin looked at me with worried eyes and I gestured for her not to say anything. “Remember the colleague I told you about?”

Tyler’s eyes flew open and took Carlin’s appearance. He slowly looked at her from head to toe and then shifted his eyes on me.

“Dude, she might not have the biggest tits and ass, but she still looks like a girl to me. This is no guy.” Tyler looked and sounded confused. Carlin shot up from the couch and pinned Tyler with a glare, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her ears are turning beet red.

“Excuse me, Mister. What the hell are you talking about?! Don’t you talk about me and my womanhood that way!” Carlin shouted at Tyler. The latter threw the ice pack on the coffee table and stood up, taking a step towards Carlin and bent down, his face close to her.

“Do not scream at me in my own home. I asked who you are. You might want to answer it or else I’m going to throw your cute little ass out.”

“Don’t call my ass cute! And stop being such a crass!”

“Tell me who you are and what are you doing in my house!”

Freddy moved and wedged himself between Tyler and Carlin. He moved Carlin behind him, becoming her human barrier. “Tyler calm down and let me explain.”

Carlin gripped my arms and pulled. I twisted my neck and looked down at her. Her eyes are filled of worry and confusion. “I thought your roommate knows about me moving in here?”

I answered quietly. “He did.”

It was Tyler’s turn to ask a question. “I thought he was a guy?” Tyler put his hands on his waist and looked at me pointedly. “I. thought. he. was. a. guy?”

I cursed under my breath and cleared my throat.

Tyler and Carlin waited impatiently and asked on the same time.

“Freddy? What is going on?”