~ 16: The Roommate - Part 1 ~

I pushed the door open softly, peeping at the cause of such a cacophony.

A young lady was standing in the room, admiring it, with her back facing the main door. She sighed when she had finished unpacking the last carton. Her heavy breaths showed that she had been working for hours without rest.

I leaned on the door frame and watched her labour away, putting things in one place and then shifting them to another. Her indecisive nature pricked my patience. I wanted to sleep without having to change, but first, the things on and near my bed had to be cleared away.

"Tch. Such fickle-mindedness," I said nonchalantly.

"Who are you?" she asked in a half-scared tone, without turning around. "What's your business here?"

"The previous owner of this then empty room. Let me help you there."

I helped her hoist her bulky set of novels and stories, nearly killing my pounding chest for exerting it. It was a fascinating collection of books, some of which I had read each time I had the opportunity to borrow them from the school library or the local bookstore. There were few books that I knew and yet hadn't been able to read due to a shortage of time. There were almost none that I didn't hear of at all.

"That's a nice collection there," I commented.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I have wanted this for a long time."

Until then, neither of us had looked at each other. When we did, both of us were so startled to see the other that we forgot to use our tongues. Or more so, I was shocked to see the pendant on her neck.

It was unbelievable that fate had tangled my life with the woman with the scars. It was a relief to see her healthy. Yet, I suppose, I wasn't ready to receive such surprise attacks from all corners.

"Celestine," I said even though I knew that she knew it. I reached out for her hand cautiously. I wasn't sure if her wounds had healed, although from the naked eye it seemed that she was better off than before.

"Melissa," she returned and shook my hand gingerly. Yes, she was well enough to be able to move her limbs.

For a few moments, the silence between us was deafening, yet none of us tried to dissolve it. We had our own thoughts to think about since that incident. We worked away with her arranging her stuff and me cleaning away useless materials.

I had finished my job, but she was still trying to find the 'perfect' place for her things. Losing my forbearance, I took them from her hands and placed them in their rightful places. As she was satisfied, we went off to bed without another word passing between our lips.

The next morning, I was in a frenzy. My sleep wasn't complete at it had broken close to dawn because I was nervous and excited. I couldn't stomach such feelings well and had laid wide awake until thirty minutes later.

I used the bathroom quickly and left it clean, for I didn't want to bother my roommate. Since I had learnt that the canteen opened an hour after dawn, I hurried down to eat, thinking at each moment that I would be late for my class.

Twenty minutes later, I was carrying a dish of varieties of items upstairs. Pushing the door open with my leg, I saw that Melissa was in her bathrobe, drying her hair with a towel in front of the dressing table.

"Sorry," I mumbled and closed the door, waiting for her to be done.

But she had come right out, hiding behind the door and ushering me in. I went in and kept the food on the centre table, placed near the window. The rays of the early morning broke into our room and alighted the sky in a wonderful array of hues.

"Who's this for?" she asked with raised brows.

I wondered whether she was surprised at having been brought the food or at the number of items I had picked up for her. I didn't even get to know her last night, so I had just brought everything that I possibly could without spilling.

"For me," I answered sarcastically. When her face fell slightly, I laughed and said, "Of course it's for you. Eat up. There will be a lot of time to talk about things now that we are here."

"We are having an interview at school, are we?" she asked with a radiant beam on her face

"If that's what you want to take it as, sure. I have prepared questions for you," I replied with a grin.

I drank down my cold coffee while I took in the view outside of our room. Right behind the building, where our room was located, was a park. People were out and about, either exercising or just walking around the little pond where little birds swam. It was a pity, and unlucky too, that I had to get injured so severely to not be able to enjoy such small pleasures.

I went to fetch her desired beverage and another cold mocha for myself while she changed. I needed to feed my body with caffeine for the insufficient sleep I could get. It was funny that my room partner decided not to take a shot at caffeine by ordering a rose milkshake.

When I was leaving, I smirked at the long queue that had started to build up, demanding breakfast and drinks that was being served late. It wasn't every day that one could get their work done and entertain herself by watching others punish themselves.

I brought back the coffee and was stunned to see her outfit. It made me feel sheepish as I had chosen to go formal, pairing a royal blue shirt with slightly dark beige pants. She stood out with the white flowery dress that went down till her knees. Her long black hair was done up in a bun after a side partition. Her skin looked even more flawless with a little touchup of makeup and a bracelet.

Compared to her, I looked naked. I wore nothing at all except my watch, a gift for my eighteenth birthday. My waterfall braided hair was tied up so that it wouldn't interfere with my daily activities. There was no fancy material in my entire attire to give it a fashionable look.

"You look pretty," I said, turning my head away to pack my books up.

"You look great too," she complimented. Or maybe she was just saying it to make me feel better.

"Wish I could say the same about me, for I'm no rich lady."

"Hey." I turned around to see what she had to say that I hadn't heard already.

"You have no right to look down upon yourself. Your outlook is truly amazing. Everyone has their tastes. Even the simplest of things could be turned into beautiful masterpieces. You should know that by now since you are into fashion designing."

I gaped at her. "How did you know?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Your books," she pointed out. "I like it that you are an early bird."

"If you are so observant, how did you get into a trap like that?"

The question must have been very straightforward for her eyes lost their lustre. Her face became a ghostly white, showing traces of fear. I regretted asking it at the wrong time, but I wanted an answer to help her out.

She didn't answer, and I didn't push her for one. I pulled away from the wall and waited outside for her. We left together, with neither of us having approachable auras. I was in a serious mood, guilty of having deprived her of her smile, while she tried to keep a fake one, trying to appear cheerful.

Ultimately, I apologised for mistiming the question, promising to lend an ear and a shoulder, if she were ever in need of it. She finally smiled back, trying to hide away the tears in her eyes. I gave her a comforting hug. She squeezed me back in return.

"Ow," I complained. The squeeze had shot a pain in my chest. I lightly placed my hand over it after moving away from each other.

"Sorry," she said quickly. "Are you okay?"

"Just a minor injury," I said with a cough, indicating a lie.

She flicked her finger on the spot again. I flinched and then grimaced. What a way to test the truth.

She removed the necklace and put it around my neck. She looked at it wistfully, like parting from it would mean the end of something. I couldn't help but ponder what her musings were.

"You are a terrible liar," she stated. "And finally it has found its way to its owner. This precious item that you lend me was benevolent of you. To have met you again is a dream. Do tell me if this thing is truly like an elixir, for most of my injuries were healed within a day."

"Maybe, maybe not," I said vaguely. "I don't believe in magic. Do you think it exists?"

"I didn't believe in anything before. But now, I do believe in magic and fate. Fate because it brought you to my aid, and magic because a critical injury like that was supposed to take weeks to be repaired."

"Whatever you say," I said in an indifferent voice. "And thank you for being so thoughtful. May the Lord's blessings be with you."

I briefly closed my eyes for a few minutes, listening to my heartbeat. In the bright sunshine under the bus stop, I could already feel the bones being repaired. I was worried that if this kind of magic existed in the world, people would be frightened of me to hear of such a miracle. But if this was a miracle for the world to see, I couldn't stop it since fate demanded it.

"Your disbelief in magic is amusing," said the irritating little voice. "Wait until you see what this world contains. If the heavens have willed it, it shall be so. You will be tasting a bitter punishment for your ignorance."

And then, a terrible ache broke out in my chest like the ribs were being twisted at a rapid rate.