The Designated Dorm Room

24. - Past

“Mom!” I yelled from my room, my hands holding a shirt each.

Mom came running into my door, “What is it?”

“Which one do you like?” I asked her, showing the shirts on my hands. One was beige and the other was blue-ish denim color.

“I like this one,” she pointed to the beige one. I nodded.

“Thanks Mom.”

She raised a thumb and went back downstairs. I stared at my shirt.

It was mine and Dylan’s 200 days anniversary today, and as he said, he liked to keep anniversaries by 100 days. So I was thinking about surprising him.

My beige shirt was not actually a plain beige color. It was squares with beige, black and white. It had a short collar with gold buttons which was really cute. I slipped it on and matched it with my coffee-color high-waist shorts.

I combed my hair carelessly, letting the curvy pieces show. Then I clipped a white bow on the side to hold up my thin braids.

It was about 8 in the morning. I glanced over at my gift for him and smiled. It was a small crystal jar filled with colorful paper stars I spent all night making. I know, pretty cliché. Oh well, guess I do watched too much dramas.

I went over to my table where the jar was, and pulled out a decorated small piece of paper that people use as fancy sticky notes – except the part where it wasn’t sticky, it was just a square, cute paper.

I wrote, ‘Hey my dumb-butt, I love you forever and ever <3’ Smiling at my handwriting, I added,

“Happy 200 days anniversary – as you said”

I rolled the piece of paper and secured it with a strip of pink ribbon. Then shoving it into the jar of stars so that ¾ of the roll is dipped in the stars.

Carefully handling the jar, I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror before grabbing my chapstick and phone and skipped downstairs. I quickly drank a cup of milk and shoved a butter biscuit into my mouth then ran passed the living room to the door. I slipped on my white doll shoes and before I could take another step, I heard my mom coughing.

“Going somewhere?” she smirked, lifting her eyebrow.

I smiled, “Yeah I’m just going over to Dylan’s.”

She pointed to my stars jar, I waved my hand. “I’ll tell you later Mom, gotta run I’m late!” With that I kissed her on the cheek and ran to catch the bus. Mom just stood there shaking her head and smiling. She’s like my teenage girlfriend.

…

Arriving at Dylan’s door 15 minutes later, I smiled to myself and knocked the door. No one came out. I glanced at the driveway, Dylan’s car was here. I turned around and knocked harder this time, suddenly the door moved. It wasn’t locked. I frowned, sensing something odd going on. Pushing opening the door, I tiptoed inside and carefully close the door behind me. The house was perfectly still. Maybe Dylan’s just deep-sleeping upstairs. Yeah, must be. I told myself that and excitedly walked to his room.

The door was closed, signaling he was inside. Dylan never close his door when he leaves, I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was a habit? I don’t know, I always close MY door when I leave my room.

I stopped thinking nonsense stuff inside my head and opened the door. As soon as I touched the doorknob, planning to burst in and shout something sweet, I heard a voice. And it wasn’t Dylan’s.