Maybe, Probably

Chapter 1 - Dylan

"I've been placed where?!" I whisper-yell to my mom. She winces, as the other few people in the lobby turn to give us dirty looks. I'll admit I spoke louder than intended, but at this point I think I had every right to be upset. "You've been put in the boy's dorm, dear" she says, patting my hand in a way I could only assume she thought was reassuring. The boys dorm, I thought to myself, biting back a shiver.

The only reason we were even in this mess was because my mother thought she would be a cool teen mom and name her daughter a traditionally male name. Something she probably should've thought of, was how much of a hassle having a masculin name would be.

Case in point, me being placed in the boys dorm at my new school. The dean - reasonably - assumed I was a boy and by the time the mistake had been caught, it was too late. The girls' dorms were full. So now I had two options. I could choose to stay and live in the dorms - with special rules put in place of course - or I could go home and wait until next year where my spot in the girls dorm was already guaranteed.

My only problem with the latter was that this is my senior year, so I wouldn't have a chance to come here next year anyways. I sat back in my chair trying to figure out what I was going to do. Could one year living with boys really be that bad? I've survived twelve years with my two cousins living next door. They were over enough that they practically lived with us anyways. It's not like there'll be hundreds of them in the house. The dean explained that the dorms were split into houses with only four or five people living in one at a time.

"I'll do it. How hard can it be? Maybe I can even teach them how to take care of themselves" I said, turning to face the head of the department of something I didn't care to remember the name of. Her eyes flashed with surprise, then pride. "I'm so glad you said that, though I'll have to warn you that you'll have your work cut out for you. I plan on putting you in the tamest house, but even their smell gets offensive sometimes" she chuckled, "Come, follow me and I'll show you to your home for the school year". She motioned to a young guy, probably fresh out of college, to grab my bags and follow us.

The house was a three and a half minute walk from the registration building, and boy was it perfect. It was an average-looking two story building with soft yellow paneling all the way around, white trim and a beautiful chestnut brown door with matching shutters around all the windows. It was everything I had ever wanted my house to look like.

"It's beautiful," I sighed. "Wait until you've seen the inside. None of the boys will arrive until next week so it should be in tip top shape" she smiled as if she could sense my barely contained excitement. She handed me a key that I assumed was my house key, and motioned for me to go unlock the door for the first time. I let my mom take a few pictures of me with the key before I unlocked it. I gasped.

The inside was gorgeously furnished. It felt like stepping into a cozy ski lodge. The whole house was open concept. From the front door, I could see out the kitchen window above the sink into the big backyard. To my right the living room was decorated in a variety of soft browns, reds and charcoal grays. Just off the living room was a small breakfast nook that was connected to the stunning kitchen. The whole main floor was full of beautiful natural lighting that came from the massive windows at the back and the front of the house. Between the eating nook and the kitchen were two french doors that opened onto a nice gazebo-covered porch. This looks perfect for reading, I thought quickly to myself, eyeing the large, comfy-looking outdoor couch that overlooked the huge backyard. I turned to the lady whose name I've already forgotten, and smiled. Stinky boys or not, I was going to love it here.

The rest of the house was just as beautiful, with four large rooms upstairs. The biggest had its own bathroom and as the only girl in the house, I got it. The big windows let in lots of light and the electric fireplace, which was a smaller version of the red-brick one in the living room, made the room feel cozy.

After saying goodbye to my mom, promising to call her once I was settled, I returned to the house to get unpacked. I had roughly a week and a half before the first of my roommates arrived. I was nervous to be starting my senior year at my new school, but it was a good opportunity. Besides, this was my first time living in a house, and I wasn't about to take it for granted. Here, I could do my laundry without having to walk four blocks. Here, I could cook in the kitchen without worrying about how cramped it was.

My mom and I have been living in our apartment since I was born. It's not that I don't love it. I do. But I've always wondered what it was like to live in a house. My mom became a single mom at the age of sixteen. My birth dad ended up signing away his parental rights before I was even born. Don't feel bad for me though. It's not like he was a bad person. At least not according to my mom. I actually consider myself lucky that my dad was mature enough to realize that he wasn't ready to be a parent, and I really respect him for that. My mom's parents even kicked her out of the house when they found out, so it's always been my mom and I. Just how I like it.

                                                                                    ******

"What,"

"The,"

"Hell."

Three handsome young men my age stand in front of me, their jaws all slack in identical expressions of shock. "Surprise?" I shrug my shoulders and smile hoping to snap them out of whatever shock-induced trance they were in. I stand and wait for another thirty seconds before getting mildly irritated. I mean, come on! It's like they've never seen a girl before. I sigh and stalk out of the room with way more attitude than necessary.

I make myself a bowl of popcorn and hear the boys take their luggage upstairs. There's a lot of thumping as they go upstairs, and I brace myself for their reactions when they find out I've taken the biggest room. Sure enough, I hear "Dude, she even took the biggest room. She's like four feet tall. She doesn't need it," and then, "Forget the bedroom. Why the hell is she even here?" followed by, "both of you shut up. Obviously something happened so she was put in this house. Leave her alone," and then silence.

None of my roommates had made a sound, never mind an appearance since they went up to unpack their suitcases. "I made dinner if y'all want some. It's nothing special, just a taco casserole and cheese toast" I called upstairs. As if by magic, three pairs of feet pounded heavily down the stairs and into the kitchen. I turned and found all three standing at the island with their chests heaving and smiles plastered on their handsome faces. "Did you say something about tacos?"