Rival Roommates

10 ☁︎︎

Valentina
Its Tuesday again, and I sit at the front of my debate class, ready to argue with an opponent of professor Fitz's choice, my debate teacher, who I've grown quite fond of and vice-versa. I lean back against my chair, hands folded behind my head with my ankles crossed as I tap the heels of my Mary-Janes against the floorboards. As predicted, I am chosen yet again as my group's speaker and I'm about to begin my research when the phone tucked in my black lace garter buzzes. What? Those stupid school skirts didn't have pockets, and it's not like I was a hitman and going to hide a knife there, it was just convenient and easy.

I ignore the buzz and continue jotting down on my writing paper, my knee bouncing as ideas flow through my head, and I lightly bite down on the end of my pen in thought. When it buzzes for the forth time, I sense urgency and stand up to leave, pardoning myself to the bathroom with the excuse of lady problems that needed to be dealt with. Fitz passes me a knowing look but waves me off, rolling his eyes tiredly, and I slip into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind me and pulling out my phone.

Noticing several messages, and a missed call from my dad, I skip past the texts and call him back, and he picks up on the first ring.

"Dad, I have a class going on right now. What's up?" I ask, holding a hand over the phone as I keep an eye on the door for unwanted visitors.

"Oh, she speaks! Here I was thinking that my child was dead, but she's fully capable of saying full sentences. A whole two weeks, cariño, and not so much as a fucking call? We move away to a whole different country, but as soon as you move to a different school you forgot your padre? Do I need to send you photos of me every week so you remember you even have a dad, Valentina?" He rants, shouting down the line as his harsh tone eventually softens. Fuck. I guess I must've gotten so caught up in other shit.

"Oh dios, lo siento mucho papá. no se como se me olvido Te lo juro, en el momento en que llego a mi dormitorio, tu foto estará colgada en la pared." I rush out, rubbing my head as I pave back and forth in the small classroom.
["Oh god, I'm so sorry dad. I don't know how I forgot. I swear, the moment I get to my dorm, your photo is going up on the wall."]

"Será mejor que sea uno muy bueno también. Solo quería ver cómo estabas, ver si estabas bien acomodado de todos modos, querida. Supongo que tus madres te están dando suficiente mierda de todos modos. No sabes lo bien que se siente oírte hablar el idioma de tu hogar, te he extrañado mucho cariño." He sighs dramatically and I roll my eyes silently, smiling at his warming words.
[It better be a damn good one too. I just wanted to check in on you, see if u were all settled in anyways dear. Guess your mums giving you enough shit anyways. You dont know how good it feels to hear you speak your home language, I've missed you so much darling.]

"Yeah, mums driving me crazy with all these boyfriend applications, she won't get off my case, it's like she doesn't realise I came here to study." I vent, straddling the chair backwards and leaning my chin on the back of it.

"She better not be finding any for herself, what with me being thousands of miles away and stuff. You know I haven't had my call of the day with your mother, but I can tell you, something is really-" He drones, going off on a tangent and I hold the phone away from my ear, counting to ten before I place it on my ear and I quickly blurt out a goodbye and a 'love you' before ending the call.

I slip the phone back into the garter on my thigh, and quietly shut the door as I leave the room.
"Well, well, well. Good girl Valentina gone bad?" A smooth deep voice drawls, and I lift my eyes up to meet his, one arm behind my back, still holding the door shut as I lean against its wood frame. His blazer, as usual, is not on, and his sleeves are rolled up against his toned forearms, his tie prim and neat in dreary comparison to the mess of a tie on my neck.