Rooming with Maddox

Chapter Five:

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There was a positive and a negative to being the first person in class.

On the positive side, you had the privilege of choosing your preferred seat. Being a fan of the back of the class, I seized the opportunity to settle into a seat at the rear. As the rest of the class shuffled in, visibly exhausted from a likely sleep-deprived night, I couldn't help but appreciate my strategic choice.

However, on the flip side, being the first in class meant not having control over where others chose to sit-like your ex-best friend and ex-roommate.

And, of course, she opted for the seat right next to mine.

"Hey, saucy sa-sa!" I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous nickname. While I used to enjoy her spontaneous nicknames, now that we were at odds, every word from her felt like nails on a chalkboard-aggravating and longing for the return of silence.

There she was, Kalea Bennett, in all her glory, occupying the seat next to mine. Once my biggest cheerleader, full of support, she was now someone I couldn't even pretend to appreciate.

Kalea and I had grown up together due to our parents' friendship, we became best friends. She was the outgoing cheerleader, and I was the introverted, prefer-to-be-alone best friend. I tagged along to parties, avoiding gossip and boy talk, and maintaining a silent presence.

Despite my inclination for solitude, she always stuck by me. Her other friendships were fleeting, but ours endured. However, a different side of her had started to emerge. She was no longer the best friend I grew up with; she acted like she walked on water when she only wore high heels and acted like her BO smelled like lavender and roses when she spent hours in the bathroom every day.

What I despised most was her ability to believe everything was okay between us after a massive fight, and her cluelessness in the face of my anger. It wasn't solely her fault; I had allowed our passive-aggressive friendship to persist for far too long. I was passive, and she was aggressive.

All of a sudden, I sensed the presence of a person casting a shadow in front of us. Glancing up, I discovered Maddox standing there, with Phoenix and another guy trailing behind him. "Do you mind if we sit here?" he inquired.

I nonchalantly shrugged in response.

Observing Kalea's visibly surprised reaction to Maddox's presence, I found myself caught in a state of confusion. Phoenix chose the seat on the other side of me, accompanied by an unfamiliar guy who settled on the opposite side. Meanwhile, Maddox stood frozen in front of Kalea, almost as if he was expecting her to move.

My assumptions were confirmed when Maddox gruffly asked, "Can you move?" Kalea eagerly nodded, ready to relocate to the next seat over, but he preemptively placed his bag on the seat, uttering, "Sit somewhere else," surprising me.

I observed the interaction while Kalea looked at me expectantly. She nodded before finding another seat. Once she was gone, Maddox turned his attention to me and casually pointed to the mysterious guy next to Phoenix. "This is Larken," he stated before facing forward, awaiting the teacher's arrival.

Attempting to clear up my confusion, Phoenix remarked, "Ignore him. He's not a fan of conversation," making me laugh. "As he said, this is Larken; he's our brother," he added.

I nodded in understanding at Phoenix and then turned my attention back to Maddox, expressing my gratitude with a sincere "thanks," reflecting on the earlier incident with Kalea.

He shrugged nonchalantly, replying, "It was nothing."

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "It was to me," just before the teacher entered the room.