The Roommate

13

"My last girlfriend thought cartoons were stupid." Chase remarked one day when we were watching Looney Toons on Sunday morning.

"What?" He simply nodded smiling slightly.

"She said they were stupid."

"Well, she's stupid." I replied.

He just laughed, "Yea. She cheated on me for some guy who served her spaghetti at this fake ass Italian restaurant. I don't know why I just thought about that. She always reminded me of Buttercup from the Power Puff Girls. She was a real down in the dumps kind of person." I looked over at him grinning ear to ear, "What?" He asked.

"You did not just reference the Power Puff Girls." I chuckled, I knew Chase loved cartoons... but wasn't that a girls show?

"What's wrong with that?"

"That show is for six year old girls!"

"You watch it..."

"That's different."

All of the sudden someone knocked on the door to our apartment. Since people seldom came over this was a surprise to me. But Chase simply got up and opened the door, not even checking to see who it was... like he already knew who was coming. I heard Chase talking in a hushed voice by the door, but I couldn't see from where I was sitting on the couch. I didn't want to get up incase I wasn't supposed to know, but I also really wanted to know who was here...

"Chase? Who's there?" I called.

"Don't worry about it Em-"

"Ohhh, she's here..." I heard a familiar voice say. I groaned in response to this. Why hadn't he told me they were coming?

"Just leave guys... I said after lunch not before-"

"It's fine. Let them in..." I replied, sighing. I knew I'd regret this.

In walked Ian and Nick, sly smiles plastered on their faces. I was just wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt, so it really wasn't a big deal. I got up heading to my room to change. Chase and them sat down at the couch changing the channel probably. I sighed putting on my black skirt and white muscle shirt tucked in. I snuck into the bathroom unseen by the boys and finished my preparations before heading back into the living room. I assumed Chase had told Ian and Nick everything.

Chase looked up when he saw me and smiled, "Want to join us?" He asked.

Ian and Nick glanced at each other eagerly at this suggestion. "Sure." I replied sitting on his lap. The boys smirked as Chase gently set me down next to him. I understood that maybe he didn't want Ian and Nick to tease us, but what the hell?

They were watching some crime show that I pretended to be interested in, I was still kind of pissed until Chase leaned over, "You look nice." He whispered in my ear.

I smiled not really looking at him, "Hey Emerson, why don't you go make us some snacks?" Ian said.

"How about you make it yourself you-" I paused, "Fine. I'll make you guys some fucking snacks." I grumbled getting up and making my way to the kitchen. I didn't want to cause a scene or make Chase mad.

I got some snack foods and brought them back, literally throwing the bags in Ian's face. "So have you guys gotten together yet?" Nick asked casually.

This was obviously the wrong question. Chase shifted awkwardly in his seat, and I glared at him realizing he had failed to tell his friends anything- but not because he was embarrassed, I didn't give a shit about that. Because he had failed to tell me that he hadn't told them yet. "No." I stated getting up and walking back to my room. Ok maybe I was a little mad he was embarrassed by me.

Someone knocked on the door, thinking it was Chase I answered. I was disappointed to see Nick's face, his eyes traveling up and down. I let out a long frustrated sigh, "I highly doubt Chase allowed you to come over here, so you better get on with whatever your're wanting to say."

"You don't deserve a douche bag like Chase." He stated. I began to close the door in his face when he stopped me, "Do you want to go on a date? Just a date! Nothing else!"

"No."

"C'mon..." He grabbed my waist, but I pulled back.

"Fuck off."

Chase must have heard us because the next thing I knew he was dragging Nick away from me back into the living room. "Can you not control yourself for more than five fucking minutes?" I heard him yell.

When the boys had gone and the disastrous afternoon had come to an end, I was sitting in the living room alone watching some weird reality tv show that I'd never seen before. It was a pretty shitty program... and I was soon interrupted by Chase who had walked into the living room. He didn't join me, he just stood there. I didn't think we had been fighting, just a little misunderstanding- but apparently we had...

"This isn't going to work."

"What?"

"This..." he motioned to the apartment.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked slowly, not wanting to hear the words he'd say next.

"I think I should move out."

"What?! Chase! I already told my parents-"

"I know what you told your parents, just find yourself another goddamn roommate!" He cried.

The worst part was, he didn't seem at all upset by this. "Are you breaking up with me? We just started going out-"

"I need space. But whatever, I already moved all my stuff out anyways."

I looked around me, and sure enough he had. I just hadn't really noticed. The Xbox was gone, his DVD's, the closet was empty... His presence was that subtle I guess. "Where are you going to stay?" I asked softly.

"Nick's house."

"Fine. Then leave." I stated, "The door's right there, no one's stopping you."

So he turned around and walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him. I was partially in shock, what had just happened? Whatever it was, it had happened way to fast for me to process. He was gone. I looked around me, the empty shelves... the missing objects. I numbly made my way to the fridge, he'd even taken his food. I wandered into the bathroom where his shelves were baren. I sat down on the cool tile floors as tears made their way down my cheeks.

This startled me because I'd never really cried over a boy before. I thought back to the past few weeks... Chase had yelled at me for leaving the milk carton in the fridge when it was empty, I'd gotten mad when he didn't let me use the bathroom, he'd called Andrea a slut, I'd told him his friends were pigs... we yelled and cried and ignored each other... but I had hardly noticed. The fight was huge, but had somehow slipped right on by me. I was shaking and sobbing now not sure what to do with myself. I had nothing, I was nothing. It was quite pathetic when I finally realized how little I was without him.

I got to my feet finally, my hands dry and my eyes raw and puffy. I didn't know who to call. It was a little late to call Andrea, she was hanging with Conner probably smiling at the fact that I was happy with Chase... and my parents were miles away worrying about me sleeping with some guy who wasn't even here anymore. Or maybe they weren't worrying, and Andrea wasn't smiling. Maybe I was so unimportant in everyone's lives. I bet Chase was driving away without a thought of me in his mind, I bet my parents were sipping martinis Happy Hour just beginning not even worrying about their little girl, and I bet Andrea and Conner were happy together without even thinking about how happy I might be.

It's scary to realize how small you are in a world that's so big.