the fourth roommate » alex ernst

SIX

"You guys knew eachother in high school?" I was shocked at the revelation that just spread across the room. "Seriously?"

Todd nodded, laughing at my disbelief. "Yeah, we were best friends."

"That's awesome," I smiled, looking back and forth between the boys who were a lot deeper connected than first thought. "I wish I could've done that with someone."

"None of your friends can move?" one of them asked, but I wasn't paying attention to who. We were all laying on the floor, looking straight up at the ceiling, completely worn out after thirty minutes of dancing. David left an hour ago probably, with Jason in some weird, revealing girl outfit, speaking with a Spanish accent. I was very confused, but I didn't say anything.

"No one ever really leaves my town," I shrugged, although they probably couldn't see me. It wasn't exactly a lie, small towns in Georgia stayed the same forever, but I also didn't mention the fact that I had no friends besides my Grammy.

"Except you," Scott commented. He was right.

"I hated it there," I admitted to the group, once again oversharing with people who probably didn't care. "I don't know your political views or anything, so I'm not trying to step on any toes, but everyone in Georgia is just racist and sexist and homophobic, and when you try to explain why it's wrong to be so prejudiced, they don't listen. They think whatever they learned from their parents is always right, and that's just not true."

"No, I get that," Todd turned his head to look at me and I smiled at him. "I hate when people can't form their own opinions and are so worried about what their friends or parents think."

"Exactly!" I was happy people here understood. No one back home did, except maybe Grammy, but she was as racist and homophobic as anyone in Georgia. She just respected my opinion a lot more. "It's so annoying when people can't do things for themselves. Like my older sister, she only ever did what my parents approved of. She learned to play the piano, even though she hated it, just because my parents wanted us to play. That's bullshit in my opinion. I wish she would've told them straight up. She also believes everything my parents say is right just because they're my parents, and I'm not always disagreeing with my parents, but some things are just so obviously wrong and she knows it! But she acts like she doesn't to be accepted!"

"That sucks," I would've thought Scott fell asleep, since he hadn't said anything in a while, but he spoke up. "I hate when people do that."

"Yeah, so I moved here."

"Do you like it here?" one of the two asked.

"Yeah, I really do. I mean I just met you guys yesterday, and you probably don't even consider us friends, but everyone I've met so far is a better friend to me than anyone in Georgia. Except my grandma," I added at the end, not wanting to bad mouth the only person who accepted me in my last two years of living in Georgia. "But I can always go back and see her."

"We're your friends," Todd simply said, ending our conversation. The music that was playing before was still playing now, just a bit quieter, and I began to nod my head to the beat of Good For You by Selena Gomez. I absolutely adored this song and couldn't wait for the day I could post a picture on Instagram with the caption, "let me show you how proud i am to be yours". 

We laid there for a while in silence, listening to music, until I was certain both Todd and Scotty fell asleep. I was so close to taking a nap too until the door swung open and woke me right up. I gasped and clutched at my chest, now sitting up to look at whoever barged into the house.

"What are y'all lame bitches doin'?" It was Heath who spoke, but he was accompanied by Zane and Gabbie. I waved at them, laughing when I realized neither Toddy nor Scotty stirred at the intrusion.