The Roommate Swap

•°••°•Past Hurts•°••°•

*two days back*

Ethan's P.O.V

I step out of my jet black Range Rover with two caramel chocolate cappuccinos from Starbucks and two egg McMuffins and hash browns from McDonalds.The girls at Starbucks are legit obsessed with Archor, they begged me for his Relationship Status, I told them I didn't care. Grabbing the drink tray and food bag .I quickly walked into the building. I stepped into the stainless steel elevator doors and pressed the little button with a little black four painted on it, making the button glow red. The elevator dinged and the doors slid closed without a sound. The crappy elevator music played softly in the background. I fixed my hair in the mirrors bordering the perimeter of the elevator. The stainless steel elevator doors slid open with a small ding sound. I stepped out into the hallway that always smells like cheap air freshener and flea spray. I walked down the hallway to a deep camouflage door that was identical to every other door in the building, but this one has a brass 456 on the front. I set the food and drinks down and pulled out my keys. I unlocked the door with a little click and opened it. I picked up the food and drinks and stepped into the apartment. "Alexus?" I called out. No answer. I set the food down on the counter. I walked throughout the apartment, calling her name, when it suddenly donged on me. "Archor!" I mumbled, rushing out of the house and through the elevator doors food and drinks in hand.

When the elevator dinged, letting me know I was on the first floor, I rushed out and down the hall. To another deep camouflage green door and grabbed the brass knocker and tapped it against the door, waiting for Darcie to answer if anyone would know where Alexus is, or Archor, it would be her. After about five minutes I knocked again. Another five minutes. I touched the doorknob, and jiggled it. The knob turned and the door opened with a loud creak I froze, if anyone was home, I'd probably be killed on the spot. I stepped into the apartment, and I heard a soft sobbing noise coming from down the hall to the left. I took small, cautious steps down the hallway, as I stepped closer and closer the sobbing became louder until I stopped in front of a door that as cracked open slightly. I peeked through the crack to see Darcie bandaging her hand up, with a lot of crimson liquid staining the white sterile bandage. I saw tears running down her face, I also saw a few pictures of her and her family broken, along with a bunch of glass shards laying around the floor by her. I cleared my throat and stepped through the doorway. She looked up at me, startled. "Oh, hey." She said, looking away. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened to your hand?" I asked. "Oh, it's nothing, I just knocked some pictures and a vase over and cut myself." She answered. I walked over and kneeled sat down next to her. I took the bandage and unwrapped the soft,gentle cloth slowly to reveal the sliced hand, I looked up at her, her eyes filled with guilty tears. "I know your lying, now tell me the truth." I breathed out.

After we sat down on the beige sofa I handed her one of the egg McMuffins and a cappuccino. She took the sausage off of the biscuit and began eating it, she's so different from other girls, one in particular named Sadie, my ex. She wouldn't even drink anything in front of me, while Darcie and Alexus do it like a sixth sense. She gulped down her cappichino and polished off her biscuit and started on her hash browns.

"So, anyway what was that about?" I asked her, pointing at her hand and back to her room. "Oh just, memories from past expierinences." She answered. "Oh, I know how that feels, I had a girlfriend, her name was Sadie, I thought I loved her, but she cheated in me, I guess the feeling wasn't mutual." I said, looking at the ground. "I only had one boyfriend, his name was Ashton. We liked each other, but then he went around sleeping with other girls, but when I found out, I was devastated, I got all insecure and I buried myself in my studies, completely shutting the world out, then dad died." She mumbled the last part, looking down at the ground. I smiled reassuringly at her. She returned it with a small, weak smile. "I guess we both are scared to love, huh?" She just nodded softly. "How are you dealing with his death?" I asked. She looked at me like she couldn't believe I had asked it, but answered anyway. "It's hard, I just can't believe he's actually gone, it feels like it was just yesterday he was teaching me to ride a bike, but now, here I am, at Uni and he's gone. So it's hard, but I'll survive." She answered. I nodded, processing everything she said, how genuine it sounded, how much emotion behind it all. She's taking it all so well. It's amazing. I leaned in and she did too surprisingly, she slowly flutters her eyes closed and our lips meet, her soft lips sending heat rushing through my body and towards the surface of my lips, she didn't back away, like she wasn't afraid to give me a chance. She deepened the kiss and I reacted swiftly. I pull away before I screw up. "I actually enjoyed that" she whispered, I look up at her breathless.

Right then Archor and Alexus burst through the door, Archor carrying Alexus on his back. Darcie and I jumped away from each other.

Alexus' P.O.V

"Archor! Put me down!" I laughed, Archor carried me into his apartment on his back. Where we found Darcie and Ethan, both sitting a little unconformably on either side of the couch. Strange, I know Darcie keeps her distance from guys but not that far away from them. "Um, Darcie can I talk to you, like, now." I said, leading her to her room down the hall.

Darcie's P.O.V

Crap. I stood up and followed Alexus into my room. "Yeah?" I asked. " What was going between you and Ethan?" She asked. "Nothing." I say a little to quickly. "Really?" She asked, looking like she didn't buy it. But who would? I sighed, getting ready to admit my fib when she realizes it herself. "You like him, don't you?" She asked, her eyes turning super mega huge. I slowly nodded. "Really?" She asked. I nodded again. Alexus' eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, she asked how I knew and I shrugged and said "It felt natural." Her blonde hair finally showing through the ombré, that's when I had the idea.

"Alexus I'm scared that Archor and Ethan might just be players, you know how we used to trick mom and dad and our teachers by switching, let's do that, I'll dye my hair you'll dye yours and we act like each other. I saw her eyes twinkle with challenge and k knew she was end. Okay good, we'll start training for our part in a week then once we get out acts together dye our hair, okay? She nodded in agreement, "Mission Roommate swap is a go!" I half shout

"Now can we be serious for a moment?" Alexus asked with coldness in her voice. It gave me chills, I gulped what felt like a ball in my throat." Uhm, yeah sure." I nod at the same to to reassure myself and her. "I'm not okay Darcie, I'm, I'm going crazy, I've been back and forth with guys and I got into the worst habits, why can't I go back to normal? Alexus ranted and scream, mainly at herself it seemed, her kips got plump and her eyes glossed over, tears silently slide down her face and she just hiccupped and cried, I didn't know whether to comfort her or just leave her there. I sighed and sat down next to her. "I guess we all have our mental breakdowns" gesturing towards my hand. Alexus pulled up her sleeves to reveal her wrists sliced up to big forearm, I wanted to cry right there and then. My sister Haas been silently suffering, I knew she cut but I thought only her fingertips like I saw that one time. I had no clue. "The past hurts Darc, it really does." muttered out. she sat there staring at a broken picture of us from when we were little. We both just sat there thinking about life. " We'd better go to bed, I'll see you in the morning." Alexus nodded' rolled down her sleeves and walked out to Ethan and they left the apartment, I started at empty space as the door closed behind them.

Archor asked a lot of questions about what the actual fuck happened and I tried to tell him nothing g but he was just like a Alexus knew I was lying. I stiff led some answered like" Just stuff" and "The usual" but that wasn't enough for him, I finally got up from the couch and went to bed, j told him I would give him the answers tomorrow.