One Month

3. that room

That room

The sound of our doorbell followed by the sound of my mother yelling at me from the living room to get down was my warning before disaster.

I put down my cigarette and raise myself from the couch I was comfortably resting on and grab a random T-shirt I find and put it on.

"Aaron, welcome! Come inside!"

My mother's annoyingly high pitched voice echoes through the house and I roll my eyes at her fake kindness before I force myself to head there myself.

Aaron Campbell is here and will stay here for a full month. I hate that the time has come. It's 6 in the morning and I've just had my regular coffee and cigarette so I'm still half asleep and dragging my bare feet on the floor. Why did Aaron have to move in on a Friday morning? We both have school today so it's inconvenient for both of us. Him having to settle in before school and me waking up so damn early just so my mother can 'tour' him around the house.

As I reach the stairs I stop and eavesdrop on them as they approach probably heading upstairs.

"Up the stairs are the bedrooms." I hear my mothers voice getting closer and closer. I don't bother moving, no reason to avoid the inevitable. My arms are crossed on my chest as they appear moments later coming up the stairs. Aaron first, carrying a large suitcase, a sports sack and his school bag, followed by my useless being of a mother. His blue eyes look at me with hidden dirgust from head to toe before he makes eye contact moments before he reaches the top of the stairs only a few inches away from me and puts down the suitcase he was effortlessly carrying.

"This is Victoria, I'm assuming you know each other." My mother speaks, indifference evident in her voice.

"Right." Aaron confirms and takes his eyes off mine and turns to my mother. "We go to school together." He explains politely -as if she doesn't already know- and gives her a small polite smile before he turns his head back to me.

"Wonderful. Maybe you can drive her to school today instead of using my car." My mother says making me trying to decide whether to laugh at her or hit her.

I want to say that it's not her car, it's my car. That she didn't even pay for it. That I worked my ass off so I could get it two years ago. But for some reason I decide to keep my mouth shut and just roll my eyes at her. I begin to climb down the stairs continuing to eavesdrop on them.

"So, the brown door here that's Victoria's room. You'll be staying in this one, the white door one." I hear my mother say and I freeze.

That room she's referring to, the one with the white door, that's her room. Why would she give him her room? We do have a guest room downstairs.

My mother's bedroom is exactly next to mine. It has a double bed and is bigger than the guest room. It also has a door on the inside leading to the bathroom the two bedrooms share. The bathroom is between my bedroom and hers and has two doors leading to the two rooms and connecting them in a way.

This just made his staying here a lot more intolerable for me. The thought of having him wandering around the house and so close to my room where I spend pretty much the most of my life terrifies me. It's not just inconvenient and difficult anymore. It's impossible. I know for a fact now that for the following month I will literally be roommates with my school bully and most hated person.

°°°

It's 7 am. After sloppily combing my hair and gathering them into a messy bun I put on my everyday grey converse shoes and made myself my regular toast and orange juice for breakfast. I brushed my teeth shortly after I finished eating and found my school bag exactly where I had dropped it the day before.

Now I'm on my phone making a playlist of the songs I want to listen to on my way to school, my school bag on one shoulder and standing by the door ready to leave.

Aaron is still upstairs settling on my mother's room. His current room. My mother left shortly after touring him around for 'work' which in her speak meant shopping or meeting friends for coffee. She doesn't work. She quit her job when dad died and gave up ever since. I'm the one who's working.

I plug my headphones in my ears and exit the house making the quick decision to walk today instead of driving. I need all the time I can get to listen to music and think. It's the only way I can think.

I select Uprising by Muse as the first song and shove my phone in my back pocket as I walk with a steady pace quietly huming the lyrics.

I loud horn seemingly from a car right behind me makes me jump up and snap my head oven my shoulder.

Aaron Campbell being a jackass as always. Driving his nice fast car, sunglasses on, one hand on the wheel one resting on the car door. His car is stopped right beside me so I take one headphone off to have my full attention to him.

"Was that necessary?" I comment, annoyance obvious in my voice and my face.

"Get in." He demands facing forward.

"I'm good." I decline and turn on my heel to leave.

"I'm not happy about it either but I promised your mother. Now get in." He repeats himself.

"I would very much rather die." I reply thinking of how strange it is that my mother asked him to drive me to school. I turn to leave once again and hear him snort right before I plug my headphone back in.

I only manage a short distance of five feet before I feel a hand grabbing me by my arm and turning me around.

"What the-" is all I manage to say before Aaron lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder, carrying me like a potato sack and holding me with one hand. My headphones fall off my ears and I rush my hand to catch them.

He opens the car door with his free hand and throws me to the passenger seat.

"I said I promised your mother." He repeats and shuts the door leaving me wondering what the hell just happened as he takes his seat and starts driving to school.