Philline Harms - Never Kiss Your Roommate

Friday evening saw Seven Hills buzzing with excitement. There was a party in Gloomswick, I had heard, where a lot of the older students were going. Seth and I werent all that interested in getting drunk, but we also didnt want to waste our Friday night. In the end, we decided to go out for pizza together after Seth had complained that he was sick of all the healthy food the cafeteria served.

Noelle also seemed to plan on going somewhere, as she was standing in front of the mirror doing her makeup while I got ready. Since she still didnt talk to me, I didnt know where she was heading, but I also didnt think asking was worth the trouble.

I was relieved when a knock at the door cut through the silence. Because I was expecting Sethand Noelle didnt move an inchI was the one to get it, only to freeze when instead I found Elias, Noelles boyfriend.

Oh, I said, eloquent as ever, and stepped aside to let him through, trying to push away the images that popped into my head at the sight of him.

Elias winked at me, obviously mistaking my blushing for something else, and strolled past me. Hey, baby. Lookin good.

Noelle, who was still doing her makeup, only smirked at him through the mirror, tilting her head slightly to the side when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck.

I felt horribly out of place.

What took you so long? Noelle, finished with applying her mascara, asked and turned around to face him.

Had to wait until my roommate left so I could get this

he produced a bottle of vodka out from beneath his coatout from under my bed.

I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Ill give you the money later.

Uncaring of my presence in the room, Elias pulled her in by her hips again. You know, there are other ways to pay me back...

Getting greedy there.

How could I not when you look like that?

I couldnt help but feel with him. Noelle was wearing a tight-fitting skirt that showed off her toned legs and a white top that contrasted with her skin. In addition, she had put on a leather jacket and a pair of heavy combat boots that made her even taller than she already was. All of it had made not staring at her impossibly hard.

Noelle seemed unfazed by Eliass flirting. Stepping out of his embrace, she lifted the bottle to her mouth and took a decent swig, not even grimacing at the burn of alcohol, before she slid the bottle into her purse. As she did, she made eye contact with me for a split second, raising a brow as if to dare me to say something.

I didnt and was relieved when there was another knock at the door behind me that excused my breaking eye contact.

Gday, milady, Seth said in an exaggerated posh accent, bracing his arm against the door frame with a grin. I am here to escort you to your dinner.

Why, thank you, I laughed and turned around once more to grab my bag from my bed.

Noelle didnt seem to notice me leaving, too busy pressing her boyfriend against the wall next to the bathroom.

Shutting the door with more force than necessary, I stepped back into the hallway where Seth was waiting. Howd you get up here?

Took the stairs, Seth informed me. Its not like someones keeping watch to make sure no boy comes to the girls wing.

And Im clearly not the only one. Just the only one who didnt come here to shag, I reckon.

I shook my head with a laugh and fell into step beside him.

My mood always seemed to lighten the moment I left Noelles proximity. With her there, it was as if there was a vacuum that sucked all of the air out of the room, making it hard to breathe.

Her presence felt heavy in a way no one elses did.

Is it always like that? Seth had read my mind.

Like what?

That tense.

I nodded. In front of us, two other girls stepped out into the corridor. They seemed to be a year younger than us, stifling giggles and hiding their party outfits under long coats as they scurried down the stairs.

I wonder what Noelles deal is, Seth mused.

Ill let you know if I figure it out.

Seth looked like he wanted to say something else, but was beaten to it by a high-pitched voice that sounded behind us.

What on earth is he doing here?

We exchanged a pointed look before we slowly turned around.

Amelia was standing behind us with a horrified expression and a hand on her hip. You cannot be serious, Evelyn, she exclaimed and pointed at Seth. What are you thinking, bringing him here?

She didnt bring me here, Seth said with a frown. Believe it or not, I am capable of making decisions for myself.

Amelia looked over her shoulder like she was expecting a teacher to come around the corner any minute. Lowering her voice, she insistently said, You need to get out of here!

Yes, thats what we were about to do before you stopped us,

Seth groaned.

We? Did you get permission to go out?

No, but we figured it was okay because everyone else is going out as well

Amelias horrified gaze now fixed me. Youre sneaking out?

Do you really want to get expelled after barely two weeks of being here?

Seth pinched the bridge of his nose. Downstairs a clock struck nine, only increasing the panicked look on Amelias face. I could almost hear her thoughts: only one hour until bedtime.

Amelia... I sighed, gently putting my hands on her shoulders to make her look at me. Were just going out to eat. Well be back in two hours or so, all right? Its not that big a deal.

Honestly. We want to get pizza, not commit a bloody felony.

Amelia stared at Seth like she truly didnt see the difference between the two. I expected her to continue arguing, but instead she said, All right then, suit yourselves.

Youre not going to tell anyone though, are you?

Dont be ridiculous, Amelia snapped, looking insulted that I had even dared to ask. Im not a snitch.

Seth nodded and slowly backed away, his hands raised like he was dealing with a frightened animal. Okay. So... see you at breakfast?

Yes, she snapped. Now get out of here.

Seth and I didnt need to be told twice. Under Amelias wary gaze I hurried down the stairs, Seth sliding down the banister next to me.

Once we were downstairs, he led us into the west wing. At the very end of the hallway, there was a door I hadnt yet gone behind, which led into a huge gym. There, the emergency exit that had been propped open with a brick opened out onto a football field.

It was dark outside already, the night air surprisingly chilly for September. I kept my fingers tucked deep into the pockets of my coat while Seth and I made our way down the same road we had taken when we had first come here. It was only then I realized I hadnt left the castle since arriving; without being aware of it, my entire world had condensed into one building.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached the train station and from there it was only five more minutes until we found ourselves on the outskirts of Gloomswick. The town lived up to its name: the streets were gloomy and narrow, with old houses made of coarse brick pressing in from both sides. They leaned onto each other like weary elders and as we passed between them, I swore I could hear the tired creaking of the beams, the long-suffering complaining of the roofs that had to brace against the weather. The wind blowing through the dark alleys sounded like a drawn-out sigh, enough to make the hairs at the back of my neck stand on end.

All things considered, I was relieved when we finally reached the restaurant that Seth had been talking about. It looked relatively small from the outside, but the warm light spilling out of the windows and the name of the place, Giovannis, blinking above the entrance in red, white, and green made it much more inviting than its neighbors.