Chapter 16: Chapter 16

I haven't been to a party in a while. When my friends come home from high school, someone always has a party but most of them had started staying in their college towns to work or do research over the summer. I needed to try my best to be likable tonight, be social and make friends.

I took a shower not too long ago and dried my hair, it always dried a bit wavy but I leaned into it tonight with some product and hair oil. I tried to straighten it so much growing up but now it seemed almost cute to have it wavy.

My outfit was simple, I didn't want to wear anything that would attract a lot of attention. Just a tank top and a pair of shorts, I also knew it would be really hot so I wanted to be comfortable. I find my old converse and tie them up and the last thing I grab is my belt bag. It carried a few essentials for me when I went out.

We're waiting on Kyle and Mark to get home, Mark's practice was running late and Kyle wasn't getting home until eight and told us to go without him if we were itching to leave.

I feel flat, my hair's brown but it doesn't stand out properly the way it would with highlights. I did some simple makeup, fully aware that I'd sweat it all off. I felt nothing like Piper and her friends, it took a long time for me to acknowledge that that was okay growing up and I felt like I was in middle school all over again.

I try to shake it off and leave my room, heading down to the kitchen. It was rare that I was home alone with Kent, really rare. If we were, he was always in his room with the door closed. So, it was a huge surprise to see him at the dining room table.

I've taken to ignoring him for the most part, since when I try to talk to him he ignores me. I try to decide what I want to eat, I just know I should eat something.

I pull a container of pasta out that I'd put in there two days ago, better now than never I guess. I open it and pull open the microwave above the stove. Once it's in, I turn back around to put the lid in the dishwasher and my eyes meet Kent's. He's just looking at me, fork full of stir-fry just hanging in midair.

My throat tightens up the way it normally does when I look at those eyes. They were so beautiful, I wished mine were that piercing.

"What?" I ask, unsure of what else to do.

He instantly clears his throat and shakes his head, shoveling the food back into his mouth. "Nothing." He grumbles and I sigh, seeing a dirty frying pan and spatula on the stove. I just press my lips together and put his dishes back in the dishwasher. "You don't have to do that." He tells me and I roll my eyes.

"Well, it's better to just put them in here." I shrug, getting them into the racks. "If all of us dirty two dishes a meal, it doesn't take long for them to pile up."

"Yeah Juls, I'm aware." He tells me. "I've lived here a lot longer than you."

"I-I know that." I sigh, looking back at the floor. "Just forget it." I tell him, feeling irritated that he was such a moody dick. He's so hard to talk to and I can't figure out what's changed. He was so nice to me when I met him, so eager to get to know me and have me move in. Now it was like he couldn't bear to have me anywhere near him.

"Have I done something wrong?" I ask quietly, leaning back on the countertop. I was nervous just to ask because he already seemed so mad. His chest deflated and I crossed my arms.

"No." He answers, looking at the table and I nod.

"Because you're acting like it." I tell him and he rolls his eyes.

"Juls, everything's fine." He assures me and I nod, looking at the wall and hearing the microwave beep. I go get my food and get a fork from the drawer, quietly choosing to stand at the counter to eat. "Why do you always do that?" He asks and I look over to him, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Do what?"

"Like not to sit with everyone or eat in your room.' He shrugs. "You live here too, you know." He says, poking his dinner and not meeting my eyes.

"What exactly about the way you're acting tells me 'hey Juls, you should come sit with me'?" I ask, blowing on my pasta and poking a forkful into my mouth.

"I don't bite." He tells me, kicking out the chair opposite him and I sigh.

"I doubt that." I mumble, walking to the now open chair.

"You hate me, don't you?" He asks with almost this smirk and I narrow my eyes.

"I don't hate anyone." I tell him, meaning it. Whatever this bullshit was would expose itself eventually. I've seen the other half of his personality, he just refuses to show it to me. "Though I'm sure you don't feel the same way."

"I don't hate you, I just think you're really uptight." He tells me and I feel my lips part as he gives me a cocky smile, picking up some more of his dinner with his fork.

"I don't think that's funny." I tell him honestly, feeling really offended.

"Who's laughing?" He asks and I chew the inside of my cheek. "It's just an observation, you could stand to chill out and not look around the apartment like your breathing is bothering everyone.'

I just sit there, feeling embarrassed. My cheeks burn with the fact that he's exposed such a huge part of my insecurity. I was anxious by nature and a people-pleaser, I didn't want to be disliked. I always thought I played it a lot cooler but I guess he'd really noticed.

"I'm not uptight." I say quietly, determined not to let him get to me.

"You are, but that's fine. I'm honestly a little impressed that you want to come to this party tonight." He shrugs and I blink.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask, feeling something inside of me snap. "You think I'm not fucking coo/enough? I always knew you reeked of someone who peaked in high school, but I didn't think you'd go back to the lunch table as a fourth year college student."

Oh Juls, that's all it took? You're stronger than that, I hadn't been that outwardly mean to him yet but it just seemed like my outburst amused him.

"That's more like it." He laughs. "But let's get something clear, I didn't peak in fucking high school." He informs me with this dark look and I feel my heart race. I've touched a nerve.

"Really? Because your Air Force Ones and black Jeeps would beg to differ." I smile, standing up from the table. He just looks angry and I take my bowl back to my room. "Oh and maybe you could do me a favor and bring your dishes the five feet to the dishwasher too?"

It was bold to talk to my new roommate like this, but I wouldn't let him bully me and make me feel terrible about myself for no reason.

"But you seem to like it so much, why would I spoil your fun?" He asks and I bite my tongue.

"You're the worst." I tell him and he actually laughs. I haven't heard him laugh yet and it would be such a happy pleasant sound if it wasn't him.

"I know you think I am." He shrugs. "You'll find there's people worse than me."

"I find that hard to believe." I tell him, walking back down the hall to my room and closing the door.

I hated that he could get a rise out of me like that, that that was all it took. I scarf down what's left in my bowl and try to compose myself, he really wears me down and I don't know why. I don't know if I want us to get along or for me to punch him in the face.