Chapter Text
Neil pulled the straps on his bookbag, hitching it higher on his back. He was walking to his dorm, also known as the furthest complex that was technically still on campus. He debated stopping to get food on his way home but decided against it. It was October and that meant Dan was somewhere holed up in their apartment studying, and wherever there was a studious Dan, there was also a pot-hungry Alvarez cooking.
Sara Alvarez lived across the hall, but she might as well have lived with them. Neil couldn’t count the number of times he went to pee, only to hear her singing behind his shower curtain because she liked his shampoo best.
Neil lived in Shoebox. Not a shoebox, but his dorm apartment building was called Shoebox. Neil wasn’t well-versed in why all of the buildings were named random objects, but he felt like it fit the theme of his life well.
If he wasn’t hungry and poised to bitch about his last tutoring session of the night, Neil might’ve stayed outside and laid underneath the stars. It was only dusk, but the sky was a soft, shy lilac. There was a light breeze and it brought the warm, earthy smell of the soccer pitch toward him, tinged with cinnamon and smoke from the fireplaces behind the university.
Neil stomped on a pile of leaves that was just a touch out of his way. Early October always made Neil nostalgic for crisp apple slices and hazy, smoke-filled skies.
He pulled out his phone to text the group chat that was currently named Dan’s a Screamer.
I’m dying for some apples.
Dan text back right away, which meant she was on a study break and, hopefully, cooking dinner.
Laila just bought some granny smith!!
Neil longed for pale golds and crisp reds. He hoped, at the very least, his roommates cleaned the kitchen from the previous night’s banana nut bread episode.
Neil lived in room 314 with Matt and Dan, but in reality, he also lived with Alvarez, Laila, and Thea. Alvarez was the worst of the trio, often coming over to use their kitchen when she got the munchies because the pantry in 314 was typically better stocked (Matt was a Boy Scout).
When Neil walked up to his brick building, he sent up a prayer to the Shoebox gods that the elevator was working — it was never fucking working. He pressed the button with more force than necessary, but being firm showed that he meant business and boy, did Neil mean business. His legs were tired and he didn’t want to walk up three flights of steps. He waited for what felt like minutes (but was really only 20 seconds) before giving up. There was only so long he could look at his warped reflection in the closed doors before his morale dropped through the floor.
When he finally reached the landing on the third floor, his RA Jeremy’s door said I’m at a specEd cohort meeting! Don’t wait up! Neil snorted before continuing to his door.
He heard his roommates before he saw them — or rather he smelt them. Alvarez was already smoking up their room. Neil kicked the half-empty 20-pack of bud that was propping their door open out of the way. Everyone on the third floor had their doors propped open by flipping the deadbolt so they didn’t shut. It wasn’t unusual to come home to find someone sleeping on your couch when you got back from class. The third floor was like family, it just so happened that the girls in 315 were Neil’s favorites.
Dan had the oven on, heating up leftover pizza. “Hi, baby boy,” Dan cooed. She and her boyfriend Matt had adopted Neil somewhere along the way.
Before he could reply, Alvarez jumped in and said, “‘Bout fuckin’ time! Bachelor’s gonna be on in five and I’m not waiting for anyone.” She gave him a smoke-lazy smile. “I don’t give a fuck if god herself showed up with a blunt and a bag of chips.”
Neil rolled his eyes and ignored her, like always, but Laila didn’t.
“That’s just because you have a girlfriend,” she teased. He ignored them and headed toward the kitchen. The extra cheese sprinkled on top was bubbling away, so Neil cut off the oven.
“How many fire alarms have we had this semester?” Neil asked, eyeing Dan as she leaned against Matt.
“Not my fucking fault freshman can’t pop popcorn,” Dan sniffed.
“Hell yeah. I’m here to talk trash,” Laila said from the couch. She pulled her thick hair into a loose bun and looked up at Neil, her eyes glittered with mischief.
And drugstore wine.
Alvarez sat up as much as she could. She was braced against the front of their couch, head nestled between Laila’s knees.
“I’m always here to talk trash,” Alvarez said with a wolfish grin.
“I just had a tutoring session with that kid who, I am certain, is the biggest jackass out there.”
“I guess you’re not jackosexual then,” someone said from down the hall. The bathroom door closed and Neil didn’t care enough to figure out who it was.
“Being sexually attracted to a jackass is just sad,” Neil said, “besides, I’m trying not to bat at all.”
“That’s right, baby. No one is making you bat,” Laila said from across the room. “Now, tell us about Jackass.”
Neil visibly deflated. There was a reason Laila was his best friend.
“This is all I will say: White Americans suck at foreign language.”
Thea snorted from where she was sprawled against the other couch, religious studies textbook covering her face. It was her usual spot and someone typically made an attempt to poke her every few hours, making sure she was alive.
“It lives!” Matt called from where he was perched on the kitchen counter. Thea flipped him off in response.
Neil went to sit on the floor in front of the television but thought better of it. He took a second to survey the land. SZA was playing quietly in the background and there was trash everywhere. Empty beer cans and candy wrappers. They were all fucking pigs, but at least Alvarez made it a point to come by, when she was sober, and clean up.
The flimsy ass coffee table was their perpetual ashtray and Neil was pretty sure they had soaked cheap rosé into the carpet so deep it would never come out. There was also the distinct possibility Matt and Dan had fucked on the floor at least twice. Too many unidentifiable stains to ever justify.
Neil could only hope they wouldn’t be fined after move out. The microwave dinged and someone took out a bag of popcorn. Neil wasn’t sure, but it looked like Thea’s boyfriend, Karl or something.
“You set off the fire alarm and I’m shoving you down those stairs,” Neil said, leveling Karl or something with a dangerous look.
Karl or something shrugged and sat down.
Neil was a little bitter.
The number of times Neil had been roused out of bed, sleep mused, at 3 am because some jerkoff couldn’t make their drunk bedtime meal without setting off the very sensitive fire alarms were innumerable.
Neil was a lot bitter.
The girl that was in the bathroom finally walked out. Neil didn’t know her.
“Did you flush?” Dan asked.
“Yes, mother. What’s for dinner?”
“Since when did we start feeding the entire third floor,” Neil griped.
“Since I started dating Renee.” The girl stuck out her tongue. “Allison, by the way.”
“Allison,” Neil said, weighing it on his tongue. “If you shit, you’re supposed to spray air freshener.” That made the girls on the couch giggle. Neil rolled his eyes and headed back to his room.
Renee was sitting at his desk, feet curled under her on the seat.
“She your girlfriend?” Neil asked.
Renee turned and smiled widely at him. “Yeah, she’s in my advanced biometrics course.”
“Nice,” Neil supplied. He grabbed a pile of blankets off his bed and bundled them under his arm, carrying them into the front room, Renee following him. Neil made a nest of blankets and pillows in front of the television.
Eventually, they settled onto the floor, Neil sprawled on a blanket. Alvarez and Laila, Dan and Matt were on the couch. Thea was still fast asleep on the other couch, her boyfriend on the floor next to her. Allison snagged a blanket from Neil’s stash and wrapped it around her shoulders like a cape, before gesturing for Renee to come to sit between her legs.
When everyone was cozy, Jeremy poked his head in, giving the room his megawatt smile. “Hey, guys. It’s good to see everyone, but you know Housing’s policies on propped doors.” He kicked the beer lightly with his foot.
There was a chorus of Hey Jer ’s that made Jeremy beam.
“Wanna smoke?” Alvarez nodded to the pipe on the table. “Bachelor’s on and I got the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I know you like so much.”
Jeremy looked at the pipe with a pained expression. His face twitched, keeping the smile in place.
“No thanks,” Jeremy said as he backed out of the doorway.
“Stop messing with him,” Dan laughed, reaching over Neil for the bowl of pretzels. “One day he’s gonna report us.”
“Oh, please. Jeremy Knox? The actual Webster definition of sunshine? Not likely,” Laila scoffed.
“He’s too good to us,” Matt said.
“Shhh,” Alvarez hissed. “Bekah M is reaming the shit out of Ari.”
“God, I hate him,” Thea growled from behind her textbook.
The group hummed in agreement.
And with that, they settled into their Monday night ritual.