I sucked in a breath and stepped inside. It didn’t take me long to exhale — a quick walk around the place revealed that no one else was inside. “My roommate’s not here yet,” I said to my parents.
“Well,” Dad said, smiling, “I suppose that means you get to pick which room you want.”
Unlike the dorms I’d seen in movies and TV shows, Halverton’s student accommodation was relatively spacious. We had our own kitchenette, which included a mini-fridge, a microwave and a tiny stove top, as well as a washing machine. Connected to the kitchenette was a living space, with a simple grey couch, a fluffy rug, a TV, and a view of the engineering faculty building to the right of Valentina Hall. There was the bathroom that I’d be sharing with my roommate, which included a shower, sink and toilet. There wasn’t much space to store stuff, but then again, I didn’t need many toiletries. And finally, there were the two bedrooms. That’s right — I’d get a bedroom all to myself, which would come especially handy when I wanted to jack off in peace, or, more importantly, when I was going to have all the sex I’d been fantasising about all summer.
It was clear which bedroom I’d choose. One was tiny, with the single bed crammed into a corner, and a small window. It reminded me of a jail cell.
The other bedroom took my breath away. It had a queen-sized bed, a bedside table, a desk, and a wooden wardrobe. There was also a huge window that showcased the lake. From up here, I could see the calm water and the surrounding lawn and trees that swayed gently in the wind.
Without hesitation, I dumped my luggage in that room.Sorry, roomie, I thought.You shoulda arrived sooner.
“Oh wow,” Mum said, walking up to the window and taking in the view. She was quiet and serene for approximately two seconds before whipping out her phone and taking a hundred photos. “I have to share this with the other mums on Facebook. They’re going to be green with envy.”
“I doubt they’re going to envy the view from a college dorm,” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling. I’d really won the jackpot.
Dad rubbed his hands together, taking in the space. “You’re lucky, Archie. When I was in uni, I lived in a match box. Now, what do you say about unpacking?”
“Sure,” I said, unzipping my bags and pulling everything out.
It took an hour to unpack because my parents and I kept getting distracted. I kept my ears pricked for the sounds of a fourth pair of feet entering the dorm, but my roomie didn’t show. It made me feel anxious but also slightly disappointed. I wanted to meet my maybe-possibly-likely first best friend at college already!
By the time we finished unpacking, my bed was made with fresh sheets, my wardrobe filled with clothes, my soap, razor and other toiletries stored neatly in the bathroom, and my cooking utensils in the kitchen cupboards.
My parents and I sat around. I checked the time. It was almost four. The email had said that first years should move in before five.
With nothing to do, my parents suggested getting an early dinner. I agreed, and we walked to the huge cafeteria, and since it was a special occasion — “our boy’s very first day at university!” Dad declared — we went to the fancy Italian restaurant and I ate the best margarita pizza I’ve ever eaten in my life. I didn’t think it could taste so good — cheese and tomato sauce and basil sounded boring to me — but maybe I was high on happiness because it tasted amazing.
Afterwards, my parents said they better get going if they didn’t want to be driving too long in the dark. It made sense — my home town was over four hours away from Halverton.
I said goodbye, and as I watched them leave, my stomach twisted. I already missed them, even though they were still in view. It was strange — I was so excited about college, but I suddenly felt a bit scared too.
I shoved that down, making sure my emotions didn’t appear on my face. That was the kind of stuff that wouldmake me look like a pussy, and I didn’t come to Halverton to be a scaredy cat. I came here to have the best time of my life.
I returned to my dorm, trying to ignore the heaviness in my chest. I was alone now. But that was okay. I’d spent years daydreaming about what it’d be like to be a proper adult, and now the time had come.
Get yourself together, Archie,I told myself.
Thankfully, when I returned to room 407, I was quickly distracted from my feelings because I heard movement inside the room. Adrenaline pushed me forward.
“Hello?” I called, entering the dorm and closing the door behind me.
There was a guy in the kitchen, crouching over to put something in the cupboard under the sink. In fact, he was bent over so much that his ass was in the air — and it was a pretty round ass at that.
I stared at it for a second before blinking my weird thoughts away. “Hi,” I said. “I’m Archie, your new roomma—”
The guy straightened up and turned around, and my body turned to stone. I must’ve been hallucinating, or maybe I was in a nightmare.
No, no, no. This had to be a joke. My brain had glitched from all the excitement today. There was no way this was real.
Because, standing before me was the worst guy in the world.
Taylor King.
CHAPTER TWO
The Rival
I realise I haven’t described Taylor King’s appearance, and that’s because I really don’t want to.
