Chapter Text
Nothing says fall like a college campus full of parents, siblings, and even grandparents helping their children move in. It's a rite of passage, that first day you step onto the campus and you are on your own. You can do what you want, clean when you want, even stay up all night doing homework while you sleep the day away. You’re 18 and an adult, ready to take on the world and realize that you have fucked it up more times than you want to mention. You can tell by the faces and the amount of stuff that people bring what year of college they are in.
Freshmen are deers in headlights. They have brought everything they could need and then some. They are filled with excitement as they walk around campus and try and blend in with the older students which just makes them stand out. They are fresh, wide eyes and bushy tailed. They smile and greet you with anticipation that you will respond back. They want to make as many friends as possible, sign up for as many clubs and activities as they can all while still believing they will have enough time to do all the homework that is required of them. They travel in large herds and are easily spooked.
Sophomores come with a weird attitude. They have been through one year and know they can survive another three. They still travel in large packs but they know everyone. Usually you see just the parents with them when they are moving in to help with the futons and refrigerators. They know the campus and can get around fine without looking at a map or asking for directions to buildings. They still pack a lot of shit but they know you can also get clothes sent to you if you need them. They don't attend every social event but are still involved as much as they can be.
Juniors are tricky. Some care and some don't give two fucks. They have reached the age of (legally) drinking in dorms and having flats off campus where their freedom is even greater than it was at college. They come with what they need and have a small pool of friends they have made over the past two years. Most have jobs and the attendance for social events dies down unless it's for a sporting event, or homecoming. They are chummy with professors and have an idea where they want to go in life. They call out the freshmen when they are being annoying wankers and a lot end up living on campus for a semester before going on an internship or studying abroad in Europe.
When you hit your final year of college you are usually in an apartment. You are part of certain activities and that is it. You are known by those in your major and you interact with some who aren't if you're in a class unrelated to your major for credit. When moving in, you come with a suitcase and a few boxes that hold books, an xbox, movies and what you need to live. There is no fluff in the dorm room. You know that once you are done you have to transition to full adulthood and don't want to be bogged down with crap. The seniors walk around not is a blase way but just wanting to get to class and get back to the dorm to study and make it through their final months in school. Usually a parent will help them move in but normally it's mates helping mates if they are living on campus.
I fell into the senior category. I had two suitcase and four boxes that contained my life -my life that had been downsized dramatically over four years. I didn't have the privilege of living off campus due to financial issues, which was fine, I was closer to the footie field when season began in the spring. I was ready to be done with college and hopefully get a job in the States so I could get my green card and not be here on a student visa. Although I was living on campus, I was lucky to get a single room (thanks to my coach for pulling a few strings).
Rowan parked the car with the U-HAUL on the back. Opening the boot, I grabbed my suitcase and footie duffle as she and Niall grabbed a few boxes from the back of the car. I was lucky that Rowan and her best friend Julia had moved into an apartment and had gotten some new furniture as they donated the stuff they used last year in their dorm to me.
I made my way across the car park, my new vans bright and white as I walked over to the table where the RA's for the building sat. Each with a grey shirt on that read COLUMBIA COLLEGE. I adjusted the duffle as I got in line behind a freshman. Every piece of luggage she had was Vera Bradley and she stood next to her mother and father. Keeping any comment I had to myself, I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose and walked over to the next open RA.
"Tomlinson, Louis." I told him as he searched for my name. Highlighting it in yellow, he reached down and handed me a key with a notecard that told me what room I was in. I forced a smile and motioned to Rowan and Niall. They followed me as we walked through the doors that were propped open. I was on the second floor so we took the steps. There was a line for the lift and I didn't want to wait.
"So we are getting food for this correct?" Niall asked his accent thick after spending the summer back at home in Ireland. "I mean I love ya Lou but this isn't free labour."
"Pizza and beer." I promised him as I walked past a family who was heading down the stairs to get more things for the room. Walking on the second floor, we weaved in and out of families and students moving in.
It was chaos on the floor and in the hallway. People arranging the furniture, boxes piled all over, and people greeting each other with cheers and hugs.
I counted the room numbers and when I found mine, unlocked the door. Walking in, there was a small common area and then it hit me; I was in a double. Fuck. I thought.
"So not a single..." Rowan said, walking over to a desk that was next to the window that faced out into a courtyard. "You going to complain?"
"No." I told her as I looked around. "I want to live in this complex so I will suffer through a roommate."
Rowan laughed. "I'll grab the boxes and you buff boys go get the couch and TV and junk," she said patting my in the shoulder.
I knew her comment was laced with sarcasm as both Niall and I were slenderly built. He was a golfer and me a footie player, we weren't American footballer players by any standards.
The dorm wasn't bad. The living area was large enough to house two desk. There was a small counter with three shelves over it. There was a sink, and, behind a door were a toilet and a shower. I walked forward into the room where the beds were. As I walked in, there was a bed pressed against the wall with a dresser under it and a bedside table. I turned to my right and claimed the bed that's headboard was under the window. I had my dresser and bedside table as well. I put my suitcase on the bed along with the duffle before heading back out with Niall to get the furniture and fill the dorm up.
We passed Rowan, who made a face at us as she headed back up. Niall and I managed to bring everything in two trips, putting the bookcase on the couch and carrying them up at the same time. We then got the telly and the map I had gotten while at home. When we got back up, Rowan was arranging the furniture and emptying out my kitchen items. Niall hooked up the Xbox and I began to put my clothes away. I had what I needed to last me all three seasons in Chicago. I made my bed and hung up the few things I'd brought from home with me.
Walking out into the living area, Rowan broke down my boxes but left all my desk stuff for me to put away. The telly was hooked up and working and the couch was decorated with pillows (thanks to Rowan) and a blanket (thanks to her again). It was unpacked enough. Leaving the dorm, I was glad to get off campus and be able to breathe without feeling smothered by those still moving in. We headed down the steps and out across the grass to the car park. We had to return the U-HAUL and SUV back at Rowan's parents house and pick up her car so we could get Julia from the airport.
I sat in the back of the car. Niall fiddled with the radio as Rowan talked about her classes and the upcoming year. Yes I was thrilled to be graduating. No I didn't want to end up back in Doncaster once I did. I wasn't sure what I wanted but I knew what I didn't want. As much as I wanted to deny it, I had grown to love the States. Maybe it was people who I found tolerable and understood me that I enjoyed or maybe it was America itself. Either way I didn't want to go back to Doncaster. Not yet.
We dropped off the U-HAUL, exchanged cars and headed back towards the city. Julia had gone home for a weekend before coming back for school. Her parents had moved to Jersey once she started college. She was the youngest and last one to leave the nest and now they were free. My eyes looked out the window at the skyline of the city. There was a grey haze that seemed to cover the top of the buildings. Chicago was an odd place. From a distance as you drove in, it looked almost haunted and fake. As if, when you stretched out your hand and touched it, it would disappear into thin air. But as you grew closer, the city seemed to come alive with the sounds and colors in hues of blues, and greys and blacks.
"You are quiet." Rowan said looking in the rear view mirror as we waited to turn. We had reached Midway Airport and Julia's flight had landed already. "What is on your mind."
I shrugged. "Nothing really."
"If your roommate sucks you can always sleep on me and Jules’ couch," she offered with a smile. I watched as the light turned green and she pressed down on the gas.
"Thank you," I told her.
I had met Rowan my freshman year. She was on my floor and I had looked lost. She walked right up to me and introduced herself and said that she was from the city and that she and her best friend would always be around if I needed to ask where to go or a place to eat. We ended up being in the same French class and History class. She always seemed like an odd duck. If you saw her walking on the street you would think she hopped in the TARDIS and came from the 60's and 70's. She called herself a 'classy hippie' and dressed in clothes that her mother wore when she was her age. She loved anything vintage and in the summer months she lived in dresses and long skirts. Her hair was long and normally in waves. She loved life and there was something about her that just got me. We ended up being partners for a project and that is when we really got to know each other.
She never tried to flirt with me. She was always a friend and I looked at her like a sister. Julia was the same way. She lived in jeans and t-shirts unless she was at work or giving a speech in class. They were opposites but yet the same person. Their souls were one and I was almost envious of them having that form of relationship with another human.
Niall had shown up a few years ago when he was a freshman and Rowan took him under her wing like she did anyone who seemed lost and needed a rock in their life. He was nice. He was a bit loud but I warmed up to him. He had a good heart and cared about Rowan which eased my mind.
"Out," Rowan told me as we parked and headed out to greet Julia. I didn't understand why I was part of this but I couldn't protest since they helped me move in. We headed into the airport, made our way up the escalators, and just as we hit the second level, we saw Julia walking towards us. She gave Rowan and then Niall a hug and poked me in the arm.
When I narrowed my eyes she just laughed and we made our way back down to the car.
"Lou is getting us dinner." Rowan told Julia who turned back and gave me a smile.
"Oi!" I hissed. "I said you and Niall because you helped me move in. She sat on a plane and probably slept the three hours," I said as Julia gave me a poor excuse of a puppy dog eyes.
"What am I doing?” Julia asked shaking her head at me as I smiled back evil at her. “That won't work on him," she laughed as Rowan opened the boot of her car and Julia tossed in her duffel and rucksack. She was right - but she also knew that I wasn't a dick and would end up buying her pizza and beer.
"Unos or Ginos?"
"Unos," I told her. "I'm paying so I bloody well get to pick," I said from the back of the car.
"Unos it is," she called out as Julia sat forward plugging in her iPod and began to play the role of DJ as she did whenever we were in a car. It was nice to have all four of us back together.
***
Walking across the campus, the sun was going down and there was a lull. The parents had left. The students had met up with their friends and had gone to get food, or check out the campus or were in their dorms watching some movies and getting to know their roommate better. My stomach was full of beer and pizza. I was ready to sit on the couch with a nice cuppa and play some Fifa before crawling into bed and sleeping in past noon tomorrow. I was going to enjoy the weekend of sleep before classes began Monday morning. Digging into my pocket, I tapped my ID on the scanner and the doors unlocked to the building. A few girls giggled as they walked past me and I headed up the steps to the second floor. I wasn't sure if my roommate would even be there. Or if he was going to move in tomorrow or Sunday. Or maybe I wouldn't have a roommate at all and I would be even happier than I felt now.
My feet walked down the hall as I heard a few tellies on behind the closed dorm doors. As I reached mine I could hear the faint sounds of music. I guess my roommate had come in today. Sticking my key into the lock I pushed the door open and the song 'Robbers' by the 1975 was echoing in the room. As soon as I shut the door I listened as the volume was turned down and out from the bedroom stood a tall thin man.
Sophomore. I told myself looking at him. "Hello."
"Hello," he said. His voice was deeper than I had thought it would be for his slender frame. And he was English. Another surprise. He had dark brown hair that almost touched his shoulders. It was a bit wavy. He had on skinny black trousers with a loose fitting black t-shirt and a pair of black pointy-toed boots. "I'm Harry," he said, extending his hand. Looking at it I looked back up into his green eyes.
"Louis." I told him with a smile as I grabbed the kettle and walked over to the sink and filled it up. Putting it back on, I flipped it on before walking past him to put my shoes away and slip on some track pants and a hoodie.
"Cheers, you are English. Where are you from?" he asked me as he walked into the bedroom and went back to hanging up his shirts in the closet.
"Doncaster," I told him, slipping my jeans off and slipping on my black track pants. I knew I should ask where he was from. I could hear Rowan's voice in my head nagging me to be sociable. But the part of my brain that didn't care usually seemed to overtake the part of me that was curious and I would just toss his comment off and go and play Fifa.
"Yourself?" I asked slipping my Doncaster Rovers hoodie over my head and taking my beanie off. I ran my hands through the mess of my hair before grabbing socks from the dresser.
"Redditch, Worcestershire." He told me as I watched him hang up a shirt that had flamingo's on them. "Footie player?"
"Ta." I said nodding my head and heading into the living area. I didn't want to make small talk but part of me didn't want to stop. "Yourself?"
Harry laughed as he ran his hands through his hair. "I was rubbish at that and rugby when I was a boy. I stuck to less deadly activities. My body isn't built for sports." I looked at him over my shoulder and he was right. He had to be close to 6 foot and was thin as a fucking string bean.
He was new. I had never seen him before and I knew all the English, Scottish and Irish transplants to Chicago. We were a small group and always were around if we needed a proper breakfast, watch a footie match or have a nice cuppa. Grabbing a mug, I dropped a tea bag in it and realized I didn't get any groceries.
"Piss it," I hissed. Guess I would be having black tea tonight. As the kettle whistled, I poured the water into my cup and set the kettle back down. "Want a cuppa? I don't have milk or sugar."
Harry hesitated but smiled. He had dimples on his face making his face contorta and look like that of a child not a 19 year old University student . Nodding, I grabbed another mug dropped a tea bag in and poured the water in it. Handing him the mug, I finally sat my ass on the couch and turned on the telly and XBOX. He turned his music back up a bit as I zoned out. I needed to detox from the day but I kept being distracted as Harry would hum to the song. Or when he would walk in and out. He wasn't making any sound but he was still distracting.
"You know the telly and couch are communal. You can use them so don't be shy and if you need tea and use the kettle you can."
"Cheers." Harry told me. "Sorry I took up most of the closet space."
"I have a handful of things that are nice enough to be hung." I joked with him as I paused the game and turned to watch as he set up his toiletries in the shower. As he walked out I turned around and unpaused my game. It was several moments before Harry interrupted me again.
"Can I hang a few things on the wall..." he asked me.
I nodded a bit confused why he was asking me but didn't fuss.
"I might get a chair tomorrow. So we can have somewhere else to sit... and a coffee table."
I turned and raised a brow.
"My mum gave me some money for furniture." He explained to me with a smile. Other furniture would be nice, as would a coffee table. I kept on playing Fifa as Harry sat on the other end of the couch and pulled out a leather journal. Out of the corner of my eyes I watched as he doodled and wrote in it.
My eyes took snapshots of all the tattoos on his arms, putting them away in my memory. He was different. I wasn't sure what it was but he sat there in the silence not bothering me, sipping at his tea as I played. I didn't feel uncomfortable with him there. His presence was a calming one. There was no fuss and no awkward conversations that he was forcing me to have with him to get to know him. He even got up and made me a new cuppa when the one I was drinking grew cold.
As the night went on, I finished my tea, washing out my mug and setting it on a mat to dry. I brushed my teeth and climbed into my bed. I plugged in my mobile and replied to a few texts from my footie mates before turning my mobile over and turning off the lamp at my bedside table. Harry still had his on as I faced the wall, just listening to him change.
Listening as he brushed his teeth. The water was on longer than normal, so I knew he was washing out my mug. Maybe he was even washing his face. I laid still as I listened to him send a few texts. I listened to the bed move a bit as he got in. The sheets rustled, and soon the room was pitch black. The light from the moon crept in through the closed blinds in the bedroom. I could see his phone screen light up and he would unlock it and text back. The room would be black and then several moments later there would be another light.
"Sorry," I heard him whisper in the dark. "My sister."
"Ta," I said. I wasn't sure how to respond. I was the same way with my sisters so I couldn't fault him. Rolling over so my back was against the wall, I looked at the light from the moon that was on the tile floor. It was a slender shadow but I watched it until my eyes felt heavy. As much as I had looked forward to the days of being in a single room, I didn't think Harry would be that rubbish of a roommate.