Chapter Text
New Jersey - Rutgers University - 1999.
“Jackie, move your fucking bags! They’re all over the floor!” Natalie yelled, sighing at the mess.
When she decided to room with Jackie at university, she wasn’t expecting this. But, it was Jackie and… Jackie Taylor was known for making a whole space her own.
“Aw, c’mon Nat! I haven’t even finished unpacking yet!” Jackie pouted, grinning as she was filling up her closet with clothes.
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Whatever, dude.” She said as she walked past the pile of clothes and bags full of Jackie’s items, plonking herself on the right hand side bed.
“You’re a liability.”
Jackie laughed, tossing a hanger over her shoulder. “You love it.”
Natalie buried her head in her pillow. “No. I tolerate it.”
“Loosen up!” Jackie started. “This is the start of something epic, Nat. Our college era. You know, friendship bracelets and bad decisions!”
Natalie turned her head slowly to face her. “We’re not doing friendship bracelets.”
Jackie smirked. “Sureeee.”
Natalie reached over, plucked Jackie’s sunglasses off her head, and put them on. “If I have to survive four years with you, I need a filter.”
“Make it five.Jackie said, winking. “I’m thinking of switching majors a few times. Keep things spicy!” She joked.
Natalie groaned. “God help me.”
Then, there was a knock at the door.
Jackie glanced up. “You expecting someone?”
Natalie shook her head.
The door opened slowly, and in walked a girl with dark curls and a camera slung around her neck, her eyes sharp and quiet.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Lila. I think I’m supposed to be across the hall?”
Jackie and Natalie both sat up.
“Oh, cool!” Jackie said, hopping off the bed and stepping over her own bags. “Are you a photo major or just carrying that thing for vibes?”
Lila smiled faintly. “Photo-journalism and both, I guess!”
“Anyway, I just wanted to say hey. If you need anything… or someone to steal food from the dining hall with.”
Natalie grinned. “You’ll fit right in.”
As Lila stepped out, Jackie stood in the doorway for a second, watching her leave. Then she turned to Natalie.
“What?” Natalie smiled, flicking a piece of fluff off of her hoodie.
“Do you think she’s hot?” Jackie asked, motioning to the door.
“What? The door?” Natalie cackled.
“No! Obviously the girl that lives across the hall, asshole!” Jackie retorted, her voice filled with annoyance.
“Oh, yeah! She seems really sweet and fuckable.” Natalie winked, Jackie gagged and shut the door behind her, making her way back over to her bed.
Jackie flopped onto her mattress like a drama queen mid-meltdown, limbs spread wide as if the weight of the moment was just too much.
“She’s got that… like… mysterious indie film protagonist thing going on.” she muttered, staring at the ceiling. “Like she reads poetry but only out loud at warehouse parties.”
“Oh, so like Shauna then?” Nat teased, causing Jackie to throw a pillow at her head. “Don’t mention Shauna right now!”
“Oof. Sensitive topic. Got it!” she said, tossing the pillow to the floor.
Jackie groaned and rolled onto her side, burying her face into the mattress. “I’m over Shauna. Like, fully over her and her stupid new girlfriend.”
Natalie poked her head out from behind the closet door, holding up a tangled mess of hangers like a victory flag. “Melissa, right? The one with the aggressively symmetrical face?”
Jackie let out a muffled scream into the mattress. “Yes! Ugh. Shauna’s taste in men and women is terrible!”
“Just because you guys kissed once at a slumber party doesn’t mean you have the lowdown on Shauna’s taste in personality.” Nat snorted, tossing the hangers onto her bed with a clatter.
Jackie lifted her head slowly, eyes narrowed in mock offense. “Shut up.”
“Anyways… in other news, I’m totally getting Lila’s number.” Natalie smirked, getting up and grabbing a Beer from their mini fridge.
Jackie looked pained, her face scrunching up like she’d bitten into a lemon. “You are not.”
“Oh, I am.” Natalie said with a casual shrug, “I’m just waiting for the right moment to ask.”
Jackie groaned, throwing herself back onto her mattress with an exaggerated sigh. “Not in my dorm room!”
“Relax, I’ll just fuck her in the bathroom at the student union bar, more fun that way!” Natalie laughed, picking up a rock magazine and flicking through it.
Jackie shot up from the bed so fast she nearly knocked over her lamp. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Natalie sighed sarcastically. “What? Don’t you think that’s fun?”
Jackie’s eyes were wide as she stared at Natalie in disbelief. “You’re crude.”
Natalie leaned back, hands behind her head, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Come on, Jackie, it’s the student union bathroom. It’s practically a rite of passage. They practically designed it for moments like that.”
“Right.” Jackie rasped, the idea of it wasn’t awful to think about but actually doing it? No. Jackie couldn’t.
“You want to be there to experience it too?” Natalie asked, half jokingly. Laughing at Jackie’s face drop, watching her turn into a tomato.
Jackie’s expression morphed from a look of disbelief to one of horror, and she could practically feel her face turning into a tomato. “What? No!” she sputtered, hands flying up defensively.
Natalie burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she doubled over. “Oh my god, your face is priceless!”
Jackie buried her face in her hands, groaning in embarrassment. “I can’t believe you just put that thought in my head. Now I can’t unthink it!”
“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger!” Natalie said, still laughing. “But seriously, you should try to live a little, Jax. Step out of your comfort zone!”
Jackie glared at her through her fingers. “You’re literally the worst kind of bad influence.”
“I know!” Natalie grinned. “And you love it. This is your secret addiction. You can’t help it. It’s why you haven’t kicked me out yet.”
Jackie sighed dramatically, sitting up and throwing herself back onto her bed. “I’d kick you out, but honestly, who else would I suffer through this chaos with?”
Natalie grinned wide. “Exactly. You’re welcome.”
“God, my life is a mess!” Jackie muttered, staring up at the ceiling as if seeking answers in the specks of paint above her.
“Your life’s a fun mess.” Natalie corrected, giving Jackie a playful nudge.
Jackie turned away from Nat, going back to finishing her unpacking.
She couldn’t deny that Natalie was funny, always there for her and very hot.
Since graduation, Jackie had been spending more time with Natalie and Lottie than with Shauna. Once Shauna decided she didn’t want to come to Rutgers, Jackie asked Natalie to be her roommate.
Jackie was still close to Shauna. But her and Taissa Turner were all the way across the country. In another state.
At Brown University.
Jackie thought she’d be lost without Shauna. But, no. She had Natalie and suddenly Natalie became all she needed, the best roommate ever, not that Jackie would ever admit that.
Nat was a good person.