I threw my backpack over my shoulder and made my way up the stairs towards my room; I wanted to see how far it was before I started lugging heavy boxes around. After getting lost a couple times, I found myself staring at a plain wooden door, marked with the number three sixty-one. The door was ajar slightly, and I could hear techno music coming from inside. After taking a quick breath, I pushed the door open.
“Hello? Anyone here?” I called out, not seeing anyone. I took a moment to look around; half the room looked fairly lived-in, sheets tangled on the bed, posters on the wall, various odds and ends on the desk, clothes spilling out of the dresser. The other bed, and the part of the room surrounding it, was bare, contrasting with the homey feel of the rest of the room. I set my backpack on the empty bed and took a closer look around.
There was a decent-sized television, with an X-Box hooked up to it; I smiled, glad I was rooming with another gamer. The posters varied, from a trippy black-light design, to a tour poster for some metal band, to a guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse. I smirked and started to read the last one, but turned when I heard a noise behind me.
My eyes went wide, then instantly squeezed shut as I accidentally saw my roommate for the first time, completely nude. I heard a laugh, and the sound of drawers being opened.
“Sorry about that, man. Hell of a way to meet your roomie, huh? Oh, it’s safe.” I cautiously opened one eye, then the other, sighing in relief. I could feel my cheeks burning as I looked over the guy standing next to me. He was still shirtless, but he’d thrown on a pair of camo cargo shorts.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t, I mean I,” I stammered, feeling more and more stupid, but he just laughed harder.
“It’s cool, really. Totally my fault. Anywho, I’m River,” he offered, holding his hand out. He had a firm, confident handshake, and his easy smile made me feel better.
“Zac. River, that’s a cool name.” He smirked, shaking his head as he pulled on a pair of sneakers.
“Hippie parents. Coulda been worse, though; my parents had these friends who named their kid Rainbow Butterfly.” I laughed hard, trying to picture having to live with a name like that. I smiled at River as he slipped on a tank top; I liked him already. And if I had to have anyone’s naked image burned into my brain, his wasn’t the worst possible choice.
“I’ve been here since July; I took a couple summer classes, figured I’d get a head start. So sorry if my stuff’s kind of all over. There’s plenty of room though; I’ll move my shit outta your way. Need any help carrying stuff?”
“You sure you don’t mind?” He shook his head and headed for the door, looking over his shoulder for me to follow.
“No prob. I had to move my stuff by myself; it sucked hardcore.”
“That’s the last of it.” River nodded as he set the box he was carrying down on the desk; I set my own box next to it and sat heavily on the bed. River and I laughed, both out of breath. It had taken five trips to unload my car, even with both of us.
“Thanks again; I’d be going at it forever if I was by myself.” River shook his head, and reached into a mini-fridge I hadn’t noticed. He pulled out a can of soda and held it out to me. I took it gratefully, chugging half of it at once. I took a deep breath as I looked at all the boxes, strewn across the small room.
“Yea, unpacking’s a bitch,” River said, smirking. I was getting used to the smile that was almost a permanent feature on his face. As he sipped his own drink, I took in his features more carefully. His skin was a warm golden tan, the kind that was obviously a natural trait, and his hair was a golden brown, almost a sandy blonde when the sun hit it a certain way. I’d noticed his eyes right away, though; they were a striking shade of blue, sparkling with life and energy and a hint of mischief.
I realized those eyes were on me, watching me stare, an amused smirk on his lips. I looked away quickly, downing the rest of my soda. I could feel myself blushing again, and mentally kicked myself for being so easily embarrassed. But he didn’t say anything, instead standing to look at some of the boxes.
“You gonna go through these tonight?”
“Yea, I’m sorry they’re in the way. I’ll get right to it.” River laughed again, a sound I was getting to like, and held up his hands.
“Woah, don’t worry. No rush. I think I just unpacked my last box last week. I was just gonna offer to help, if you want.” I looked at him for a moment, surprised by his offer.
“Really? You’ve already helped me out a ton just by helping me carry everything. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do.” River smiled and shrugged.
“Not really. Besides,” he added, that mischievous gleam in his eyes again. “Looking through your roommate’s stuff is the best way to get to know them.” I eyed him a second, before he burst out laughing. After a moment, I joined in, shrugging my shoulders.
“Nothing that interesting, really. But I’d love the help, if you really don’t mind.”
“I really don’t mind. Tell ya what; you get started, I’ll order a pizza. Pepperoni okay?” I nodded, turning my attention to the nearest box, so he couldn’t see the goofy grin on my face. I had hoped for a roommate I could get along with, but it seems I got something even better – a friend.
Three hours later, we’d gone through one and a half pizzas, and unpacked most of the important stuff; books, clothes, games (we stashed my X-Box in the closet), and my laptop. It wasn’t that late, but I couldn’t help the yawn that escaped me. I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus on the box of CDs in front of me.
“Dude, you look beat. Why not leave the rest of this stuff til tomorrow? Don’t wanna burn yourself out on the first day.” I smiled at River and nodded, setting the box on my desk and heading over to my dresser. I fished out a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt, and looked over at River from the corner of my eye; he was laying on his own bed, flipping through a magazine. A thought crossed my mind, but I smirked at myself, and headed into the bathroom to change.
A few minutes later, I climbed under my new sheets, taking a deep breath as I tried to relax. I turned over, trying to get comfortable; a few more minutes went by, and I turned again. After tossing a few more times, I sighed loudly, and heard a chuckle from across the room.
“New bed syndrome; I had it too. Damn near impossible to get comfy. I’m still awake if you wanna talk at all.” I stared at the ceiling for a while longer, but finally gave up trying to force myself to sleep. I rolled onto my side, propping myself up on one elbow; River was already in the same position, bare legs sticking out from the tangled mess of sheets. I caught myself staring at his chest for a moment, and forced myself to meet his eyes, mentally berating myself again.
“So, you said you’re from Oklahoma, right?” I nodded, recalling the small talk we’d made while carrying my boxes inside.
“Yea, Sparks. It’s a tiny hole of a town; I think the populations only like six or seven hundred. It’s not even on some maps.”
“Wow… I think that was my high school’s population. Riverside’s pretty packed; it’s not too far from LA, so you have all the wanna be richie’s who think they’re hot shit, but can’t afford the real thing. And then you have the hippies who moved out of San Fran when “the man” took it over.” I laughed at River’s description; it didn’t surprise me that he was from California, he looked like he’d be totally at home on the beach.
“So, what made you come to New York? Sick of farming?” I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled.
“I just… needed something different. Everyone in Sparks is the same; same opinions, same tastes…”
“Same last name?” I laughed and threw a pillow at River, who caught it easily and tossed it back.
“Incest is more of an Alabama thing. But anyway, yea… I just needed to see what else was out there. I know it sounds kind of cliche, but I never really felt like I fit in there, ya know?” River nodded slowly, his eyes unfocused for a minute.
“I can relate. I mean, Riverside is pretty diverse, but it’s still just one place. You gotta get out there, see the world while you’re young enough to enjoy it.” I sat up a bit, nodding.
“Yeah, that’s what my mom said, too. She had to drop out of school when she had me, so I think me going away to school is good for her, too. Living vicariously through me; not that she’s making me do anything I don’t wanna do, though. She just said I should explore my options.”
“Well if it’s exploration you’re looking for, you came to the best place in the world,” River said quietly, winking playfully at me, and I swallowed hard, laughing nervously. His eyes closed slowly as he let out a yawned and stretched, his muscles flexing; I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling and breathing slowly.
“Well, I’m beat. But hey, you wanna go out tomorrow, see the city a bit?”
“Yea, sure. Sounds great.”
“Alright, cool. Night, Zac.”
“Night,” I replied quietly. Within minutes, I heard his breathing even out; the sound was relaxing, soothing, and I soon felt myself slipping. I smiled as I gave way to sleep, thanking the heavens for such a cool roommate. Who I’d just happened to see naked.