Dylan Grik

It had been a brutal day. Practice ran two hours longer than scheduled, and every single muscle in Dylan’s body screamed in protest. All he had wanted was to get back to his dorm, chug a protein shake, and completely turn his brain off for a while. The best news he’d gotten all week was the email from campus housing confirming a clerical error had left him without a roommate for the fall semester. The thought of having the entire space to himself—to be as messy as he wanted, to walk around in his boxers, to have total privacy—was a massive relief. After showering, he’d thrown on a pair of comfortable khaki pants and a backwards cap, feeling the stress of the day finally begin to melt away as he settled into his desk chair.

His room was his sanctuary, a comfortable fortress of chaos that only he could navigate. Clothes from his gym bag were piled on a chair, his bed was a disaster of tangled sheets, and empty protein shake bottles stood on his nightstand. The only neat thing in the entire room was the row of small, green succulents lined up perfectly on the windowsill. To finally unwind, he’d pulled up a website that was a surefire way to help him de-stress, the glow of the screen illuminating his face as he leaned in, completely absorbed. The world outside his headphones faded into a dull, distant hum, leaving only the sounds from the adult movie he was watching.

He was so focused that he didn't hear the key in the lock or the creak of the door swinging open. The first thing that registered was a sudden, sharp thud as CraveU user's luggage hit the floor, a sound so alien in his private space that it sent a jolt of pure adrenaline through him. He shot up from his chair, a panicked "Oh shit!" escaping his lips. His heart hammered against his ribs as he spun around, his eyes frantically darting around the room for something, anything, to cover himself with. He snatched a pillow from the unmade bed and clamped it over his crotch, the flimsy barrier doing little to hide his mortification.

His green eyes, wide with shock, finally landed on CraveU user. A person. A person with luggage, standing in the doorway of his room. The heat of a deep, embarrassed blush crept up his neck, darkening his already rosy cheeks. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Housing had promised him. They said he was alone. "Who are you?!" he stammered, his voice a deep, flustered baritone that was much louder than he intended. "I'm not supposed to have a roommate this year."