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But the house is not a dorm filled with underclassmen, thankfully.
And despite the two askew shutters on windows facing the road, unfortunate choice of paint color, and the overgrown bushes on either side of the front door, it doesn’t lookthatbad.
I was lucky to find this place advertised on a student forum. It’s a four bedroom of all juniors, one of whom is going abroad for the spring. I’m taking her room.
Setting aside my apprehension about living with three strangers, it’s significantly better than living at home with my parents or in a dorm. Plus, it’s only a couple of blocks from campus. A huge bonus since I don’t have a car.
I climb out of the backseat of my parents’ car, tugging the zipper of my down jacket a couple of inches higher so it rubs against the underside of my chin and blocks more of the January wind.
I grab my backpack out of the footwell and heft it over one shoulder, then lift a box out of the backseat before heading towardthe front door. Balancing the heavy box while hitting the doorbell with my elbow is a challenge, but I manage.
A smiling girl with light-brown hair cut into a bob answers the door. Since I stalked all my future roommates on social media over winter break, I recognize her instantly. Chloe Ellis.
“Hi! You must be Rylan. I’m Chloe.”
I nod and smile, relaxing some as I register her friendly expression. She seemed sweet when we texted back and forth about the available room, but in person always feels different.
“I am. Nice to meet you, Chloe.”
Chloe steps aside, beckoning me inside the warm house.
“Dakota and Malia aren’t home right now, but you’ll meet them later,” she tells me. “Do you need help carrying anything in?”
“I think we’re good, thanks.” I glance over my shoulder as my mom and dad step into the house, each carrying a box. “These are my parents, Miriam and Anthony. Mom, Dad, this is Chloe, one of my roommates.”
“So nice to meet you, Chloe,” my mom says warmly.
“Hello,” is my dad’s gruff greeting. He immediately goes back to studying the house carefully.
Unfortunately, I favor my father’s more reserved personality. Whenever I try to emulate my mom’s openness, I feel fake.
“Your room is this way!” Chloe spins and heads deeper into the house.
I follow, glancing around as I walk. The first floor is open concept, a kitchen with an attached living room to the left and dining room that’s been repurposed into more lounge space to the right.
Everything is clean and neat, which will make my mom happy. And nothing looks in a state of disrepair, which should reassure my dad some.
Rather than start up the stairs, Chloe walks down the hallway to the right of them. I follow her, take another right, and end up in my new bedroom.
The wooden floor creaks as I cross the threshold.
Cream, bare walls. A double bed pushed against one wall, a desk and a dresser against the other. There’s a closet, which I wasn’t expecting. And two windows, one facing the backyard and the other the hedge that separates this lot from the neighbors.
To my surprise, I love it.
Even empty, it feels much homier than anywhere else I’ve lived since moving out of my parents’ at age eighteen. I can picture myself living here.
“The bathroom is at the end of the hall,” Chloe tells me. “You’ll share with Dakota. Malia and I are upstairs. Both of those bedrooms have their own bathrooms.” Her expression turns apologetic. “Dakota and Emily drew the short straws in August.”
“It’s fine,” I tell her. “I’m used to sharing a bathroom with more than one person, so that sounds luxurious.”
Chloe’s expression becomes even more animated, which I didn’t think was possible. “I want to hear all about what London was like. I’ve never been out of the country and would love to—”
“Oh, honey. This is perfect!” My mom appears in the doorway, beaming around the small room as she stacks a box on the dresser. My dad is right behind her, looking cautious but less concerned than when we first arrived.
“I’ll let you get settled,” Chloe says. “I’ll be upstairs, so just holler if you need anything.”
“Great, thank you,” I tell her.
