Chapter 3. Two Bathrooms

I trailed behind Elias as he navigated the downtown streets. It had been so long since my last visit to his apartment that I couldn’t remember the way.

My palms were sweaty, and anxiety gnawed at me. I felt like such an oddball. To most people, this might not seem significant, but for me, it was. I’d always felt out of place. Over the past year or two, I’d made progress in overcoming my social awkwardness, but I still occasionally blurted out insensitive remarks.

Elias pointed to a white house at the intersection and said, “There it is.” Unlike apartments, students typically resided in college houses. This one had three separate units, like most student residences, and I had thought Elias lived in the basement apartment.

“I completely forgot about the basement part,” I muttered, and Elias chuckled.

“It’s spacious, with high ceilings and all the amenities,” he assured me, leading me to the back exit.

I opened the door and blinked at my surroundings. The basement did indeed have surprisingly high ceilings. Nearby was a spacious living area with a large leather sofa and a flat-screen TV. To the left, there was a pony wall filled with shoes, and to the right, a front closet and a table. The kitchen was located behind the dining area, and a corridor with several doors lay ahead.

“So, what do you think? It’s not bad, right?” Elias asked, and I just nodded. Honestly, I didn’t mind the lack of cleanliness in terms of unswept floors and unwashed walls.

“It’s great,” I replied, and he grinned at me.

“I really need to use the restroom. Stay here, and I’ll show you the rest in a moment,” Elias said. I gave him a nod and watched him leave the room.

I glanced around but stayed put, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the mess around me. Beer cans and cones were stacked in one corner, something typical of a student residence. I wondered what it would be like to hang out with guys, but I knew how to keep the bathroom I shared with my parents and sister clean. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Hey,” a guy said as he entered the kitchen from the back room. “Don’t I know you?” My heart pounded as I couldn’t quite place his face.

“I… um, I’m not sure, but we might have met before,” I replied. He was a typical white guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. “I’m Chloe.”

“Right! Chloe, I remember now!” He snapped his fingers and grinned as he searched the cupboards. “We used to all hang out in the dorm lounge for card games.”

“Oh, okay,” I replied, and the names of the others who used to play with us started coming back to me.

“You’ve changed; it’s almost hard to recognize you,” he remarked.

“In a good or bad way?” I asked with a goofy expression, making him laugh.

“Good,” he replied as he opened a box of frosted flakes. “I’m Caleb, by the way.”

“Right,” I sighed but considered it seriously. “Sorry about that; it was over two and a half years ago.”

“No worries,” Caleb shrugged, tearing the bag open and pouring some cereal into his mouth. “So, are you still friends with Elias?”

“We haven’t talked much,” I admitted.

“Why are you two here today? What’s going on?” he asked after swallowing a mouthful of food.

“Well…” I started. “I’m here to check out the available room.”

“Really?” He looked genuinely surprised, and I nodded. “That’s fantastic! We’ve been trying to find a roommate for weeks!”

“Elias mentioned that, and I want to move out of my house,” I confirmed, and he set the cereal box back down.

“Hey, Asher!” Caleb called from the kitchen, and Asher emerged from the corridor through the right door. Asher shared Caleb’s good looks, and it was clear that these were Elias’s friends, all of them quite attractive. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was attractive enough for them to want to share a house with me.

“Hey, Caleb,” Asher greeted, looking between Caleb and me with confusion. “Who are you?”

“It’s Chloe; you’ve met her before,” Caleb said, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “She used to play cards with us during the first year; she’s a friend of Elias.”

“Oh, right,” Asher replied. Caleb and Asher had quite a height difference, with Caleb being taller. Asher had freckles on his nose bridge, which complemented his red hair. “Is Elias here to see you?”

“No, he’s not,” Caleb answered. “She’s here to see the apartment!” Caleb raised his voice and continued eating straight from the cereal box.

“Oh, you’re the one Elias texted us about,” Asher said, finally putting it together.

“Yeah, living near the university would be convenient,” I replied.

“Well, we probably shouldn’t make any big decisions until he gets back,” Asher suggested, and I nodded in agreement. “Have you met Nash before?”

“Nope,” I answered, relieved that I was familiar with the other guys.

“He’s a good guy; you’ll like him,” Asher assured me. “So, would you like to see the rest of our house?”

“Sure,” I said with a smile, and he led me down the corridor. Caleb followed along with his cereal box.

The corridor had seven doors in total.

“The room on the right is mine,” Asher quickly showed me his cluttered room. “And across the hall is Caleb’s.” Caleb opened his door to reveal a mostly tidy room. “The bathroom is right here.” One door at a time, he continued to the next one on the right, revealing a spacious bathroom with a toilet, a large sink, and a shower. “Over there is the laundry area and another half bathroom.” Elias was likely still inside the locked door.

“Two bathrooms?” I asked, and they both nodded.