Drabble: Room mate

Been busy with school work, but anyway, for all of you to chew on is this drabble I had wrote some time ago. Decided I might as well post the drabbles here as well for all of you to chew on.

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"Thanks Evin for setting this up, I really need to find some cheap accomodation." I said, settling in the uncomfortable plastic bench next to Evin in the fast food restaurant.

"Yeah well," he lightly punched my arm, "That's what friends are for. Anyway, damn the university for being so straight-laced. Not allowing upper years to stay in hostels unless we get sufficient participation points or get special permission from the hostel heads. Which in other words mean we have time to go take part in all the rah rah hall activities or are on of the popular or drop dead gorgeous people on campus for the hall heads to say yes." He shook his head. "Stupid university never considers about the students who have to work AND study. No time for all this nonsense."

I smiled at Evin's diatribe. It was an often felt feeling that ran through the students that had to work to put themselves through university. Like me. I sighed, "Well, the university already views it as a great and wonderful thing that they accept us on an installment plan basis. I mean, what is the point of giving us loans when we have to cough out even MORE money for our university as compared to people who can afford it? Argh, like they haven't heard the concept of subsidy!"

"Yeah man," Evin groaned. "What irritates the heck out of me is that they have scholarships and bursaries, but only for 'foreign talent'. The more foreign the better. Locals are not allowed to apply. Stingy idiots. Who the heck do they think is going to hang around to defend this country when war comes or hard times are upon us? Us man..."

"So tell me more about our landlord," I broke in, before he went into his normal three hour rant about maligned locals.

"Wellll..." Evin said, scratching his head. "There's nothing much to tell. He's from a well-off family, trust fund and all, some properties left by his grandmother. He wanted to study science, his family wanted him to study business to join the family business. He didn't want, so he broke off and lived in this penthouse left by his grandmother. He's looking for room mates to help give him some pocket money. It's a REALLY good deal. When I say penthouse, I mean it, we're in the best neighbourhood in town, great location. Lots of rooms. Main rule of the house is to clean up after yourself and keep to yourself. The place is big enough for us to stay out of each other's hair. And oh yeah, observe the signs on the door. We have these door signs, where you flip to show whether you don't want anyone disturbing you. You know, lady action and all..."

I shuddered. I so did not want to know that.

"I've only been staying here for a short while ever since Jonathan pulled me in. Oh, Jonathan is the guy you are replacing. He's going overseas for masters, so we're finding a new roommate to replace him. Which is where you come in."

"Am I the first applicant?" I asked, curiously. "The price is comparable to hostel prices, yet we're staying in some fancy penthouse."

"Nah, you're not," Evin said. "Jonathan tried to introduce some candidates that has to go through Numair's inspections, but all failed."

I gulped. "Oh dear."

"Yeah, well, just try your best," Evin reassured, whacking me on the shoulder.

"Owww," I winced. "I know I am not the most girly of girls, but can't you restrain your strength a bit?"

Evin looked sheepish. "I forget Daine, you look and behave so much like a boy." I didn't take offence as it was quite an often muttered comment about me. Oh come on, surely you can't blame me for liking baggy t-shirts and jeans? They were so comfortable. And I can't help it if mother nature didn't give me a voluptous figure, but a slender one. A euphemistic word for it is athletic build. Which I sort of appreciate with my hobby of archery. Big chests get in the way of pulling an arrow properly. I was also rather tall for a girl, not a petite five foot two, rather, five foot five, though my slender build gave the impression that I was taller than that. Money and practicality has not led me to dabble in the feminine flipperies and adornments. What family I had was gone and I had to work to feed and clothe myself. Which meant salvation army and all the charitable second-hand shops for all my shopping needs.

"But you make a pretty boy," Evin quippped, trying to cover up for his slight.

"It's alright Evin, I'm used to it," I said and smiled. After all, he was going to introduce me to some cheap rent, I can afford to be magnaminous.

"Yeah Daine, it doesn't help that you talk to me like you're a guy," Evin said, then his attention was caught. "Ooohh, check out that babe."

I raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the other side of the room. "You find that impressive, how about the leggy blonde at the side. She has such droolworthy legs."

"Ha, I'm more of a chest man... hey Numair!" Evin greeted, noticing the lanky man that had slide into the bench in front of us while we were busy gwaking at girls.

"Hello," Numair greeted. I tried not to drool. Very bad Daine. Drooling is very bad. And oh so not cool. Defintely not professional and room mate like as well.

"You're the landlord?" I squeaked.

Numair raised an eyebrow, "Got a problem?"

"You're not old. You're young. No creaky joints or grey hair," I muttered.

"Nor the beer belly," Numair helpfully added. Oh no... defintely not that, I could tell even under his shirt that he had a droolworthy body....

"So, shall we eat?" Numair asked. "I'll go order." I gave Numair my order and gave him the requisite cash. Later, when I saw him reach the counter and receive all of our food. I went up to give him a hand.

"Thanks," Numair grunted.

"No problem," I said cheerfully. "It's the least I can do unlike Mr Chest-man over there who's busy goggling at the waitress."

Numair smiled and I tried not to stumble as my heart skipped a beat. "Move over," I kicked Evin's leg gently. He obligingly moved over the bench to make space for me.

We conversed while we ate. Turned out Numair was taking a doctorate while I was specialising in veternary science. Evin was in engineering. I was able to converse with Numair rather intelligently (I thought) on a variety of topics. It helped that I had worked part time at a bookshop that specialised in bringing in all sort of academic texts, so I had browsed through some materials while I was waiting for customers. I scolded Evin when he was about to pour ketchup on the tray and handed him a napkin to put it on. "Inconsiderate buffoon," I had jibbed and Evin took it in good stride. We talked about soccer and soon the lunch was over. If Numair noticed that I didn't look at him in the eye but caried my eye contact on him, the food, Evin, he made no comment. I was certainly unused to being in such close proximity to such a delectable male specimen, and knew I may blush or stutter if I stared at him too long.

"Why are you wearing a cap?" Numair inquired curiously. "Is it a hip thing? Some punk rock thing?"

I blushed, "No, it's a bad haircut thing." I took off my cap. Evin laughed, "Oh my gosh Daine! Did you cut your own hair again? What did you use? Shears?"

I went into a deeper shade of red. "Ha, as if you're a hair stylist yourself!" My hair was rather short and it was unfortunate that I had wavy hair, so that made me had a sort of Einstein look. "I was just so bothered by it during the exams, so I just hacked it shorter." I plunked my cap on again and elbowed Evin.

"Do you always cut your hair yourself?" Numair quered. I had not dared look at him during my exchange with Evin, but looked at my lap. Which was why I caught a movement of Evin's leg. Did he just kick Numair?

"Uh yeah," I tried to smile and laugh it off. "How many ways can you cut your hair anyways? Don't want to be robbed blind by barbers." In other words, I'm tight of cash and hair styles is at the bottom of the list of priorities.

I sneaked a look back up at Numair who looked a bit embarassed. "So Numair, what do you think of Daine?" Evin asked, breaking up the awkward silence.

Numair leaned his chin on his hand, "Hmm..." I tried not to squirm. "Dane,"

"Yup?" I responded.

"Are you gay?"

"WHAT? NO MAN!" I exploded. "Are you saying I look like a-"

"Calm down," Numair interrupted, patting a hand on my shoulder. "I wasn't implying that you look like a faggot." Faggot? I thought he was going to say butch? "I just wanted to check. I don't want to have a gay in my home. Simply because I don't want any potentially awkward situations or tensions. Like why I don't want a girl as a room mate as well. Don't want her to accidentally have romantic inclinations towards me, or Evin here when we don't reciprocate. It will be really crap to not only dump cold water on that person, but kick that person out because we can't stand the weirdness of it all." I nodded, then halted. Wait a second... Did he think I was a...

"I think you'll do," Numair said, nodding. "You're clean for a guy, you handle Evin well, helpful, friendly and able to converse intelligently other than the 'let's talk about hot chicks and sports only'."

"How do you know that? The whole clean thing?" I asked dazzedly.

"You passed the meal test," he replied. "You eat neatly, you clean up after yourself. You automatically offered to pay without me asking and helped without question."

"I see..." I said.

"You have no idea how hard it is to find a university guy that is not messy, dirty and foul mouthed," Numair explained. "Evin is already considered quite well-behaved already, even though he tends to be a bit careless with his belongings sometimes. I don't want a roommate bringing home company everynight, or partying and getting drunk all over the floor." he paused. "Of course if you do want to date, that's fine, I'm just saying I don't want to wake up every morning to see a different female face at the table."

I could do nothing but just stare blankly at him and nod. Numair extended his hand, "So, do we have ourselves a new roommate?"

Evin elbowed me, he mumbled under his breath, "Think of the rent.... and you've no place to go at the moment."

I shook Numair's hand. "Good grip," Numair complimented. "You must work out, your hands are calloused."

"Yeah well, I take up archery," I said weakly and smiled. Evin just smiled at me reassuringly. Oh. my. gosh. Oh great. I am so going to kill Evin after this. I know I sort of look and behave like a guy, but to carry this pretense for the sake of cheaper board? Oh Daine, you have sunk to an all-time low.