My Oh My
“I’m really not supposed to tell you this…”
Maya slowly highlighted another batch of keywords in her notes. “Then don’t.” She split the stack of index cards that sat between her and her roommate and placed half in the middle again for easy access and the other half next to her textbook.
She was able to review another five pages of notes in peace before Terri began sighing like an attention seeking child. Maya ignored her the first few times but by the fifth sigh she could only sigh herself and look up. It was give in or listen to Sighing Sally for hours, and since they both had a test that counted for forty percent of their grade in twelve hours, giving in was the better option if she wanted any real time to study.
“Why do you have to tell me if you’re not supposed to in the first place?” She asked, folding her arms.
Terri’s bottom lip poked out. “I thought roommates were supposed to be best friends.”
Maya stared at her supposed ‘best friend.’ They were alike in some case: brown hair, brown eyes, size six in sneakers but a size seven in heals but that was it. They were only comparable on the surface level. Underneath, they were nothing alike and Maya preferred it to stay that way. Terri was habitually late, disorganized, loud, clumsy, and dramatic; five things Maya wrote her off for within the first month of having to be the girl’s roommate. Toss in Terri’s excessive need to actually create drama herself, and drag Maya into it when she could, and you get a sixth reason.
“I’ll tell you if you agree to go out with me and my friends tonight.”
Seven. Maya added, the inability to understand no, to the growing list of reasons she wanted a new roommate and lab partner. “If I agree, will you finally tell me?”
“You are interested!”
An eager grin replaced Terri’s pout and Maya rubbed her temples. The girl was impossible but she had no choice. Their room was a hurricane thanks to Terri and her friends and the only other study area that worked for her was the booth tucked away in the back corner of the school’s underground café, which, sadly, Terri already trapped her in.
“Fine,” Maya sighed. “Yes, I want to know and yes, I’ll go tonight.”
“Great.” Terri folded her arms on the tabletop, leaned over, and lowered her voice. “Last night I saw a girl hanging outside our dorm. I thought she was a stalker of that hot guy on the third floor—“
Maya cleared her throat, earning her a small pout.
“It’s part of the story.” Terri whined.
“Can’t it be cut?”
“No. My observational skills should never be cut.”
Maya rolled her eyes and let Terri go on with her observational skills. It didn’t sound gossip or study interruption worthy. There were plenty of not-so-right people in the world and some were bound to attend the same university they did. And, there were girls who liked to keep tabs of their crushes. Terri did it often enough for her to know it wasn’t something Hollywood made up for ratings.
“And then she dropped this book that had pictures of all these kids our age and notes about them and where they lived and everything. It was so weird and the weirdest part, you were one of them.”
Maya stopped insulting her roommate in her head and sat up. “How do you know it was me?”
“Duh,” Terri reached down and seconds later a file was on the tabletop, “I had a close-up look.”
“One, that’s a file and two, why do you have it?” Maya reached for it but Terri picked it up and held it to her chest.
“Book, file, does it matter at this precise moment what it’s called?” Terri raised her perfectly manicured eyebrow in added question.
“No but if I’m in it, I want to see it.” She also wanted her questioned answered but Terri looked closer to ditching her than answering. “I promised to go tonight, didn’t I? It’s only fair that you hold up your end.”
“And I did. I told you what I wasn’t telling you before.”
“Bu—“ Maya started.
“I have to go meet Andrew for lunch but we’ll get ready together.” Terri cut her off with more excitement than she could handle. “Promise. See you tonight!”
Maya watched helplessly as all her answers dashed out of the café. Terri was a regular mess of a nuisance but there was something off. She was almost, calculating.
Maya slumped her shoulders and tilted her head back. Studying was useless when her head was filled with nothing but questions. If there really was a girl outside their dorm, who was it and what was with the file? It wasn’t something you didn’t tell someone sooner, especially if the mysterious stalker had a file with people in them and one of those people was your roommate.
“It’s just a prank,” she mumbled, righting herself to get back to her studies, “for some stupid sorority or something.”
Though she said it, she couldn’t stop the nagging suspicion that Terri wasn’t as stupid as she seemed.
A Writer's Alibi 