You Play the Field - I Play the Strings

Chapter 2

"Well this is fantastic." I've lived with him one week and I'm already losing my mind. We can't move around because they apparently accepted too many freshman thinking that the upperclassman would get houses or apartments instead of staying in the dorms. So some people event got smushed together with two others and I  will not be doing that.

I look down at my phone ready to call my mom and tell her about the probelm when I accidentally run into someone.

"Shit!" I curse and jump back putting my phone down and stepping out of the way.

"I am so sorry-" my apology is cut off just like that though.

"Move out of the way fatty" there are three of them. The one I bumped into has got a bluish hue to his black hair and narrow dark brown eyes that stand out from his paler skin. His mouth is curled up into a smirk at the way I froze from his words.

"Fuck you" I huff going around them as they laugh and high five. Definitely seem like they'd be on the football team. Didn't know it'd be this bad at college level too.

"Really thought that men matured but seems like you're the prime example that they don't". There is a scoff and they murmur some sort of protest but I don't stay to listen instead hurrying back to my dorm room. I swipe the card against the lock which thankfully works this time because sometimes it bugs out and I'm stuck knocking until Conner finally opens the door for me or comes back from practice, whatever he's doing.

I close the door behind me and about gasp when I see the god of a man in front of me. Shirtless and with shorts hanging on his hips. Barely on his hips, probably the lowest they can go. I swear he's trying to kill me. The black fuzz of his happy trail and his fucking abs.

I swallow my gasp and quickly look away before flopping onto my bed. I chill the flustered look on my face before turning to look at him. Thankfully he's pulling a shirt on.

"We are unable to switch room... I didn't know you were a junior."

"Yeah- are you not?" He grabs a water bottle and then looks around for something else.

"No I'm a freshman" he whips his head up quickly before laughing to himself.

"Aw shit man. Guess I shouldn't be so mean to a freshie- anyway I'm going to the gym" he teases and I groan. "That just sounds like you're going to tease me more" I shout in protest. "We'll see freshie" he teases before slamming the door shut.

I roll my eyes watching the door for a bit until I know for sure he's not coming back for something he's forgot. He does that a lot.

Standing I go to our shared bathroom and just stare at myself in the mirror. Fuck. Maybe I wouldn't care so much if I wasn't sharing a room with a god. Maybe I wouldn't care so much if it didn't feel like I was still in highschool.

"States away from my home still being bullied for my weight and looks and my roommate hates me... yeah college life is great. I hate it here" I whisper just staring at myself in the mirror.

I pinch my cheeks until they're red wishing that the extra fat would come off. That at 18 I wouldn't have such a fucking baby face. Before moving my hands to my stomach, hating the way it falls over my jeans if I don't hoist them over my hips.

If I see any other person that looks like me I praise them for how confident they look because they make it work. They're beautiful, but me? I just don't look right like this. I don't.

Pulling my shirt back down I strip from my jeans and walk back out into our room, placing my jeans in my clothes hamper before tugging on a pair of sweats. I let them loosely hang on my body hiding my ginormous thighs.

Jumping onto my bed I mess with some chords once again tuning the guitar just messing with it till I thought it sounded perfect.

I know the perfect song. One that I began practicing once I knew I was going to have to leave my family. It's the song that I taught my brother as well. Well I taught him to at least sing it with me so that way if he heard the song anywhere he would think about me or if he missed me he could sing it. I hope he missed me. I'm too dependent on mine family. I miss a note and cringe but quickly get back to it.

"I've been here before"

"But always hit the floor"

I continue to sing to the song my voice somewhere in a tenors range. I'm quiet because no matter how much my choir teacher liked me and no matter how much my parents praised me. I would never have the confidence to sing by myself in front of people. All confidence was taken from me. All because of high school. I highly recommend dropping out.

Still I continue to sing and play suddenly sad at the reminder of back home. It's been a week and I've been homesick since day one.

After I finished the song I just moved back to playing with chords trying to piece together anything that appealed to my ears. Something soft and sweet. Now hopefully I can find the right words for it. I had been working on just a few simple measures for weeks. The pattern of notes repeating soon would make a great song. I just know it. Emery would love it. This continued for some time. A lot of time.

When my finger starts to hurt I put the pick down and crack my knuckles before deciding to sing again. Just one more time and then I won't sing the song for at least a week. Writing's on the Wall.

The door suddenly opens and my mouth clamps shut. I don't stop playing but instead just silently hum along hoping he won't hear. The door shuts and I don't look up. Instead I ease my way through the song.

He doesn't say anything, so I finally look up to see his hair is wet he must have showered at the gym. I continue to watch as he grab pajamas and goes into the bathroom returning once he's changed, throwing his dirty clothes into my hamper.

I continue my humming until there's a sigh and he flops onto his bed. "Really? Have you been playing this whole time? Don't you have something better to do" he rubs his shoulder and I continue to play, but stop my humming.

"Yes I have been doing this the whole time. Sure I probably have something better that I could be doing but I don't know what. So for now I'll stick at what makes me feel semi good about myself" I shoot back and he sits up with a raised eyebrow.

"Snappy" he chuckles and I sigh stopping with only a few verses left and put my guitar to the side.

"Only because you're being annoying" I huff quickly realizing I didn't want to leave my guitar out. I grab the case and gently put it away. My literal prize possession.

"Oh you wound me. Annoying? That's suppose to be your job. You're so good at it too. I could never take that from you" he coos to me. I snatch the pillow off my bed throwing it at him. He catches it with a smirk. A god damn hot smirk as I glare.

"I hate you" I sneer. He chucks the pillow back at me and I yell catching it with my face. "Conner that hurt my nose" I whine as I throw the pillow back onto my bed.

"Who's fault is that?" He asks as I gasp.

"Yours! In no way was that my fault!" I snap standing up. He stands as well mocking me with crossed arms.

"You're an asshole" I continue and he fakes a gasp putting a hand to his heart.

"Me? An asshole!? I could never" I can't help the smirk that finds its way onto my face.

Is it weird I don't mind him calling me annoying. It's better than fat. Ugly. Gross. Poor. Stupid. He hasn't called me any of those. It's nice. Okay maybe he's not awful.

"Not an asshole just a winner" he adds.

"Winner, how so?" I ask while he sits back down with a winning grin.

"I got you to stop playing that horrible racket" he groans. The playful smile falls from my face and I stomp over to his bed taking his pillow instead. He tries to wrestle it away but I somehow win, smacking him across the head with it once before retreating back to my bed.

I get a different pillow to the back and huff taking that as well, bringing it with me to my bed.

"Callum I need those"

"Suffer Conner. Fucking suffer"