Page 9 of My Roommate from Hell
“Yes.”
“The demon prince?”
“That’s the one.”
“So youdohave a hot roommate? Literally and figuratively.”
“Stop! This is serious!”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line.
Then she bursts out laughing.
“Why is that funny?”
“O, I love you, but this is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”
I start to smile. “Why is that?”
“No reason,” she says. “Just you, the most uptight person I know, sharing a room with a demon.”
“I’m not uptight!”
“Girl, you color-code your closet.”
“It makes it easier!”
“You spent weeks agonizing over which phone to pick.”
“It’s a big decision!”
She takes a moment to laugh, and it reminds me how much I love her. Sometimes, you just have to laugh at the hand you’ve been dealt.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I just think that you sharing a room with a literal demon is amusing. Make sure you’re careful, okay? I’m sure it’s just online nonsense, but I’ve seen some pretty scary anti-demon things while scrolling.”
“Me too.”
“Anyway, how’s the campus?” she asks, clearly trying to bring the mood back up. “Everything we hoped it would be?”
“It’s better,” I say. “I haven’t seen everything yet, but I already love it.”
“Then why are you talking to me?” she asks. “Go explore! Do it for the both of us. And send me pictures. I’m hanging up now, love you!”
“Love you, too.”
She ends the call. I have my marching orders, it seems.
I wish the call had patched the hole in my heart and I no longer wished she was here. If anything, it’s made it worse. She’s always been the social one, and if she’d followed through with our plan, I wouldn’t have to worry about making friends because I’m sure it would only take a few days for her to be one of the most popular people on campus. I’d join in with whoever she made friends with, and everything would be sweet.
I swing around and head back inside Clark Hall. I don’t want to be around anyone right now, but I can’t think of anywhere else I can go. I want my own space to try to process all this, but the only space on campus that is mine isn’t just mine. I’m sharing it with a literal demon.
I’ll have to get used to this, though.
I go back up the elevator. Maybe Zarmenus has gone somewhere, and maybe I will get the privacy I want so badly. It’s not that I don’tlike him, it’s just that today has been a lot, and I would love some time alone to decompress. All I need is a few solid hours where I don’t have to interact with anyone, then I’ll be good for whatever else Point wants to throw at me.
I unlock the door and open it.
Zarmenus is clearly in the middle of some kind of ritual. He’s shirtless, sitting on a pentagram rug, and in front of him is a Ouija board. Red burning candles are placed in a circle around him, and they’re the only source of light because he’s pulled the blinds closed and turned the light off. Even though he looks mostly human, the red light of the candles hits his features in a way that makes him look terrifying.
