by M. K. Claeys
“Ooh. That sounds fun. But I couldn’t hide that from Mama. A belly-piercing I could totally get away with.”
“I think I’ll get a tragus. That’s the one where you pierce the little flap of cartilage that sticks out and covers your ear canal,” I added for Mitzy’s benefit.
“So we’re settled, then?” Rae asked. “Everyone is going to poke a hole in their skin tomorrow afternoon? Awesome. So I’ve got two hundred dollars. That means that everyone gets fifty to put toward their new self-mutilation, and any extra can go to someone whose is more expensive or to lunch.”
“Cool. But we have to make sure yours is paid for first, Rae,” I insisted. “Because it’s your money. You won the contest.”
“I’ve got no problem with that. And besides, with four of us guaranteed to pierce something, plus being students and it being the first week of the semester, I bet we could get a deal.”
“Sweet. G’night guys!” I said, and I clicked out the light.
Tomorrow was going to be awesome, I could just tell.
And all right, I’ll admit it. Doing something without Brian’s permission is going to be ever so satisfying.
18
Mitzy
I was studying in my room when there was a knock at the door. All my friends were accounted for in their various activities, so who could possibly have been at my door? Especially since the last random guy who went around selling stuff door to door in the dorms got his picture posted around campus as wanted in a dorm room robbery.
So I made sure to check the peephole before opening the door, even though when people do that in horror movies, they end up getting their heads blown off. But something told me who or whatever was on the other side of that door wasn’t sinister. What I actually saw gave me quite a shock.
“CiCi?” I asked, throwing the door wide. “Please come in!”
“Hey, Mitzy. How are you?”
She took my proffered seat on what had once been Tasha’s bed, and I noticed that she, unlike Tanya, didn’t put her feet up on the pillows. But even if she had, I wouldn’t have minded since she’d left her shoes at the door and her socks were clean.
“I’m well, thank you, but it seems the same can’t be said for you.”
“No, not really. Look, I just wanted to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?”
“The housing administration found out Tasha was living in our room. They’ve given us until the end of the week to sort it out, and even though I’m one of the original occupants of the room, Tasha and Tanya have made it pretty clear who they feel will be staying.”
“But they can’t make you leave!” I cried. “That would totally undermine the system! It’s your room, I mean, you were there first.”
“Do you really think Tasha and Tanya care about the system?” she asked bluntly.
I reddened. “No. I suppose not. I also imagine that this means they know I’m living in a single room while getting away with paying the double rate, and they’re planning on finding me a roommate.”
CiCi nodded. “They are. The only reason you haven’t gotten one yet is because I asked them to let me talk to you first. It looks like I’m going to be kicked out of my room, whether I like it or not, and it looks like you’ll end up with another roommate. One that could be just as bad, or worse, than Tasha.”
“Unless?”
“Unless I move in here.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked tentatively.
She sighed. “No. But honestly, Mitzy, how bad could it be? I know you. I know you’re a good person. I never really thought Tasha and Tanya were very nice to you; I just never said anything. And I’m sorry for that.”
“I don’t blame you. You would have been asking for them to start directing their sadistic ideas of fun on you.”
CiCi nodded. “I used to think that too, but now after living with the two of them together in one room for so long, I have started to understand what it must have been like for you. Honestly, I don’t know how you put up with them. Tasha is a complete slob, and now that they’re in there together, they stay up till all hours of the night. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Do they still talk about when they’re going to do their laundry the next day?” I asked, shooting CiCi a smirk.
She rolled her eyes. “You too? God, it’s so annoying. I mean, I never knew what they got up to that late because they were always here. I don’t want to live with either of them anymore, but I’m afraid I could end up with a Tasha of my own if I don’t act.”
“Well, let’s act then,” I said. I stood up, grabbed two notebooks, and tossed her one with a pen. “Write down everything that Tanya did that you couldn’t stand, and I’ll write down everything that Tasha did. We can trade lists and see if we do any of the things on each other’s pet peeve lists, and go from there.”
CiCi smiled. “Cool.” She immediately started scribbling.
I took a moment to think, but soon I was writing rather hastily as well.
Stayed up till all hours of the night with lights and music blaring
Had ppl over till all hours
Left razor w/out safe guard on shower floor
Complete slob! But you already know this
Would lock me out of the room when she had L’Avery over, and I’d be stuck out all night without knowing beforehand
Blasted her alarm clock and left it on while she was in the shower while I would be sleeping
Would invite tons of ppl over w/out asking me first
Ignored me—wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence or say hi when I came in the room
Insinuated that I was having incestuous relations with my brother—ew!
Did I mention she was a slob? I don’t know about you, but I think seeing panties ‘sunny-side-up’ on the floor at 7 a.m. or any time of day is just wrong!
If she came in late, she didn’t bother to be quiet about it
Let her friends be rude to me
Took phone calls at 3 a.m. and talked loudly during them, but refused to take the calls in the hallway
Asked me to lie to L’Avery for her when she would have other boys over
Wouldn’t wrap up sanitary products in t.p. b4 putting them in the trash—again ew!
* * *
I finished my list and CiCi finished at about the same time. We traded, and I couldn’t help but smile at the items she had written down, as well as snorting with sympathetic laughter over a few of them.
Obsessed over her Prada boots but then used them to track mud all over the carpet which I had to clean b/c she wouldn’t! And they’re not even real! They’re Frada boots!
Parties 24/7…spontaneously
Left her flat iron plugged in and balanced on the edge of the sink while it was running—electrocution, anyone?
Messy
Had sex while I was in the room. Plz—just ask, I’ll leave!
Came in really late and drunk off her ass one night. Woke me up and broke the picture frame w/ me and my Granny in it
Phone calls @ 2 a.m.
Claimed that every song was “her song” and then nearly blew out the speakers listening to them—while I was studying.
Let Tasha move into our room w/out even asking me about whether or not I cared
Would invite her Breezy over and leave the door unlocked so I’d end up walking in on them b/c she wouldn’t ever call to let me know
Leaves food in the mini-fridge until it goes moldy and starts to stink
Labels all her food. I mean, come on! And then I know it’s hers that’s gone nasty!
Invited the creepy guy from the cafeteria who always eats spam patties over for study group (a.k.a. so she could steal his notes) and I had to watch him eat two of his nasty burgers.
When I go home for the weekend to visit Granny I always come back to find the room torn apart
Left used condoms on the floor
* * *
I mean seriously, number 13? I would have died! I’ve got
to get her to tell Rae!
I finished reading her list. She was still reviewing mine, so I walked over to my desk, grabbed what I was looking for, and handed it to her once she’d finished reading.
“For the one Tanya broke,” I said, handing her the picture frame. “I got it for Christmas, and I don’t have any pictures to put in it, so I thought you’d like it to replace the one of you and your Granny.”
“Really?”
“Really. You can have it whether you still want to move in or not. But I hope you will.”
CiCi smiled at me. “Thanks, Mitzy. I do want to move in, and I’m glad you want me to too. I think we’ll get along just fine. I mean, we hate the same things, so it can’t be that bad, right?”
I giggled. “Right. Oh! One thing I forgot.”
“What is it?” she asked, admiring the picture frame. It was metal with the word Love embossed on the top.
“You won’t ever call Jamaal an Uncle Tom, will you?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Jamaal? Jamaal Diop?”
I nodded.
“Is he your boyfriend now?”
“Yeah. Tasha called him that, and I don’t think I could handle hearing that comment directed at him again.”
“I’d never call him that. I mean, would you ever call me that?”
“No way!”
“See? Because it’s crazy. Tasha is crazy. But you, Mitzy, you’re nice and sane. I think it’ll be a dream living with you after them, even if we don’t end up being best friends like a lot of other girls on the floor.”
“No kidding,” I said passionately. “I’d be happy with someone who just appreciates my company.”
“I will appreciate it, and I hope you’ll like having me around, too. And for what it’s worth, I think you and Jamaal look really good together.”
I blushed. “Thanks. When can you move in?”
CiCi grinned. “Too early to start now?”
“No way. I’ll go get the laundry cart. I’m sure Jamaal, Rae, Ryn, and Paul will help us. Maybe Derek can go get Kate and Maliha too. We’ll have you moved in within the hour.”
I went downstairs, handed over my ID to the girl at the desk, and retrieved my laundry cart from storage. I dropped it off in CiCi’s room for her and let her know that I was going to round everyone up to help her and make sure all Tasha’s half of the furniture was cleaned up and dusted to make room for her.
I started with the dresser—there wasn’t much there other than dust bunnies, Tasha being the clothes freak that she was—stripped the second bed, and then made room for CiCi’s stuff in the medicine cabinet. Then I tackled the desk. I found a few things in there, but nothing major. I threw out what needed to be thrown out, cranked up the music on my computer, and headed over to CiCi’s room to help her pack.
It didn’t take us an hour; it took more like three, but soon enough, CiCi was moving down the hallway with her last load of stuff.
“They’re coming,” she blurted out, her face looking rather panicked.
I just grinned and turned up my speakers. My ex-roommate walked in to hear some old-school En Vogue blaring “Free Your Mind.”
“Oh, hi, Tasha, hi, Tanya,” I said happily as I watched all the people busily moving around the room helping CiCi get situated. Tasha didn’t reply, just stood there with her arms folded for more than a minute. “Looks like you get to stay in Tanya’s room after all. Everyone’s happy.”
Tasha actually glared at me. “Whatever, Mitzy. Once CiCi learns what you’re really like, she’ll be out of here by the end of the week.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” CiCi muttered to Jamaal and me, and we snorted with laughter. “Rewind the song, Mitz,” she said to the room at large. “I want to hear it again.”
“I love this song!” cried Ryn, artistically arranging CiCi’s picture frames on her new side of the shelf. “Be color blind, don’t be so shallow!” she sang, casting a meant-to-be-seen glare at Tasha.
“Oh right,” Tasha snorted. “Like you’ve ever been a victim of racism.”
“Um, hello? I’m Asian. I’m Japanese and Korean mix. How many of my grandparents and great-aunts and uncles do you think were rounded up during World War II and put into Japanese Internment Camps? Or why don’t we call them what they really were—the American version of concentration camps? Ever hear of ethnic cleansing?”
Whoa. Go, Ryn! I mean, I thought I was having my little say-so with the En Vogue song, but really, she takes the cake!
Tasha blinked, then refocused her target onto Rae, who happened to be walking past her into the bathroom to put CiCi’s toiletries into the medicine cabinet.
“Don’t look at me, Tasha. I’m Irish and Native American. The colonists persecuted my people, too. Ever hear of the Trail of Tears? Or smallpox? Or involuntary sterilization? What about Mcs? Or garbage collectors?” Tasha stared blankly at her. “Perhaps not. But I suggest you check out Dances with Wolves or maybe even Gangs of New York the next time you’re browsing Netflix. It ought to give you some vague inkling of the sorts of the things that were going on back then, even if those movies are majorly Hollywood-ized.”
Oh, my Lord! I can’t believe Rae said that! I would so never have the guts to say that!
The song ended. Maliha, Kate, Jamaal, and Derek all shouted, “Rewind it!”
So I did. And Tasha stared at us all as we faced her head-on.
“Tash,” said Tanya, so quietly that she could barely be heard over the music, “maybe we should go.”
“Yeah. Maybe we should.”
While everyone else was busy getting CiCi situated, I snuck out the door and went down the hall to what was now Tasha and Tanya’s room. I twisted my hands in my sweater nervously, feeling the rough cable-knit pattern, and then wiped the dust off of where it showed against the winter-white threads. After smoothing the sweater back down, I raised my hand, knocked, and held my breath, wondering what my odds were that Tasha wouldn’t even open the door. I had to resist stepping back in surprise when she did.
“Here to have the last word?” she asked acidly.
I shook my head. “No. I wanted you to have this.” I pulled a printed copy of my extra-credit paper on diversity out of my back pocket and handed it to her. I twisted my hands back in my sweater and watched her silently as she read. She looked up when she finished, and for once her eyes were soft. “It’s not much,” I said lamely, “but I wanted you to know that I really am trying to get it, and that I’m sorry you and I couldn’t work out some of our other, um…” I searched for the right word.
“Differences?” Tasha supplied.
“Right.”
Tasha paused thoughtfully. “Do you know why they had us rooming together?” she asked.
“No,” I said, surprised. “I figured it was some kind of random algorithm.”
“We’re both here on academic scholarship.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I said nothing. Tasha’s expression looked like she was struggling to find the right words.
“It was hard for me,” she finally said, “to find out that the person I was living with didn’t need the money. I never could have gone to college if it wasn’t for the scholarship. I used it as an excuse to hate you, and everything that happened after that…” She shrugged.
“Added fuel to the fire,” I said, nodding. I blew a large breath of air out, shrugged my own shoulders, and stuck my hands in my pockets. “I guess… well, I guess I’ll see you around.”
Tasha nodded, and I turned to walk away. I had only gone a few steps when I heard Tasha call out my name. I turned back to face her.
“That color looks good on you,” she said softly.
I smiled genuinely, reading her intent behind the statement. “Thank you.”
Living with CiCi was great. I mean, of course it took a bit of getting used to living with another person inside my box again, but overall, it wasn’t bad. We actually started becoming sort of friends after I invited her to take part in Thursday-night
movie night with us. I wanted to show her that I thought there was more to being roommates than just occupying the same space and sometimes asking to borrow the other’s eyeshadow or shoes for a date. She even offered to pick the movie for the next time we got together. Although I do have to admit that it was an added bonus that she went home every weekend to visit her granny. It meant I could have the room to myself, and, knowing her pet peeve on the list, I always made sure the room was spotless when she got back.
It was Friday and we had both just finished killer tests. I went with CiCi down to the lobby to chat with her while she waited for her mom to come pick her up.
“So how is everything at home? Do you like being able to go back every week?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s cool spending time with Granny, and I’m glad that I do because, I mean, I know she’s not going to be around for too much longer.”
“Oh, CiCi! You never told me that!”
“Well, it’s not something I really talk about. But I mean, that’s why I go home every weekend. She’s a really fly sister, my granny. I hope I’m as with it as she is when I get to be her age. But still, she’s getting old, and so I want to take advantage of the time we have left, you know?” I just stared at her. “Is that an awful thing to say, or what?”
“No. I think it’s great, CiCi. I wish I could have spent more time with my grandpapa before he died. And Grandmamma Jameson, too. She was a classy old dame. I think she would have liked your granny a lot. And I think that once she does decide to take that final trip, you’ll be glad of all the memories you’ve got.”
CiCi nodded, and actually hugged me. “Thanks, Mitzy.”
“Of course!” I hugged her back and, a few minutes later, waved as she drove away with her mom.
Honestly, why couldn’t CiCi have been my roommate from the start?
And it was true. Having CiCi around during the week was great, but having the room guaranteed to myself every weekend was also a perk that I hadn’t realized I would come to depend on and look forward to each week. It wasn’t that I didn’t like CiCi—it was that I really liked spending time alone with Jamaal.