Raunchy Roommate

by Bethany Morgan

  "Roommates?" Mum repeated, a sense of shock evident in her tone. She screamed something to my father who was probably lounging on the couch viewing some reruns of his favorite television programs. "Honey, that's wonderful. It's good to be surrounded with people you knew before you became an actress. It keeps you grounded."

  Speaking of the devil, Stuart sauntered out of the bedroom with only his loose fitting sweatpants on and exposing his toned stomach. His large hands ruffled his dark hair as he yawned. When he noticed that he was on camera, he waved excitedly and plopped down on the bar stool next to me. "Oh hi Mrs. McKenzie! It's so nice to see you. Wow, Adam has gotten so big. I remember when he was just a little puppy."

  "He's still just as cute," My mother cooed, scratching beneath my dog's fluffy ears. I missed my dog more than anything and I desperately wanted to cuddle with him again. "I just saw your parents last night, Stuart. Your mum is quite proud of you."

  His cheeks altered into a shade of bright pink. It pissed me off. He had no reason to be blushing, or to be talking to my mother like nothing has changed in our lives. "Aw. That's really humbling. I hope everything is going well back in Australia."

  "It is!" She exclaimed, just when my dad entered the room, a pair of too-small magnifying glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

  "Hey Stu. Make sure you take care of my daughter, okay? And no funny business. Keep your hands to yourself." My father's attempt to intimidate Stuart failed miserably considering they have always been fond of messing with each other. It annoyed me how easily the two of them could talk to each other.

  Stuart just chuckled, sneaking a quick peek at me through the corner of his eyes and noticing my unamused expression.

  "I'll talk to you guys later," I mumbled through gritted teeth, and quickly shut the laptop before my parents could whine about how they barely had an opportunity to talk to Stuart.

  "Don't talk to my parents like that. They'll fall for your innocent façade," I hissed, letting the ball of my feet press into the tile floors as I eagerly squirmed away from my spot in the chair next to him.

  He shook his head at me in amusement. "Ann, you would act all nice if one of my parents called you. You wouldn't act like the little stuck-up bitch that you've become."

  "Excuse me?" I spat, a gasp escaping my mouth at how easily the words rolled off his tongue. "I am not stuck-up."

  He smiled smugly at me, which only irked me further. "You didn't deny that you are a bitch."

  "I'm only a bitch to you," I protested, crossing my cardigan covered arms across my chest. "And you deserve it."

  "You need to learn how to let things go," Stuart stated nonchalantly, whipping his phone out from his pocket and casually scrolling through the touch screen without a care in the world. He seemed so comfortable in our current situation, whereas I was dying for a loophole that would let me move out.

  The front door swung open without a single knock, revealing a very peppy Grace who had managed to slither into the kitchen with two smoothies in her hands. She squealed as her starry-eyes glimpsed over my new home and Stuart seemed genuinely confused on her presence. "Oh my God! It's so gorgeous. That view is just to die for. I would have no problem living here, Ann. Besides, Stuart is pretty cute."

  I scoffed, extending my freshly painted nails out to grip onto the condensation ridden plastic cup that held my typical strawberry-banana smoothie. My mouth instantly took a sip and the cool beverage sliding town the back of my throat lubricated the hoarseness that occurred from my screaming at Stuart. "Do not call that devil cute. Clayton is cute though, have you heard from him since the premiere?"

  "Yes, I was kind of hoping he would be here though. I'll have to outfit repeat so he can see my butt in these shorts," Grace giggled through her various sips of her own chunky smoothie from our favorite frozen yogurt place.

  "Girls are so weird," Stuart noted, as he groaned underneath his breath. "You two didn't even greet each other. And why didn't you get me a smoothie?"

  Grace's cheeks flushed with red as she made eye contact with the shirtless pain in the neck that was sitting behind the counter. "Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I can go out and get you one-"

  "No," I interrupted swiftly, placing my hand on her shoulder to prevent my best friend from rambling on to some unnecessary apology. "He can go get off his lazy butt and get one himself."

  Stuart rose from his chair while throwing a loose-fitting t-shirt over his neck and snatching his car keys off the hook by the door. "Maybe I will get one for myself. I'm going to the studio for a bit and then the guys and I are going out. I don't know when I'll be home."

  "Okay?" I retorted bitterly, unaware of why he decided to share his schedule with me. Stuart just shrugged before heading out the front door and speeding down the driveway, leaving Grace and I completely alone.

  My best friend let out a loud chuckle. "You're so mean to the poor kid. I'm sure he couldn't do anything that bad."

  I bit my lip to prevent myself from opening my big fat mouth and spilling out what exactly happened between Stuart and I. But the memories were both embarrassing and infuriating and I didn't want to disclose the information to anyone other than Stuart.

  "You have no idea, Grace," I muttered, finishing the last bit of the smoothie by sucking up the lingering fruit pieces at the bottom of the cup and making that horrid vacuum-like sound. "Can we go watch a movie and talk about my upcoming date with Benjamin?"

  Grace's brunette locks were sprawled out over the entire surface area of my lap. Her eyes were smothered by her lids and faint snores would occasionally wiggle out of her nostrils. She always has had a habit of falling asleep early and then having to re-watch the ending of the films later.

  On the other hand, midnight was rapidly approaching and I was wide awake. I wasn't even the least bit tired. Benjamin had texted me to confirm our plans for tomorrow a few hours ago, but apart from that, my night has been pretty relaxed. I feel so much more at ease when Stuart isn't home. He hasn't been home since this morning when he departed for the studio, and I was silently praying that he wouldn't be coming home so I could have the bedroom all to myself.

  As if on cue, my phone began vibrating against my denim shorts and I quickly shifted out from underneath Grace's head in an effort not to wake up the sleeping beauty. "Hello?" I whispered into it, without even bothering to check who was calling me at this hour.

  "Annnaaaa," A familiar Australian accent slurred. "It's Stuart, your best friend like ever."

  I growled at him. Of course he was completely smashed and drunk on a Tuesday night. This was the kind of crap I did not want to deal with. "Stuart, you're drunk. Hang up the phone and go find your band mates," I ordered, practically scolding him.

  "Anna! I can't find anyone! I need your help, babe. Bradley left with some chick and I don't know where Benjamin went and I think Ethan went home with another guy which I'm not too happy about but that is a different story," Stuart rambled, a giddy laugh traveling through the speaker. "Can you come pick me up? Pretty please? My mama always said to never drive when I've been drinking and I can't make her cry, Anna. Have you ever seen her cry? Oh my God, Anna, it's not a nice thing to see-"

  "Stuart!" I screamed, cutting off his bewildered and incoherent talks.

  I glanced over at Grace who was still completely knocked out on the couch. If I didn't go pick him up I knew he was going to hurt himself and I really couldn't have another scandal like that add another weight onto my shoulder. Management would kill me and they would claim their album sales would be ruined. I sighed heavily. "Stuart, where are you? I'll be there really soon. Just tell me the address and don't do anything stupid."

  He murmured the name of the bar to me, I was familiar with it since it was one of the few that was very lenient on serving alcohol to underage adolescents, and I hooked it up to my GPS. My fingers gripped tightly onto the leather wheel as I drove into the city, eager to get there as soon as possible before Stuart started wander off and make a complete fool of himse
lf.

  The bar wasn't too far of a drive and I sneaked inside without a problem, despite being dressed in apparel that was far from the general clubbing-outfit. The music was blaring against my eardrums and swarms of sweaty bodies were swaying along to the beat of the music. I quickly spotted the infamous shaggy brown hair of Stuart, who was perched on a sofa next to a girl clad in tight leather clothing who was peppering kisses down his jawline.

  I scrunched my nose up in disgust as I sauntered over towards them and yanked his body away from the girl. "Wait, Anna, no! I finally found Ethan, please let me stay," Stuart whined as he struggled to maintain his balance as I tugged on his tan arm.

  "No. I didn't drive all the way out here for nothing. You're coming home," I stated, pulling him even further away from the couch.

  Ethan pressed her lips against his before waving goodbye and dashing out onto the dance floor, seeming to not care at all by the dismissal of her previous make-out partner. I kept a firm grip on Stuart's wrist as I attempted to drag him out towards my car, but he was too wobbly to walk. I draped his arm across my shoulder to keep him stable and sprinted towards my car, buckling him into the passenger seat as if I was his babysitter.

  "Thanks for taking care of me, Anna. You're the best girl in the entire universe," Stuart cooed, leaning his head over the seat to nuzzle his head against my cheek.

  I couldn't help but crack up at the sight of him so disoriented and lovey-dovey. He was definitely an emotional drunk. "I can't wait to tell you what you're saying when you're sober," I mused, keeping my eyes on the road while sneaking glimpses at my roommate to make sure he wasn't trying to gnaw his way out of the car or anything.

  "Remember when you accidentally drank your sister's vodka instead of your cup of water at your grandma's birthday party and I had to stop you from dancing around like a maniac?" He reminisced, chuckling to himself and clapping his hands together as if this was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Man, those were the days, Anna."

  "Everything is different now," I tried to explain, which only made a shocked face take over his face and tears begin to form in the brim of his brown eyes. "You're literally a child."

  "But I'm your child, Annapoo," Stuart countered, flashing me a bright grin. He pinched my nose with his coarse fingertips, making me jump by the sudden touch. "Wait, no. I want to be the sugar daddy."

  Just when I thought Stuart couldn't get anymore annoying, I met drunk Stuart. But I easily preferred this bubbly side of his personality that reminded me of my old best friend more than the famous Stuart Robinson who had completely ruined our friendship.

  Chapter 6

  Stuart

  When my eyes fluttered open, I was greeted with a throbbing pain shooting down the length of my back. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light shining in from the vast window, and I stretched my arms out wide as an attempt to become more comfortable. It was only then did I realize I was on the couch, which explains my utter soreness. I don't have any recollection of anything at all from last night, but I'm assuming Annabel forced me to sleep out here after I made some rude remark or something.

  "Aw, sleeping beauty is awake!" A girly voice squealed. I rubbed against my eyelids with the back of my hands before opening wide, revealing Annabel's annoying friend from yesterday. She handed me a glass of water and an Ibuprofen tablet. "Here, I figured this will probably help the hangover."

  "Thanks," I mumbled, throwing my head back as I took a swig of the cold water. I can faintly remember going to the bar with Benjamin and Bradley, but I have no clue what happened after that. "What happened last night?"

  "You were really drunk, like completely hammered, it was hilarious! And you made Annabel come out there and pick you up and then you crashed on the sofa as soon as you got home," Grace explained, giggling softly to herself as she probably replayed the memories of me acting like a total fool in my drunken state.

  My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of Annabel having to babysit me. It probably only added to her dislike for me. "Oh, God. Where is she now?"

  "In the shower," Grace said happily, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She was cute but very annoying, and she did kind of remind me of Clayton in a peculiar way. "Listen, Stuart. I have no idea what happened between you two, but Ann doesn't go and pick people up very often. She rarely will even pick me up. So there is obviously some little part of her that still cares about you. Don't ruin that, okay?"

  I gulped at the sudden sense of intimidation in the vibe Grace was giving off. "Uh, okay."

  She nodded before skipping towards the front door and exiting, without even saying goodbye to her best friend. It was such a confusing relationship that they shared, but nothing was more confusing than the reaction I would be getting from Annabel soon. I probably babbled on about something embarrassing which will make her feel very awkward around me, or she will probably lecture me about my unsafe drinking habits. Despite how much the two of us have changed since our friendship ended, I still knew her well enough to predict these kind of things.

  Annabel entered the living room wearing one of those flowy orange sundresses with her wet haired tied up in a bun on the top of her head. She jumped slightly at the sight of me, and I couldn't deny the small smile forming on my face. "Oh. You're awake. How do you feel?"

  "Like I got hit by a bus," I responded honestly, scooting up against the cushions so I was sitting straight up. "Thanks for picking me up last night. I don't remember anything. What happened?"

  She sighed, taking a seat on the opposite sofa which put an uncomfortable distance between the two of us. "You could barely even walk so I had to get you before you tried to drive and killed someone. Then you kept calling me Anna and telling me how I'm your best friend and you were being extremely entertaining with how childish you act when you're drunk."

  "Oh God. I'm sorry, Ann," I quickly apologized, feeling heat rise to my cheeks as they flushed with pink.

  She pursed her lips tightly together, the hint of lingering amusement completely diminishing from her face. "That's not what you need to apologize for."

  I let out an irritated sigh. "That was years ago, Annabel! Don't you think it's a little too late now!"

  Annabel leaped off from the couch, flinging a pillow at my face with a harsh whip of her arm. "This is why we're never going to be friends again! You have no idea how much what you did affected me. You're still such a jerk with no concept of how to be a decent human being."

  I opened my mouth to argue back, but it wasn't even worth it. She was right. She was always right. I knew I should apologize to fix the bad blood between us, but I didn't even want to speak about what happened. I never found it as big of a deal as she did, and she would probably break down into tears.

  "I'm going to yogurt with Benjamin soon. You should invite your little girlfriend over. Or do something, I don't care. Just leave me alone and don't bother me," Annabel demanded, practically growling at me as she made a beeline to the bedroom to finish getting ready for her date.

  I figured she was making reference to Ethan, who was far from being my girlfriend. Whenever we were in the Los Angeles region Ethan would somehow find us and we'd end up making out. I guess she could be a considered a groupie since I had no interest in her whatsoever, but she didn't seem to care about me either. It was just a mutual thing.

  I got annoyed easily, and one thing I got annoyed with the most with how I was surrounded by all of these girls throwing themselves at me but I wasn't able to fall in love with any of them. They could be the most beautiful girls in the world that were chasing after me, but I never experienced any kind of fireworks or butterflies when they would be around me. I've never felt that crazy, head-spinning, kind of love before and that was honestly all I ever wanted.

  In the band, I was the only one of us during this entire adventure who had yet to ever have a serious relationship. They were all single now of course and claimed that being single and being able to hook-up with whoever they wanted was the best thing
in the world, but I don't think they ever realized how lucky they were to have someone who was their entire world.

  With a shrug, I unlocked my phone and sent a text to Ethan, basically demanding her to come over. I was lonely and she was the only one who would give me attention. Even my roommate was ditching me.

  Ethan had showed up about an hour after Annabel had left, slamming the door behind her, might I add, and she was dressed in athletic shorts and a dingy t-shirt, with her dark hair slicked back into a ponytail. Her face was free of any make-up, as opposed to her usual dark eye-shadow that surrounded her almost-black irises. "Sorry I took so long. I was at the gym."

  I winked at her in a cheeky manner. "But babe, you already are so fit."

  She simply rolled her eyes at me, reaching to the top of her ponytail and yanking the elastic out. Her chocolate brown locks fell down passed her shoulders. "Shush, Stuart. I like your new place. Is it true you're living with Annabel McKenzie?"

  "Yeah, we're like family friends but we hate each other. This is supposed to help us sort out our problems," I replied with a shrug, not really wanting to speak much about Annabel.

  "So I don't have to worry about sharing you then?" Ethan asked in a seductive manner, placing her hands on my waist. I shook my head, letting out a loud chuckle at the mere thought of that. "Good. But maybe I can help you relieve some of this stress. You seem pretty tense."

  She was being alluring and I already had a look of lust plastered over my face as I led her towards my new bedroom. I don't know why we even bothered to have conversations anymore, when we both were very aware of the fact of what the intention of her coming over here was.

  I shut the door behind us as soon as her lips connected against mine, moving in sync with my own as we both eagerly reached for the other's clothing to remove any extraneous layers between us. What was going to happen next was inevitable, so I wasn't surprised at all when Ethan had pushed me backwards onto the mattress, climbing onto my body and straddling my waist.