Chapter 5 Quite Girly

Xavier’s Point of View

I had a deep, unsettling feeling about this roommate of mine. I rarely get this restless or suspicious about people, but Alan Rowan?

There is just something about him that seemed off, but I just couldn’t figure it out, and this thick mystery that settled on him made me very curious.

One, he feels and smells very strange, mind you, almost feminine.

I recognize the scent of that shampoo anywhere; it’s the same one my nanny uses. What kind of boy would use a woman’s shampoo? And if you add that to the fact that he took his bath two hours before class, and dressed up in the bathroom as well.

It was strange, very strange.

He was relatively shorter than normal, with soft, feminine features, and a voice that doesn’t feel deep most times, but I have met boys like that before; maybe he is one of those boys. I walked back to my dorm as soon as class was over.

Alan went off first. He went to look for Noah; they seemed to have gotten close during the previous night—they stayed up the entire night chattering.

The dorm was empty when I got in, and then my eyes flickered towards the study table designated for each of us. I could see Alan’s backpack on his table, and my eyes narrowed.

“Alan?” I called out, but there was no response. I walked towards the bathroom, knocked, but there was no response.

I hesitantly opened the door, but the bathroom was empty.

“Great, there is no one in the room.”

I dropped my books on the table, staring hard at the backpack—it is wrong to touch his things, but then I am so curious.

I need to know the mystery behind him.

Tossing common sense out of the window, I grabbed the backpack and zipped it open, my eyes flickering towards the door to ensure no one was coming while I ransacked it. It was just books, pens, sticky notes, and many other things.

“Now, I feel like a fucking stalker—” I froze when my eyes met with a packet; lime green with bold headings, soft girl sanitary pad. I took it out to be sure that I wasn’t seeing things.

Just as I was about to open it, I heard footsteps. I quickly slipped the packet back in the bag before sprinting towards my bed, plopping on it. I shut my eyes tightly the moment the door opened. My heart pounded vigorously in my chest, not because I was almost caught, but because of what I had just found.

What the hell is a sanitary pad doing in a boy’s bag?

Wait… why am I even thinking about this? It could belong to his sister—that is a more logical conclusion.

The other unreasonable one would be that Alan was a girl.

“What do you mean he took your cafeteria pass?” I heard Noah’s voice, and I turned to the side, slamming my face into the pillow. “Imagine being bullied on your first day. We can go get it together if you want.”

“He seems scary. I don’t think we are a match for him.” Alan’s voice said gently. “Even Xavier tried to defend me earlier, but the stuck-up jerk isn’t someone who would yield.”

I remained silent, pretending to be asleep, until I finally drifted off into a real deep sleep.

I winced slightly when I suddenly heard footsteps, my eyes pried open, my head whipped towards the noise, and sleep cleared out of my eyes when I noticed it was Alan sneaking around again.

Curiously, I became still in my bed as I watched him intently. He grabbed his uniform again, and he entered the bathroom.

That was when I got out of bed, and before he could lock the door, I grabbed the knob and pushed it.

Alan’s eyes went wide with fear and surprise.

“X-Xavier…” He stumbled back in panic as I entered the bathroom and locked us in.

“Are you trying to get dressed in the bathroom again?” I asked, curiously pointing to the clothes in his hands, I have to get to the bottom of this.

I need to know if he is a boy or a girl.

“Two hours before class again?”

“I don’t think I can share the bath.” He confessed; his voice shook, and confidence waned.

“Even if you are shy, why not wait until morning? Why are you trying to get dressed in your school when it’s barely 5 in the morning, we have classes by eight, something isn’t adding up, care to explain?”

Silence settled on us, the air was thick with tension, and as I walked him towards the wall, every single little detail was a hint, his voice, his eyes, the way he speaks and acts—they were all girly.

And I am certain of what my answer was already.

“Are you hiding something from us, Alan?” I want him to confess it by himself, tell it to my face now that I have caught him.

“No, I am not.” He still lied. “There is no rule that says I can’t bathe earlier for my class.”

True.

I pulled back.

“Is there something you are accusing me of?” Now, he is trying to lure me to see if I suspect him.

It’s only wise to drop the issue; I wouldn’t want to draw attention to him or her.

“Sorry, I misunderstood.” I turned on my heels, walking back to the room. I don’t want to be wrapped up in some disaster. If she is here pretending to be a boy, then it must be for a good reason.

As long as no one gets hurt, it’s none of my business.

The only problem I would be having is the strange desires that seemed to stir whenever he is close to me. I felt a certain part of my body harden, growing very uncomfortable--it’s been so long since I have relieved myself, I might not have a choice but to do that.

It’s quite shameful that I was attracted to him while I thought he was a boy, but I felt slightly better that I know Alan is, in fact, a girl.