Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Drawing a line
Milo
People often say that when fear takes over, the first instinct is to run or fight.
But many forget what some animals actually do: they freeze.
Like a young deer facing a predator.
That was exactly how I felt.
He didn't look shocked by any of this, at the very least. Should he not have been mad that I was his roommate?
"Looks like your genius brain stopped working," he joked. "I thought you'd be happy to see a familiar face," he said, stretching out across the bed. He was so tall that his feet hung off the edge of the mattress.
“Hey, hey! Where are you going?" he shouted after me.
I kept walking, searching for the administration office.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Peterson, but that is the only available room.”
"But... how? There has to be another possibility.”
“Look,” the man interrupted, staring at me with open condescension. “Nobody likes their roommate at first. Then they usually end up becoming best friends.”
"Trust me, sir, in my case... that is definitely not going to happen."
"I can't accommodate everyone's personal needs. If you want to study here and continue to enjoy your generous scholarship, I suggest you return to your room with gratitude.”
I sat down on a nearby bench and buried my face in my hands, trying to figure out what to do.
My counselor and Dolores were right. I had to take advantage of it. In a few months, I could request a room transfer. Maybe I could even get a job and rent my own place, even if it meant working myself to death.
Yes. That's what I was going to do.
Besides, who was Blake here? Just another dumb athlete. He'd probably party every night and barely be in the room.
When I finally returned to the dorm, he was still there, as if nothing had happened.
"Well, look who came back..." Apparently, he had just gotten out of the shower, as only a towel hung dangerously low on his hips.
I could almost see the trail of hair disappearing beneath it.
I think I'm going insane.
"Do you have a problem with me, pretty boy?"
"Milo. My name is Milo,” I repeated, while unpacking my things.
"Yeah, I know your name," he said in a low, smooth voice, almost like a purr.
“And I don’t have a problem with you. You’re the one who has a problem with me.”
"Oh, really?" he asked.
"Yes, you hit me and treated me like trash for years. And now what? You want us to be friends?"
"I don't want to be your friend," he growled.
"Thank God, neither do I" I snapped. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm, spun me around, and pulled me close.
"You're going to realize very soon that I make the rules here. And you’d better follow them.”
“What?”
“You think high school was bad?” His voice dropped lower. "This place is worse. They’ll tear you apart alive, and I...” He paused. "I'm going to protect you."
Part of me was distracted by his face. His straight nose. Those dark, sad eyes. The strangely weird expression that occasionally flickered across them.
"Fuck you!" I said before I could stop myself.
"What did you say?"
"Stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine." That’s how this is going to work. Maybe Wolf Valley was your little kingdom, but this isn’t.”
"Are you even listening?"
But I was already moving. I grabbed one of my markers and drew a line across the floor.
“What the hell are you doing?” I saw his bare feet step toward me. "Don't do this stupid shit!"
He tried to stop me, but the towel suddenly slipped loose and dropped straight to the floor, pooling around his feet.
Don't look up, Milo, I repeated to myself. I swallowed hard and saw him go completely still.
“Are you scared of me?” Blake asked quietly. I snatched the towel off the ground and threw it at him. By the time I looked up again, he was already covered.
"You ruined my life, but you're not going to keep doing it. I won’t let you.”
Blake stared at me in shock, his lips slightly parted. Sitting there, clutching the towel against his body, he looked like a work of art. He watched me as if I’d lost my mind. I grabbed my backpack and headed for the door.
"You're not leaving," he growled, grabbing my shirt.
I turned on him. Maybe I had finally reached my limit. Or maybe I simply had too much hope, too much to lose.
"Don't touch me."
"I..." he started through clenched teeth.
"Don't fucking touch me! Don’t put your disgusting hands on me!" I shouted.
When I looked around, I saw that several students had come out of their rooms because of the noise. Blake’s eyes darkened as he stared at me in stunned silence.
Finally, he released my shirt, and I ran down the stairs.
My heart slammed against my ribs violently. I pulled out my phone and called Dolores. A few minutes later, she appeared outside the building.
“Milo! Milo!” She wrapped me in a tight hug. She looked completely horrified when I told her the news.
"Blake? You're kidding. The same Blake? The one who threw your books in the trash?" The one who stole your lunch? The one who beat you up during practice?”
“The very same,
“And what did he do now?" she demanded as she marched toward the stairs.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to talk to him. Actually, no, I’m going to punch him! That asshole!"
“Dolores, wait!”
I felt grateful that she wanted to defend me, but I had no idea what Blake was capable of and preferred not to find out.
"He actually seems amused by this whole coincidence. But he hasn’t attacked me.”
"He better not," she snapped. "Why don't you stay with me tonight?”
"They won't let me stay overnight. I already read the rules,” I sighed.
"Just come with me for now, okay? You can go back later.”
Dolores’s roommate, Emma, was sweet and fun, and I managed to forget my problems for a little while. But when I returned to the dorm building, I realized with horror that Blake wasn’t alone.
Big B and several other idiots were there, too. As if that weren't bad enough, I heard Blake barking orders like a military commander.
“Find him! Bring him here! I want him back before midnight!" he growled.
I ran across campus without knowing where I was going. A panic attack gripped my chest, and I eventually collapsed beside one of the gardens, trying desperately to steady my breathing.
Then I heard howls.
You've got to be kidding me!
Were there wolves here, too? Because apparently, my life wasn't terrible enough already.
This was supposed to be my new life!
My fresh start.
It was a warm night, and little by little, exhaustion began to pull me under.
I found a bench, curled up, and eventually the exhaustion won.
Someone grabbed me, lifted me off the ground, and smothered my scream before it could leave my lips.
