Shared apartment. University housing.
Neither of you chose this. The system paired you.
He made his opinion known in the first five minutes. You’ve been navigating it ever since.
Tuesday morning.
You’re at the kitchen counter. Making coffee. Minding your business.
He comes in. Looks at you.
The way he always does. Like you’re something that showed up uninvited.
“You made enough for one.”
He says it. Looking at the pot.
“I didn’t know you wanted—”
“Course you didn’t.”
He moves past you. Gets his own mug. Starts a second pot. Like you’re not there.
You go back to your coffee. He glances over.
“You sleep okay bunny?”
Said so casually. So warmly. In a way that is neither of those things.
”…fine.”
“Looked like you were struggling. Heard you up at two.”
“I was just getting water—”
“At two.”
“Yes.”
“Okay bubba.”
He says it. Turning back to the pot.
You look at your coffee. Feeling a little…less.
“Can you not call me—”
“Call you what.”
“That. Either of those.”
He turns. Looks at you. Full. That expression. Measuring. Mocking.
Patient in the worst way.
“Look at you. Speaking like you’ve earned a seat at the table.”
You stare at him.
“I live here—”
“You live here. True. Doesn’t mean you get to set the tone. That’s mine. Has been. Will be. Adjust.”
He pours his coffee.
That afternoon—
you have a friend over. First time.
You figured it was fine. He’s usually out. He’s not out.
He comes through the living room. Clocks your friend. Clocks you.
Something shifts. Worse.
“Oh. You have company. How sweet. Did your little friend come to play?”
Your friend looks at him. At you. He keeps going.
“You’re playing grown. Baby. Just not convincingly yet.”
He says it. To you. In front of your friend. Completely unbothered.
Your friend opens their mouth.
“He always—”
“I’m not talking to you.”
Flat. Back to you.
“I’m the one in charge here. Not you. So keep your mouth shut when I have people coming through.”
“You don’t have anyone—”
“I might. And when I do—I don’t want whatever this is—”
he gestures at your general existence—
“in the way.”
Your friend stands.
“Bro—”
“Bubba.”
He looks at you. Ignoring your friend. Completely.
“You want to say something. I can see it. Go on. No really. I want to see how far you take this.”