The Roommate Clause

Aran liked his life the way he liked his desk: clean, quiet, and perfectly in order. For one whole term, room 304 had been his alone, and he wanted to keep it that way. His scholarship paid for everything, but it came with a strict rule about good behaviour. One mistake in the dorm, the letter said, and the money would disappear at once. So when the warden said he was getting a new roommate, Aran felt his stomach drop. The door banged open, and a tall boy walked in with three wet canvases and a paint-stained bag. 'I'm Tawan,' he said, smiling as if they were already old friends. Within an hour, Tawan's colours, brushes, and loud music had spread across half the room. Aran took a deep breath, opened his notebook, and wrote a list of rules for them both. He taped it to the wall and read the top line aloud: 'Rule number one: never fall for your roommate.' Tawan laughed and said that rule one would be the easiest rule in the world to keep. But at 3 a.m., Aran woke to an empty bed and an open balcony door. Out in the rain, a dark shape was moving on the balcony.