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Entering the apartment, echoes of laughter and muffled noises greeted me-a sign that Maddox had company over.

Expecting to find him in the living room, I was surprised to see him not there.

Dismissing it, I headed to my room. I was lying on the bed, gazing at the ceiling when a notification lit up my phone, Kalea's post with Maddox caught my eye-her smile, his disinterest, and his half-naked presence in a bed.

The laughter in the next room echoed through the walls as I stared at my phone in disbelief

What the...!

An unsettling feeling crept in, recalling today's events.

His morning demeanor towards her contradicted her current presence in his bed.

Her laughter grated on my nerves, prompting questions about her intentions while also making me want to scream.

It wasn't about him; I barely knew him. It was about her, her deliberate intrusion into my life, displacing me from our dorm, only to create discomfort in my new living situation.

I couldn't seem to escape her.

If this continued, finding a new place to live seemed inevitable.

The door to his room opened, revealing him passing by, closing his door behind him.

Minutes later, he returned, His eyes caught mine as he tilted his head back to take a sip of the water that was most likely his excuse for leaving the room.

When he was done, he walked into my room, closing it and headed over to the chairs in the corner of the room.

He sat there and for a minute, neither of us uttered a word. I didn't mind, knowing he was a man of few words.

It seemed like few words were his Forte.

"Shakespeare once said... 'a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'" He started. "But i say... authenticity remains exclusive to those who embody the genuine laughter.."

"I'm surprised by your Shakespeare knowledge," I quipped, a hint of laughter in my voice. "Who knew you knew shakespeare?" i joke, tilting my head back in laughter.

He rolled his eyes, responding, "I did."

He gets up to leave but i stop him by saying, "thank you."

"For what?" he inquires.

"Thank you for reminding me about the importance of authenticity," I replied, my tone carrying a touch of earnestness. "In a world full of facades, it's rare and valuable to find someone who is always their truest selves."

He acknowledged with a subtle nod, his demeanor still a mix of calm and enigma. "Just speaking my mind," he shrugged, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

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A few days had passed and while i was still mad about the whole kalea and maddox situationship, i was also coming to terms with living with him and being around him everyday.

It was calm and i didn't have to worry about not being myself around him. It was as if we had a mutual appreciation for each other and all our quirks and flaws.

Today i was on a little adventure while I was walking to my friends place to spend time with them today.

The recent days had been a whirlwind of classes, work, and constant studying. Completing one task left me with barely enough time to tackle the next one.

The route to classes i had taken every morning was a short one but it was about the only time i got some time to myself, to enjoy nature and the things i passed along the way.

Every day, I passed by a curate little coffee shop that had piqued my curiosity. The appeal of trying out its offerings tugged at me, but my hectic schedule always stood in the way of taking that detour.

I planned to stop by today but then my friends asked to meet up and I decided against it, my little adventure postponed.

I would have to save it for another day.

Along my fifteen-minute walk, my attention was drawn to a couple of other stores, each holding the potential of another days' adventure.

Despite the rush of my schedule, the idea of that untouched coffee shop lingered in my thoughts. The prospect of stealing away a few precious minutes to step inside and savor a cup of coffee amid its inviting ambiance seemed increasingly tempting. It was a small yet significant break from the relentless pace of daily life, an opportunity to indulge in a quiet moment of respite. The thought of breaking away from the usual routine for a brief coffee escapade created a sense of anticipation, promising a refreshing pause in the midst of life's demands.

i had a meeting with my friends since it was a saturday, our usual meetup day that I was originally planning on not attending but decided against it after I got texts from lochlan asking if I was coming over today.

It was Saturday, our regular meetup day, I initially contemplated skipping.

However, after receiving texts from one of the, asking me if i was going to show up today, I changed my mind and decided to join them anyway.

My friend group consisted of, me, Knox, Drake, Lochlan, Adele, and Kalea.

I was dreading the thought of Kalea showing up today but i knew she probably would. Knox assured me that they hadn't invited her, but if i knew adele at all... she would have 'maybe mentioned' it; as she would word it.

Although adele was a little worrisome about the whole situation, i was always partial to being her friend. I mean she was cool in all, but she bought way too much into Kalea's nonsense and well, i guess you could say i did but that was not-so true.

I didn't fully engage in it; rather, I often tuned out when Kalea delved into lengthy discussions with no clear conclusion.

As for the rest of them, there was Drake, Lochlan and Knox. they had a little friend group themselves I guess you could say since they were roomates. While i told you about Knox, i never told you about Drake or Lochlan.

Drake and Lochlan were characters in their own right. Drake, an exuberant cheerleader, could either brighten your day with his enthusiasm or sometimes appear reserved, especially around unfamiliar faces, which seemed to throw him off balance.

Drake's personality was a blend of enthusiasm and occasional shyness. While he could exude cheerleader-like energy and bring joy, in certain situations, he seemed like an unexpected surprise-sometimes shining brightly and being care-free, other times reserved and unsure, mostly around unfamiliar faces.

Lochlan appeared as the charming, affluent golden boy, but appearances were deceiving. Despite his occasional pretentiousness and expensive attire, his true nature contradicted these assumptions. He was predominantly the quiet type, often listening rather than speaking, capable of enduring Kalea's extensive rants without offering a single word.

Their remarkably close relationship often led to my assumptions about a deeper connection between them, but recent occurrences made me reconsider that notion.

Despite feeling compelled somehow to talk about the situation, I hesitated, uncertain about how he'd respond. My lack of familiarity with him made me cautious about bringing up the topic, since I couldn't quite in
Predict his reaction.

If they were indeed in an exclusive relationship, it seemed improbable that Lochlan would tolerate any mistreatment, nor would everyone else miss the photos see posted the other day with Maddox.

But considering Kalea's history, assuming they were exclusive appeared highly doubtful.

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Entering the boys' apartment, I scanned the area, confused by the absence of everyone.

Despite checking my phone for messages, there was nothing. I ventured into Lochlan's and Drake's rooms, only to find them both empty.

Surprisingly, Knox was in his room, seemingly asleep.

"Hey!" I called out to him, attempting to grab his attention.

Receiving no response, I assumed he was fast asleep.

Approaching him, I confirmed he was indeed in a deep sleep.

All of a sudden th bedroom door slammed shut and that made knox jump up, startled.

The sudden slam of the bedroom door startled Knox, causing him to jolt awake. Initially dazed from sleep, he glanced towards the door, then scanned the room until he spotted me.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked in a groggy voice, still recovering from his sleep.

"Forget about that! What just happened?" I inquired, gesturing toward the door.

Shrugging, Knox responded, "I don't know, maybe someone's messing with us," suggesting a possible prank

He got up and attempted to open the door but encountered an unexpected obstacle preventing it from budging.

As the situation unfolded, I couldn't shake the suspicion that Kalea might be the culprit.

I would bet my lucky left rabbit's foot keychain that Kalea was behind this.

I roll my eyes at the thought.

Hadn't she already done enough? I think to myself as i watched knox try his hardest to open the door but to no avail.

"What are we supposed to do now?" he asks out loud, most likely in a rhetorical form.

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