ROOMIES

Chapter 1 - Sibella Hallward

Arms laden with packages, trophies from today's shopping adventure, Sibella waltz through her house to her large bedroom where she saw a letter waiting for her.

After dropping her bags and boxes of clothes, hats, and shoes on the bed, the blonde's attention was on the envelope, bearing the seal of the school she was attending in the fall. New Hurst University in Highhurst. It was a little city, almost a town, in New York, not much but a train ride into where she perceived the fashion capital to be. Of course, where she would really love to go would be France, but that wasn't an option for undergrad unless it was a semester of study abroad. (In her junior year, perhaps.)

Sibella sat at her vanity, adjusted her hair, put her sun hat on the hat stand, and took the letter before sitting herself back in front of the mirror. She tore open the letter and read as quickly as she could without missing a detail.

To Sibella Hallward:

Thank you for contacting the New Hurst Housing. Due to the number of incoming students this year, we were unable to accommodate your request for a single room. Your request for a room in the North Hall Dorm was accepted. Please see the attached file for your roommate's selected contact information. We hope you have an excellent year. Let us know if we may help you in the future.

New Hurst Housing

Sibella didn't even want to look at the attached file. She was so hoping for that single room. She didn't want anyone to live with. She had had enough of her overbearing parents, what if this new roommate decided to smother her and try to control her life? The thought made Sibella so angry.

Finally, she took the additional paper from behind the first and looked.

Phoebe D'ysquith.

Oh god. She was related to the owners of New Hurst. D'ysquith was not a common name after all. She was probably some stuck up brat who got in because of her family connection.

The young woman cleared off a space on the bed to fall back on.

Please contact at: pedysquith contactor . com.

Sibella wasn't really interested in sending an email, she didn't use the internet for much besides social media and online shopping, but she relented and sat at her laptop (a Macbook Air) and opened her email.

Ignoring the 243 unopened advertisements, Sibella composed a new email and began typing.

Hello!

Then she thought it sounded too enthusiastic. (And fake.)

Hi Phoebe.

This is your new roommate, Sibella. I'm going to be a freshman this year.

This was going swell. Sibella realized she was much better at conversation than typing conversation. Especially since she couldn't tell how this Phoebe person would react.

We're going to be in North Hall together. Have you gotten a letter about your roommate yet? I don't know which email I selected, so this one is fine.

Come on Sibella, she thought to herself. Come up with something worth talking about!

I was hoping we could sort out what to bring to New Hurst.

That works.

I'm from Crest Island, Ohio (where I hate it), but I'm driving my car to campus, so I can bring a reasonable sized appliance. I hope your summer has been well.

Email me back when it's convenient.

Sincerely,

Sibella Hallward, your new roommate.

The young woman groaned at the choppy way her email was structured but hit Send anyways.

After all this time, Sibella just wanted some independence. How was sharing a sardine can of a room going to help her cause? Her mother, bless her, was always trying to force her to settle down. Sibella didn't need a career, her mother thought. Sibella simply needed to find a good (financially stable) husband and have lovely children.

Sibella was an only child, so her parents mercilessly doted on her. But that also meant they were a bit more controlling.

Even with her father away on business often, her mother had the smothering for both parents.

It wasn't even four yet, but neither of her parents were going to be home tonight. So she phoned a dear friend to eat dinner with her at her favorite, affordable restaurant. Her friend always wanted to pay for her meal, because he was a gentleman, but he didn't have much money to begin with. It wasn't a judgement. It was what they both knew.

Monty's mother had worked odd jobs all her life to make ends meet, and when Monty could, he worked in addition to school. He was a year older than her, but he had been unable to attend school at the suggested age due to finances.

Apparently, Monty's father had left his mother and himself not long after Monty was born. (The nerve.)

She pulled out her iPhone (because all her devices had to be Apple) and called Monty.

When he didn't pick up she texted him. Typically it took him a long time to reply since he used a number pad to type back.

Sibella: Are you up for dinner?
Monty: Mayfairs?
Sibella: meet me at 5?
Monty: ok. Xx

Sibella slipped her phone back into her dress pocket (which she thought more dresses ought to have, thank you very much) and went to her closet to choose the best dress appropriate for a night out with Monty.

"This will work," she said aloud as she picked a winning, wine red dress with a sweetheart neckline and a skirt that flared out only after the eye caught the trim waist.

"Monty will love it."