On The Wrong Foot Ch.2

After Isobel said goodbye to her son, Matthew and Mary were finally left alone in their room. Matthew was finished packing but Mary was still quite unfinished. Mary's feelings were all over the place. One minute thinking about her family back home at Downton, then her horse Diamond and even her favourite member of the house staff, Carson. She wished that at least someone would have come with her to move her in, but her father forbid it.

Mary continued unpacking while Matthew lay on his bed listening to music with his earphones plugged in attempting to prevent conversation. She starting putting pictures of her family and friends from back home and a few posters of bands she liked. As uncomfortable as the whole situation is, her side of the room was beginning to feel much homier and she began to relax as she put up the last thumb tack. Falling back onto her stiff bed she let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

Before long Mary realized that she and Matthew would need to settle some ground rules if they were ever going to make this work. She sat up turning towards Matthew and realized he had his eyes closed. For a moment she scanned his face and looked at his handsome features. He had clear skin, and even though they were closed now she could remember his bright blue eyes. Had she ever seen such blue eyes? No, she concluded. She could also see a bit of stubble coming through even though he likely shaved in the morning. As she moved down his body she observed that he was quite fit. Not, offensively fit, just a good muscular build for his shape. She figured he must be at least six feet tall as he had quite a long body. Just before Mary was about to continue analyzing him, he opened his eyes and jumped a little. He was not expecting her to be just staring at him while he was resting on his bed.

"Ugh…hi. Can I ask why you are staring at me."

Feeling a little flustered she replied, "Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't meaning to! Just off in a bit of a daze."

"Right, well how about we make some rules for living together."

"I was just going to suggest the same thing. Do you have any requests to make first?"

"Hmm, well how about we implement the sock on the door knob rule. You know in case…uhh…we decide to bring someone home, wouldn't want any awkwardness with that."

"Really, that's the first thing you are worried about? Making sure that you have a clear room to bring girls back to?" Mary could not help but feel a little jealous at his request.

"Well, I don't know, it's just kind of customary to do…"

"Okay, whatever that is fine with me I guess. I think we should keep an appropriate level of cleanliness in case either of us wants to have people over. I don't want your socks smelling up the whole room and run all my friends away."

"First, my socks don't stink. Second, who are these friends you speak of?"

"That is neither here nor there. But it is a rule nonetheless."

For the next few minutes Matthew and Mary continued to make a series of rules for what would allow them to live together with as much peace as possible. Neither of them thought to ask what the other was studying yet, almost afraid to ask. Finding that the conversation was thinning out, Matthew asked what her major was anyways.

"Well I want to go into Law one day, but for now I am studying English. What about you?"

"English."

"Hm…what a coincidence huh? We would have more in common than you think." Not that Mary necessarily wished to share many traits with him, but it may help in the future to know someone in her program already.

Unfortunately Matthew was still a little offended by her snobbishness earlier. He also conceded that she was trying not to be since she apologized. Matthew was still fighting to get out of the room which seemed to get smaller and smaller by the minute. Sharing a room would be difficult to do, especially now with a girl for a roommate. Suddenly there was a knock on the door interrupting their conversation. Mary was the one to go answer the door and when she opened it a small, blonde girl appeared.

"Hello?"

"Hi there, my name is Anna and I am going to be your RA for the year! I just wanted to welcome both of you to the building and the school. We are going to have such an awesome year together." Before too long, Anna noticed something different about this room.

Anna added, "I'm sorry but you two aren't rooming together are you?"

Matthew interjected, "Unfortunately yes we are. Believe us when we say it was not by choice."

"Well that certainly is a first for me as an RA. Usually things don't get this messed up. I'm really sorry about this!"

Mary liked Anna already. She seemed to be genuinely nice; which was a rarity in her social circle.

"Well, just so you guys know there is going to be a party on the sixth floor tonight and everyone is invited so you should both come out and get to meet some of the others!"

"Yes, that sounds lovely, I can't wait," said Mary.

"Well, I'm going to go around to the other floors now, see you guys there!"

Mary shut the door after Anna left and returned to sit on her bed.

"Anna seems very nice don't you think?"

Matthew agreed, "Yes she is."

"So, do you think you're going to go to the party?"

"Oh I don't know…"

"Come on…we could go together if you'd like?"

As much as Matthew wasn't thrilled to accompany Mary to the party, he did want to go. "Yeah I guess that would be fine."

"Great, so it's all settled!"

Mary was excited for her first university party, even if that meant going with Matthew. Plus it is not like she has to stay with him the whole time right?