For what purpose they were assigned together, they did not know. Perhaps it was cruel fate that they became college roommates, and as they both knew all too well, fate did not ask for permission. Now, for Paulo and Sue, it was about keeping to themselves as much as possible. They didn't make eye contact, always avoided the room the other was in, and kept their doors closed.
Sue furrowed her brow as she worked on her homework. Why couldn't she have just been paired up with literally anyone else? Anyone in the whole universe! She vented these frustrations to Amaya, who as always, was a very good listener. The tabby smiled and nodded along to her friend's grievances, but could only offer a sympathetic pat on the back as a solution to her problem. In the present, Sue looked up bitterly from her homework. It was going to be a long school year.
Though she felt isolated, Sue was not alone in her feelings. Paulo, similarly, laid on his bed to stare up at the ceiling, trying to pretend anyone but her was in the room next to his. A whole year of her ire, scolding him every which way for every which thing. Of course, David was no help either. He went on and on about how he once said Sue was kinda cute and maybe he should just be nice to her and they could be friends. No, not only was this never going to happen, this wasn't even on the table for him. It was going to be a long school year.
And so it went like this, both silently agreeing to ignore the other. Whenever one was in the kitchen, the other resigned to go out for food or wait for them to be done. If one was on the TV, the other wouldn't bother to watch with them. There was no asking for help on homework. They wouldn't acknowledge the other when they passed by, or came home. Outside of all this, they kept to their rooms, making no noise and pretending the other didn't exist. Then fate intervened once more, and something happened that neither Sue nor Paulo could have ever saw coming.
Sue got herself a boyfriend.
He was a tall fellow, wore mostly darker clothes and on colder days, a leather jacket. He was a brown and gray cat named Oliver, and he was the last guy Paulo expected Sue to ever associate with, let alone date. He was gruff and scruffy, with an imposing demeanor. Yet, Sue must have seen something in him that she liked. It made somewhat sense, they'd both met in a local drama club outside of the college. Paulo found it amusing that anyone would be interested in dating her. For a brief time before the bitterness set in.
Paulo had come to find that college girls were a lot harder to impress than highschoolers. They'd grown wise to flirty guy's tricks, and would only give him laughs and eye rolls in return. The somali would return home, defeated, feeling his game slipping. It wasn't like he was trying to pull a fast one on them, he just liked the attention from girls. There was power in that for him, that he could make someone smile or blush. Now he was just a clown. It was made even worse now that Sue had a boyfriend. Nerdy, lame, know-it-all Susan could score a partner, and he couldn't even get a genuine smile. Perhaps he really was all washed up.
Paulo had work and school to focus on, though. He'd picked up as many Burger-Tron shifts as he could, since if he worked a certain number of hours the company would pay for his tuition. This naturally came with the caveat that he had to keep his grades above a certain level, lest his nearly free ride be pulled out from under him. Then he'd have to move out of his dorm and find somewhere new to live, but at least he'd never have to see Sue again. And for her, she'd be happy to say bye for the last time, and never think about the orange slacker ever again.
Life for them went on all the same, avoiding, dating, schooling, working, seeing old friends, making new ones. Life fell into a groove that everyone was satisfied with, even if there were a few hiccups. Fate was not done messing with those cats yet, however, and what would happen next would throw everything into a new direction, for better and for worse.
That Friday had been pretty chill for Paulo. The weather was gorgeous, he was off from work the whole weekend, and all that lay before him were a few worksheets and then he was finally free. Paulo rushed through them as fast as his pencil would write, barely going over his work as he just wanted to relax. He could go over them later, he figured, but he knew this was just a lie so he wouldn't feel so bad for getting it done so quickly.
Sue had come home earlier, accompanied by Oliver, but the somali paid them no mind. He had maybe said one thing to the tall jacketed cat the entire time Sue had brought him around. From the way she looked at him, she was most displeased with that, and so in an effort to keep the peace, Paulo never spoke to Oliver again. It wasn't his business anyway, something Sue was thankful he felt. The last thing she wanted was him butting into her relationships and making things awkward.
As Paulo finally got settled down to watch some skateboarding videos online, he thought he'd heard raised voices. He assumed it was his video, but he heard it again, and he paused it to listen around. Nothing. With a shrug, he went back to the skateboarding tricks video and got reimmersed, but once more he heard a great racket and pulled off his headphones. Silence again. Was this really some weird audio glitch in the video? Replaying the previous section again, he noted the sound he heard wasn't there.
Then he heard the thumping, but it wasn't dull sounding like someone trying to muffle it. It was loud, and coming through the wall that separated his and Sue's rooms. It was like someone was knocking and wanted to be let in through the wall. He grunted in frustration and took off his headset. Sue was going to get a piece of his mind. Having her boyfriend over was whatever, but there was no need to be making all that noise. And if they were doing… THAT… then they could at least have the decency to wait until he wasn't home to do it. Or better yet, go to his place and do it.
Without bothering to knock (in his mind, they were doing enough knocking for the both of them), Paulo burst open Sue's door. "Can you stop that-" He started to chastise them, but his anger came to a screeching halt at the sight of the scene before him.
Sue was pinned down to her bed by Oliver, who was hovering over top of her. He had his hand over her mouth, and both looked over in surprise at the intruder. There was something off about it all, and Paulo narrowed his eyes. "...What is going on here?"
"None of your business." Said Oliver angrily, scowl across his face. He did not move from his position over Sue, nor did he remove his hand from her mouth. "Just a bit of roleplay. Now leave us alone! Best take a long walk, we're gonna be here a while."
Paulo's eyes shifted from Oliver's piercing blue ones to Sue's. Tears were silently streaming down her cheeks, and she had the same fear in her eyes that he'd seen in Lucy's the night Alejandro had attacked them in the alley. Something was definitely not right. "Alright." Paulo said, stepping in. "I think you need to leave, pal."
Oliver got off of Sue and squared up to the somali. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I wasn't asking. You need to-" Paulo was cut off by a left hook to the face. His head spun and he stumbled back, falling over Sue's desk chair. Oliver wasn't done with him yet. He walked over and grabbed Paulo by the scruff of his neck.
"I think you're the one who needs to leave, PAL." Oliver spat in his face, lifting up Paulo and practically carrying him by the neck to the apartment door. Paulo was beginning to come back to his senses, and while the bigger cat was distracted, he took his opportunity to strike back.
With a swift punch to the gut, the brownish grey cat had the wind knocked out of him. Paulo was promptly released from his grasp as he doubled over and held his stomach. "You… you are so… fucking dead…" He wheezed.
"Maybe in a few decades." Paulo said, unlocking the door and opening it. "But that'll have nothing to do with you."
The somali grabbed the back of Oliver's jacket and pulled him through the door. He left the cat in the dorm hallway to curl up, clutching his stomach, and slammed the door behind him. The deadbolt and the chain lock were put in place, and Paulo took a moment to breathe and collect himself. After giving himself some time to get his thoughts together, he walked slowly to Sue's room. The door was still open, but this time he gave her door a little knock before stepping in.
"You alright?" He asked quietly. Sue was huddled up on her bed, hugging her legs to her body. Her tears hadn't dried up just yet, but she looked in his direction and gave a small nod. There was a banging at their dorm door accompanied by an unintelligible yell, and both jumped at the sudden sound. "Don't sweat it. He ain't gettin' back in." Paulo assured the burmese once they both came back from the scare. "I'll be in my room, then." Paulo pulled her door shut as he left and went back to his room where he resumed watching his skateboarding videos.
Sue was left to sit alone in her room with naught but her thoughts, fears, and a few stray tears. She had trusted Oliver… trusted him with her insecurities and her life, and he just… the girl closed her eyes and shook her head. Her plan had worked, though. Things had happened so fast, and once his hand was over her mouth, she was unable to call for help. Her last resort was to try and get the somali's attention by kicking the wall between their rooms. Thankfully he not only responded, but he was smart enough to read the room and take action. It was not lost on her that Paulo had every right to just shrug and walk away, but he put his foot in to do the right thing.
It had cost him, too. That left hook looked like it hurt like hell. After Oliver had pulled him from the floor and carried him out of sight, Sue feared the worst - that Paulo would be locked out, and she would be trapped once more. Fortunately for her, again, Paulo came through and overcame the odds. She was still in shock when he came back so she only gave him a small nod, but she was coming down from her terrifying ordeal now. Suffice it to say, but her and Oliver were through, and now she was in Paulo's debt. Even if he'd never ask for anything in return, she wanted to pay him back.
The incident from earlier went to the back of Paulo's mind, replaced in the forefront by endless skateboarding tips and tricks. It was mainly just meant as mindless entertainment to pass the day away. After another hour or two of this, he felt his stomach growling, and decided now was as good a time as any to take a break and get something to eat. Just as he was reaching his door, there was a soft knock. On the other side was revealed to be Sue, who had her hands behind her back, and was looking understandably somber.
"I, uh… I made some dinner if you were interested." She said quietly, almost embarrassed to be doing it. It had to be done, though. She owed him.
Paulo's stomach growled in response before he could say a word. "Hey, sounds good. I was actually just going to get something to eat."
Sue gave a small smile, and soon the two were sitting across from each other at their small dining table. It hadn't occurred to either of them until now, but it had sat totally unused the entire time they'd lived there. Sure, they put stuff on it from time to time, but neither had actually eaten on it, electing instead to sit in the privacy of their rooms. Sue had prepared a meager meal, just consisting of a burger, canned beans, and stovetop mac and cheese, but it was no less appreciated. Paulo could taste the burger was a little burnt, but he ate it with a smile.
After some silence, only broken by the clinking of forks and glasses, Sue spoke. "Thank you… for earlier…."
"Mmm?" Paulo looked up from his mac and cheese. There was a small string of cheese coming from his mouth to his fork. He quickly chewed and swallowed what he had in his mouth so he could respond. "It's no big deal. What the heck was going on anyway? What was his problem?"
Sue hugged herself and looked down at her plate. It was a general question, but a very personal answer. "I'd… rather not talk about it."
"Hey, that's fine." Paulo said, backing off immediately after seeing how uncomfortable she was getting. "As long as you're okay… you are okay, yeah?"
Sue looked at the somali and gave a weak smile. "I'll be okay. What about you?" She asked, wanting to move the conversation away from her problems. "How's your face?"
"Is it still there?" Paulo put a hand to where Oliver's fist made contact earlier. "I ain't ugly now, am I?"
Sue exhaled air out her nose in amusement. "Yeah, it's still there. Looks the same as it always has."
"Well that's a relief." Paulo smiled back at her. "Thanks for dinner."
"It was the least I could do." Sue said. "Really. If you hadn't been home, I don't…" The burmese shuddered. "I don't want to think about it."
"Don't sweat it." Paulo stood up and grabbed his plate. He walked down to Sue's end of the table and gestured to her plate, which she pushed toward him. "I guess it's safe to say he's not coming back around here anymore."
"Oh, no. We are done." She sighed, looking down at the now empty spot in front of her. "I don't think we were really connecting all that well anyway. That's even before, you know…"
"I know what that's like." Paulo grimaced as he cleaned the dishes, thinking back to all of his failed past relationships. They didn't all entirely end poorly. Him and Daisy dated for a bit before they decided they worked better as friends, and James had unfortunately moved onto another guy before Paulo could get the chance to ask him out. "I guess I've kinda sorta been in your position before."
Sue turned around in her chair to look at him. "You? Put on the backfoot when dating?" She found that hard to believe. Paulo was always the dominant one when it came to girls, always pursuing, flirting, kissing.
"Yeah, wild, right?" He said, drying off the plates. "Jessica and I, you remember Jess, right?" He looked behind him to the girl and saw her nod. "Well, we went out one night. That was back when I was like… gee, sophomore year… fifteen I think? Anyway, she takes me to this nightclub, and gets me a drink."
Sue's eyes went as wide as the plates they had eaten off of. This couldn't be going where she thought it was. "She didn't..!"
"Yup." Paulo nodded as he put the plates away. He turned back around and leaned back on the counter as he finished his story. "So we both get a little drunk, and she pulls me into this restroom and we… well, we had our fun. I guess. I didn't feel right about it afterwards."
Sue stood up in horror. "Paulo… you realize she..!"
"I know. And that was my first time, too." The somali said bitterly, thinking back to that night on the bathroom floor. "I 'spose it coulda been worse, though."
"That's how you're coping with it?!" Sue gawked. "You were younger than her! She bought you alcohol! Just so you'd be more willing to have sex with her!"
"All just to get back at Tess." Paulo recounted. "Yeah, when you spell it out like that, it does sound pretty bad."
"I had NO idea! Well, I knew something happened between you, but I didn't know it was that bad! Have you told anyone?" Sue demanded to know.
Paulo laughed a little and shook his head. "Look, today's not about me. You're the one who was being attacked. Just know I understand how you feel."
"You got attacked too…" Sue reminded him. "You didn't have to step in like you did, but you did, and I appreciate that. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I'm glad we can understand each other a little better now."
Paulo walked back over to the table. That was such a sappy Sue-like thing to say, but he wasn't going to ruin the moment by saying that. Maybe his younger, more immature self would have teased her for it, but the burmese had been through enough stress that day. Instead, he simply replied, "Me too, Sue."
They gave each other smiles to seal the moment. Paulo stretched and patted his stomach. "That was really good. Thank you for dinner. I'm gonna go back to my room, if you need anything, let me know."
"I will. And, thanks again." Sue said. Paulo gave her a wave and disappeared behind his door. Sue retired to her own room, where she laid on her bed, now with much more to think about.
The rapport between the two improved over the following weeks. They still kept mostly to themselves, but did at least acknowledge each other when they passed. The severe tension that permeated the apartment had lifted considerably, giving them both room to breathe. While it was regrettable that it took such a harrowing event to make things livable around the dorm, they were happier for it. Make no mistake, they weren't exactly friends, but they weren't seething about their roommate situation anymore, which was very welcomed.
However something would come along one Saturday night in their second semester that would change their dynamic once more. Paulo was out of the dorm, and Sue was in the middle of questing with her guild mates in Swordsvale. The dorm was quiet, aside from the soft whirr of Sue's laptop fan, and her typing away on her keyboard.
Yearrug: Looks good, guys. Let's head back to town, turn in these quests, and que for the Deep Dark Dungeon.
Everyone wholeheartedly agreed. Their armor was damaged and inventories full, so a quick stop in the nearby town to get back into shape and unload everything would be necessary before taking on anything else, let alone a dungeon. The party, consisting of Sue, Abbey, Mike, Stacy, and Amaya chatted amongst themselves as they made their way back. Sue smiled at her digital friend group. It had been a great escape from the awkwardness that the dorm had been before the Oliver incident. Now it had gone back to being a regular escape from everyday life. And even though she was sitting in the dark by herself, it was like she was surrounded by her friends as though they were playing in the room with her.
Just as Sue and the gang reached town, her phone lit up. She ignored it at first, opting to keep herself engrossed in the fantasy world of Swordsvale, but there came notification after notification. In her dark room, the bright screen was impossible to ignore. Finally, she went to go silence it when another notification flashed on top of the screen that read, 'Is this Paulo's current roommate?'.
Sue felt her stomach drop. She quickly went to the unread messages. There were several unintelligible texts, finally ending with the message that got her attention. After the Oliver incident, the two had agreed that it would be a good idea to have each other's number, just in case something happened and they needed to get in touch. It didn't necessarily have to be about Oliver, either, just for general emergencies. With haste, she replied, 'Yes, I am. Is Paulo ok?'
The minute that followed allowed her anxiety to grow over her. Sue tried to go back to the game, but was finding it hard to focus. Finally, a text back broke through it. 'Were at the omicron kappa frat party. Hes totally plastered can you come help him home?'
Sue let out some of the breath she didn't know she was holding. The Omicron Kappa house wasn't too far away, just a few minutes walk across the campus green. Without further delay, she responded, 'I'll be there soon.' She put her phone away and went back to Swordsvale.
Yearrug: Soz guys, I gotta go take care of something.
They tried protesting, citing they'd need her to tank the dungeon for them, but Sue was steadfast and turned them down.
Yearrug: u can find another tank. Prolly wont be back. Gg gl hf!
Sue didn't even bother finding an inn, opting to camp out right on the spot. She grabbed her phone and shoved it in her purse, and headed out the door.
It was a beautiful night on campus, and Sue was happy for the opportunity to experience it. A few wisps of clouds were painted across the sky, leaving plenty of room for the stars and moon to shine through. The night was cool, too - sixty degrees with a small breeze here and there. Some of her classmates were on a walk as well, looking up to the night sky, or listening to music. Sue heard the place she was headed to before she saw it.
Omicron Kappa was the largest fraternity on campus, run by some of the wealthiest students at the school. As such, they also held the biggest parties, which were open invite. Sue was never one for parties, much preferring the solitude of her room and a few good games to the loud, bombastic, alcohol fueled ragers that the frat held so often. Not that she wanted to be solitary forever, it had been a while since McCain moved away and she was beginning to pine for the company of another. That's what Oliver was meant to be until he had his episode.
What was more noticeable than the music and the flashing lights was the stench. Sweat and alcohol, a potent mix. Sue held her breath and tried to breathe as little as she could. As she navigated her way through the party looking for Paulo, she did her best to ignore the looks she was getting from some of the guys as she walked by. Not wanting to be there any longer than she had to be, she stopped one of the partygoers.
"Hey, have you seen my roommate?" She asked over the din. "His name is Paulo. He's a somali."
"Naww, never heard of him." Said the guy, leering at her and looking her up and down. "But you stick with me an' we'll find 'im."
"N-no thanks…" Sue declined politely as she could. "I'll just keep looking."
"Ayy, you talkin' 'bout that orange guy?" Another partygoer who had overheard her said. He wobbled over, clearly drunk himself. "Last I seen 'im, he was in the backyard, lampshade on his head whacking people with a pool noodle. Said he was tryna rescue some princess or queen or somethin'."
"Thanks!" Sue said quickly, and made her way all the way through the house to the back. There were even more partiers out there, and the girl groaned. "How the heck am I going to find him?"
"Hey, you Sue?" A dog asked, walking up beside her. Sue was a little startled by this, having known nobody in the fraternity, let alone this random dog. He seemed to sense her surprise because he followed up with. "No need to be so skittish. I'm the one who texted you to come get your roommate."
"How do you know it's me, though?" She asked, still concerned.
The dog smiled. "You're the only one here who isn't a total mess. C'mon, he's not too far off. Oh, and here's his phone." He said, offering it to her. Sue took it and put it away in her purse.
The dog led her across the yard. "Is he okay?" Sue asked, still anxious.
"Yeah, he's alright." The dog laughed. "But he's had way too much to drink. Completely sloshed. When he started using a pool noodle as a sword, we knew it was time for him to go. The university is already up our ass about these parties, the last thing we need is an excuse for them to shut us down. I feel like someone running around like a maniac would be as good a reason to pull the plug on us as any."
"Yeah…" Was all Sue could think to say, running through every worst case scenario. She was now just getting to stand being around him at the best of times, she couldn't imagine what he'd be like drunk.
"Well, there he is." The dog pointed out Paulo, who was stumbling around. Just as had been described, he was decked out with a lampshade and pool noodle. Sue smiled a little, despite the situation she had to admit it was pretty funny. "I'll leave ya to it. Good luck!" He said, walking off to go join the rest of the party.
Sue took a deep breath and walked over to the drunkard cat. "Hey, Paulo?"
Paulo's ears perked up at her voice and he spun around. He quickly lost balance and fell on his rear. "HHHHHHeeeeyyyy Ssshhhuue!"
"I've come to take you home." She stuck out a hand to help him up. "let's go."
A huge grin broke out on his face. "Yerrrr want meeee to come home with yyyaaaa?" He asked. "Nnnoww thash what I'm talkin' 'bout!" And without taking her hand, he jumped to his feet and nearly lost balance again but after much arm waving he remained upright. "lead theee wayyy!"
Sue took his arm and guided him back to the house. Paulo positively reeked of alcohol, it was like he had taken a shower in it. His weight shifted all around as he stumbled and wobbled across the grass and into the building. "We have to leave this stuff behind." The burmese said, confiscating his absconded items.
"Awee, do I hash too?" The somali said with a frown. He swayed on the spot, threatening to fall over again, but Sue held him steady.
"Yes, you have to." She replied kindly, setting the items aside. "Now let's get you home before you pass out. I can't carry you."
Paulo agreed, even in his drunken state. His body was starting to feel heavy. Sue led him out the party, past all the others who hadn't gone nearly as hard on the alcohol, and onto the campus green. To his credit, he followed well, and at a certain point he didn't need to be led by the arm. Drunk Paulo, so it seemed, listened better than sober Paulo.
"Yer sshhhooooo purtyy…" He said as they walked. Or stumbled, in his case. "Did ya knowsh that?"
"Yeah. I've been told that." Sue said, keeping her eye on him to make sure he didn't wander off.
"Do yer belief that?" Paulo asked, eyes half closed. "Caushe yer shaid theysh told ya that, but not if ya beliefsh it."
Sue grimaced a bit. This was just drunk Paulo speaking, she had to keep in mind. This might even be some ploy to get her to sleep with him. "I don't know. I guess?"
"Wellshya should." Paulo put an arm around her shoulder and leaned on her. "Oilivesh a shtupid dumbassh fer treatin' ya like he done. Caushe, yer purty shmart too."
The burmese wiggled herself free of his arm. "Nice try, Paulo, but it's not gonna work."
Paulo stopped, looking confused. "Huh? Whash ya mean?"
Sue stopped too and turned on the spot. "You're trying to get me to sleep with you. It isn't going to work. I'm not some easy fling you picked up at the party."
Hurt flashed across Paulo's face. "I jush wanted yer ter knowsh ya wash purty an' shmart." He mumbled, stumbling forward past her. "Shorry…"
He didn't look back as he walked, but his shoulders were hunched and his ears were down. Sue caught back up with him. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed… well, let's just get you home."
They were back at the dorm building soon enough. Paulo leaned on the wall of the elevator as they rode it up, nodding off. "We're almost there, Paulo. Just another minute and you'll be in bed." The somali nodded, but said nothing, too tired to speak. At their floor, Sue helped him to their dorm room, and then to his bed.
Paulo flopped on it, and Sue pulled the blanket over him. "Thanksh yoush…" Paulo mumbled as he fell asleep.
Sue couldn't help but smile at him. He looked like such a doofus, all sprawled out like he was. She shut the light off in his room and closed the door quietly. Her friends were probably getting ready to log off of Swordsvale, along with the rest of the server, save for those with poor sleeping habits. The burmese yawned. It was best she headed to bed too, tonight's little adventure drained her. After a quick wash up and change into pajamas, she slipped into bed herself and let sleep roll over her.
The morning brought clear skies, cool weather, and splitting headaches. At least, it did for Paulo. It hurt to open his eyes, to sit up, and he could barely stand. It felt as though someone had beat him upside the head with a steel girder. Doing his best to keep his footing, he slowly walked out his room to the kitchen, where Sue was already awake and making breakfast for herself. "Mornin'" Was just about all Paulo could get out through the pain.
"Good morning, Paulo." Sue said, being mindful to speak softly herself as to not exacerbate the massive hangover the somali was clearly dealing with. "Sleep well?"
Paulo sat in one of the chairs at the table and laid his head down. "I wish I was still asleep… what happened last night? How did I get home?"
'So he doesn't remember anything.' Sue thought to herself. Before Sue asked anymore questions, she slid a glass of water in front of him and dropped in two tablets. "Here, drink this."
"Whuzzis?" Paulo asked, weakly lifting his head to look at it.
"It's water. With some medicine in it." Sue said, taking a bite out of her toast. "I… thought you might wake up feeling something like this so I went out early and bought some medicine."
The somali looked from the glass to her with newfound respect. She'd gone out of her way, for him. "Wow… thanks." He took a cautious swig of the concoction and shuddered. His stomach was just as unhappy with him as his brain was.
"So you really don't remember anything from last night?" Sue asked, taking her seat at the other end of the table. Paulo shook his head, which was a terrible mistake because his headache flared up and he visibly winced. "Try taking it easy, Paulo. You were more drunk than I think I've ever seen anyone."
"You were there?" Paulo asked once his head stopped swimming. He also took another sip of water.
"I received a text from your phone last night from someone at the Omicron Kappa party asking me to come get you." She put simply. She didn't want him to feel any shame, adding insult to injury. Paulo still felt shame anyway.
"Oh god…" Paulo covered his face, but this was partially due to the light hurting his head. "I'm such a dumbass. Sorry you had to deal with that."
"It's alright." Sue shrugged, enjoying the rest of her toast. "It was an… interesting experience. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime."
Paulo moved his hands away from his face so he could look at her. "I didn't say anything stupid, did I?"
Sue nearly told him about their awkward conversation on the way home but stopped short. He was drunk, it meant nothing. There would be no harm in keeping it between her and drunk Paulo. "Nope." She said, cheeks going a little red thinking about being called pretty and smart. And by him of all people, who had only ever expressed the opposite. Oftentimes, she'd discovered over the years, people were more honest when they were drunk. "Just sang some rock song really poorly on the way home."
Paulo let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. "Good." His eyes landed on the redness of her cheeks, which gave him pause to wonder if she was being honest with him, but it hurt his head to think so he pushed it from his mind.
"You should take it easy today. Lots of water and rest." Sue got up from the table to put her plate away. "Try to finish off that glass first. The medicine should dull the pain." Paulo did as he was told, though his stomach was still disagreeing with it. "Try to get something to eat too, when you can."
Paulo cracked a smile for the first time that morning. "Alright, mom."
Sue faked offense. "I'm not being that preachy, am I?"
"No, no." Paulo chuckled to himself. "Still better'an my real mom at least. Seriously, thanks for having my back."
"I owed you one." Sue shrugged going back to her room. "Now that makes us even." She pointed at the water. "Drink. Rest. If you need anything, I'll be in my room."
Paulo waved her off and looked at his glass with just a sliver of water in it, mixed with what few chunks of the tablets hadn't yet dissolved. She'd really pulled through for him. Perhaps being roommates wasn't so bad. Maybe it was even for the best.
Things between Paulo and Sue improved even greater after that. Their greetings were friendlier, and they talked more than just their 'hi's and 'hello's. They even began sitting in the living room occassionally instead of being locked up in their rooms. Sometimes they ate together, alternating who cooked and cleaned. Paulo taught Sue a few things about cooking, and Sue helped him with his homework. All the while, Paulo's drunken comments stayed in the back of Sue's mind, and while Paulo didn't remember them, he felt what he said all the same.
It came to a head one evening when Paulo received a knock at his bedroom door. He'd retired for the night, having to get up early for work the next day. Without delay, he answered to see Sue standing there anxiously. Her hands were behind her back and she was doing her best to keep herself from blushing.
"Hey Sue, what's up?" Paulo asked, leaning on the doorframe.
"I know you're trying to go to bed, so I'll keep it short." She said, getting straight to the point. It was in part due to his work schedule, but also because she was super nervous about asking him this question and she wanted to get it over with. "There's this concert coming up that I bought tickets for a while ago. I was supposed to go with… well, you know…"
Paulo nodded. She didn't need to say who it was for him to get it. Sue continued after she trailed off, trying not to think too much about Oliver. "Anyway, everyone else is going to be busy that night, and I was wondering if you wanted to go…"
"I was your last option?" Paulo raised an eyebrow. Not that he was super hurt over it, but it did feel like she was going to him because she had no other choice. He didn't mind not being the first choice to go, he expected that, but the last? That bit.
Sue grimaced as she realized how it looked now. "No no, it's not like that at all!" She said hurriedly, trying to salvage the situation. "I just… didn't know how interested you would be."
"Well I don't mind going." Paulo shrugged, letting it roll off his shoulders. "Just let me know when so I can request off from work. Who's playing, anyway?"
Sue shrank back a little, feeling self conscious about exposing a part of her personal interests to him. They'd gotten closer but she wasn't sure how he'd react to EVERYTHING about her. She didn't even know why she should care if he thought her music taste was lame anyway. "It's… Wink 294." She mumbled shyly, looking anywhere but his face.
"Whozzat?" Paulo asked, leaning in.
"Wink 294!" Sue said, a little louder than she would have liked to.
Paulo stood up straight and his face lit up. "Wait… no way! You got tickets for them?!"
Sue looked up at him with some pride. "Yeah! I stayed up all night so I could grab them off the website early."
"Duuuude!" Paulo bopped his forhead. "I tried so hard to get tickets! I didn't know they were on sale until the day after and they were totally sold out! I definitely wanna go!"
"That's great!" Sue said, her heart doing flips. "It's the Wednesday of spring break."
"Consider me free!" Paulo gave her finger guns. "I'll put in my request when I go in tomorrow morning."
"Oh gosh, I'm keeping you up, aren't I?" Sue said, feeling bad for taking up so much of his time. "Well, I'm happy you can go! This'll be fun. Goodnight!"
"Goodnight, Sue." Paulo said with a smile. "Thanks for asking me about it, I'm looking forward to going."
With that, the two parted ways with large smiles on their faces. Once Sue was in the privacy of her room, she did a little victory dance. She didn't know why it had made her so happy, but she held onto the feeling tightly. In his room, Paulo slid into bed, wondering if he was going to be able to sleep that night with all the excitement. He also couldn't say exactly why, but he was really looking forward to going with Sue.
As good as things were between them before, the weeks leading up to the concert were even better. They compared music tracks they liked, but it went beyond that. They were spending more time together, watching TV, playing games, and in quieter moments, studying. Sue appreciated these studying sessions with the somali, it gave her time to really appreciate him. There was no flirting, no sarcasm, no shame or expectations. Likewise for Paulo, he came to learn that Sue wasn't the boring loser he always thought she was.
On the evening of the concert, Paulo drove them out to the venue. He wanted to get some alcohol for it, but Sue reminded him of his bender at the Omicron party, and he agreed that it might be for the best if he stayed away. They got their spots right in front of the stage, and prepared for the concert of their lives. The excitement in the air was electric, boosted by the scores of fans old and new packing into the concert area to rock the night away.
"I am freaking out right now, dude!" Paulo said excitedly over the noise. "I've wanted to see these guys in concert since forever!"
"Me too!" Sue said. "I've just always been so busy, and my mom never wanted to drive me to one anyway. She thinks their music is too loud."
"Geez." Paulo rolled his eyes. "If I ever say something like that, just shoot me. I've gotten too old."
"I'd never want to shoot you…" Sue smiled at him, looking into his eyes. They both quickly turned away from each other as their hearts raced. Something was sparking between them, and they had to break the connection before it was too late. They were just friends, nothing more.
"Well.. I s'ppose Abbey would do it… heh…" Paulo said, trying to regain his composure.
"Oh, I think he'd do it regardless of if you wanted him to or not." Sue said with a laugh.
The band came out on stage, and the crowd went ballistic. Paulo and Sue were right with them, screaming and cheering. The band members picked up their instruments, and without any introduction, went right into the first song. It was a new one off their most recent album, which of course Sue and Paulo had jammed out together previously over making dinner one night. The music spoke for the band, they were pumped up and ready to tear it up.
At the song's conclusion, the lead singer belted out to the throng of enthusiasts, "GOOD EVENING ROSEVILLE!" The crowd responded with cheers and a few woops. "We've missed you all so much, this is one of the few stops we really look forward to playing at on our tour!"
They probably said this to every city or town they played in, but nobody cared. The band filled them with pride in their community, hyping them up more. "I think they're ready for more." The drummer commented.
"YESS!" Sue cried with everyone else.
"LET'S GET IT ON!" Yelled Paulo at the top of his lungs.
"Let's get it on indeed!" Said the bassist. "Ready folks?" Sue gasped and both her and Paulo looked at each other excitedly. He had heard him! The crowd cheered, egging them on.
The band jumped right into the next few songs, each one as great as the last. They even played a few old favorites that everyone sang to. Sue knew she didn't have the golden pipes Lucy did but she didn't care, she was having a blast. Paulo seemed to sing loudest of all, or maybe Sue was just used to hearing his voice… or wanted to hear his voice.
As the setlist played, and the band took brief moments between certain songs to talk about them, Sue and Paulo gradually stood closer and closer until they were pressed right up against each other. Paulo put an arm around her, and she hugged it. Neither cared, they were having too much fun.
At long last, the band finished the last notes of the setlist, and placed down their instruments and headed off stage. The lights went down and everyone cried for an encore.
"I'm gonna go use the restroom real quick!" Sue said to Paulo, letting go of his arm. "Before the encore starts."
"Alright, hurry up!" He replied, moving his arm from around her shoulder.
The somali watched as Sue slipped through the crowd and then turned back to the stage. This night was going better than he ever could have imagined. The music was awesome, the atmosphere was ecstatic, and the girl was… damn, she was perfect. Paulo smiled to himself over Sue. While this sucked that this all stemmed over something traumatic for her, he was glad they finally broke the awkwardness between them. This was the happiest he'd been since highschool, and even then highschool was filled with so much drama and fights. None of that here. Just him, Sue, and a kickass concert.
Sue returned before the band did, which were holding out for dramatic effect. However, Paulo's cheerful "Welcome back!" was greeted by a very shaken Sue. There was a look of worry plastered on her face, and she was hugging herself. Paulo's smile dropped. "Sue, what's wrong?"
"He's here…" She said in a shaky voice. "H-he still came…"
"Oliver?" Paulo asked, looking around. There he was, just a few rows back, looking as rough as ever. Just like Paulo, he too seemed to be looking for someone. "Oh, shit man."
"I-I accidentally b-bumped into him… I don't know if he saw it was m-me, but…" She whispered, trying to stay low in the crowd.
"Hey!" Paulo put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't let that asshole ruin this night for you." Sue looked up at him as the crowd cheered as the band returned for the encore. "He's a pathetic loser who doesn't deserve to even look at ya! I know cause I'm one too!"
Sue loosened up a little, looking at him with sincerity. "I don't think you're a pathetic loser…"
"Hah! You don't have to lie. I get blackout drunk, I barely hang on in my classes and I work at a fastfood restaurant!" He said over the crowd's cheers. "Doesn't get more bottomfeeder than that!"
Sue looked shocked by his words. She couldn't believe he thought so little of himself. "Even if those things are true, that doesn't make you pathetic!" She put her arms around his neck. "Because I've seen another side of you, Paulo! The caring side! The fun side! You try your hardest even if you fail! And that's what I love about you!"
The gloves were off. Sue pushed herself forward and placed a kiss on his lips. Paulo felt himself stunned for a brief moment, but followed her lead and deepened the kiss. They closed their eyes, and the world fell away as they shared their true feelings with one simple action. The point couldn't have been gotten across better with words. When they broke apart, the band was finishing up the encore with a few closing remarks that neither of them heard.
"Wanna come back to my place?" Paulo grinned.
Sue laughed. "Do I have a choice?"
"Wellll, you can stay. Maybe bozo over there can drive ya home." Paulo laughed back.
Sue hugged him and laid her head on his chest. "No, I think I'll stick with this bozo here if that's okay."
"I like the sound of that!" Paulo said, hugging her back.
The crowd was clearing out now, and Sue and Paulo along with them. They were still pumped after the show, with some stopping by the merch table, but they were all ready to go home. Paulo and Sue passed by the merch table on the way to the parking lot. "Did you want anything?" Paulo asked. "It's the least I could do since you bought the tickets."
"No, that's okay." Sue smiled, taking his hand. "I think I got everything I wanted out of the show."
"I thought I saw you." Said a grumbly voice from behind. Paulo and Sue knew that voice and turned around to see Oliver standing there. "Snuck away from me in the crowd there. I see you've moved on to your knight in shining armor."
Paulo looked at him angrily, but Sue was still anxious about being face to face with her abuser. Even with the somali by her side, the sight of him struck fear in her. "Let's just go, Paulo…" She said, turning around and tugging on his arm.
Paulo agreed that it would be better for everyone there if they just left. No doubt Oliver was looking for a rematch after his humiliating butt kicking weeks prior. However, he didn't much like being ignored. "Hey!" He said harshly, walking up and grabbing Sue's free arm. "I'm talkin' to you!"
This was a terrible mistake. Things moved so fast, no sooner had he grabbed Sue, Paulo had let go of her hand and filled his with the punk's leather jacket. He pushed Oliver up against one of the nearby lamp posts that dotted the parking lot. There was an intense fire in his eyes, as though he were trying to melt what little brains Oliver had. "If you touch her again…" He growled. "I'm gonna rip your spine out through your ass and shove it down your throat so I can rip it out your ass again!"
"Oh really?" Oliver said coolly. He was still taller than Paulo, and looked down his nose at him. "Cause I'm gonna bring more than my fists next time. Let's see you get around that."
"What's goin' on here?" A new voice called to them. A bright light was shined in their faces as a security guard walked up.
"Nothin', sir." Oliver grinned, not looking away from Paulo. "We're just doing a little rehearsing for an upcoming production. We're in the community drama club, you see."
The guard looked them up and down, not sure if he believed that. Sue looked mortified, and Paulo hadn't yet let go of Oliver. But it was late, the guard wanted to go home, and he was too tired to deal with it. "Alright, but y'all need to keep this on the stage."
"Will do, sir." Oliver said, removing Paulo's grip with ease. The guard walked off, and Sue took Paulo's hand again to lead him away. "Just remember, Susan - I know where you live." And he laughed coldly as he walked away himself.
"Why did you do that!" Sue scolded Paulo when she was sure Oliver was out of earshot. "He could have seriously hurt you!"
"I'm not gonna let him hurt you!" Paulo defended. "Someone had to teach him a lesson!"
"I would have been fine!" Sue said. "But if something happened to you, it would have been way worse. You escalated it!"
"So this is MY fault?" Paulo scoffed. They had reached the car, and he unlocked the door so they could both get in.
Sue took a deep breath. It had been a really emotional night for the both of them, and she needed to keep a steady head on her shoulders. "I don't want us to fight. We had such a good night." She looked at him apologetically. "Let's just leave it there."
"Fine." Paulo replied flatly. They got buckled up and he drove them back to the dorm. The drive back was awkwardly silent. They didn't play music on the radio. There was only the sound of rubber on road, and the odd noise Paulo's old rustbucket made every so often. Sue kept glancing over at Paulo to see if his expression had changed, but he remained disgruntled.
She wanted to say something to assuage him, but thought it was best to let the heat cool off naturally. Instead, she placed a hand on his when he put it down near the center console. When they arrived at the dorm, Paulo did at least hold her hand still as they walked, and got the door for her, though he still kept his thoughts to himself. On his end, he'd done nothing wrong, and Sue was just overreacting. He'd seen how scared she was that day, and he never wanted to see those eyes in her again. A deep, primal fear that shook her to her core. And God help anyone who made her feel that way.
Paulo did soften up a bit by the time they got to their dorm room. He bid her goodnight, and they reluctantly let go of each other to go to their separate rooms. Paulo climbed into bed no problem, and laid down waiting for sleep to take him. All things considered, it had been a good night overall. He was surprised more and more by Sue, specifically how forward she was. Just GOING IN for the kiss like that, even he was rarely that bold.
In the darkness of her room, Sue also spent time thinking about that evening. It was better than she ever imagined it - it was more than perfect. The music, the vibes, HIM, their kiss, their very first kiss. Her cheeks burned at the thought of it. Paulo didn't find her weird or push her away, he went in for more. And then her mind drifted to something darker.
I know where you live.
She heard it in his voice, in just the menacing way he said it. It permeated her mind, and swallowed all of her other, happier thoughts in darkness. He was right. He knew where she lived. He was still upset about what happened between them. He was still willing to be physical. Sue shot up in bed.
He was going to get her. He was going to get the both of them. Were they safe anymore? She shook the idea out of her thoughts. Oliver was just trying to get in her head. Surely he wouldn't try to pull anything, he would be stupid to.
Then again, he tried to pull something at a crowded venue. What if he'd figured out it was her sooner? What if he grabbed her before she could make it back to Paulo? And took her away, did ungodly things to her, and Paulo would never know? What if he trapped her forever, what if he showed up to the dorm and grabbed her when Paulo wasn't around?
Sue's heart raced, mind spun, eyes widened in the darkness trying to make out a threat that wasn't there. She felt sick to her stomach, and gripped her blanket. Something got caught in her throat. Was it a scream? A sob? A cry for help? Was he sitting outside the dorm RIGHT NOW, waiting to snatch her up? Pin her down?
Paulo was still awake when a knock came at his door. He lifted his head, unsure if he'd heard correctly, but it was followed by another, more urgent knock. Blinking in confusion, he responded, "I'm still up."
Sue pushed the door open slowly. "May I come in?" She asked softly in the darkness, doing her best to keep her emotions in check.
"Yeah, what's up?" Paulo said, sitting up. "Figured you'd be asleep by now."
Sue shook her head and took a seat on his bed. "I can't sleep."
Paulo scooted next to her. "What's wrong? I'm not mad at you anymore."
"It's… it isn't that…" Sue whispered. "Something Oliver said… I can't get it out of my head."
"What is it?" Paulo asked, putting an arm around her waist. Sue leaned into him.
"He knows where we live." She put it plainly. "I'm worried he might do something."
"You're worried about that?" Paulo asked, surprised. Sue was supposed to be the logical one between them. "He's known that for the last few weeks, if he was gonna do something, he would have done it by now."
Sue nodded. "Still… a threat's a threat. Just the way he said it… Paulo, I'm scared, okay? It's just got me worried."
"Ohhh, Oliver ain't shit." Paulo laughed. "You notice how he didn't try anything on me? Cause he knows I can kick his ass. And look, if you're really that worried, we can change dorm rooms and he'll never find us. Get a whole new building and everything."
"I guess that's true…" Sue said. "But if we request a dorm room change, there's a high chance that we'll get separated… and…" Sue hugged Paulo and buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't want that either."
Paulo hugged her back. "What do you want to do then?"
"I don't know." Sue said into his shoulder. "I don't want to think about it right now, either. I just want to get some sleep."
They both released their embrace and went back to sitting side by side. "No matter what, it's gonna be alright, Sue. You're really smart, we can figure this out."
A smiled teased her lips. "Yeah… we will."
A silence well over the room as Sue looked down at her lap, and Paulo looked at her. She didn't get up to go back to her room, she just sat there. So, Paulo asked. "Is there anything else?" But he suspected he knew the answer. He would have to goade it out of her though.
Sue hunch up. "I, erm… well there was a second reason I came over here…"
"And what's that?" Paulo asked, grinning his biggest grin at her. He could see her going bright red, even with the limited visibility.
"I… I was wondering… well, I thought it might help me sleep if… if you were nearby…" Sue said with a great deal of embarrassment.
There it was. Paulo patted his bed. "My bed is your bed, Sue." He slid back under the covers, and lifted up the side closest to her. "Come on in."
Sue was thoroughly embarrassed, but relieved that Paulo was so cool about the whole thing. Of course Paulo didn't mind, he was more than happy to share his bed with someone else. He draped the blanket over Sue when she got under it, and scooted close. "See? Not so bad." Paulo said.
"Y-yeah.." Sue replied. She snuggled up to him, and he responded in kind by putting an arm around her to hold her close. This was fine by her, being in his arms, covered by the blanket, it put her at ease. "Goodnight, Paulo."
"Goodnight babe." He replied, then he kissed her on the forehead. Sue smiled but said nothing in return, opting to close her eyes and let sleep finally take her. After Paulo was sure she was comfortable, he followed suit.