The Roommate's Cruel Game

in my door was a clear, violent message. I

said, my voice trembling

g. "Okay, this changes things. This is a d

the words of the housing advisor echoing in

said, already standing up and throwing a few bills on the table.

t desk looked as bored as the housing advisor had. I show

s threatening to hurt

"That' s my bedroom door. She' s trying to

o explicit threat against you. She says she might hurt hersel

tuation," I insisted. "Her boy

u file a

e question, th

I said,

o. It' s a domestic dispute. You

strated and powerless. The syst

hurts you," Mark said, his voice filled with a cold fu

ed to sleep, but the image of the knife

get the rest of my things. I couldn' t just abandon my cloth

knife was gone from my door, but a deep, jag

into cardboard boxes. Mark helped, moving with a quiet eff

or opened. It wasn' t

ne – the boxes, me and Mark working together

ng with sarcasm. "Moving out? And you brought

self between me and Brett. "We' re just get

es trouble. I' m a nice guy." He looked past Mark, directly at me. "Tiffany is

of his words w

my door," I said, my v

d. "That was a cry for help. She'

k said firmly, picking

tt, but Brett didn' t mov

is on her way here. She wants to talk t

ed in the hallway. She wasn't alone. Walking beside h

n of the university wa

ice trembling. "I' m so glad y

his eyes surveying the boxes wi

ith Ms. Gold and her family' s liaison when she became very distressed about your well-b

e one. Tiffany was the concerned friend.

steady. "There was more than a disagreement. Brett

e Dean' s eyes before it was repla

rett here is one of our star athletes, and Tiffany' s family are... very significant b

there in the open. The library wing. The mon

, turning to him. "Did

the eye. "We had an argument. She was yelling at Ti

e, polished

an continued. "Did

hloe! I was just upset that she was leaving me. I might have sent

rt perfectly. The frag

ajor misunderstanding here, fueled by high emotions. I think the best thing for everyone is to put this be

ey were all in on it. They were going to sweep this under

I said through gritted te

edge. "An emergency transfer request based on unsubstantiated claims against a trustee'

My scholarship. He w

lt, but he knew we were cornered. We were two

came crashing down on me at once. Tears of pure frustration and despair streamed down my face. I couldn' t st

arm around me. "Oh, Chloe, it' s okay

er words were a twisted, fina

iliated, I didn't see her pull out her p

ling her phone, taking a selfie of the two of us. Me, a complete wr

could talk it out. Friendship is about forgiveness. So proud of my roommate for having the

se for Tiffany' s grace and matur

a psycho. So glad Tiff

ied about Brett, too.

bitch. Tiffany, you'

had turned me into the villain of a story they wrote, and the whole u