Roommates -- a flash fiction story by Colin Kelly


First impressions can be dangerous things when they're wrong, but with some people those misperceptions can be quickly corrected...


I fumbled trying to unlock the door to my new dormroom. The key the RA gave me had a bend right at the tip, making it hard to push it all the way into the lock. I’d have to get a new key, one more thing on my list of things that I had to do. Finally I heard the click and opened the door.

He caught me unaware as I walked in, and grabbed my right arm and pulled it back and up.

“OW! God damn it, what’re you doing?”

“Just want to give you a piece of good advice. Here’s what’s going to go down around here. You don’t go sneakin’ around breakin’ into dormrooms, got it?”

“Uh!” I twisted my body to the right, easing the pain in my arm a bit, lifted my right leg and slammed the heel of my boot down onto his instep. The pain caused him to release my arm, and I slammed my shoulder into his chin.

“Shit!” He pulled away from me. “I’m bleedin’, oo made me bite my ’oong.”

“I don’t like to be threatened by someone I don’t know in my own dormroom.”

He looked at me. “Peace, okay?” He stepped into the bathroom and I heard him rinse and spit, then he returned.

“Tell me, what the fuck was all that about? I was just coming back from lunch.”

“Sorry, sounded like you were breakin’ in, din’ know you’re my roommie.” He grinned, and I saw it hurt him. “Ow!”

“Oh, I'm sorry about your tongue! I didn’t know you’d arrived. I’m Rob Demeo. You must be Jeff Williams, right?”

“Uh huh. So can we be frien’s?”

I grinned and pulled my bottle of mouthwash out of my suitcase. “Absolutely. Here, friend, you need to rinse your mouth.”


This story and the included images are Copyright © 2008-2012 by Colin Kelly (colinian). They cannot be reproduced without express written consent. Codey’s World web site has written permission to publish this story. No other rights are granted.