It was another long day of lectures and assignments. I was dead tired and longed for my bed. I pushed through the crowd of frat boys by the entrance to the female dorm.
"Hey, Monique, what's up?" One of them said and I saw a hand stretch out to grab mine. I simply sidestepped and walked on. The boys snickered behind me and teased the one who tried to engage me in small talk.
I passed by a couple canoodling in front of a girl's room as a few students walked by. I shook my head and walked faster. As a freshman and a nerd, I was trying my best to get used to the campus lifestyle but it was harder than I'd imagined.
I was going to insert my key into my door only to see it was opened. That was strange.
My roommate, Noni, usually texted if she got to the room before I did. She'd been nice to me since I moved in a week ago and we were slowly getting to know each other.
We were opposites in temperament and probably status. Her family was wealthy while I was in school on a scholarship. I did not realise this situation would test our budding relationship.
I pushed the door open silently and found the room, mostly her side of the room, in a total mess. Some of her clothes were spread out on the bed, desk and chair. Granted, Noni was not that much of a neat person but she would be shocked to see the state of her part of the room.
A frat boy lay on the bed with one of his legs dangling over the edge, a stick of cigarette hung in a corner of his mouth while he swiped through his phone. Another boy was going through her wardrobe.
The other boy was Noni's boyfriend, Fred. I never liked him from day one.
"Um, what are you guys doing?"
I think I startled them. Fred turned quickly and glanced at his friend on the bed. "Yo, I didn't hear her open the door," the one with the cigarette explained with a shrug.
"Hey, um, Noni's roommate," Fred said with a false smile as he pushed both his hands into his jeans pockets and walked towards me. I was offended that he did not remember my name. My face behind my eyeglasses must have displayed it because he flinched.
"My name's Monique," I said. "Does Noni know you are here?"
Fred scoffed. "Of course, she does. We were to meet up here but I guess she's running late. I'll text her. Come on, Tyler."
I stood and watched as the two boys rushed out of the room. This did not feel right so I called Noni and got her voicemail instead.
I dropped my books on my desk, took off my sneakers, and my eyeglasses and fell into my bed. Within seconds, I was dead to the world.
The sound of a shrill cry startled me awake and it was immediately followed by, "You thief! Where is it?"
For a moment, I lost all sense of time and place and wondered where I was. I looked up and met the angry eyes of Noni, my roommate, two other girls, and the resident assistant in charge of the dorm, Fiona. The memory of Fred and his friend flooded back in an instant.
My head began to pound because of the rude awakening and Noni's scream. "Um, hey. What's the matter?" I said and slowly got up from my bed.
Then I saw my clothes were not neatly folded in my wardrobe but scattered on my desk and chair, and some of my books were on the floor. "What did you do?" I asked Noni whose eyes were shooting daggers at me.
"Stop asking me silly questions, Monique. Where's my diamond bracelet? I want it now. No one else could have taken it," she said frantically.
"Noni, calm down," Fiona said gently, trying to diffuse the situation. She turned to me, "Noni noticed her bracelet was gone when she returned from class. Have you seen it by any chance?"
"She took it. I know it," Noni shouted. Her eyes met mine, filled with accusation and anger. "I've tried to be nice to you and all and this is how you repay me?"
I looked at Fiona who gazed at me expectantly for some explanation. "When I returned from class, I met her boyfriend, Fred…" I began.
"What? Fred?" Noni interjected.
"Be quiet, Noni. Let's hear her out," Fiona said. "Continue, Monique."
I nodded. "I met Fred in this room searching through her things. One other boy was with him. Tyler, I think that's his name. I asked if Noni knew he was here and he said yes. He and his friend left immediately after. I was so tired and slept right after. I had no idea Noni kept her bracelet in the wardrobe."
"Was the door opened when you arrived?" Asked Fiona.
"Yes. I assumed Noni must have given him her key or something." I gazed at Noni for a moment, disappointed. She paled in confusion and quickly searched her handbag.
"Did you give Fred your key?" Fiona asked her.
"No, of course not. I've always had it with—," Noni paused for a moment as her eyes widened in shock. "Oh no, it's gone. My key is not here. He must have taken it."
Fiona quickly made some calls, inviting two other university staff into the matter. It was discovered that Fred and his friend had fled the campus that evening and pawned off the bracelet at a popular pawnshop.
While Noni went with a staff to the pawnshop to recover her bracelet, I spoke with Fiona about a change of room. She agreed pitifully and arranged it. I moved my things that night before Noni returned.
My freshman year was not as much fun as I had expected.