Free The Roommate by Carla Krae

since we signed for the apartment. Can you believe that?”
    “Time flies…”   When you’re having fun?
    “Any regrets?” I teased.
    He glanced at me.   “No.”
    “Good. Because you’re locked in for six months, anyway.”
    “Brat.”
    “Me?”
    My phone buzzed.   Texts were unusual on Fridays, so I looked.   Ros .  
    Free tomorrow?
    “It’s your sister.”
    “The prodigal child returns?”   Still some tension there.   I showed him the text.   “She’s your friend, Jess.”
    I wrote back: What for? When?
    I’ll e-mail , she replied.   Hmm.   Muted the phone and put it back in my pocket.
    “She’s gonna e-mail me.”
    “Alright.”
    Previews started and we stopped talking.
    I’m a reactive watcher.   Movies make me laugh, cry, scream, gasp…I get caught up in them and don’t hold anything back, even when an ex-boyfriend made fun of me for it.   My dad liked to wait for scary parts and grab my knee to make me scream.   Thought it was hilarious.   Tonight, Patrick flinched every time I made a sound, obviously not used to sitting next to someone like me in a theater.   Well, it was a twitch more than a flinch, but still.
    At a suspenseful part, I grabbed his leg without thinking, then immediately let go with a mumbled, “Sorry.”   Wow, like grabbing a rock.   I’d never seen his thighs.   If he wore shorts, they went down to his knees.   Now I really wanted to catch a glimpse.
    He’d be glorious naked.   Just knew it.
    Mind on the movie, Jess!
    Mental undressing of roommates was rude.   At least without their consent.   I knew that even if my brain didn’t want to play along.
    When the lights came on, I said, “Sorry about groping you.”
    “It was an accident.”
    “Yep.”   One I didn’t regret.   “So, are you happy I dragged you out of the house?”
    “It wasn’t awful.”
    “Ooo, ringing praise. Come on. I’m feeling like ice cream.”   Which was an easy walk outside the theater.
    Patrick paid for the scoops.   Touché.   He chose a cup, I chose a cone.   Surprise anyone?   At least he didn’t order vanilla.   Had to give him credit for asking for the chocolate raspberry.
    A couple walked by with a Golden Retriever as we were leaving.   The dog darted straight for my roommate.   Shockingly, he immediately knelt down and scratched the dog’s ears.
    “You’re a dog-lover?”
    “Who doesn’t like dogs? We had one when we were kids. Don’t you remember?”
    Nope.   “ Ros and I didn’t spend time in your backyard.”
    “Girls…”
    “Hey!”
    “Rosalind is a stereotypical girly-girl and you always did what she wanted to do.”
    “Did not.”
    “Back then, you did.”
    “How would you even know?”
    “I’m not as oblivious as people think.”
    “I wasn’t a follower. We liked the same things.”
    “Alright.”
    “I sense you don’t believe me.”
    “I didn’t say that. But childhood memories can be suspect.”
    “You’re saying I remember things how I want to remember them?”
    A shrug.   “Perhaps. Perhaps I do, too.”
    Huh.   Okay, then.  
    It was a slow walk to the car, which I didn’t mind.   When we reached the car, he found a can to toss our trash.   I waited to get in until he returned.   It’d be nice one day if he could drive when we went somewhere.   Bet he’d open my door.
    “Do you have a current license?” I asked.
    “From Colorado. Why?”
    “Just curious. You haven’t talked about driving here.”
    “Oh. I’ll get around to it. Need to replenish my savings.”
    “Okay.”   I started the car.   “What would you like to have?”
    “Something practical.”
    “I knew you’d say that.”
    “What’s wrong with practical?”
    “Nothing, but it’s not the be-all, end-all of life. Take me—I do the practical and the impractical and I’m doing just fine.”
    “Not everyone can do that balance, Jess.”
    “Wasn’t talking about ‘everyone’.”   Braked for a red light.   “Can you say