I get back to my room and sit, waiting for my laptop to power up. I look around and notice my room looks sparse. I wonder how other students’ rooms look. Do they have posters? Maybe the art students have their works on the walls? The white walls look lonely until I see my stack of unpacked boxes. Three of which are filled to the brim with books. I had forgotten I had requested a few bookshelves for my room yet to be delivered. I turn back to the laptop waiting for me.

I wonder what I should write about. My mind is utterly blank. My thoughts drift to the bald man sitting in his computer chair, typing away, alone. A wrinkle forms on my brow as I close my eyes thinking. Does he have any interaction? Why is he the way he is? What made him so angry at life? At people maybe? I start writing in my head about this sad man. Shunning the world and having a chip on his shoulder towards everyone. Not married, no kids. Alone. Bitter and alone. Bitterness must explain why he acts the way he does. I start typing, my fingers heavy against the keys.

I can hear my roommates outside watching the TV and chatting about their favorite shows.

“We both have work to do before class begins,” Templeton’s voice says clearly in my head.

He isn’t wrong. But now I’m on his bad side too. Do teachers take interruptions into account when grading? Is that even legal?

The summer heat seeps through the windows and the AC gets turned off at night to conserve energy. I open a window and immediately regret my decision. Heat floods in along with congestion in my nose. I down some allergy medicine and hope they will perform their magic. A cold soda sounds good about now but thinking of the granola bar in the morning reminds me it’s probably a trap. The cans resemble off brand packaging but boldly advertise their sugar free content, “Sweetened with Erythritol”. Another trend brought to us by Emma’s parents. I will have to buy a pack of actual soda sometime. In the meantime, I think I will chance the colorful cans in the fridge.