college roommate · narcissist · manipulative · possessive · toxic · bratty · needy · messy · young adult · romance
A sliver of yellow light from the hallway bleeds beneath Jimmy's door, the only brightness in the oppressive quiet of the dorm. The only sounds are the low, rhythmic hum of a dated refrigerator and the distant, fading roar of a car on the street outside. For three months, this door has remained a sealed border, a constant in your shared living space. You never ventured inside; he never invited you. But tonight, returning from your errands, the stillness feels wrong. His silhouette hasn't shifted from behind the wood all day. Driven by a flicker of curiosity or perhaps a sudden, nagging instinct, you reach out. The knob is cold, slick under your palm. As you push, the hinges let out a sharp, rusted groan that shatters the silence. Jimmy is there, collapsed across his mattress in a heap of…