I would come to find out that the openness she showed me that day was a lie.

"Hey, would you stop being useless and help me with my bags or something?" I turn my head to lock eyes with Aria, a young woman who is the most popular girl in our senior class and now she is my new roommate. "Didn't you hear me or are you deaf as well as useless?" But, as it turns out, this is just simply the real her. She is currently trying to carry five big bags of luggage all by herself and while I would help her, my hands are also full carrying my own bags.

Behind us is the apartment building we're meant to be spending the rest of our senior year living in. "My hands are tied. I've got my own stuff to bring in. Why did you pack so much anyways?"

"Excuse me? Did you ask a girl why she packs a lot of luggage? So, you're useless, deaf, and stupid." She jabs while staring daggers at me. I almost have the sense of just leaving her there and bringing my own stuff in alone, but I feel a slap come across the back of my head and I turn to see my father with a disapproving expression.

"Boy, help bring the girl's stuff inside." He says as he starts grabbing my bags from me and effortlessly carries them towards the apartment building.

My mother walks towards us as well, "Don’t worry dear, we’ll help you bring your stuff inside, right Roy?" She chimes in as though they didn't just hear her slinging insults my way.

I sigh in defeat as I walk towards Aria and reach for the first bag, a blue hard cover suitcase, but she quickly halts my advance by putting a hand in front of me, "Not that one! You can carry the other stuff."

I carry as many of her bags as I can while she rolls the blue suitcase on its wheels towards the building, "That girl is going to make my senior year hell, I can already feel it." I mutter to myself.

My mother hears me and replies, "I think she's got spirit, that's good. A little spirit sounds like just what you need."

"I don't need that kind of spirit, mom."

We all make our way into the lobby of the apartment building. It isn't too bad of a space to sit around in. It's quiet, somewhat spacious, and looks to have a few sitting areas. I make a mental note of it for later as we enter the elevator.

I pull out the key to the apartment from my pocket and look at the tag that's attached to it, "It says number 528, so I assume the apartment is on the fifth floor."

I push the corresponding button on the elevator and doors close. We can hear the hum of the machinery and the shift of our weight as the elevator is pulled upwards to the fifth floor. The digital display signaling which floor we're on gradually goes up a number as we pass the first four floors.

"Um, thank you again for giving me a ride here. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. My mother was just extremely busy with work today." Aria says in her masked sweet voice as she speaks to my parents.

"Not at all, dear," my mother replies, "we're happy to help, and if Roy here gives you a hard time you be sure to let us know, and we'll set him straight."

"Thank you! I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Aria returns as her gaze slowly turns from my mother to me and her voice goes from sweetness to menacing again as she gives me a devilish smile. Damn it, why does all this have to happen to me, what did I do to deserve this?

The elevator comes to a halt with a ding as the digital display shows the number five. The doors open and we start making our way down the hall of the building. My back and arms are in pain from the luggage I'm carrying and I'm just wanting to hurry up inside but at the same time, I want to just run away from this situation.

As we draw near our designated residence, Aria pulls her own key from her pocket, "This is the place," she announces as we arrive at the door marked '528'. She inserts the key into the lock and with a click the lock is released and she twists the knob to step inside.

We flip the light switch next to the front door and the space is illuminated revealing a rather small but impressively clean and modern apartment, already furnished.

The living area already has a black polyester couch, a dark wood coffee table, a large rug, and against the wall was a dark wood entertainment center complete with a 42" TV, on the side wall of the living area was a glass sliding door covered by curtains that opens up to a balcony. Behind the living area was a small dining space with a table and chairs next to a kitchen with wooden cabinets and modern appliances. Going down the short hallway, the apartment sports two bedrooms, each with a twin sized bed, a dresser, a wardrobe, desk and closet space, and we finish the walk through with a single full bathroom with white tiled floors.

As we finish up exploring our new residence Aria remarks that the place is kind of nice, a statement that we all agreed with. We set our bags down in the living area and I stretch my back to relieve the soreness of carrying Aria's luggage.

After a brief conversation with my parents of their spiel of telling me to be good, mind my manners, and let them know when I need help, they proceed to leave the apartment with me and Aria alone.

As they leave my mother gives me a wink and says, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

“Mom!” I shout at her embarrassed that she would even insinuate such a thing.

Aria releases a grown of disgust and turns away to start organizing her things.

I try to relax myself with a few breathes. I don’t believe this is happening, that I even agreed to all of this in the first place. I think to myself as I look up to the corner of the living room ceiling where I spot a small camera.

Two days earlier

We're sitting in a small office room, an office belonging to Mrs. Chavana, the counsellor for our school's Partnership program. Me and Aria sit in separate chairs across from Mrs. Chavana herself who sits behind her desk.

"So, Aria Joyce and Roy Walker, as you already know I am Mrs. Chavana, and I will be your counsellor for this program." This woman, who I've decided to affectionately call the 'She-Devil', never seems to lose her wide smile as she speaks to us, even while my face is no doubt flushed red with nerves, meanwhile Aria sitting all cool and collected as she usually does when she's in school.

"My duty in this program is to oversee the relationships of the partners in weekly counselling sessions, gauge their growth as individuals, as well as maintain the rules. I also facilitate the tasks that the program will ask of you. First and foremost, I want to make one thing perfectly clear," she puts in a long pause and for the first time she loses her smile and makes a more serious expression, "Physical intimacy between partners is strictly forbidden in this program."

The notion makes me and Aria jolt in our seats and our faces flush red, Aria even lost that composer she was holding onto and started staring down Mrs. Chavana in disgust, before shouting, "That’s disgusting! I'd never do such a thing! What gave you that idea?!"

Mrs. Chavana puts her hands together before calmly replying, "Just wanted to throw that out there. You'd be surprised how many participating partners end up developing feelings for each other and think they can get all hot and heavy within the apartments. I'm offering a warning, nothing more. This is a program meant to educate and build personal growth, not a matchmaking program for you to get laid in."

You can almost feel the disgust coming off Aria, it was so strong that it was making myself sick to my stomach.

Against my usual nature of just wanting to stay quiet, her statement brings a question to mind, "I'd like to know then, if it's such a big problem, then why do you group boy/girl pairs in this program?"

Mrs. Chavana gives me a curious look and says, "You’re suggesting that in this day and age only boy/girl pairs can have romantic relationships?"

“W-well no, of course not, but still.”

She goes on to further explain, "Every participating school has their way of doing things, some do same sex pairs, some do opposite. Some pair partners based on similar interests or opposite interests. The pairing criteria varies from school to school. In this specific school, we believe in pairing different genders, as well as differing personalities, while maintaining common interests. That's if such pairings are even possible with the list of present volunteers. In lieu of such pairings we try to stick to the next best thing. In your applications, we have you write a short description about yourself as well as your interests, we also have you write down the names of two individuals who you believe can give an accurate representation of your character in case you decide to lie to feel better about yourself. We take all that information and create the best possible pairings that we can among the list of other volunteering participants. The reason why we do different genders and personalities is because we believe that boys and girls push each other out of their comfort zones, differing personalities can push you to explore a more open mind. If the pairings are too different though, then the two of you would repel one another and you wouldn't get anywhere, so we maintain common interests in our pairings so that you two don't just tear into each other. However, if the pairings are too similar, then it's the same result, you just simply stay stuck in your ways just with a second person onboard."

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Aria and I look at each other briefly, I start to wonder if I could really get along with this person, but I find it strange that among the other possible candidates, I’m the one that she has common interests with?

Mrs. Chavana claps her hands together to draw our attention back to her, once again returning to her usual grin, "Now, just to go over the rules once again. The two of you will be living together, sort of like roommates, in an apartment. Neither you nor your family will have to fund the residence as it's all fully covered by the government. Absolutely no physical intimacy within the residence at any given time. For safety and security, there are cameras in every room of the house minus the bathroom, so don't get any funny ideas. No damaging the property and no modifications, otherwise you'll be covering the repair costs. Every week pairings are given an assignment to perform, this must be done to ensure the effectiveness of this program, if for some reason you find yourself unable to perform the task required, then you must bring it to my attention. Every Friday, like today, you are required to visit your counsellor, in this case: me, to give updates on your progress as partners and on your own personal growth. Even if you don't become friends, I at least encourage you both to try to push each other in order to create the best possible outcome of becoming more responsible adults by graduation time."

Aria and I nod our heads and give a "Yes ma'am."

"Good, now, your apartment is already prepared for you," she reaches into her desk and pulls out an envelope with both of our names on it, "both of your keys are inside here. You can have a day to pack

but by Sunday we would like for the two of you to be completely moved in. By Monday, you will receive your first assignment. I'm so excited for the two of you! Well, good luck!"

Damn she-devil.

Present day

"Hey, Earth to loser!" Aria's shouting knocks me out of my flashback, and I turn to look at her fiddling with her bags.

"Yea, I can hear you. You don't have to call me names." I replied angrily.

"Yea, whatever. I'm taking the room closest to the bathroom, got it?" she says firmly as she starts moving her bags one by one into the room she chose.

"Well, fine, whatever. Do what you want.” I sigh to her as I collect my own bags, slinging one on my back and the other I'm holding in my hand.

Aria briefly takes notice of the bags I'm carrying, "What with those bags? Are you some kind of military nut or something?"

What she's referring to are the two big green sea bags that I'm carrying my clothing items and other essentials in.

I quickly corrected her, "No, I'm not a military nut. My dad was in the service and when he got out, he held onto these bags and allowed me to have them. I like them because they're easy to carry and I can fit a lot of my stuff into them easily." In addition to my sea bags, I also have a hard cover suitcase that I'm carrying my computer stuff inside.

Aria looks at me plainly as I answer her, almost as if she seems somewhat interested in hearing that my father was in the military.

"Ah, so that's why your dad seemed so broad. I thought he just liked hitting the gym a lot."

"He does like to stay in shape, but he's not just some body builder."

We proceed to bring our things to our respective rooms and start unpacking. I gradually take my clothes, unfolded, out of my sea bags and simply stuff them into the dresser and wardrobe. I open my suitcase with my computer hardware inside and begin laying it out onto the desk, setting up the tower, monitor, and the various accessories. "Well, my friend, it's going to be a rough ride, but I'm glad to have a comrade like you to help me make it through this."

"You talk to your computer? How creepy." I turn heel and catch Aria, with a look of suspicion on her face, standing in my doorway, catching me in one of my personal moments as she was passing by in the hall.

My face goes flush with embarrassment, and I grimace at her, "Can I have some damn privacy, please?"

"Hey, it's not my problem you left your door open. You've no one to blame but yourself." She says with a shrug and drags her blue suitcase towards the living room.

I notice the suitcase and try to put it out of my mind, but I could help but wonder what might be inside. Could it be some embarrassing secret? No, then she wouldn't be opening it in the living room. Maybe some family photos or memorabilia that she doesn't want damaged?

My curiosity gets the better of me and I leave my room to go to the kitchen, with the pretense of me observing our pantry supplies. What she pulled from that suitcase was beyond my expectations.

From the confines of the suitcase, she pulls out various wires, CD cases, then... a gaming console and controller!? I was baffled, who would have thought that the princess of our school was a gamer of all things.

"Huh, never would have pegged you for being the type to like video games." I say out loud from the kitchen.

Aria snapped her head angrily at me, disapproved of my spying on her, "Everyone has the right to their hobbies, and this is mine. I ask that you please stop staring at me and go about your business. God, you're so creepy, how did I get stuck with a loser like you for a partner."

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I'm growing to despise this girl.

Aria gets her console set up to the TV and carefully judges the best place to put the console. As I'm in the kitchen taking inventory of the stock, I can see her actively going from spot to spot in the entertainment center, looking for the best aesthetically pleasing space for her console and games, clearly taking the task very seriously. I bring my attention back to my own task, noticing that the program gave us quite a few things to start us off with, with food stock and various cooking implements for basic cooking needs, but no doubt there will need to be some shopping done in the near future to stock this place up properly. Already I begin planning what to have for dinner tonight. I'd like anything to just say I was preparing my plans for myself but...

"Hey Aria, what do you want to eat for dinner tonight, any preferences?" I turn to call out to the girl from the kitchen as she seems to have triumphantly found the perfect spot on one of the shelves.

She turns to me with a curious look, seemingly taken aback by my consideration, "Um, I don't know. What stuff do they have?”

"Well, not a lot of meat options, but maybe enough here to make a pasta dish of some kind. There's breakfast items so I could do breakfast for dinner." I reply as I grab at the various items and observe them carefully.

"Pasta? Breakfast? You mean, real food and not instant stuff?" Her eyes open wider in a look of confusion as she continues to stare at my rummaging in the kitchen.

"Well, yeah. I mean, there are instant noodles and things like canned vegetables, beans, and canned chili, but I figured I'd make something substantial because I haven't eaten much today." I answer.

"Wait, back up. You can cook?" She asks with a sound of surprise in her voice.

I turn to face her from the kitchen, puzzled by her question, "Yea, of course I can cook. Why?"

At my question her eyes nervously dart away, and she answers barely audibly, “No reason, was just wondering.”

“Hmm? Did you think I couldn’t cook or something?”

“No. Well, maybe, that’s partly it.”

Curious by the way she seems to be avoiding my gaze and the nervous expression on her face, it makes me wonder something, “Do you.. know how to cook?”

She doesn’t answer right away but then mumbles something under her breath that I couldn’t hear.

“What? I didn’t hear that. What did you say?”

“I said I can’t cook damn it. You happy?”

Her confession shocks me, and my face shows it with my wide-eyed expression, “What? The princess of our school can’t cook?”

"Don't call me that!" She shouts angrily which ends up shocking the both of us before she dials it down a bit, "I hate it when people call me that. So don’t."

Unsure of what to say, seeing that her nickname seems to really do cause her visible discomfort, I simply just nod my head and move the conversation along. "Alright, then Aria, I just didn't expect to hear you say that you can't cook. Thought for sure that you'd surely be someone who could, given how smart you are."

"Those are just my academics. I haven't learned how to cook, and I never asked my mom because she's always so busy working. I never had the chance to ask her to teach me." A hint of melancholy in her voice as she speaks those words, as if she's deeply troubled by her personal situations at home.

"I see, and what about your dad?"

"That’s none of your business, alright?" She crosses her arms in front of her chest defensively, a sign that she's guarding herself from opening up.

I take that as a clear sign that she obviously doesn't want to get into her personal history, and as someone with some baggage myself, it’s not hard for me to accept that.

"Alright." I return softly, "Well, be as it may, yes, I know how to cook and I'm thinking of making some nice hearty cheesy omelets for the two of us, how does that sound?"

Aria looks up at me from staring at the floor, a silent moment passes us before she answers, “Alright, sure. That sounds nice.”

With that, I got to work on cracking the eggs and preparing the fillers for the omelets. Thoughts begin to swirl in my head over Aria, wondering what kind of upbringing she must have had. Both of my parents have always been with me and stuck beside me. My father left the military because he wanted to be closer to his family instead of going away so much, and my mother was always there to take care of me growing up and even taught me to cook when I asked her to.

I wonder what may have caused Aria to become so guarded and she only has her mother in her life. Though, I try not to dwell on it too hard. Everyone has their own secrets in their life, I’m no exception. I have my issues, my own problems, my own darkness.

As I cook the omelets, flashes of that lone boy on that rainy day creep up into my mind again. The chill of the wind as it brushes against soaking wet clothes, the rain that hid the tears that fell, the lights of passing cars to illuminate the surroundings, the dull shouts of a nearby man. I feel myself sinking lower into my head, my body moving of its own accord without conscious thought, like a robot.

A voice echoes in my head, ‘why are you doing this? This won’t make you better. This won’t take away the pain of what happened. It was all your fault, and you know it. You’ll never be rid of me. You’ll never forget what you did.’ As I start to relive that moment again in my head, the sound of a loud horn barreling down around me, something suddenly became louder.

"Hey! That smells pretty good!"

My mind snaps back to reality at the sound of an outsider, the dark vision fades away in an instant and I turn my head and see Aria's face peering at the omelets I'm preparing on the stove, with a slightly bigger smile on her face than earlier. "What do you know, even though you're a total loser, I guess you can be useful for something after all."

Suddenly, in that moment, I felt a warmth in me that had long been cold and forgotten. Just like that, my darkened world seemed just a touch brighter, even if only a little bit.

Aria catches my staring, and looks back at me with her own gaze before slowly shifting into a frown, "What are you staring at, creep? You better not be getting any funny ideas."

I grit my teeth in annoyance before piping up, "Shut up, I was not. I wasn’t thinking of you in that way at all!”

Aria backs away from me, “Whatever creep, just make sure you keep your hands and thoughts to yourself, or else I’ll tell Mrs. Chavana all about you.”

‘Never mind,’ I think to myself, ‘everything is bleak again.’