The movie had given a warning at the start, that it would be shown with the theater at its legal dark limit. It may well have been a gimmick, but the apartment had been darkened as well and the effects were not lost on Josh. Movie night had become, in the best way possible, startlingly scary. Even as the end approached and Josh felt like Sara had oversold it, the jumpscare happened. The damsel in distress, blind and terrified, ran across the screen and the murderer that had just apparently died flung his own body from the darkest corner of the room to grab her ankle. It was sudden and perhaps the least expected scare that Josh had ever witnessed in a movie, and it was appropriate.
When the moment came, everyone on the couch jumped. Even Sara, who had seen the movie already, let out a shriek of fright. For a split second, Josh wasn’t sure why she seemed to scared. But then all of their heads turned towards the front door as it burst open just a second after the scare and let light stream into the pitch black room.
“Mother f—” Connor shouted as he leapt up and lunged for the trespasser.
Connor, valiant though his attempt was, was quickly subdued. His shout was cut short, and as the door closed and the light that had flooded the room for a moment disappeared. Josh and Sara heard Connor get dropped to the floor and let out a muffled struggling moan. And for a moment, the two of them sat paralyzed on the couch. Sara had her hand locked on Joshes shoulder, holding him back as he fearfully attempted to stand and fight as well.
But then the light switch was flipped up. And while the end of the movie played out loudly on the TV, the scene unfolding in the apartment was the focus of everyone’s attention. Connor lay prone on the floor, a boot pressing down on his back as the intruder held his arms tight in one hand. But, despite the condition of their friend, Josh and Sara relaxed. Sara was the first to laugh, but soon the whole room was echoing with the noise as everyone but the intruder joined in.
“I don’t get it. If this was your attempt to protect yourself, it’s been a piss poor one.” Margot grumbled as she dropped her bag by the door and released Connor from her grip.
Sara stopped laughing long enough to explain. “No, we were just watching a movie and you barged in right after a jumpscare—”
“I didn’t ask for an explanation.” Margot grunted as she walked through the apartment and towards the bedrooms. “I’m boring clothes from one of you, don’t care who.”
Josh stopped laughing at the curt entrance and his eyes darted back and forth between Connor and Sara’s before settling on his own hands. They seemed to be the safest thing to look at. Everything Josh wanted seemed to be coming true. Connor and Sara were happy and by his side, Margot had made her way back, and everything was set for him to get a mark. But Margot didn’t seem to be in the mood to do anything that wasn’t already on her playbook, and that was far more disheartening than Josh had realized. The more he thought about it, the more worry crept into his mind.
“Hey.” Connor had gotten off the floor and made his way back to the couch. “Josh, don’t freak out about it so much.”
“What?” Josh looked back up from his hands at his roommates and their concerned expressions.
“She’s just grumpy because she’s been on the road for a long time.” Sara explained. Her words made it sound like she was trying to wave the behavior away, but her expression remained as worried as when Josh had looked up.
“It’s a little worse it’s been before.” Connor hummed, his head swaying as if weighing the currently foul mood against past ones.
The sound of footsteps approaching the living room cut everyone short, but Margot never showed up. The bathroom fan turned on, the shower started to run, and it was clear that her priorities were not to socialize. Not yet at least. Curiosity took root in Josh’s mind though, about the last thing she had said before storming off towards the bedrooms.
The curiosity leading the way, Josh got off the couch and crept towards the bedrooms.
“Did either of you hear a door before she went into the bathroom?”
Connor scrunched up his face, confused at the sudden shift in topic. “No?”
“I didn’t.” Sara confirmed. “Why?”
“Who’s clothes do you think she stole?”
“My door’s closed… at least it should be.” Sara mumbled. “I’ve been paranoid about it ever since you peeked.”
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“And I left my mine open because I honestly don’t care.” Connor added on with a shrug.
Josh peeked down the hallway to confirm his suspicions, careful not to make more noise than necessary as he did so. Margot had already proven once that she could hear well enough when he was trying to sneak around.
“Huh. I left mine open too.”
“And our rooms our right across from each other.” Connor was beginning to show interest in the mystery as he followed Josh. “So it’s basically fifty-fifty shot.”
Josh copied Connor’s tilting head motion as he contemplated the odds himself. “I leave more clothes out than you do, though. So, I don’t know.”
“You’re closer to her size as well.” Sara added on, suddenly revealing how close behind the boys she’d crept up. “So she’s either wearing really baggy clothes she fished out from Connor’s closet, or actual decent fitting clothes from Josh’s floor.”
“Hey, I don’t just throw clean clothes on the floor.” Josh huffed. “I have a system.”
“You’re system is clean clothes on the chair and dirty clothes on the floor.” Sara said with a laugh. “And I’m not judging. I do the same thing with the addition of nice clothes go in the closet and pajamas go on the bed.”
Josh paused for a moment, both wanting and fearing admitting that those were also things he did as well. The threat of his behavior seeming feminine suddenly felt too real and unexpectedly dangerous. It probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t also clear that Margot’s preference wouldn’t also be his clothes, making even the clothes themselves more feminine. It was part of a greater conversation that the roommates had yet to have about who they were and what their styles of living and behavior were like. Ideally, Josh would have liked all that information and conversation to happen organically; and even more ideally, he wanted it to come up after he’d had a clear enough head to think about it long and hard himself. Connor had already told him that there was no pressure to identify anything like that about himself, but it almost felt like he was being outed on something he suddenly wasn’t sure he was or wasn’t.
Thankfully, it was Connor that snapped Josh out of his own head. “Yeah, my dad does the same thing. Well, he used to.”
The addition of he used to sparked a totally different curiosity in Josh’s mind, though a quick look to Sara told him it either wasn’t and interesting topic or it wasn’t a discussion worth having right then. And it was fair. Josh had already been in his own head too much about how he saw himself and he was grateful that no one had brought it up—Josh doubted that the same thoughts had even crossed either roommates minds—and so he didn’t have to think twice about dropping the topic before it even became one.
“What clothes do you think she’s stolen?” Sara asked, mischief in her voice as she casually walked over to the desk lamp in the office and turned it on. “I know she had an affinity for mens clothes so she might have been a bit pickier than she let on.”
“I’m gonna guess blue or gray slacks, a white t-shirt, and a button up shirt.” Connor answered with a laugh.
The first response had come quickly and it made Josh a little self-conscious. It wasn’t unlikely though.
“Oh, crap, yeah.” Sara mumbled as she looked over Josh. “You need to update your wardrobe dude. That’s basically all you wear.”
Despite feelingly like he’d just been called out, Josh couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re probably right. I don’t need to keep dressing like I’m trying to get into a proper job anymore. And I’ve always wanted to wear fun clothes.”
“Fun?” Sara asked, raising a single eyebrow. Her bright smile and mischief seemed to be going hand in hand more and more as Josh grew to know her better.
The question still made Josh squirm a little. He wasn’t exactly sure what it meant either, though he had ideas. He’d always worn cheap clothes or clothes that looked professional or that didn’t stand out too much. But if he was going to be an inherently different person, proudly unable to blend in with the rest of the world, he may as well try and see what that would look like.
“You know… Just… More like what you guys wear…?”
“That’s kinda cute.” Sara cooed, a new kind of smile donning her face—the kind that people get when they see a puppy or a cute baby.
“I think he just means with less sleeves.” Connor interrupted Sara’s cute moment and Josh’s mildly mortifying one. “But I mean, I’m not gonna lie, sleeve are BS and basketball shorts are definitely more fun than slacks.”
Connor’s alternative to Josh’s wardrobe seemed to be focused on his own choice of clothes. Basketball shorts, tank top, ankle socks, and slipper sandals. Even though he’s left the sandals by the door, Josh knew that Connor’s wardrobe choice was a conscious effort to maximize comfort and minimize the amount of care he put into his appearance.
“Not wearing sleeves is sort of part of being marked, so that might be a good thing to invest in anyway.” Sara said with nod of agreement. “But just the white t-shirts are fine for that.”
The conversation had quickly gone beyond Josh’s expectations and control. He had attempted to cut in and object or lead the flow in a different direction, but there was hardly a chance. And by the time there was a pause after Sara had spoken, Josh didn’t know what to say.
“I know, as a guy, that it may be the last thing you expect to feel, but shopping for clothes is actually really fun.” Connor said with a chuckle as he took back the couch for himself, leaving Josh standing alone in more or less the middle of the room. “At least, when you get to choose when and where to shop.”
“And when you’ve got a big budget.” Sara added with a waggle of her eyebrows.
“Why do I get the impression that you two are going to be taking me shopping?”
“Because we are.” Connor and Sara replied in unison.
“But not today.” Connor added on.
“No, not today.” Sara agreed.
“Why not today?” Josh asked nervously, his eyes darting to the kitchen to get a glimpse of the digital clock above the stove. It was only barely past noon, so there was plenty of time to go out if they wanted to.
It was Margot that answered. Her entrance had been quiet and unexpected, much like the final moments of the movie. Josh jumped at her interruption, but ultimately her words were more comforting than anything else that he’d been told that day.
“Because today you get your mark.”