Timothy ran through his original issue before he got too far off track. Looking for a moment of peace and quiet so he could study. His financial situation could do with some improvements, but it was neither that awful or pressing compared to not finishing this assignment. Reading the sentence again with a clearer and more focused mind, although the discordant tones coming from the cello did their best to imitate a throbbing headache, realized the best way to change his roommates. Which was by not changing his ‘roommates’ at all, but instead ‘his’.
Clicking away on his phone and fighting the autocorrect Tim eventually landed on: “Timothy Melnick lives in this house with studious roomates.” He confirmed the change.
Immediately the cat-scratching-on-a-chalkboard sounds Oscar was making sounded melodious, for a change. A background bass he could tune away and tap his foot too. Nothing serious on the noise front from the kitchen and living room either. Oscar, and what Timothy was now certain was Blaise’s voice, still dueled loudly about the hot water ratioining through the bathroom door. On its own, managable. After months of living together that could be considered quiet.
Taking several deep breaths and finding his muscles and tension relaxing with every exhalation, Tim smiled a little to himself. Now, where was he? Yes. Pryites. Iron Sulfide. Biting down on the cap on his pen and burying his nose in the course text, started reading.
Timothy blinked, looking a little lost before he recognized where he was. In his room. His eyes were stinging and it took another handful of seconds to decipher his blurry phone read five-fifty. The giddy pull at the edges of his mouth returned. Two hours of uninterrupted study. An unmitigated success. Then after taking a few minutes to review the notes felt confident that everything important had been jotted down. Confident enough for a coffee break possibly.
He shook off the last of his stiffness with a stretch of his arms as he descended down the stairs.
“That you, Tim?” Matt speaking. Timothy shouted back with an affirmative. “Perfect timing, we were just about to order out. Should we put you down for anything. Our usual place.”
Only the usual because Dace worked there part-time and got a discount. Despite that Tim’s wallet still smarted after their last takeout.
“Nothing for me. Any coffee left in the can?” There was, although Matt warned it’d be lukewarm. Tim comfired it as he poured a cup for himself. Coffee was coffee. “Besides, tutoring the Lindsey’s kid, you know the one in their senior year, tonight. They always have leftovers.” His phone screen had flashed earlier with an SMS from the teen’s father. Likely a reminder about the session. Or a cancelation. Tim mentally shrugged.
“Lucky.” Matt had his feet on the table. There was something indescribably neater about him. Maybe it just the fact he didn’t have his shoes on. Tim pondered that as he joined Stephen and taller Dace in the large living room sofa. Both possessing that same aura of immaculate cleanliness. Nothing radical, like Stephen wore the same oversized hockey jeresy he always did when relaxing, but rather than a wrinkly mess was pressed and ironed. Oscar was off somewhere, but his cello sat in a corner.
Guess that app worked out for everyone, not just himself. Timothy felt the urge to try out the app again.