Page 6 of Choke Up

ELLIOTH: These guys aren't like my old team from high school. They're cool.

ELLISH: Yeah, sure.

ELLIOTH: Really?

ELLISH: Hell no. Thanks for the invite, though.

I slip back over to the other notification. It's one from Ivy. Shocker. She wants to invite me to a party.

Sigh.

There’s no chance it's a different party, because Ivy plays tennis. Most of her friends outside of the Pride Alliance are athletes.

ELLISH: Not really a party guy.

IVYQ: It'll be chill on the women’s side of the dorm, I promise.

IVYQ: Just think about it.

ELLISH: No promises.

I watch Brad huff around for a few minutes, trying not to laugh when he stubs his toe on my desk chair. I hold my breath, trying not to either laugh or snap at him when he forcefully pushes my chair into my desk. If he breaks anything because of his attitude problem, maybe I'll have a case for getting a new roommate.

He finally turns the light off and climbs up into his own bed. Our beds are arranged in an L shape against each wall, so I don't have to worry about turning over and finding him still scowling at me, although I'm sure he is. I open my phone's browser, planning to search for one of those little kid bed tents that Elliot and I had over our twin beds when we were kids, but I get distracted by a new message.

JOHNNY: You know, the one part of college they don't warn you enough about is how gross it is to share a shower with other dudes.

ELLISH: UGH YES! So gross!

He must live in one of the big dorms, too. The communal showers are already disgusting, and we're only a couple of weeks into the semester. All the drains are so clogged, it only takes about thirty seconds for the water to start rising around your feet. I've considered buying platforms instead of my basic shower shoes, because it’s disgusting. Most of the shower curtains are already half torn down, so there's very little privacy. And you better hope the stall you find has a sturdy hook, because anything that touches the ground is guaranteed to get wet.

If Elliot didn't live with two other guys, one of whom is the very guy I'm trying to avoid, I'd probably ask to use his shower. Maybe Ivy would let me use hers if I agree to come to the party.

JOHNNY: You went quiet earlier. I was worried your roommate might have smothered you.

ELLISH: Oh believe me, if he didn't want to before, he does now.

JOHNNY: Were you blinking too loudly? Did you gasp out loud at my last question?

I roll my lips to keep from giggling. His last question was a continuation of the one that earned him a belly button photo, so he purposefully went as personal as possible with his question, fully admitting that he was hoping I wouldn't answer so he could see more skin. I honestly don't have a problem telling him that I don't get to touch myself as often as I'd like because there's zero fucking privacy in this place, but he mentioned how soft he thought my skin looks. Which led to me spending thirty minutes taking half naked pictures of myself and getting caught by scowly Brad.

ELLISH: Something like that LOL

JOHNNY: Oh no, what happened?

ELLISH: You don't want to know.

JOHNNY: Oh, but I really do.

ELLISH: I'm not sure I really want to tell you ????

JOHNNY: You owe me a picture then ??

ELLISH: And therein lies the problem.

JOHNNY: ?

ELLISH: My roommate caught me taking the picture I was going to send you.

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