Steph groaned as she looked at her ceiling. The past week had been a mess. As soon as she got back from visiting home, her new roommates had bombarded her. No wonder no one had wanted to tell them that she wasn't going to change rooms. 

Two best friends had moved in and decided to make life difficult for everyone because they couldn't share a room. Most of their whispers and glares were directed at Steph. Today was Sunday, though, and she didn't want to go to church angry, so she stayed hidden in her room until her ride was ready to go. Any other day, Steph wouldn't have tolerated the horrible things she had overheard in the shared bathroom. 

Vrrrrrrrr. 

Steph flipped open her phone. Neil was finally ready to go. Steph rolled off her bed, straightened her bright green dress, and practically ran out the door and down the stairs. Climbing into Neil's ancient, blue truck felt therapeutic. It didn't matter what people were saying in her apartment; in this truck Steph was a good person and a good friend. Neil always made sure Steph was okay. Today he let her silently take in the good vibes as they drove to their church building.

Steph and Neil greeted their friends as they made their way up to the front of the chapel. Steph had always sat in the second row and her friends had started following suit. With a smile, Steph gave a silent prayer of gratitude that she was no longer isolated as she had been last year. As much as she enjoyed her own company, she was a social butterfly at heart.

"Hey, Steph! I have someone for you to meet," Charles quietly greeted her. Charles, Steph, and Neil had been inseparable all summer. Steph smiled and turned towards her friend. He looked as dapper as he always did, with his hair slicked back in a perfect Pompadour and his well tailored suit hitting all the right spots. 

"This is Jeremiah," Charles motioned to the man standing behind him. Steph smiled as she shook the dark-haired man's hand. Jeremiah awkwardly grinned and mumbled a small hello without making any eye contact.

Steph had heard about Jeremiah all summer. Jeremiah is Charles' roommate. Charles and Neil were so excited for her to meet him when he returned from working at a cub scout camp for the summer. According to them, Steph and Jeremiah shared the same taste in music, movies, books, and several hobbies. After almost every new revelation about her interests, Charles and Neil had chimed in with a "You need to meet Jeremiah!" 

"It's great to meet you! I've heard a lot about you. Would you like to sit by me?" Steph asked Jeremiah. 

"Okay," muttered Jeremiah with a shy smile. Steph was surprised with how shy Jeremiah seemed to be. Charles and Neil had been very outgoing when she had first met them. In comparison, Jeremiah seemed like the most awkward man on the planet. 

---

Steph could not have been more wrong about Jeremiah. He didn't take long to open up at all. Steph looked down at her watch, shocked to discover she had been talking with Jeremiah for a good 40 minutes. She didn't even feel awkward standing at the edge of the parking lot to their apartment complex for that long.

"This has been great getting to know you, but we should really go change and eat and stuff," Steph said.

Jeremiah looked at his phone. "Oh! You're right," he replied.

"Would you like to hang out tonight?" Steph asked. "I usually spend Sunday evenings with Charles and Neil watching a movie or playing a game."

Jeremiah enthusiastically agreed before wandering over to his apartment. Steph walked up the stairs to her apartment, thinking about the new addition to her friend group. Charles and Neil had been right. She had really needed to meet Jeremiah. He may be one of the most awkward men she had ever met, but he was fun to talk to. 

She had almost forgotten all about her roommate situation while talking to him. It wasn't until she had the door into her apartment halfway open that she remembered to dread seeing the two women she knew would be spread out on the couches in the living room.

"Hello," Steph politely greeted Sasha and Jessica. As expected, Sasha rolled her eyes back at Steph while Jessica feigned a polite smile. Jessica was supposed to be sharing a room with Steph and Sasha was supposed to be in the room next door. Given the circumstances, Steph was relieved that Jessica was the one in her room. At least they could pretend to get along. Sasha blamed Steph for every little perceived grievance. 

Of course, Jessica and Sasha barely went into their rooms at all. They had decided if they couldn't share a room, they would sleep in the living room. Steph didn't really mind. Dealing with a grumpy Sasha when Steph had to leave for work early in the morning was easier than dealing with either of them for any extended amount of time.

It's not my fault if they're going to act like spoiled children, Steph thought as she quickly headed into her room. She wasn't going to let their sour attitudes spoil her mood for the day. Steph had made a new friend today and she was excited to spend more time with him, and her other friends, after eating some lunch.