(RTP) The Roommate Saga: Part 1
Tripping over dirty clothes and laundry hampers is not what I looked forward to about college.
I have a roommate this year and it has been killing me. I was very apprehensive to type this but I have to get it off my chest. I also thought it would be fun to start another series on my page and what better than my disgusting roommate? Now, before I get into it let me say this: I tried. I tried so hard to be friends and chill with my roommate. I try to be friends with everyone, which sometimes results in problems but generally, I want everyone to be my friend. I never met my roommate prior so there was a little skepticism of me liking him. However, come the first day I thought: "What's the worst that could happen?"
Everything. During the school year, I am a very organized individual. I wash my clothes in a timely manner. I clean my room every other day. I do everything with the assumption of someone could walk through the door at any moment and be my guest. So naturally, I like to keep things clean for the day when I do have a guest come over and say hi. Still waiting on that day but that's beside the point. My roommate, however, could not care less if anyone comes over. He is a slob. The literal embodiment of the slob. If this was just a one-time occurrence I wouldn't be making such a big deal but it's every day. Every day is something different and I jot it down in my notes app. Like we are adults, you don't have to be super clean. Hell, in the morning I throw a bunch of stuff on my bed and leave without cleaning it. But the thing is, is that at the end of the day I clean it back up- because it's rude to keep my mess in the same space with him. I guess he wasn't taught cleanliness manners.
Now my roommate is a nice guy. He's socially awkward like me and we have one or two similar interests. In an ideal world, he and I can be buds. But we aren't in that timeline. I don't want to assume he's doing it on purpose. I think he genuinely doesn't notice. But that doesn't excuse some of the things. Like I said I've written a list and some of the most memorable highlights are the following: (1) I walked into a large puddle of water on my side of the room caused by his spilled water bottle that he did not clean up right away. (2) He left his hamper on my side of the room when I came in from work at 4 a.m., had I not seen it I would've tripped on it walking to bed. Also, why was it on my side? (3) There was a decomposing banana peel left on the ground that he did not clean up before going home for the weekend.
I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't talked to my RA. Oh, I have dear reader. You see as I mentioned earlier with the rotting banana peel, my roommate went home for a weekend a few weeks ago and he promised to clean up his side of the room. So I was like, "Cool can't wait to have a nice and clean room." This dude did not clean up and left before I could confront him about it. He didn't even tell me he was leaving for the weekend, I found that out myself from his phone conversations. I was furious and messaged my RA about it but there was no reply. Nothing. I ended up going to CVS and getting some boxes to put his stuff in all nice and neat. At this point, I was doing it for my safety because there were Wendy's bags next to the power strip and could've caused a fire. I ended up explaining the boxes to my roommate when he got back and he seemed to understand it. Maybe he was grateful he walked into the room without a mess so his father wouldn't yell at him.
Marc Anthony Brown
So what now? I just complained for a good five hundred words, so I must have a plan? Well, you're right there, I am right now deciding to move out or not. Like I said before, I like to be friends with everyone but our lifestyles are just not compatible. I like to be clean, he doesn't care. I stay up till 2 am working on homework. He wants the lights off between 9:30 p.m.-11:00 p.m. I am quiet and considerate in the morning. He's banging drawers and crushing boxes by 8:45 am. I have to wait till next week to talk with Housing because right now there are obviously in HallOUween mode for this week. So dear reader, what will happen to me? Heck if I know guess you have to tune in to part two. If the smell of my roommate's BO doesn't kill me first.