Chapter 5: Unexpecting Intruder
This was her third year staying on campus, Zen counted in her head. She had been residing here since her freshman year of university but couldn't recall a single time when the dormitory was adamant the students follow the rules like their whole careers depended on it. When they first arrived at the dormitory, there were some pre-existing rules they had to follow as residents, but the sudden unexpected changes and the new additions threw her over the edge. The dormitory's rules were becoming more stringent than those of the military. How she wished she could go back to high school. Things weren't as hectic back then.
"But guys, tell me," Nadia chimed in, munching on a cookie. Her voice caught Zen's attention who was waiting for her to continue. "Who among us do you think is most likely to get kicked out of the dorm for breaking the rules?" she asked mischievously.
"Why would you even think that? We're not troublemakers," Madilyn replied, crossing her arms and then furrowing her eyebrows at Nadia.
"That." Nadia pointed a finger at Madilyn. "That gangster attitude will get you kicked out, Maddy dear," she continued.
"Like I care." Madilyn shot back. "You're the one who's most likely to get kicked out, and the reason will be because you play around with too many men." Madilyn teasingly stuck her tongue out at Nadia. Zen resisted the urge to laugh at the two idiots bickering like an old married couple.
"Shut up, Madilyn." Nadia threw a nearby pillow at Madilyn out of embarrassment. "I hate you," she seethed.
"I never asked you to love me," Madilyn fired back.
"Stop it, you two." Zen rubbed her eyes in irritation and the two quieted down. Her two friends bickering like an old married couple was giving her a headache. Especially that Madilyn who didn't know how and when to stop insulting people, but despite her aggressiveness and pompous demeanour, Zen had always known Madilyn to be a friendly person by nature.
"But come to think of it," Nadia spoke again a minute later. "I think Zen is the most unlikely one out of us to get kicked out," Nadia pondered aloud.
"And what makes you say that?" Zen lifted her gaze from the phone screen and focussed on Nadia, waiting for her response.
"I mean, look at you," Nadia began, "You are introverted. You're quiet. You don't disturb others, unlike some people." Nadia flashed an eyebrow at Madilyn and continued before the latter could protest, "You mind your own business. You are always in your own world. You never fight with the students in the dorm. Though you get crazy sometimes and we all know you have two personalities, but you are a very kind person-"
"So basically, you just want to say I'm a freak," Zen concluded Nadia's statement.
"No. I don't mean it like that," Nadia countered.
"Hey, look. Rule 5 is also equally ridiculous," Madilyn interrupted. Zen and Nadia immediately shifted their focus to Madilyn, their earlier conversations forgotten and thrown out the window. "Celebrating birthday parties inside the dormitory is strictly prohibited," Madilyn read out the fifth dorm rule.
"What?" Nadia shouted. Zen and Madilyn winced at the outburst. "Of all the rules, why that one?" Nadia whined, angrily throwing the empty cookie wrapper in the dustbin.
"You heard it loud and clear. No more birthday celebrations." Madilyn made it clear.
"But my birthday's coming up next month." Nadia climbed on top of her bed, tossing and turning with pent-up frustration, and then screaming into her human-sized pink plushie which had the picture of a K-pop idol printed on it.
"Leave Taehyung alone," Madilyn stomped back to snatch the plushie from Nadia and brought it to her side of the bed.
Zen was too busy going over the rules to notice the commotion between her friends. After having read the last rule, she looked up. "Hey, I think this is important. They're cutting off electricity at eleven every night."
"What? Why?" Both Nadia and Madilyn exclaimed.
"To ensure we sleep early and wake up early for class?" Zen assumed.
"They cannot do that. This is not jail!" Nadia exclaimed. Madilyn nodded furiously looking at Nadia.
"I think this is too ridiculous," said Zen, getting up from her chair and passing the phone back to Nadia.
"It is ridiculous. What if we have exams? We need to study. Come on, they can't do this to us. I'm complaining. Who's with me?"
"We'll be with you, honey," Madilyn responded, "but if it's just the three of us, I doubt it'll be of any help. We need to discuss with the others."
"You're right," Nadia surrendered. "Then let's have a meeting now. Call everyone."
"Easy. We can deal with this later," Zen intervened.
"Right, right. Come Zen, let me help you with your novel," said Nadia, making her way towards Zen. But a sudden and harsh knock on the door alerted the trio in the room.
"Zen?" came a gruff, angry voice. "Zen?!" The person outside raised her voice and started banging on the door repeatedly. "Come out, Zen! I know you're in there."
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