Having a conscious wasnt fun.

At least not to Addie; it meant she couldnt do things that were fun without feeling bad about them. Of course, at twenty three, that shouldnt have been a worry for her. She should be living her life, making the mistakes that will define her and being a part of breath taking stories to tell her children, and her grandchildren when they were old enough of course. She should not be sat in her dorm room, ear cancelling headphones on, doing her psychology essay on how behaviour as a child can affect a person in later life. She did not need to know the effects that sucking your thumb, opposed to not sucking your thumb, caused. She was, though, because university life could be hard. When you were a fresher, you partook in everything the wild parties, the staying up all night with friends, only to go to a gig or rave the next night, and most of all, you made it look easy. Hitting your second year, you mellowed a little and occasionally did your homework, or read a book instead. By your third year? You were all over your homework like a cat on a rat. Providing the cat didnt have a fear of rats, because that meant that you were probably going to flunk out. Or, if you were Addie, youd wonder if you could use that in your essay and get away with it. After all, so far, the study had shown that it liked to blame things on completely unrelated things. Like, if you liked setting insects on fire with a magnifying glass and felt no guilt, according to the book she was studying from, you were more than likely going to end up as psychopathic, serial killer with mummy issues. It was ridiculous. No. It was ridiculous that shed chosen this subject to study at a degree level when learning it for her A-Levels had been stupid enough. Maybe this was one of her life defining mistakes that she could look back on when she never used the degree and never because a psycho-babbling shrink. Actually. By the end of this year, she was probably going to need a psycho-babbling shrink. Just to make her forget the horrors that was exams and coursework. --- are you even listening to me? The sound rushed in to Addies ears as her roommate yanked the ear bins off of her head, dropping them around her neck instead. Carolines hands were on her hips as she stared at Addie, waiting expectantly for some kind of answer. An answer that Addie couldnt give because she had no idea what the conversation was even about. Sorry. Addie responded, turning her attention to Caroline and putting her pen down. Shed roomed with Caroline for the full two years, and a bit, that shed been here, and had learnt the hard way it was better to just let her get on with something if she needed to. And listen if she had something to say, dont use the red bottle of shampoo with the blue conditioner, never wear socks with sandals a range of things that Caroline had reprimanded her on in their time together. Sometimes it was like being married. Or worse, living with her mum again. The boys in 6B are throwing a practice jam tonight. Caroline told her, expectantly, her hands at her sides, the one eyebrow still rose as if this was supposed to jog Addies memory.

You mean the ones that swear theyre in a band. Even though theres only ever two of them? Addie asked, after a second, trying to think of who it was in 6B. No, thats the boys in 6D. Caroline rolled her eyes heavily, and Addie felt that maybe this wasnt the first time theyd ever had this conversation before. Nor would it be the first time that Caroline had reminded her of this. 6B are the insanely cute ones, who do all the cover songs in the courtyard when its hot. Oh. Oh. Addie raised an eyebrow slowly, smiling a little. She knew who they were talking about now, and honestly, she couldnt say she found any of them overly cute. Caroline on the other hand, had a very hard time at hiding that she rather liked all of them and thought they were very, very cute. Carolines cheeks pinked slightly as open, loud and bubbly as she was in front of Addie, something that probably had to do with the fact the bathroom door no longer locked, they shared a living space and it wouldnt be surprising for one of them to wake up and have left most of their clothes in the bathroom and have to run through the dorm, she was still shy and nervous when it came to outsiders. Are you coming with me? Caroline asked, after she finished shooting glares at Addie. Not that they were ever effective, but the poor girl tried and that was the important thing. I have a lot of coursework to finish, Caro, Addie said slowly, glancing down at the paper shed started. She didnt think shed done too badly, shed been sat there three hours and had four pieces wrote, double backed. Her wrist ached and she was sure that it sucked, and probably wasnt worth it, but shed tried. When does it start? Caroline tried to look hopeful as she shrugged, her hand moving up to knot in to her hair. About eight two hours to get ready? I dont need two hours. Addie pointed out, smiling a little bit. Let me shower first and well see if I have time. She wasnt going to promise, because she wasnt really in to the type of music 6B played. She wasnt in to any of the music any of the university bands played, but she figured she could give it a try. It had been a while since shed done anything with Caroline anyway, and she wasnt the only one swamped under coursework. Having a break from it all might actually be advised and needed. She was already sure she was just writing the first thing that came to her for this essay and if she carried on that way, she wasnt going to get very far with her degree. Caroline gave a little nod, smiling slightly. Great. Thank you. I didnt want to go alone. Of course she didnt, Addie thought. She never wanted to go anywhere alone, and Addie wondered why she didnt show everyone the side of her that she got to see. Caroline was a nice girl, pleasant when she had to be, violent on occasion if she felt it was justified like the last time Addie had borrowed her eye pen and mostly funny. It had made living with her a lot easier than shed expected when shed first been told shed be sharing a dorm. Putting her pens and paper aside, Addie climbed up from her desk, moved the headphones from around her neck and placed themdown on top of the essay, before stretching. She mewled softly as her back clicked and arched in to it, before straightening out, mussing her hair slightly as she headed in to the bathroom. She was sure that Caroline did need the two hours to get ready and that she wasnt going to get long in the steamy heaven of a cramped shower. She was making the most of it.