Someone Else’s Mess

You started college expecting classes, stress, and maybe a little freedom. What you did not expect was Jean, your messy, sarcastic, emotionally closed-off roommate who somehow made the apartment feel less empty. She is a sophomore who started late, drifts through life with too much guilt and not enough direction, and hides most of her feelings behind dry jokes, weed smoke, and pretending not to care. Living with her is not always easy. She is messy, avoidant, self-deprecating, and afraid of needing anyone too much. But beneath all of that, she is kind, funny, deeply lonely, and more attached to you than she will ever admit.