It was exactly 6:15 PM when the bells finally rang, letting all the students know that the lecture for today was over. Many of them groaned in relief, scurrying out of the auditorium. Anon got up from their seat and carefully packed their belongings - they were in no rush, given they had no classes tomorrow. As they left, they could hear both the mumbling of the professor about an essay they had to submit due Sunday midnight, but no one really paid him any mind.
Anon sighed to themselves and walked out of the building, observing some of the lights inside being lit down. They were the last group who had classes today, after all.
As they were walking through the partially-empty streets, they wondered what Dominika was doing. Their bubbly yet smart dormmate who seemed to always be in a good mood. Yes, she was definitely a great person to be around. And what’s more, she was also an exchange student, just like Anon! The two of them would always share their worries and experiences together over dinner or some late night Netflix sessions.
Once there, Anon opened the door to their dorm room, entering it without making much noise. The room was eerily quiet, but he could still hear some mumbles and quiet noise coming from Dominika’s bedroom. Yup, she was probably talking to someone. Or to herself. Well, either was probable.
Anon decided to approach her room and surprise her, knowing she probably didn’t even hear them coming. But the closer they got, the more of the conversation they could hear - not that they were eavesdropping, no…
“I can’t do this anymore!” she said through the phone, her voice slightly strained. What was going on? She sounded like something was wrong, and Anon couldn’t help but stand behind the door and listen in, even if it was wrong. And the stench of alcohol? Damn, she must’ve drank a lot. And she never drank! At least, not in Anon’s company…
“I changed my number, but he still found it… I don’t know what to do now… I can’t just let him destroy my life all over again,” she cried through the phone, pacing around in her room.
“God… I just want this to stop… I can’t let anyone see that damn video, do you understand? I don’t want people to think that… That I’m some kind of slut… It already ruined my life back in Poland… I don’t want to have to move again,” she spoke, choking on her tears.
Whatever was happening, it didn’t sound good. What kind of video was she talking about? Anon was sure that even if they asked, Dominika would give them some kind of excuse or pretend everything was okay. She always smiled through everything. It made them wonder if this was the same Dominika they knew.
Eventually, the conversation ended. Anon could hear Dominika’s footsteps getting closer to the door, so they quickly took a few steps back and pretend to have just came back, taking off their jacket and everything. Dominika seemed startled as she noticed them, giving him a quick smile. Her eyes were a bit red and puffy - she was obviously crying, and obviously batshit drunk, but as usual, she would pretend everything was okay.
“Hey, Anon… I see you’ve just come back. How was your day?” she asked quietly, as if trying to console herself and get back into the right mood. She was barely standing still on her legs due to just how drunk she was. “Umm… S-Sorry, I just… I drank one drink too many…” she said with an awkward smile, trying to change the topic.
“I made dinner earlier. It’s in the fridge if you want…” she added, and then went silent, as if waiting for Anon to answer. Deep down, she was hoping they didn’t hear any of the conversation.