Lyf Moves In
Ivy knocks on the door three times and says her name before entering the dorm. Just as she suspected, Lyf is sitting on their bed in a pile of blankets and books. Their eyes are red and their hair is knotted and a bit greasy. The only sign they’ve eaten is a ramen cup on the nightstand. The overall dorm is still clean from Ivy’s last visit, but around the bed is a disaster. Ivy starts by taking away all of the books. Lyf whines and Ivy shooshes them, “You’re not taking in any information, Lyf. You have to take a break from cramming.” She clears the bed of books and throws away the ramen cup and manages to straighten the blankets a bot around Lyf. “When was the last time you showered?” Lyf barely shrugs. “Do you have the energy to do it yourself?” Barely a shake. Ivy picks Lyf up. “I’ll help.” She takes them to the bathroom and sets them on the toilet seat. “Get undressed, I’ll grab clothes.” She comes back with Lyf’s favorite outfit, hopefully wearing it will help a bit. She fills the tub with warm water and some bubble bath she knows Lyf usually saves for special occasions. She helps them climb in and she starts to wash their hair. Lyf’s eyes close in relaxation.
“Lyf, I have an idea.” They hum and she goes on, “I always help after you’ve already spiralled. I think someone or multiple people being around to catch you before it gets bad would be very helpful.” Lyf raises an eyebrow. “You know I live in a big house with my friends. I think you should move in too. They make an excellent support system, and we do have an open bed. You would be rooming with me.” Once Lyf is clean, Ivy hands them a towel, “I’ll go make some food, you think about it.” Ivy manages to pull together a sandwich with what little food was in the minifridge. Lyf comes out of the bathroom and sits on the edge of the bed. She hands them the food and sits behind them to start braiding their hair. “It sounds nice,” they manage to say. Ivy smiles, “I’ll tell Aurora. When would you like to move in?” Lyf finishes their sandwich, “Tomorrow? It’s the weekend, so…” “We can do that. I’ll help you pack now. Put on some music you like.”
Ivy spends the night helping them pack what little they have in the dorm, and sends an email to the college telling them Lyf is moving out. They fall asleep watching Lyf’s favorite show. In the morning, Aurora knocks on the door. “Lyf, this is Aurora. It’s her house that we all live in.” Aurora waves and signs, ‘Ivy has talked a lot about you.’ ‘That’s sweet,’ They sign back, smiling. The three of them load Aurora’s van. Ivy sits in the passenger seat and the three talk on the way there. ‘I have everyone besides Ashes in their rooms for now. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.’ “How many of you are there?” “There’s me, Aurora, Tim, Bertie, Ashes, Jonny, Brian, Raphaella, Nastya, TS, and Marius. So eleven, and you make twelve.” Lyf nods, “Yeah, meeting all of them at once would be a lot.”
Aurora pulls into the driveway of the absolutely massive house. There’s someone outside, Ashes probably. Everyone unloads. “Lyf, right?” They nod, and Ashes smiles, “I’ve heard a lot about you. I think we’re gonna get along.” Everyone grabs a box and walks into the house. Someone is loudly playing the violin. Ashes huffs, “He’s so upset that he has to stay in his room. I’m about to shout.” Lyf sets down their box and covers their ears. “Marius if you don’t stop playing I swear on my favorite lighter I will set that violin on fire!” The violin abruptly stops. Ashes grins and leads the group to Ivy and now Lyf’s room. “Tim and Bertie are in the room to the left, they get nightmares sometimes but the room is pretty well soundproofed. Jonny and I are to the right. Write down a list of allergies, dietary restrictions, and anything else you need.” “Uh, thanks,” Lyf says as they all pile boxes onto their bed. It’s going to take some getting used to, but everyone seems nice so far.