All This Over Five Bucks

"You think you've got the moral high ground just because you sleep naked?" Ronda sneered. "If you're that horny, go find a man already."

My ears burned as anger rushed to my face. At the same time, my heart started acting up again, harder than before. The flutter sharpened, and a dull ache pressed into my chest.

I did not want to argue with her anymore. I just wanted it finished—pay her, sleep, and get through the day. Hence, I sent the money.

After I transferred my share of the electricity bill, Ronda still did not leave.

"Why did you send me 25 dollars?" she demanded. "I did the math. 25 total. That means five each. Just send me five."

I stared at her, confused, then swallowed my temper. "Then refund me 20 dollars."

I pulled the blanket back up and put on my headphones, making it clear the conversation was over. I needed her gone.

Ronda reached out and yanked the headphones straight off my head.

"No," she said. "You need to send me another 5 dollars. I'm not accepting this 25 dollars."

Something inside me finally snapped.

"Then count this electricity bill as mine," I said flatly. "Don't refund anything. Give me my headphones back."

I reached for them.

Without hesitation, Ronda flung the headphones to the floor.

They hit hard.

They were limited-edition BO headphones worth over 2,000 dollars.

I threw on some clothes and jumped down from the bed. My hands trembled as I picked them up. The outer shell was shattered, cracked clean through.

Repairs alone would cost 500 or 600 dollars.

Rage surged so fast that my vision blurred. The pain in my chest spiked with it.

"What is wrong with you?" I shouted. "Why would you smash my headphones?"

Ronda crossed her arms and looked at me with open boredom. "We'll split the electricity bill. 5 dollars."

She was doing this on purpose. She wanted a fight.

My patience ran out.

"I'm not sending anything today," I said. "What are you going to do about it?"

I shoved past her hard enough to make my point. "Get lost. If you keep messing with me, I'm reporting this straight to the counselor."

I climbed back into bed and forced my eyes shut. My heart still pounded.

Ronda narrowed her eyes. Her expression twisted into something ugly, mean in a way that made my skin crawl.

"You're not paying?" she said quietly. "You'll regret it."

I ignored her. She was unhinged. Part of me almost wanted to see how she planned to make me regret it.

After that fight, the dorm finally quieted down.

I slept until the afternoon. The alarm dragged me awake, and I rushed to wash up. A faint ache lingered in my chest, and my head felt stuffed with cotton from the lack of sleep.

Class time crept up fast. I grabbed my things and turned to my desk for my laptop.

The surface was empty. My laptop was gone. So were the power cables. Even my specially paired speakers had disappeared.

That group project would determine whether I passed the finals. If my parents found out I failed, they would never let it go.

My stomach dropped.

We did not have strangers coming in and out. There were only the four of us.

I turned to Vicky and the other roommate. "Did either of you touch my stuff? Where's my laptop?"

Vicky shook her head, her expression flat. "Wasn't me."

She was always close with Ronda. They ate together and went everywhere together. I already knew she would not help me.

I asked Zoey next. She also said she had no idea.

That left one person.

Ronda sat at her desk with headphones on and music playing. She looked relaxed, almost cheerful.

I hesitated. I was already running late for class. With no proof and no time, I grabbed my books and left the dorm.

As I walked, I messaged the counselor and reported a theft in our room.

I had not gone far when Zoey sent me a private message.

Zoey: [Check the campus forum.]

I frowned but opened it anyway. The first post at the top of the feed advertised a secondhand laptop for cheap.