Tiramisu Prophecy: My Roommate Wants Me Dead

My roommate, Andrew Hayes, has become obsessed with this viral tiramisu place off campus. Every night without fail, he brings a box of it back. He tries to sell us on it more than once. Supposedly the texture is silky and rich, and it melts in the mouth. I just can't be bothered to care. Everything changes on the day before the grad school recommendation list is posted. My pen is moving across the page of a paper when something at the edge of my vision suddenly catches my eye. A few lines of text have appeared. [Tonight, your roommate, Andrew, will ask you to help him buy tiramisu from that viral dessert shop. After he eats it, he'll rush out of the dorm. The next day, the police will take you away on charges of aggravated assault. [Online exposés will say you attacked your roommate out of jealousy, and the Internet will explode with outrage. Relentless cyberbullying will consume your life. Even your parents will get dragged down with you and lose their steady jobs. Ultimately, you'll be driven into a mental breakdown and die from depression.] I figure I've started hallucinating after finally cracking under the pressure, so I toss the workbook aside. That night, Andrew pushes open the dorm room door. His tone is easy and familiar as he asks, "Luke, grab me a tiramisu on your way back, okay?" My brain blanks for a second. This scene matches the prediction word for word. Andrew's smile is bright and sunny as he walks closer, but I only feel a chill down my spine because of one of the prediction's sentences. [After you're taken in for questioning, you'll miss your interview. The guaranteed grad school spot will fall right into Andrew's lap.] Is Andrew really going to ruin my entire life over a single guaranteed grad school slot? My grip tightens around my pen. I say, "Sorry, Andrew. It's not really convenient for me." Chapter 1 Andrew Hayes' smile froze on his face, but he quickly forced out another one. This one was brighter and more easygoing than the one before. "Luke, it's just a box of tiramisu. It's on your way, anyway," he said, his eyes shining as he looked at me. He seemed utterly sincere. My fingers tightened around my pen. It was this exact look on his face that had made me think he was someone worth being friends with. But now, he would gladly destroy me, ruin my future, and use my life to clear a path for his own. This was murder. I wouldn't give him the chance! My palms began to sweat, and my tone turned awkward and rigid. "I'm really not free." Andrew's smile froze a second time. He lowered his head, his fingers curling into fists. "I'm just tired today and don't want to make another trip. Are you sure you can't?" He sounded like he had been hit with the worst injustice in the world. I looked away, furious and at a total loss inside. But when I saw how Andrew looked right now, I just couldn't link him to the lunatic from the prediction. Things had already turned so bizarre, though. I had to be extra careful. "Luke, weren't you going to the supermarket tonight?" another roommate, Tyler Cole, spoke up, his voice cutting through the room. He took off his headphones and set his pen down on top of his notebook. He turned around to look at me. His gaze wasn't that sharp, but every word landed like a rock. "The dessert shop is right next door, so just pick the cake up on your way. Why are you dithering like some drama queen?" I met his gaze head-on. "I have other plans. I can't take it." "How is that—" "It's fine! It's alright!" Andrew jumped in before Tyler could finish, waving both hands in front of his chest, smiling like the perfect, considerate friend. "Luke must have his own stuff going on. Tyler, I know you're just worried about me, but don't be so hard on Luke, okay? "It's no big deal. I mean, I'm dying for some cake, but if Luke can't help me out, then I… I'll just get it another day. Thanks anyway, Tyler." When he finished, he even turned and glanced back at Tyler. There was gratitude and happiness in that look, but there was only eerie calmness in his eyes when his gaze brushed over me. It was a look I'd never seen on him before. The prediction was real. Every bit of it was real. My back immediately broke out in cold sweat. My shirt clung to my skin from the dampness. "Too hard on him?" Tyler rolled those words around, testing them. Then, he sneered, his eyes sweeping over me with open displeasure before shifting back to Andrew. "Andy, you're just too nice. You shared that tiramisu with him yesterday, and he didn't say he had other plans then, did he? "But now that you want him to grab some for you since it's on his way, suddenly it's 'not convenient for him.' It's obvious what he means, isn't it?" Anger rushed straight to my head. Tyler had twisted that shared box of tiramisu into some special favor that Andrew had done just for me. All four of us in the dorm had eaten it. Everyone had a slice, and everyone had thanked Andrew. But the way Tyler worded it, it now sounded like Andrew had gone out of his way just to get me that cake. Yes, I did eat it. I'd actually turned Andrew down at first, but he kept pestering me to try it. I'd been working on a Meranian practice test at the time. After I finished, I felt like I'd been too harsh when I rejected him earlier. So, I'd specifically grabbed his favorite snack, walked over, and apologized to him. Andrew kept his head down, his voice so soft it was almost impossible to hear. "Tyler, I shared the cake with Luke because I wanted to. I just figured that he probably hadn't tried anything like it before because of how careful he always is with his money. I wanted him to have a taste of it, too… I didn't realize he actually hated it so much that he won't even help me bring a box back now." It was easy to read between the lines. What he meant was that if I didn't help him now, I was ungrateful. I was the bad guy who took kindness and gave nothing back. He made something he'd done for the whole dorm sound like a favor that he'd done just for me, then pushed all the blame on me by claiming that he'd done it willingly. I stood by my bed, watching Andrew hang his head. His eyes were lowered, and his lashes trembled ever so slightly. He looked utterly aggrieved. Tyler was clearly running out of patience. He rapped his knuckles against his headphones, making the plastic clatter. "Simple question, Luke. Will you do it or not?" Chapter 2 I looked Tyler in the eye. "I won't do it." I'd thought Andrew genuinely wanted to be friends with me. I'd given him the notes I put together, helped him sign up for classes, saved him seats, and let him tag along on various competitions with me. But from now on, I knew all of that would change. He was the furthest thing from sincere—all he had in him was scheming and trickery. I wasn't going to be the asphalt on his path to success. No way. The room went quiet. Tyler suddenly shoved his chair back. The chair legs scraped across the tile with a sharp, grating screech. His voice was as cold as a knife edged in ice. "If you won't do it, then I will. You're making such a big deal out of something this small and dragging it out forever. I really misjudged you, Luke. You don't deserve to be my friend." He turned and headed for the door. "Tyler, don't go!" Andrew immediately lunged forward and grabbed Tyler's sleeve. He clutched it tightly, his voice anxious yet soft. "You haven't even finished your assignment yet. I just thought… it'd be perfect if someone were already passing by there. I don't want you to have to make a special trip." When he said he didn't want to trouble Tyler, his gaze slid over to me. It felt like a drop of ice water running from the back of my neck down into my shirt. With that one look, he pinned all the so-called trouble on me. Tyler, held back by Andrew's grip, stopped walking. Instead of sitting back down, he turned to look at me. He didn't say a word, but I sensed the ice in his gaze. I started to tremble ever so slightly. I couldn't get a word out. It was like something was lodged in my throat. Tyler's eyes seemed to say, "See? It's because you're so selfish, so cold, and because it's 'inconvenient for you' that I have to make the trip for you even though I'm not done with my assignment. And Andrew's actually apologizing for you." The room became deathly silent. Just then, someone opened the door. Another roommate, Ian Lawson, walked in holding his laptop. He had two classmates trailing him. He came in with a bright grin. "Guys, congratulate me. I finally wrapped up my project—" His voice cut off abruptly when he realized something was off in the room. Andrew sat on the edge of his bed, looking upset. Tyler stood by the desk, his face dark. I sat at my own desk, my expression flat. Ian closed the door. "What happened?" "Andy asked Luke to grab a tiramisu on his way back, and Luke shot him, saying it was 'inconvenient.' I said I'd go buy it, but Andy stopped me. It's ridiculous," Tyler grumbled. Ian looked over at me after hearing that. In his eyes, I saw surprise, disapproval, and a hint of judgment that seemed to be asking me how I could act like that. He set his laptop down on the desk and walked over to Andrew. "It's fine. Let me drop these materials off first. I'll swing by and grab it for you on my way back." "That's too much trouble…" Andrew hurriedly said, his voice hoarse. "You just finished your project, and you still have to go out again…" As he spoke, his eyes kept flicking in my direction. Everyone followed his gaze. The two classmates who'd followed Ian in still hadn't left. One of them, a guy with glasses, muttered, "You all live in the same dorm. It's not like helping to bring something back is gonna kill him." The other one chimed in, "Every time I come by, Andy's always super welcoming. Luke, on the other hand, just stands there like a statue. No wonder he doesn't fit in. Honestly, Andy's the only one who can put up with him, and he doesn't even appreciate it." Tyler added his own jab. He didn't look at me. His tone was light and almost casual when he said, "As far as I'm concerned, what's the point of good grades if you've got a rotten personality? That's the real problem. "Look at Andrew—great grades, good-looking, and liked by everyone. That's the kind of person people naturally gravitate toward. He's not like certain people, who are withdrawn, antisocial, and couldn't care less about the group." Every word felt like a needle driving into me. In comparison with Andrew, I was clearly the weird one who only cared about grades and not about people. Tyler had even twisted my refusal into proof that I was jealous, had a bad temper, and had terrible character. I stared at his profile, clenching my jaw so hard that my molars ached. Meanwhile, Andrew ducked his head and wiped his face in resignation. Then, he lifted his gaze to me. His eyes were filled with frustration, yet he tried to keep his expression neutral. "Luke…" His voice came out rough and soft, like someone who'd been pushed too far but was still trying to be considerate. "Could I trouble you to help me get the cake?" He looked at me, as did Tyler, Ian, and the other two classmates. The whole room had their eyes on me. Their gazes felt like blades, all stabbing in my direction. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. I suddenly smiled. "Sure." I stood up from my chair. "I'll go get it for you." Chapter 3 In less than 20 minutes, I was back in the dorm with the cake. I set the box with the store's logo printed on it on the desk. Andrew looked up at me. His eyes were still red-rimmed from his earlier frustration, but the corners of his lips were already lifting. "Thanks, Luke." I didn't say anything. I just pulled out a chair, sat down, and took a sip of water from the glass on the desk. Andrew opened the lid. He stuck the spoon in, scooped up a big bite, and brought it to his mouth. "Mm, it's so good." He squinted, looking completely satisfied. Off to the side, Tyler muttered, all passive-aggressive, "Andy, you're just too nice. If somebody had given me that sort of attitude, I'd have gotten pissed off a long time ago." He emphasized the words "that sort of attitude". "It's not like that." Andrew set the spoon down. "We're all in the same dorm, and everyone's nice. Luke helped in the end, didn't he?" He took two more bites. On the third one, his swallowing suddenly slowed slightly. He put the spoon down, letting out a soft clink. He closed the lid, his fingers pressing along the edge of the paper box, the tips turning slightly pale. Tyler asked, "What's wrong?" Andrew faltered. Then, he said, "Nothing. I just need to go out for a bit. Something came up." He stood up and threw on his jacket, then picked up the box of cake and held it in his arms. After that, he rushed out of the dorm. As the door swung shut behind him, Tyler grumbled, "What's up with him? It's not safe running around this late." Ian kept his eyes glued to his screen, not even looking up as he answered casually, "Oh, don't worry about him. He'd tell us if something was wrong." Only I stayed quiet. I lay back down on my bed and picked up my phone. From that moment on, it felt like every passing second slowed to a crawl. 11:00 pm. 12:00 am. 1:00 am. 2:00 am. All the lights in the dorm were off. Tyler's bed curtain was drawn. There was no movement from Ian's side, either. Only my phone was still lit. I scrolled through the campus subreddit. A new post appeared on the front page. It had three photos attached. The first showed the fluorescent lights of the ER and a ghastly white hallway. The second showed a close-up of a lab report, with a few lines at the bottom circled in red. The third showed a white box with a mosaic over it. I saw the pink ribbon on it. The logo had been blurred out, but I recognized that box. It was the same one I'd set on the desk. The caption read, "Ended up in the ER in the middle of the night. Ate some tiramisu my roommate brought me, and something felt off right after." My finger froze. The screen's light shone on my face. I scrolled down to see the replies already going insane. "Holy crap! Did your roommate poison you?" "Maybe it's that viral dessert place that messed up. OP, explain properly!" "Read carefully. OP said the roommate 'brought' it, not that the shop was the problem." "Who brought it? Tell us exactly who!" "Wait. This guy's up for that guaranteed grad school spot… Don't tell me it's who I think it is…" "Why are you censoring this? People like that don't deserve to be blurred out!" "Luke Carter, School of Computer Science. You're welcome." The post had only been up for an hour, and it already had over three thousand comments. The number of upvotes kept jumping and getting higher. "He's aiming for a prison sentence when he hasn't even gotten to enjoy that guaranteed spot in grad school?" "He always looks so honest and quiet. People like that are the scariest." "I heard he doesn't get along with the rest of the dorm. Bet he's just jealous." "Care to elaborate on that?" "I'm in the dorm next door. I just heard them arguing tonight. Everyone else was on Andrew's side. He was the only one who sat there with a long face." I kept scrolling. "The lab report said industrial alcohol, right? You can go blind from drinking that. OP's lucky he only felt a little sick." "Has anyone called the cops yet? This needs to go to them!" "OP, you okay? Still alive?" Andrew replied in a comment below, "Thanks for the concern, everyone. I already got my stomach pumped, and I'm on an IV now. I haven't called the police because I'm honestly a little scared… He's usually pretty nice to me…" A string of crying emojis followed. The comments blew up again. "Call the cops! Seriously, you have to!" "Not reporting him out of fear is basically shielding a murderer!" "You can't settle this matter in private. What if he tries it again?" "So what if he's got a guaranteed spot for grad school? Having that makes it okay to poison people now?" "@UniversityOfficial Please do something about this." Chapter 4 The footsteps in the hallway yanked me out of my sleep. Heavy leather soles struck the tiles, one after another, getting closer and closer. I opened my eyes. It was 7:00 am, but the dorm room door was wide open, and the doorway was packed with people—two cops, Professor Trent, the student advisor, and Andrew, half-supported by Tyler. Everyone already knew what had happened, just like in the prediction. And everyone had kept it from me. No one had asked me a single question. It was like they'd all silently agreed that I was the one behind this. No one had even thought about speaking up for me. Every single person was on Andrew's side. They were backing him up and coming for me. His eyes were bloodshot. He clutched a sheet of paper in his hand—the lab report—its corners crushed and wrinkled. He sagged against Tyler's arm, like his legs could give out any second. When he saw that I was awake, hurt instantly filled his eyes. He asked shakily, "Luke… How could you do this to me over a grad school recommendation slot? I thought we were friends…" He was just loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear. Even the people in the neighboring rooms, who were poking their heads out, gasped in surprise. A grad school recommendation slot, huh? Well, that was exactly what Andrew had gone after my life for. Did he have even a shred of humanity left in him? I swung my legs off the bed. The floor was icy under my feet, and the chill shot straight up my spine. Professor Trent adjusted his glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes narrowed as he looked me over from head to toe. "Did you poison the tiramisu? Actually, save it. You can explain yourself to the police. The college's stance is clear—your grad school recommendation is revoked and reassigned to Andrew." He paused, the corners of his mouth curving downward. "Someone with a character as rotten as yours doesn't deserve it." Rustling sounds spread through the hallway. The doors of the neighboring dorm rooms were all cracked open. Seven or eight heads stuck out, and a couple of people already had their phones raised. A police officer stepped forward. "You're coming with us to the station to cooperate with the investigation." The fact that he was ordering me to go with them instead of asking me to help with the investigation grated on my nerves. I said coldly, "It wasn't me." Andrew scowled and snapped, "I've been eating the tiramisu from that place forever, and nothing has ever happened! The one time you get it for me, something suddenly goes wrong. Who else can I trust? If it wasn't you, then who? Answer me! Why would you do this to me? Why, Luke?" His voice cut straight through the whispers in the hallway. Some people muttered among themselves. "Of course it was him. I've never met anyone like him." "Look at how calm he is even in this situation. His composure is seriously something else." I looked down the hallway. Those heads that had been sticking out pulled back halfway, but their phones were still up. I saw their cameras aimed straight at me. Tyler supported Andrew and shot me a look of pure disgust. "You always act like you're such a decent guy, but here you are, showing your true colors," he ground out. I didn't spare him a glance. Instead, I walked up to Andrew. Tyler was still holding him up. He smelled faintly of hospital disinfectant. His hair was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were drained of color. He was the very picture of a victim. I stared into Andrew's anger-filled eyes. "Do you really think I'm the one who did this to you?" "Who else could it be? If you didn't do it, then who did? Tell me!" His voice cracked. I looked at him once more. Then, I turned around and went to my desk, picking up my phone. I turned back to face Andrew and said, "Andrew, I'll ask you one last time. Are you absolutely sure I'm the one who did this to you?"