I wake up one day to find that I've become the power bank of the whole dorm.
When the percentage shown above my dorm mates' heads is low, they'll be tired, angry, and ill-tempered. My job is to help them recharge via all sorts of physical contact.
If I don't do my part, my grumpy dorm mates will force me to charge them up anyway…
My roommates all seemed to be in a bad mood today.
Above each of their heads was a number that showed their battery levels, which were currently quite low. The atmosphere in the dorm room was stifling. I carefully slipped out of bed and tried to minimize my presence as much as possible as I went to pour myself some water.
Just as I was about to get up, I accidentally brushed against the back of Lenny Craven's hand. The number above Lenny's head rose from 7% to 9%.
Lenny was stunned for a moment. However, his surprise lasted only a second. He quickly returned to his bed with a long face.
I sipped my water carefully in silence and prepared to go back to my bed.
Just as I was about to climb back up, Nigel Simpson suddenly called out to me. "Alex, pour me a glass of water."
How annoying! Why didn't he ask when I was drinking? He just had to ask when I was done and was about to go back to my bed.
What a jerk!
"Okay," I said meekly.
Unfortunately, I was just a coward. In a dorm room where everyone else was over six feet tall, my height of 5'9" made me look especially small. Hence, everyone could push me around as they pleased.
However, my dorm mates had all been exceptionally kind to me. That was why I willingly complied with their wishes.
When I walked over to Nigel to hand him his glass of water, he had just completed his experiment, but it was a failure. As the percentage value above his head dropped, his emotions became visibly unstable.
He angrily pushed his chair back hard and bumped right into me. Losing my balance, I fell straight into Nigel's arms. The water spilled everywhere, soaking his clothes.
Nigel wrapped his arms around me steadily. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly noticed something unusual. He looked at me with an arched brow.
I watched the number above his head rise from 6% all the way to 15% and stayed there.
He leaned closer and held me tightly. "Alex, hugging you seems to make people feel better."
I panicked and tried to get up, but Nigel grabbed my wrist and sat me back down. He held me even more securely in his arms.
"I'm in a bad mood. Stay and help me recharge for a bit," he said with a bright, easy smile.
Those enchanting eyes of his could make anyone fall for him. I was no exception. Staring at that handsome face so close to mine, I nodded before I could even think.
He hugged me in his arms and buried his face against my neck and shoulder, nuzzling me intensely. I felt uncomfortable due to him rubbing himself all over me, and I was about to push him away when I looked up and saw Lenny.
He looked at me and said coldly, "I want you too."
Seeing that Nigel had no intention of letting go, Lenny pulled me out of his arms brusquely.
Nigel glared at Lenny, and Lenny stared back at him. "How shameless of you to keep him all to yourself."
Then, he wrapped his arms around me tightly right in front of Nigel. Lenny carried a faint scent of honey. The sweet scent he gave off was easy on the nose.
But then, Lenny suddenly kissed my earlobe. A tingling sensation spread through my whole body, startling me so much that I shoved him away.
This wasn't right!
Lenny looked at me with a hurt expression. "Alex, I… I don't know what came over me. Just now, I felt so, so sad. But the moment I held you, I felt so much better. I couldn't help myself… Don't look at me like that."
I realized then that my roommates were sad and angry because of those stupid numbers above their heads, and I just happened to be able to make them feel better.
I was about to speak when the dorm room leader, Zavier Hill, came back.
He asked with a smile, "What are you guys doing?"
But I could see the bright red 1% above his head.
I didn't even know what I was thinking when I made my next move.
It had been more than a year since I entered college, and everyone had been so kind to me. In fact, they went out of their way to be nice to me. I didn't want to see any of them unhappy, and roommates were supposed to help each other anyway.
Without much hesitation, I threw myself into Zavier's arms.
Zavier froze for a moment before gently patting my back.
He sounded a little excited as he asked, "What's wrong?"
I looked up at him. Thankfully, the number above his head had risen to 8%. But for some reason, everyone's number stopped changing after reaching a certain point.
I let go of him and replied, "I could feel that you weren't in a good mood. They said hugging me made them feel a bit better, so I thought… Maybe I could hug you too."
Even I almost believed the nonsense I was saying. I couldn't possibly tell them that I could see the battery levels above their heads.
Zavier smiled and grabbed my hand. "It does seem like that. Touching you really does make us feel a little happier. But Alex, I only feel a little better. I'm still feeling very sad. What should I do?"
I blinked and offered, "Then… Maybe hug me a little longer?"
Zavier chuckled softly. "But it seems like just hugging isn't enough. What should we do? You would do everything you can to cheer us up, wouldn't you?"
This was just how Zavier was. He knew exactly how to lead people along, like what he was doing to me now. When he put it that way, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
But I didn't intend to refuse him. I just didn't know how to help them.
As if he could read my thoughts, Zavier added, "Alex, you only need to tell me yes or no. Leave the rest to us, okay?"
I nodded solemnly. "Okay."
A strange smile played on Zavier's lips. Somehow, it resembled a predator that had finally captured the prey it had been longing for.
Nigel held me and sat down on the chair, while Lenny began to…
I froze in shock.
No way. Could it be…
My eyes widened.
Zavier's voice sounded like the devil's whisper to my ears. "Don't back out, Alex. We're really, really sad right now. Only you can help us."
