A Possible Bonding Moment

"I figured that guy was your older brother. He looked too young to claim to be a parent. Although he has the paternal stuff down pretty well." Beth sank into her chair, clicking the final screens to download the anti-virus software that the college provided. Once finished, she turned to a box on the floor by her feet.1

She leaned forward, pulling books out and setting them in stacks on the desk, in preparation for shelving them on the two little shelves above her desk surface. None of the volumes were first editions like Kira's, but all showed signs of being well-loved: cracked spines and dog-eared pages. Several Austen novels appeared, as well many other classics and volumes of poetry. All of the books received shelf space, but a few pieces remained on the desk itself: Blood and Chocolate, Hound of the Baskervilles, and Dracula.2

"I keep wondering if I should go next door and see who is in the next room, to see if she needs anything," Beth mused. "I don't want to intrude though, so I'm not sure. I think I'll wait a while longer and if she's still at it, then I'll check on her."3

Kira made no movement, continuing to browse the internet and check what appeared to be her course schedule. Easy turbo, Beth smirked, there's plenty of time to be studious. Her roommate was turning out to be an even bigger bookworm than she was, which was saying a lot. Either that, or she's the most anti-social kid I've ever met. Elizabeth sighed, gathering the rest of her packing materials and collapsing her bags, carrying them to the closet and shoving them into the gap between her top box and the closet ceiling.4

"We must have similar taste," Beth commented, gesturing to Kira's shelf where her copy of Dracula resided. "I love gothic literature. You have many valuable pieces. Rather trusting of our neighbors, aren't you?"