I’m sure we wouldn’t have lasted a day or two longer in that room. Probably not even a night， if it hadn’t been for the phone call she received. I was sitting on my bed， fuming. She was sitting on hers， fuming. It was later in the evening and the room was so thick with unspoken expletives that I don’t even know why we had both returned to each other’s company.
When the phone rang she picked it up and I could tell right away it wasn’t good news. I knew Kim had a boyfriend back home and I could tell from her end of the conversation that he was breaking up with her. Though I didn’t mean for it to happen， I could feel the warm feelings of empathy rising up in my heart. Losing a boyfriend was something no girl should go through alone.
I sat up in my bed. Kim wouldn’t look at me and when she hung up the phone she quickly crawled under her covers and I could hear her quiet sobbing. What to do？ I didn’t want to just walk over(I was still a little miffed) but I didn’t want to leave her either. I smiled as I got the idea.
Slowly， I began to clear up my side of the room. I took back the book I had set on her desk and I cleaned up the socks and the shirts. I put some pencils in my pencil holder and made my bed. I straightened the dresser top (but not the drawers—I had my limits！) and swept the floor， even on her side. I got so into my work that I didn’t even notice that Kim had come out from under the covers. She was watching my every move， her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. When I was finally done I went and sat at the end of her bed. Not really saying anything but just sitting. I guess I didn’t know what to say. Her hand was warm. I thought it would be cold， probably because I always thought the organized were pretty heartless. But no. Her hand was warm as it reached over to grasp mine. I looked up into Kim’s eyes and she smiled at me. “Thanks.”
Kim and I stayed roommates for the rest of that year. We didn’t always see eye to eye， but we learned the key to living together. Giving in， cleaning up and holding on.