The Roommates Who Never Existed

The professor was halfway through the attendance sheet when the ice settled in my chest. He hadn’t called Parker’s name. "Excuse me," I said, my voice cutting through the hum of the lecture hall. "I think you skipped Parker. Parker Ward. He’s in this section." Professor Miller didn't even look up from his tablet. His brow furrowed, a flicker of genuine annoyance crossing his face. "Please don’t disrupt the lesson, Mr. Payne. There is no Parker Ward on the roster for this course. There never has been." I felt a ripple of confusion move through the room. I looked around, waiting for someone to laugh, for someone to say, Good one, Prof. But my classmates just stared at me with blank, pitying expressions. They nodded along with him. After class, my two other roommates, Brooks and Beckett, caught up with me in the hallway. They were pale, their eyes darting around like they were looking for an exit from a nightmare.