The Annoying Sleepwalker Chapter 05
The next day, I was a picture of calm.
I didn’t ask Blair for money again, nor did I mention the laptop.
Tessa thought I’d finally let it go.
She even offered me a bag of chips.
“Brigid, it’s good that you’ve moved on.”
“Honestly, Blair is in a pretty tough spot, too.”
I took the chips and smiled.
“Tessa, my laptop’s in the shop.”
“Can I borrow your iPad Pro tonight to watch an online lecture?”
“I’ll give it right back in the morning.”
Tessa froze for a second.
The iPad in her arms was the newest model, her big birthday gift to herself last year.
She was meticulous with it. The screen protector alone had been a splurge.
She didn’t even like people touching the charging cable.
But she had just finished telling me to be understanding of Blair.
If she said no now, she would look like a complete hypocrite.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she handed it over.
“Just be careful with it.”
I nodded.
“Don’t worry.”
That afternoon, I went to find Mallory.
“Mallory, I have an internship interview the day after tomorrow. I want to do an online mock interview.”
“Can I borrow your Riki mirror and your AirPods Max?”
“I need them for my interview prep class.”
Mallory was painting her nails.
She glanced up at me.
“Don’t you have your own headphones?”
I smiled.
“Mine got soaked yesterday, too.”
Her expression turned awkward.
After all, she was the one who’d said just yesterday that broken things could be replaced.
She rummaged through a drawer and handed me the noise-canceling headphones and the light-up mirror.
“Don’t break them.”
“I just bought the headphones two months ago. They were expensive.”
“I know.”
That evening, I messaged our RA, Genevieve.
“Genevieve, my laptop is broken.”
“I need to reshoot some photos for my project.”
“Can I borrow the floor’s Canon camera and tripod?”
“Just for one night. I’ll return them tomorrow morning.”
Genevieve replied quickly:
“Be careful with them.”
“That equipment belongs to the housing office.”
I answered:
“Don’t worry.”
“I’ll just keep it on my desk.”
“I’ll return it as soon as I’m done.”
She didn’t think anything of it and told me to swing by her room to pick them up.
At ten that night, I lined up everything I’d borrowed neatly on my desk.
Tessa’s iPad Pro sat in the most prominent spot.
Mallory’s AirPods Max and Riki mirror were beside it.
Genevieve’s Canon camera and tripod leaned against the wall.
Then I removed all of my own belongings.
I didn’t bring the laptop back from the repair shop.
I put my external hard drive in my professor’s locked storage cabinet in his office.
My student ID, bank cards, cash, and flash drive all went into the bag I kept on me at all times.
My interview suit was already at an off-campus dry cleaner.
The only things left on my desk were a few empty folders and the borrowed items.
When Blair came back from the bathroom, her eyes lingered on my desk for a solid two seconds.
I saw surprise.
And then a flicker of excitement.
She was probably wondering why my desk was suddenly stocked with so many new, expensive things.
Before climbing into bed, Tessa reminded me,
“Brigid, don’t put anything on top of the iPad.”
I smiled. “Okay.”
Mallory added, “Put the headphones back in the case so you don’t lose them.”
“Got it.”
After lights-out, the room fell silent.
I lay in bed, my eyes wide open in the dark.
At 2:17 a.m., a faint sound came from the lower bunk.
Someone was getting out of bed.
The footsteps were light.
They didn’t knock into the chair.
They didn’t bump against the storage bins.
There was no pausing to get her bearings.
Blair walked straight to my desk.
The next second—
*Crash!*
The iPad hit the floor, the screen shattering.
The AirPods Max were crushed underfoot.
The makeup mirror slammed into a chair leg; its light flickered twice, then went out for good.
The camera rolled off the desk, the lens hitting the floor with a sickening crack.
The entire room woke up at once.
Tessa poked her head out from her bunk, half-asleep.
“What happened?”
Mallory sat up, annoyed.
“What now?”
Blair, already perfectly practiced, crouched on the floor, grabbed her head, and started to wail.
“I don’t know. I really don’t know!”
“Did I sleepwalk again?”
“Brigid, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Tessa hadn’t even seen what was on the floor yet before she sighed automatically.
“Brigid, maybe just let it go for tonight.”
“She looks miserable.”
Mallory frowned, too.
“It’s not like she can control it.”
“Don’t make that face again.”
Blair cried even louder.
“Would it be better if I just died?”
“Why do I always cause you trouble…”
I sat on the edge of my bed and looked at them, my expression unreadable.
Then I nodded.
“Of course I can let it go.”
Everyone in the room visibly relaxed.
Even Blair’s sobs softened a little.
I got out of bed slowly, flipped on the light, and pointed to the shattered mess on the floor.
“After all, none of this is mine.”