Chapter 4The AA System: Split to the Death

Learning she would be expelled, Zara dared not question the system anymore.

But she intensified her torture of us.

Sleeping late, waking up early, playing games on speaker, banging things around loudly.

A good night's sleep became a luxury. We dragged our heavy bodies to class every day, sleeping as soon as we hit the desk, losing many participation points.

Besides that, she livestreamed in the dorm. Once, Laney was changing and almost got recorded.

Zara just said indifferently:

"Who knows if you stood there changing on purpose? Seeing me livestream, couldn't you hide? I think you just wanted to be on camera, using your body to seduce people."

Laney cried from anger and asked the counselor to change dorms.

The counselor comforted her, saying they would arrange it when a dorm opened up.

But we knew this was just bureaucratic talk.

Seeing the counselor couldn't do anything to her, Zara became even more smug.

At some point, she picked up a bad habit.

Smoking.

She smoked as soon as she returned to the dorm, two packs a day.

Entering the door, we no longer smelled the sourness of her bed, but the stench of secondhand smoke.

I hate the smell of secondhand smoke; it hurts my heart and lungs. I couldn't help but rage:

"The dorm is a public space! Why smoke here? Can't you go outside?"

Layla, eyes stinging from the smoke, joined in:

"Don't you know secondhand smoke is toxic? Why force us to breathe your smoke?"

Zara just sneered:

"So what? I haven't asked you to split the cost of my cigarettes yet."

Seeing us unhappy made Zara happy.

Laney, Layla, and I squatted downstairs, looking at the moon.

Laney clutched her chest: "I feel like I'm getting breast hyperplasia."

Layla looked pale: "I'm about to have a nervous breakdown."

I was expressionless: "I feel my brain and lungs aren't doing well."

Other things could be tolerated, but secondhand smoke was unbearable.

Only non-smokers know how smelly and disgusting it is, not to mention the health risks.

Usually, I hold my breath and detour when walking past smokers. I even drop novels if the male lead smokes.

Good lord, now I'm getting my fill.

Laney suggested: "Should we complain together to change dorms?"

Layla shook her head: "Useless. Where would the school find empty dorms? They only 'solve' the person raising the issue."

We were honest people, helpless against a rogue, and couldn't be rogues ourselves.

I sighed: "Let's go to the hospital first. Don't want to get sick from anger."

The checkup results were fine. The doctor said we were under too much stress and told us to rest and stop smoking.

Heaven help us, we don't smoke!

Seeing the doctor's orders, we sighed again, pained by the hundreds of dollars in checkup fees.

Before returning to the dorm, I bought white vinegar and a spray bottle, deciding to spray Zara if she smoked again.

Even a rabbit bites when cornered.

However, before we could execute the plan, Zara returned drunk almost at dawn.

At the same time, the cold mechanical voice sounded.

[1. Utilities split evenly, Zara deducted $0.50 less.]

[2. Zara smokes cigarettes at $20/pack, 2 packs/day, total $40. Roommates should split the cost. Deducted $10 each from Laney, Layla, and Jay.]

WTF!

Is there no justice!

Zara froze, then laughed maniacally:

"See? Karma for going against me! Hahaha."

This is intolerable!

Furious, I jumped up to appeal.

However, the mechanical voice paused, then continued.