My Roommate Threatened to Throw My Laptop off the Balcony

In the summer of 2017, my best friend and I moved into our new apartment at 2125 Franklin. He had a girlfriend at the time, so he moved the majority of his things to her apartment and left the remaining crap on his side of the bedroom. Since he lived with his girlfriend, I had the room to myself.

Jacob and Dominic

In the Fall, two new roommates occupied the other bedroom. Jakob, who always sat on the couch and watched TV, and Dominic, who, surprisingly, actually cooked meals and ate at the counter. Dominic dropped out of school and went home after the fall term. Then it was just Jacob and me, which was pretty great. We each had a bedroom to ourselves.

Hello Billy

After winter break, we got a new roommate. Billy wasn't attending the University of Oregon, so he had plenty of free time hanging around the apartment, smoking weed and making trash beats.

My Apartment Was a Hotbox

Billy smoked a lot of marijuana, and it wasn’t even the good weed. It was the nasty-smelling cheap weed that would stink up the whole apartment. Even if I closed my bathroom sliding and bedroom doors, they would still seep in through the vent. There were days when I would take a nap in between classes and wake up high as fuck. As you can imagine, it didn't help me focus in class. I hated the smell. It was nauseating, and my throat was always dry.

Strangers Everyday

Billy had visitors over all the time. One day I walked into the apartment and saw Billy and his friends playing street craps in the middle of our living room. The coffee table was moved onto the balcony, and a pile of money was on the floor. There were nights when I would walk into the kitchen, open the refrigerator, and realize that a stranger was sleeping on our couch. Unfortunately, Jacob was victimized the most because he shared a bedroom with Billy.

Urine in the Closet

One night, Billy had a friend sleep on the floor in the same bedroom he shared with Jacob. That must have been scary for Jacob. Billy's friend was so drunk that instead of walking 10 feet to the bathroom, he ended up peeing in Jacob's closet, urinating all over his shoes. Of course, Jacob had to clean it up himself the next morning. He reported it to management, and their solution was to have us all attend a counseling session.

Let’s Talk It Out

We each received a letter from management to attend a mandatory counseling session. My best friend showed up and had no idea what was going on. The whole thing was stupid and pointless. Jacob and I just wanted management to evict the guy. This had nothing to do with a lack of communication. Billy was clearly violating the terms of the agreement. We had provided them with enough evidence and horror stories to do something about it.

They did nothing, and Jacob ended up leaving after the winter term. 

Welcome to Hell, Brad

After Jacob left, they found another tenant to occupy that bed. Enter Brad. Brad walked into a horrible situation. It did not take long before Brad started staying at the library until it closed at 9 PM every night.

Do the Dishes…

One day, I received a knock on my bedroom door. It was Billy. I stepped out to find his friends in the living room. He confronted me about not helping to clean the dishes. I told him I didn't use any of the dishes. I eat out all the time. He told me that I needed to help around the apartment since I lived there. I'm not going to clean dishes that aren't mine. Everyone should clean up their own shit.

Not enthralled with my response, he entered my room, grabbed my laptop, and walked onto the balcony. My heart stopped. Is this madman threatening to throw my laptop off my balcony, I thought? He said he would drop it if I didn’t do the dishes. All right, I’ll do the dishes, I pleaded. I ended up doing all the dishes; then he gave me my things back. I was furious. I packed everything, locked my room, and walked down the stairs. I scolded the management. It was the last time I slept in my own apartment for about two weeks.

Matt’s Couch

I ended up sleeping at my friend Matt’s apartment. I want to thank Matt and Katie for letting me sleep on their couch. They were super understanding and accommodating. They even took me out to dinner a few times. I am very grateful to them. That was a very unpleasant time in my life. I had left my apartment by choice. I didn’t want to return to my apartment because I felt my presence would make Billy hostile. It is eye-opening how many little things we take for granted - a comfortable bed, a warm shower, and fresh clothes. It sucks not feeling safe to go home. No one should feel that way. For a week, I wore the same clothes. I barely got any sleep couch surfing. Most days, I aimlessly walked around campus to pass the time. I even went to church a few times. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep in my bed.

Saving Brad’s Life

One night I had to sleep over at my apartment to give Matt and Katie a break. I came home to find Brad sleeping on the couch.

Me: Hey man are you OK?

Brad: Yeah.

Me: Are you sure you don’t wanna sleep in my room tonight?

Brad: No, I’ll be fine.

Me: All right. Knock if you need anything.

Sure enough, 2 o’clock rolls around and Billy walks in. He turns on the lights and immediately starts talking to Brad. Of course, I had stayed up for Brad’s safety. Billy's voice started getting louder. I knew it was important to make my presence known. I opened the door and stood in the archway. Billy accused Brad of snitching. Fortunately, it didn’t turn violent, so I didn't have to intervene. I offered Brad to sleep in my room, and he agreed. Billy started talking to me and I just stood my ground until he talked himself out. Brad was crying in my bedroom. I told Billy goodnight and closed the door. I shut off the lights to make it look like we were asleep. To this day, Brad thinks I saved his life. 

Billy’s Eviction

I received news that management finally gave Billy an eviction notice. I remember walking back to the apartment and seeing Billy packing his car. He asked me if I could help him carry some things, and I decided to help him out. I knew that this would be the last time I ever saw him. When he drove off, I felt an enormous sense of relief. Brad and I could start living our lives normally. There was a calmness when I stepped inside the apartment, something I had not felt in a very long time.

Brad had already scheduled to move to another apartment, so he and I were only together for a few weeks. When Brad left, I was the last man standing. 

By then, it was summer again.