I hurried up the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. The noise grew louder as I approached the door to Hannah's room. I hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.
Inside, chaos reigned. Hannah was sitting on her bed, clutching her phone, her face pale. Three of our housemates were gathered around, all talking at once. On the floor, a small, furry creature scurried around, emitting high-pitched squeals.
"What the hell is going on?" I demanded, trying to make sense of the scene.
"It's a rat!" one of the girls shrieked, pointing at the frantic animal.
"It's not a rat, it's a hamster," Hannah corrected, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and amusement. "It's mine. It must have escaped from its cage."
Relief washed over me, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously? All this fuss over a hamster?"
Hannah shot me a glare. "It's not funny, Terry. Help me catch it."
Still chuckling, I stepped forward and managed to corner the little creature. With a quick scoop, I picked it up and handed it back to Hannah. "There you go. Crisis averted."
"Thanks," she said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Sorry for the commotion."
"No problem," I replied, glancing around at the other girls who were slowly calming down. "Just glad it wasn't anything serious."
As the adrenaline faded, we all started to relax. The other girls drifted out of the room, leaving Hannah and me alone. She carefully placed the hamster back in its cage and secured the latch.
"Never a dull moment in this house, huh?" I said, leaning against the doorframe.
She sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Tell me about it. Thanks for your help, though."
"Anytime," I replied, watching her closely. "You alright?"
She nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah, just a bit shaken. Didn't expect to find Mr. Nibbles running loose in the middle of the night."
I chuckled again. "Mr. Nibbles, huh? Nice name."
"Don't mock him," she said, trying to sound stern but failing to hide her amusement.
"I wouldn't dream of it," I said with a grin. "Goodnight, Hannah."
"Goodnight, Terry," she replied, a genuine smile finally breaking through.
As I left her room and headed back to mine, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie with her. Maybe this unexpected event was a sign that things between us were shifting. Only time would tell, but for now, I was content to let it unfold naturally.