My Roommate Threatened to Throw My Laptop off the Balcony

Summer at 2125 Franklin

In the summer of 2017, my best friend and I renewed our lease at 2125 Franklin and moved into the apartment directly above our old one. He had a girlfriend at the time, so within days he was basically living at her place, leaving behind a mountain of random stuff on his side of the bedroom. Storage, I guess. Which meant I had the room all to myself, and for a while, that felt like a win.

Enter Jacob and Dominic

That fall, two new roommates moved into the second bedroom: Jacob and Dominic. Jacob quickly became a permanent fixture on the couch. Dominic, though, surprised us all—he actually used the kitchen. He cooked meals and ate them at the counter like a fully functioning adult. I respected it. But just as quickly as he arrived, Dominic dropped out of school and moved back home after the first term.

That left just Jacob and me. And honestly? It worked. We each had our own room, and Jacob had his usual spot on the couch. Peaceful enough.

Hello, Billy

After winter break, the universe decided things were too quiet—and sent us Billy.

Billy wasn’t a student at the University of Oregon. Instead, he filled his time loitering around the apartment, chain-smoking weed, and producing music that sounded like a microwave giving up on life. A true artist, in his own way.

My Apartment Was a Hotbox

Billy smoked all day, every day. Not the good kind of weed either—the cheap, skunky kind that clung to every surface. No matter how many doors I closed, the smell would creep in through the vents. Some days, I’d take a nap between classes and wake up high. It was nauseating. My throat constantly burned, and I felt like I was losing my grip—on school, on sleep, on sanity.

Strangers on the Couch

Billy had a revolving door of friends. One afternoon, I came home to find him and a crew playing street craps on the living room floor. The coffee table had been shoved out onto the balcony. A pile of cash sat on a white bedsheet, the air thick with weed, and not a trace of consideration for shared space. At night, I'd open the fridge and spot strangers passed out on the couch. It was surreal. Jacob—poor guy—shared a room with Billy and took the brunt of it all.

Urine in the Closet

One night, Billy let a friend crash on the floor in their shared room. That must’ve been terrifying for Jacob. The guy was so drunk he didn’t make it to the bathroom and ended up peeing in Jacob’s closet—all over his shoes. Jacob had to clean it up himself the next morning. He reported it to management, and their brilliant solution was to make us all attend a counseling session.

Let’s Talk It Out

We each got a letter from management mandating a counseling session. My best friend showed up and had no idea what was going on. The whole thing was pointless. Jacob and I just wanted Billy evicted. This wasn’t a communication issue—Billy was clearly violating our lease. We had more than enough evidence and horror stories to warrant action.

Management did nothing. Jacob moved out after the winter term.

Welcome to Hell, Brad

After Jacob left, they brought in another tenant to fill the spot. Enter Brad. Poor guy walked into chaos. It didn’t take long before he started staying at the library until it closed at 9 p.m. every night.

Do the Dishes…

One day, Billy knocked on my door. I stepped out and found his friends in the living room. He confronted me about not doing the dishes. I told him I never used them—I ate out all the time. He said I should help around the apartment anyway. I told him everyone should clean their own mess.

Unhappy with my response, he stormed into my room, grabbed my laptop, and walked onto the balcony. My heart dropped. Was this guy seriously threatening to throw my laptop over the railing?

He said he’d drop it if I didn’t do the dishes.

“All right, I’ll do the dishes,” I pleaded.

I did all of them, then he gave me back my laptop. I was furious. I packed up, locked my door, and left. I marched straight to management and let them have it. That was the last night I slept in my own apartment for about two weeks.

Matt’s Couch

I ended up crashing at my friend Matt’s place. Shoutout to Matt and Katie—they let me sleep on their couch, took me out to dinner, and were super understanding. I’m incredibly grateful.

That period was rough. I left my apartment by choice, but it didn’t feel like I had a choice. I didn’t feel safe. It’s eye-opening how much we take for granted—a warm shower, clean clothes, your own bed. For a week, I wore the same clothes and barely slept. Most days I wandered around campus to pass the time. I even went to church a few times. All I wanted was to go home and sleep in my own bed.

Saving Brad’s Life

One night, I returned to the apartment to give Matt and Katie a break. Brad was asleep on the couch.

Me: “Hey man, you okay?”
Brad: “Yeah.”
Me: “You sure you don’t wanna crash in my room?”
Brad: “Nah, I’ll be fine.”
Me: “Alright. Knock if you need anything.”

Sure enough, around 2 a.m., Billy came home. He turned on the lights and started talking to Brad—loudly. I stayed up for Brad’s safety, so I opened my door and stood in the archway.

Billy accused Brad of snitching. His voice kept rising, and I knew I needed to make my presence felt. Thankfully, it didn’t escalate. I offered Brad my room, and he accepted. Billy tried talking to me, but I just stood there until he eventually walked off. Brad was crying in my room. I turned off the lights to make it seem like we were asleep.

To this day, Brad says I saved his life.

Billy’s Eviction

Eventually, I got the news—management had finally given Billy an eviction notice. I came home and saw him packing his car. He asked if I could help carry some things. I did, knowing it’d be the last time I saw him.

When he drove off, I felt this huge weight lift. Brad and I could finally start living like normal people again. There was a calmness in the apartment I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Brad had already planned to move, so we were only roommates for a few weeks. Once he left, I was the last man standing.

By then, it was summer again.