I hadn't fed Nic, nor did I remember hearing him move around late at night. Sure enough, the odor was coming from the mouse, who was curled into a tiny ball and didn't move even after incessant prodding. That night, I buried our mouse in a blue Wal-Mart shopping bag in the trash room. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to pick up dead mice, believe me it's not a pleasant experience. To make it all even better, the room smelled for a good week afterward, despite open windows and almost half a can of Lysol.
College is full of lessons.
I think it is the least I can do to attempt to save people from making the same mistake I did. If you own a pet, feed it. If you're thinking about getting a pet, mice don't last long without food. And if you live in the residence halls, some rules are there for a reason. They're probably for people like me.