Apartment 913

 

|| Marti’s POV ||



I sat tiredly on the couch, downing the last of the beer in my hand and tossing the can over my shoulder, letting it hit the ground with a satisfying clatter that let me know it had hit the other cans that Robbie and I had thrown on the ground earlier that day. Of course, that was before she decided to go whore herself out for money for our drugs- meaning that I had to stay here and meet the new guy. I don’t remember his name; I was too high to even care what his name was. It started with a ‘B’ or maybe it was ‘D’. I know Robbie told me before she left- but we were both high and pretty much trashed then, so I’m surprised I remembered that much. Honestly, I was surprised I remembered he was even coming. Though that might have been because before leaving, Robin had reminded me that I was a lesbian and I better not let him touch me in that possessive voice of hers that had confused the living hell out of me since I moved in here with her and her brother a few months ago. 



Well, no duh he wouldn’t be touching me. I couldn’t stand the touch of a guy of any sort. Not even Tom, Robbie’s older gay brother, was allowed to touch me. The touch of a guy often brought back painful memories that I had been spending the better part of my life trying to forget. But Tomi and I got along real well, one of the reasons only I was allowed to call him Tomi, and he got away with calling me… well… absolutely anything really. Tomi had a bad habit of not remembering my name, it’s not his fault completely. He hadn’t wanted a roommate- especially another girl like his sister. But Robbie had insisted that I was going to be taking one of the extra bedrooms, and that was the end of the conversation. Tom gave into Robin almost too easily sometimes. But I’m pretty sure that was because Robbie was all that Tomi had left, and the other way around. 



Robbie and I… it’s not like we’re dating or anything. Seriously, we’re just roomies, but she’s different then anyone I’ve ever met. She told me once when we were high, her arms curled around me since I was cold, that the reason she wanted me as a roomie is that I was a lesbian. I don’t know why that mattered. I think that it was because of Tomi… since he’s gay and all and won’t admit it. I won’t expect him to hit on me or something, and I wouldn‘t try to hit on him. Who knows… and honestly… I don’t really care- life here was better then it was anywhere else that I had lived. 



In all reality, I couldn’t have asked for anything better then I had it here. I got a place to stay that I didn‘t have to pay for. I can do what the hell I want when I want. I had offered money in the beginning, but after Robin had taken a long look at me- she had figured out what I would be doing to get the money. She instantly told me no. I didn’t have to pay anything. In exchange for the place to stay and an almost endless supply of drugs and drink, I would clean the apartment and I had to interact with other people- the other people who lived in the apartment building, and like today- the boy whom I was supposed to be interviewing to see if he would fit into our little circle. So what does it matter to me if Robbie doesn’t want a guy touching me? It wasn’t that hard to do. Besides, pissing off Robbie for something so stupid was not worth losing the comfortable life I had created for myself the last few months. 



I took in a long hit of the cigarette that had been burning away between my fingers as my thoughts wandered, cursing when the ash fell on my pant leg and there was a knock at the door.



Oh joy, he’s here. “Coming.” I called dully, rubbing the ash out on my leg and pushing myself off the dark leather couch that our last roommate just had to bring with him. He lasted less then a month, said his shit smelled too much like pot and cigarettes to take with him. Yay. More stuff for us. It’s not like it really mattered, Robbie and Tomi owned the place, we didn’t need his money. But none of us liked having that forth bedroom empty, it just felt weird. Especially to me. 



I opened the door, expecting to see another tall, muscular man. Freaked out by the lesbians and hating-he-was-gay boy. All of the guys I had been meeting lately were like that. And Robbie had already told both Tomi and I that there was not to be another girl in the house. The boy on the other side of the door was far from what I had expected of the men that Robbie had been sending in to meet me for consideration. And usually- I would slam the door in their face- telling Robin and Tom that they just wouldn’t work out. He was tall, a lot taller then me- maybe even as tall as Tomi was, but his hair was so poofed out it was hard to tell. There was nothing about this boy that didn’t simply scream ‘FLAMER’. His black jeans were so tight on his already thin frame that they might even fit me, expect probably way to long on the legs, since I’m pretty damn short. His hair fell over his eyes some, and his smile was bright as he pushed the black and blonde lock away from his face before he spoke. “Hi!” He said, god even his voice was chipper. Tomi was going to hate him, “I’m Bill.”



I gave him a smile of my own, surprised that it came naturally and not forced like it usually was around people I don‘t know. “Come on in,” I said softly, moving away from the huge door that slide open and closed. Well, this guy had already gotten father then any of the last six applicants- I wasn‘t even nice enough to let them in the apartment. “I’m Marti, I know Robbie said she was gonna meet you, but she’s busy. So you’re stuck with me.” I told him, looking him up and down. He just nodded at me, looking at me as though he knew I had more to say. He seemed pretty smart, I liked that.



“Here’s the thing, Robin and Tom never meet the guys that they decide might make an okay roommate by their applications. I’m always the one that meets them, and I’m picky, and I don’t really like people,” I was still kinda high… still kinda drunk, so being blunt like this just came out as naturally as being polite did for the so-called ’normal’ society. “You seem kinda smart, which is good. An idiot wouldn’t survive a week in this apartment with us. Between the three of us, you would be chewed up and spit out,” I saw him gulp a little, but other then that, he didn’t move. Okay, cool. He wasn’t one to show fear. “And besides, I like you’re fashion sense.” I smiled a little now, and he seemed to relax, his shoulders falling some. “Now on those things alone, it makes me say yes. And since I’m the only one here, I get to make the final decision.” I had been walking down the hall as I kept speaking, expecting the newbie to follow me- I could hear his boots against the wood floors of the all so I knew he was.



I turned to face him, eyeing him with a glassed over look in my grey orbs from my high, “Now, there are a few things here that you’re going to have to understand now and understand fully, else you can walk out that door right now and forget you ever even met me.“ I said seriously, he just nodded so I stood up straighter and crossed my arms over my chest. “We’re not gonna change the way we are for a new roomie. You stay out of Tom’s way. Always. You touch me, Robin will kill you. Which doesn’t seem like it will be a problem, since it’s quite obvious you’re gay. And most importantly,” My arms crossed over my chest fell away, one on my hip and the other pointing directly at him- my face becoming beyond serious, which looked funny on me, and I knew it, “You touch mine or Robin’s drugs, we’ll both kill you without a second thought. Understood?”



Bill’s smile never faltered, he just giggled, putting his hand over his mouth, “Ya’ll sound like a seriously lovely bunch.” He looked around the hall that we were in now, two doors on each side of the walls and one more directly behind me. “I mean, as long as I can have my own room. I’ll be cool with anything.” He smiled at me again and I wanted to scream. Why was this kid smiling so much? Worse then that though, his smile was contagious and I found myself actually smiling back at him. I dropped the cigarette butt onto the ground, it having went out in my hand and grabbing a new one- I was going to crash tonight, so I‘d end up going on a cleaning spree tomorrow anyways.



“This is gonna be your room,” I said, pointing to the door on the left of me. I didn’t want to meet anyone else, and since I knew the others wouldn’t, Bill was our new roommate. Besides, they had picked him out by his application anyways. “The one behind me is Robin‘s room, this one is mine.” I pointed to the right, “The bathroom is next to my room- and Tom’s room is across from that. You stay out of our rooms, but the rest of the apartment is free game. If you want it, of course. I can go get the papers for you to sign- yanno, confidentiality agreement, rent agreement, all that jazz. Then you can move your shit in as soon as you want.” 



“Even today?“ He asked, a bit surprised. I shrugged a little before I nodded. “Well… currently my stuff is in a hotel not to far from here. After I sign the papers, I could go get it…?“ He asked, a little unsure.



“Yeah, sure. Why don’t you look around your room- see what you’ll need for it and I’ll bring the papers in there in a minute.” I said, waiting for him to go into his room before I went into Robin’s to find them- identical to the ones she had me sign when I moved in- except mine had a bunch of red inked cross-outs and add-ins since I was on a totally different level then this kid. 



I found him in his room, smiling as he looked around. I don’t know why he was so happy- it was pretty bare. The walls were painted white- but could probably use a good scrubbing no doubt there were nicotine stains were actually coating the once bright colour. But Bill didn’t seem to mind. There was already a bed in here, full sized and pushed up against the furthest corner in the room. A dresser was the only other furniture in the room, on the opposite wall across from his bed next to what would be his closet.



“You like?” I asked, setting the papers and pen down on the dresser. I didn’t really care if he liked it or not, but I had to say something.



“Love it,” he said, grinning at me. I leaned against the wall as Bill looked over the papers carefully before he willingly signed them all- not questioning a single thing. Our last roommate complained at the price he was having to pay sharing with three other people, but this kid didn’t even blink an eyes. Like he really didn’t care about money all that much or something. I didn’t think about it too much, really I didn’t care. He handed me the papers after he signed them and grinned at me, “Okay, so… I’ll go pick up my stuff from the hotel and check out of there, and maybe when I get back you can show around the whole apartment properly?” He asked, tilting his head some at me. 



“Yeah, sure.” I said, shrugging and flicking ask onto the ground as we walked towards the front door. “I’ll be here. Just knock again, you’re going to have to wait for Robbie or Tomi to get home to get your key. They hold the spare ones, not me.”



“No problem,” He said, waving back at me as he walked out the door- a wide smile still over his lips. He really was the most flamboyant and happy gay kid I had ever met. And because of Tomi, I’ve met quite a lot of them. Tomi is so going to hate this kid, I couldn‘t help but love that fact. I know its mean, but sometimes, making Tomi mad was just fun. 



Bill got back to the apartment sooner then I thought he would. It took him a few trips up and down the elevator to get all his things into the apartment, I never offered to help. I didn’t really know him, he didn’t know me. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable with someone else handling my shit. He stayed in his room for about an hour and I smoked a blunt or two while I was waiting for him to emerge, assuming he was unpacking his shit. Part of me thought I probably should’ve let Robbie and Tomi meet him first before I let him bring all his stuff here. But the other part of me really didn’t care. They were gonna get the money they wanted either way. 



When Bill finally came out of his room I was just putting out the second roach and he smiled his bright smile at me, for the first time I noticed his teeth were pretty much perfect, straight and white. Poor Tomi, for a guy this Bill was attractive. That was gonna drive Tom up a wall, I knew it. I showed Bill around the little place, offered him a drink, a cigarette, he refused both. The kid didn’t drink, he didn’t smoke, and he didn’t do drugs. Yet he was willingly staying here with us, and I made it perfectly clear that the three of us were pretty big partiers- even if the parties were never actually held at the apartment unless it was just the tree of us. Well, now four of us. It made me almost worried to think about that. Why would some pretty much straight edge willing move into an apartment with people like us? So I asked him.



“My parents died two months ago,” he told me, sitting on the couch with me after putting the magazines I had on there with me in a very neat pile on the coffee table, “They left me a lot of money, but I had to move back here to be able to claim it. I don’t like living by myself, it’s not my thing. So the house that was left to me, the same one I grew up in, would just be way to big for me and I would’ve been too lonely there. So I sold it and started to look for other places,” He was like an open book. I should’ve warned him to be a little less open with the other two, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. Robbie and Tomi’s reactions were going to be way to entertaining. He didn’t seem to notice that my mind had wandered for a moment and just continued talking, “So when I was reading the adds for wanted roommates, and when I heard that I’d have three roommates here, I thought it’d be a good place to be. I like just knowing people are around, kinda like a security blanket. What you guys do is totally you’re business, not mine. And what I do myself is my business and not yours. Yanno?”



I shrugged indifferently. Good reasons. I couldn’t feel sorry for him about loosing his parents though, I never had any to loose. “You’ll be different to live with Bill.” I told him lighting another cigarette and reached to grab the ashtray and put it on the arm of the couch. Was I a chain smoker? Hell yeah. I was as bad as Robbie. “Good luck with the others.”



“They’re not as nice as you?” Bill asked me, almost worried as he looked at me.



I couldn’t help but laugh at that as I started scanning through channels to find something to watch. “Robbie’s cool, if you stay on her good side. Which I advise you try to do. Tomi’s gonna hate you though. Make sure you only call him Tom though, only Robbie and I can get away with calling him Tomi. Just, watch yourself kid.” I said, even though I already knew he was two years older then my nineteen. I was still the baby in the apartment, which kinda sucked. But Robbie was twenty-two, and Tom twenty-five. So I knew he wasn’t going to get a big head about me being younger and pretty much ordering him around. I’m allowed to do that. I’m Marti Mai, I’m pretty much the best.



“Should I be worried about being here?” He asked, for the first time showing apprehension about his hasty choice of moving in here, I could tell he was wondering if it was too late to change his mind.



I couldn’t help but smile at him before I shook my head and stopped channel surfing- stopping on Family Guy, “No, don’t worry Billa.” I said, and he smiled at the nick-name that just slipped from my lips. “Like I said, just stay out of Tomi’s way. And don’t worry about Robbie. She’s awesome if she’ll let you get to know her. But no ones gonna hurt you or anything, not unless you do something stupid like I told you before, yanno? Besides, I like you. So you‘re automatically protected.”



Bill relaxed and smiled at me, “You’re pretty cool yourself, Marti Mai.” I grinned at him, it was weird. I actually found myself getting along with him. I’m kinda glad that Robbie made me meet him, I know if she or Tom had- Bill wouldn’t be living here. But I also knew that neither of them were going to go against my decision. That was just too much work, and we were all to lazy for that.