Page 18 of Derivation

Sarai wanted to ask why she thought that, but she didn’t. Gabi was right, though, which was something.

“So, what’s up?” Arlowe asked.

“Oh, yeah. Listen, that other place I was hoping would work out… It didn’t. I went to check it out yesterday, and it’s a no-go.”

“Why?” Enya asked.

“Um… Well, I gave up on living alone and tried to find a place with a roommate. And she was nice, but she failed to mention the three pets that she owns in the ad.”

“Three? How big is that apartment?” Arlowe asked.

“Not big enough for the five of us. It was two dogs and a snake, by the way. She said the snake was always in its container or whatever it’s called, and it’s a small breed, according to her, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about the thing getting out and slithering its way into my bed at night, or even eating one of the dogs. One was a corgi. And the snake was small, yeah, but I’m pretty sure if it were hungry enough…”

“Oh, my God,” Enya said.

“I couldn’t get that thought out of my brain, and I was only there for about fifteen minutes, but the stress got to me, so I left. I don’t know if the room is still available, or if you three have talked more about it and changed your mind, but I really would like to get out of this hotel soon. I miss being able to cook for myself.”

“You cook?” Sarai asked.

“I’m not a chef or anything, but I like it.”

“That’s great. None of us is any good,” Arlowe replied. “Well, Sarai can cook, I guess,” she added.

“Hey!” Sarai said with a laugh.

“Oh, we’re having a game night tonight,” Arlowe said as if she’d just remembered. “Want to come by? You can bring some stuff over if you want.”

“Wait. I can move in?”

“Yeah. We all talked about it, and it’s cool.”

“That’s amazing,” Gabi replied. “The bed in this place is so uncomfortable, and mine is in storage right now. Oh, I have some furniture that I’ll need to decide what to do with since I’m not getting my own place.”

“Just come over tonight, and we can all talk about if we need anything,” Arlowe suggested.

“Okay. What time?”

“Seven. I’ve got a few board games, but if you want to bring something of your own, go for it.”

“Whatever I have is in storage.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got enough here. And we have cards, too, so we should be covered. Enya is about to make brownies.”

“Or is it cake, really, if I put icing on them?”

“Enya, just put the damn icing on the brownies. You know you want to,” Sarai told her.

CHAPTER 6

Gabi had been so optimistic about the apartment she’d checked out after a call with the woman who would’ve been her roommate. When she had arrived, she’d been shown her possible future room, all the common areas, and she’d been excited that it was a two-bathroom apartment, so she’d have her own, but the pictures of that apartment had been conveniently missing any evidence of the dogs – no bowls, beds, or toys around at all, and the whole snake set up had been in the woman’s bedroom, which hadn’t been photographed for the ad, so it had been an unfortunate deal-breaker because, with the layout of the apartment and the fact that the woman was an attorney, trying to make partner, Gabi probably would’ve felt like the place was all her own if it had not been for the other three unexpected residents.

“She wanted you to take care of them for her?” Enya asked as they walked into the kitchen.

“She said she’d knock two hundred bucks a month off the rent and pay the utilities if I walked the dogs whenever I worked from home and fed the snake when she couldn’t.”

“She wanted you to feed a snake?” Enya exclaimed.

“Yes. Live mice… I’m sorry; I know we should like all animals or whatever, but snakes are not my thing. I’d rather have a pet mouse than a snake. I knew I’d just end up falling in love with every mouse I’d have to feed the thing, and I’d be traumatized. Circle of life and all that, but I still cry when Mufasa dies, so not sure I could’ve handled it even for the cheap rent.”