Page 31 of Derivation

“Hiring cheap movers was a mistake,” Gabi stated as they lugged the mattress through the front door together.

“What’s going on?” Sarai asked, watching the whole thing from the doorway to the kitchen while eating one of Enya’s cookies that she’d baked earlier that morning.

“I only booked the movers for two hours because I didn’t think it would take more than that to get everything over here and moved in, but they were cheap, and I should’ve known better. They had to go work another job, so my stuff is in the front yard and driveway because they had to take the truck with them.”

“And I just got back from getting coffee and saw it all go down,” Arlowe added, grunting. “I’m helping. You can, too.”

“I’ll take the hint,” Sarai said.

“Wasn’t a hint. Go. Help,” Arlowe stated.

Sarai went into the garage, where she found Enya.

“Hey, slight moving crisis. Can you help?”

“Sure,” Enya replied without asking questions.

They walked out front, and Sarai was surprised to see boxes all over the yard and a floor lamp and a couple of small bedside tables in the driveway. She grabbed the lamp and carried it in, walking down the hall toward Gabi’s new room, where she found Arlowe and Gabi lying on the mattress on top of the bedframe. Sarai wasn’t sure when that had been put together because it hadn’t been there last night when they’d hung out in Gabi’s room and she’d helped Gabi hang up her clothes and unpack a couple of boxes.

“When did you get the bed frame put together?”

“Arlowe saw the box in here and did it for me this morning,” Gabi replied. “Nice of her, huh?”

“Very nice, yes,” Sarai stated through her gritted teeth. “From the woman who has no problems leaving dishes in the sink.”

“It took ten minutes. And I figured someone should do it since she would be bringing the mattress over today, and it would be easier if the frame was already under it. You only carried a lamp?” Arlowe asked.

“It’s heavy and awkward. Where do you want this?”

“Anywhere for now,” Gabi replied. “And thank you. I really thought two hours was enough time, but they were so slow over at the storage unit. They’d pick something up, carry it to the truck, kind of contemplate where and how to put it in, and, like, five minutes later, a box would be set down where it should not have been set down. I will be reviewing them later.”

“Are you one of those people? I am, too,” Arlowe said, standing up.

“A reviewer?”

“For the shitty service, yeah.”

“I do sometimes,” Gabi replied before getting up and following Arlowe out of the room.

“I brought a table,” Enya said, walking in after they’d just left. “Where does it go?”

“Probably next to the bed Arlowe and Gabi were just lying on,” Sarai grumbled and went back outside herself.

She knew she was being ridiculous, but walking into a room and seeing Arlowe and Gabi on a bed together, talking and laughing, after the fun night that she and Gabi had had last night, had been a bit jarring. Arlowe had come back from the bar long after Gabi had left for her final night in that hotel, and she’d woken early that morning, which wasn’t really like Arlowe, to go get them all coffee.

“What are you doing?” she asked Arlowe while the two of them were carrying a box inside together since it was too heavy for one person, and Gabi and Enya were outside, so they had a moment alone.

“Carrying a box. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Arlowe, with Gabi. What are you doing with Gabi?”

“Helping her move?”

“You went to bed at, like, two and woke up at seven on a weekend. That’s not like you unless Violet makes you wake up that early. You put together her bed frame.”

“It was just sitting there in the box and was easy. What is your deal?”

They turned into Gabi’s bedroom and placed the box on top of another one.