Drama
Chapter 2: Settling In
Leila's P.O.V.
My eyes flutter open to the sight of the rest of my family getting ready for the day. I slowly sit up and inspect my surroundings.
“Morning,” my mom cheerfully says.
“Morning,” I reply, a bit confused.
“Breakfast ends at 11, so we have a little bit of time. But I would suggest getting up now, we would like to see your new apartment around noon.”
“O-ok,” I tell her. I roll out of bed and shower quickly. I get dressed in a pair of my favorite skinny jeans and sheer pink top. I do my makeup and fix my hair, and by the time I’m ready, the rest of my family is already in the lobby eating. I make my way downstairs and fill my plate up with food.
“So, Lei, are you excited to see your apartment?” my dad starts.
“Yeah, I guess,” I say with a mouthful of food.
“We’re excited to see your new roommate, too,” my mom exclaims.
“M-my roommate?” I ask.
“Yeah, did I forget to mention that?” my mom says.
“Um, yeah,” I point out. “Hence my confusion.”
“Sorry, dear. Well, when we found the apartment, the manager said that there was a girl who was living in the building already and she was looking for a roommate to help with costs, otherwise she would have to leave. She seems like a sweet girl, as I’ve heard. She goes to college nearby but doesn’t like dorms, so she picked an apartment to live in,” my mom explains.
“Oh, ok,” I say, nodding my head.
“It helps with the costs, honey. It’s not so expensive if you have a roommate to split the cost.”
“Did I say anything about it? I’m just a little disappointed you didn’t tell me about her earlier. I would’ve at least been prepared.”
“Well, you know now,” my dad tells me. I sigh and finish my breakfast. The rest of my family finishes too and we head back to our room. I pack up everything I had out to get ready for the day and lug my suitcase downstairs. We call a taxi and my dad sets my suitcase in the trunk. We squish in the taxi and head off to my apartment, a few blocks away. We arrive, pay the taxi, and enter the lobby. My mom walks up to the desk and checks me in. I have to sign a few papers first, and then we’re on our way to the elevator. It stops on the 3rd floor and we get off, pulling all of my luggage with us.
“What number is it again?” my dad asks.
“Um, 24B,” I reply, checking the piece of paper.
“Oh, it’s right here!” my dad exclaims, stopping right outside of the door. I slide my key in and the door swings open.
The apartment is cute, not too big but not too small. I walk through and the kitchen appears first. It’s mainly clean, except for a few dishes and towels littering the tabletops. Next is the living room. A soft black couch sits in the middle with a matching sofa to one side and a rocking chair on the other side. A nice flat screen TV rests on an entertainment system close to the wall.
My parents come up behind me and set my luggage down in the living room.
“Wow, this is really nice!” my mom proclaims, looking around.
“Hey, did you see this note on the table?” my brother points out. I walk over to him and pick up the piece of paper.
Hey roomie! I found out that you’re coming today from the clerk downstairs and I’m so excited to meet you! If you’re reading this note, it means I’m out at my classes right now but I will be back around dinnertime. Sorry if the place is a little messy. I’m taking a lot of classes and I didn’t have time to clean up. I’m usually a clean person, so you won’t have to worry about messes that often!
-Madison
I smile while reading the note. She seems like a sweet person. I set the paper back on the table and head over to the small hallway. Two bedrooms sit opposite one another while a bathroom separates it. I peek in the bedroom to the left and notice it’s decorated. Must be Madison’s room, I think. I turn around and head to the bedroom to the right. There’s a bed in the middle with a desk against the wall by the end of the bed, but nothing is decorated and it’s all plain. I’m guessing this is my room. I head back out the living room and grab my suitcases. Rolling them across the carpet, I enter the plain room again and set my luggage at the foot of the bed. Now that I’m all the way inside, I notice a closet by the left side near the door and opposite that is a window. There’s a dresser near the head of the bed by the closet side, and on the other side is a small night stand.
“So this is your room,” my mom begins. I jump, not realizing she was standing in the doorway.
“Um, yeah, I guess so because the other bedroom is already taken,” I say.
“We need to get you some bedspreads and curtains,” my mom continues. “It’s looking a little bland in here!”
“Yeah,” I chuckle.
“Whenever you’re ready, we can go shopping and spice up this room,” she adds.
“We can probably go now, I just realized I don’t have any hangers,” I imply.
“Sure, let’s go,” my mom responds, and exits my room. I sigh and follow after her. She explains to my dad and my brother that we’re going to go shopping. All of us get out of my new apartment and my brother and dad leave to go back to the hotel. It’s a short walk downtown, so my mom and I don’t have to take a taxi. There’s a Bed, Bath and Beyond a few blocks over, so we head over there.
We enter the store and we are greeted by a few employees. My mom finds the bedspreads and sheets first. I pick out a blue, white, and purple set and throw it into our cart. It comes with pillowcases, but I remembered I need pillows first. So we obtain a few plain pillows and a couple decorated ones to fit the color theme of purple and blue.
After we access my bedding, we look for some curtains to hang by my window. I find the perfect set that goes along with my bedding. Then we pick up a few other items, like a lamp, some pictures with frames, and cool colorful lights. We check out and head back to my apartment with all of these bags in our hands.
We reach my apartment and set the items in my bedroom. Madison’s not back yet, but it’s only about 3:00.
“Do you need anything else?” my mom asks.
“Not that I can think of right now,” I answer.
“Well, I’m going to head back to our hotel and see what the guys are up to. Are you going to be ok here?”
“Yes, mom,” I reply, rolling my eyes.
“Ok, see you later?”
“Sure,” I respond, giving her a hug before she goes. She leaves and I start making my bed with my new bedding. I cover the mattress with the sheets and put the comforter on. I slide the pillowcases over the new soft pillows and lay them up against the headboard. I place the decorative pillows in front of the regular pillows and move on to the curtains. The bar is too high for me to reach, so I step into the kitchen and grab a chair. Reentering my bedroom, I set up the chair and hang the curtains. It’s a nice day outside, so I open the windows and let my new curtains fly in the breeze.
I finish setting everything up in my bedroom and by the time I do, it’s around 5:00. I’m getting a little hungry, but since Madison said she’d be here around dinnertime, I’ll wait. I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV. I check my phone and realize I have a few messages and a voicemail from Cam. I clear out the voicemail first, which was Cam asking me how I’m doing and to call him as soon as I can. Then I read the messages, which basically say the same thing. I decide to call him back and he picks up on the third ring. I tell him that we just moved me in my apartment and I haven’t really seen the city yet. I haven’t met my roommate yet either, but she seems pretty cool. He tells me how much he misses me and that it’s boring without me.
We talk for a good hour when the door suddenly swings open and a girl walks through.
“You must be Leila!” she exclaims when she sees me. I smile and tell Cam I’ll call him back later. I press ‘End’ on my phone and approach her.
“And you must be Madison?” I question.
“Yup!” she answered. “Just let me put my books away and I’ll be back out.” She gathers her books and crosses the living room to her bedroom. I sit back on the couch and wait for her. I realize the TV is still on so I grab the remote and turn it off. Madison returns and sits on the sofa.
“So, is this your first time in California?” she begins.
“Yup,” I respond. “I’m really excited, it’s been my dream since I was little.”
“I also heard you’re starring in a new show, right?” Madison asks.
“Yeah, it’s at ‘Red Light Studios’ downtown. It’s called Deep Secrets and I’m one of the co-leads,” I inform her.
“Oh ‘Red Light Studios,’ I’ve heard about that place! It’s really nice, you’ll like it.”
“So what do you do?” I question her.
“Well, I’m studying theater at Pierce College. I’m a freshman but the year is almost over.”
“Why did you choose to live in an apartment?”
“Well, I tried living in a dorm at the beginning of the semester, but I didn’t really like it. So halfway through the year, my mom agreed to rent me an apartment and pay for half of it, since we couldn’t find any apartments with reasonable roommates a close distance away from the college. I told the front desk that I was looking for a roommate to help with costs, so they put my name up and finally someone answered! Even better is we both love acting!” Madison exclaims. I laugh.
“Well I hope we both love food because I’m starving!” I announced. This time, she laughs.
“I don’t have much food here, so is it ok if we order a pizza?” she asks.
“Yeah, sure! Cheese please!” I declare. She laughs again and presses her phone to her ear. She orders us a pizza and soon we’re stuffed.
“That was amazing,” I say, after I’ve eaten my fourth piece of pizza.
“I know, right? That place is the best pizza place you’ll find here in LA,” Madison responds.
“So, you’ve been in LA for about nine months now, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she answers.
“Would you mind if you showed me around? Like when you’re not in your classes?”
“Yeah! I’d love to show you around! I was actually thinking about that earlier today. I don’t have any classes tomorrow, and I was thinking we could go tomorrow. I invited some of my friends to come along, if that’s ok. I figured you’d want to get to know some people, too,” Madison replies.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I smile.
“Haha, even though you just met me,” she remarks.
For the rest of the night, we engage in conversation. I get to know her really well and she is amazing. She’s funny, sweet, kind, everything a girl wants in a best friend. I’m glad I’m her roommate.
My eyes flutter open to the sight of the rest of my family getting ready for the day. I slowly sit up and inspect my surroundings.
“Morning,” my mom cheerfully says.
“Morning,” I reply, a bit confused.
“Breakfast ends at 11, so we have a little bit of time. But I would suggest getting up now, we would like to see your new apartment around noon.”
“O-ok,” I tell her. I roll out of bed and shower quickly. I get dressed in a pair of my favorite skinny jeans and sheer pink top. I do my makeup and fix my hair, and by the time I’m ready, the rest of my family is already in the lobby eating. I make my way downstairs and fill my plate up with food.
“So, Lei, are you excited to see your apartment?” my dad starts.
“Yeah, I guess,” I say with a mouthful of food.
“We’re excited to see your new roommate, too,” my mom exclaims.
“M-my roommate?” I ask.
“Yeah, did I forget to mention that?” my mom says.
“Um, yeah,” I point out. “Hence my confusion.”
“Sorry, dear. Well, when we found the apartment, the manager said that there was a girl who was living in the building already and she was looking for a roommate to help with costs, otherwise she would have to leave. She seems like a sweet girl, as I’ve heard. She goes to college nearby but doesn’t like dorms, so she picked an apartment to live in,” my mom explains.
“Oh, ok,” I say, nodding my head.
“It helps with the costs, honey. It’s not so expensive if you have a roommate to split the cost.”
“Did I say anything about it? I’m just a little disappointed you didn’t tell me about her earlier. I would’ve at least been prepared.”
“Well, you know now,” my dad tells me. I sigh and finish my breakfast. The rest of my family finishes too and we head back to our room. I pack up everything I had out to get ready for the day and lug my suitcase downstairs. We call a taxi and my dad sets my suitcase in the trunk. We squish in the taxi and head off to my apartment, a few blocks away. We arrive, pay the taxi, and enter the lobby. My mom walks up to the desk and checks me in. I have to sign a few papers first, and then we’re on our way to the elevator. It stops on the 3rd floor and we get off, pulling all of my luggage with us.
“What number is it again?” my dad asks.
“Um, 24B,” I reply, checking the piece of paper.
“Oh, it’s right here!” my dad exclaims, stopping right outside of the door. I slide my key in and the door swings open.
The apartment is cute, not too big but not too small. I walk through and the kitchen appears first. It’s mainly clean, except for a few dishes and towels littering the tabletops. Next is the living room. A soft black couch sits in the middle with a matching sofa to one side and a rocking chair on the other side. A nice flat screen TV rests on an entertainment system close to the wall.
My parents come up behind me and set my luggage down in the living room.
“Wow, this is really nice!” my mom proclaims, looking around.
“Hey, did you see this note on the table?” my brother points out. I walk over to him and pick up the piece of paper.
Hey roomie! I found out that you’re coming today from the clerk downstairs and I’m so excited to meet you! If you’re reading this note, it means I’m out at my classes right now but I will be back around dinnertime. Sorry if the place is a little messy. I’m taking a lot of classes and I didn’t have time to clean up. I’m usually a clean person, so you won’t have to worry about messes that often!
-Madison
I smile while reading the note. She seems like a sweet person. I set the paper back on the table and head over to the small hallway. Two bedrooms sit opposite one another while a bathroom separates it. I peek in the bedroom to the left and notice it’s decorated. Must be Madison’s room, I think. I turn around and head to the bedroom to the right. There’s a bed in the middle with a desk against the wall by the end of the bed, but nothing is decorated and it’s all plain. I’m guessing this is my room. I head back out the living room and grab my suitcases. Rolling them across the carpet, I enter the plain room again and set my luggage at the foot of the bed. Now that I’m all the way inside, I notice a closet by the left side near the door and opposite that is a window. There’s a dresser near the head of the bed by the closet side, and on the other side is a small night stand.
“So this is your room,” my mom begins. I jump, not realizing she was standing in the doorway.
“Um, yeah, I guess so because the other bedroom is already taken,” I say.
“We need to get you some bedspreads and curtains,” my mom continues. “It’s looking a little bland in here!”
“Yeah,” I chuckle.
“Whenever you’re ready, we can go shopping and spice up this room,” she adds.
“We can probably go now, I just realized I don’t have any hangers,” I imply.
“Sure, let’s go,” my mom responds, and exits my room. I sigh and follow after her. She explains to my dad and my brother that we’re going to go shopping. All of us get out of my new apartment and my brother and dad leave to go back to the hotel. It’s a short walk downtown, so my mom and I don’t have to take a taxi. There’s a Bed, Bath and Beyond a few blocks over, so we head over there.
We enter the store and we are greeted by a few employees. My mom finds the bedspreads and sheets first. I pick out a blue, white, and purple set and throw it into our cart. It comes with pillowcases, but I remembered I need pillows first. So we obtain a few plain pillows and a couple decorated ones to fit the color theme of purple and blue.
After we access my bedding, we look for some curtains to hang by my window. I find the perfect set that goes along with my bedding. Then we pick up a few other items, like a lamp, some pictures with frames, and cool colorful lights. We check out and head back to my apartment with all of these bags in our hands.
We reach my apartment and set the items in my bedroom. Madison’s not back yet, but it’s only about 3:00.
“Do you need anything else?” my mom asks.
“Not that I can think of right now,” I answer.
“Well, I’m going to head back to our hotel and see what the guys are up to. Are you going to be ok here?”
“Yes, mom,” I reply, rolling my eyes.
“Ok, see you later?”
“Sure,” I respond, giving her a hug before she goes. She leaves and I start making my bed with my new bedding. I cover the mattress with the sheets and put the comforter on. I slide the pillowcases over the new soft pillows and lay them up against the headboard. I place the decorative pillows in front of the regular pillows and move on to the curtains. The bar is too high for me to reach, so I step into the kitchen and grab a chair. Reentering my bedroom, I set up the chair and hang the curtains. It’s a nice day outside, so I open the windows and let my new curtains fly in the breeze.
I finish setting everything up in my bedroom and by the time I do, it’s around 5:00. I’m getting a little hungry, but since Madison said she’d be here around dinnertime, I’ll wait. I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV. I check my phone and realize I have a few messages and a voicemail from Cam. I clear out the voicemail first, which was Cam asking me how I’m doing and to call him as soon as I can. Then I read the messages, which basically say the same thing. I decide to call him back and he picks up on the third ring. I tell him that we just moved me in my apartment and I haven’t really seen the city yet. I haven’t met my roommate yet either, but she seems pretty cool. He tells me how much he misses me and that it’s boring without me.
We talk for a good hour when the door suddenly swings open and a girl walks through.
“You must be Leila!” she exclaims when she sees me. I smile and tell Cam I’ll call him back later. I press ‘End’ on my phone and approach her.
“And you must be Madison?” I question.
“Yup!” she answered. “Just let me put my books away and I’ll be back out.” She gathers her books and crosses the living room to her bedroom. I sit back on the couch and wait for her. I realize the TV is still on so I grab the remote and turn it off. Madison returns and sits on the sofa.
“So, is this your first time in California?” she begins.
“Yup,” I respond. “I’m really excited, it’s been my dream since I was little.”
“I also heard you’re starring in a new show, right?” Madison asks.
“Yeah, it’s at ‘Red Light Studios’ downtown. It’s called Deep Secrets and I’m one of the co-leads,” I inform her.
“Oh ‘Red Light Studios,’ I’ve heard about that place! It’s really nice, you’ll like it.”
“So what do you do?” I question her.
“Well, I’m studying theater at Pierce College. I’m a freshman but the year is almost over.”
“Why did you choose to live in an apartment?”
“Well, I tried living in a dorm at the beginning of the semester, but I didn’t really like it. So halfway through the year, my mom agreed to rent me an apartment and pay for half of it, since we couldn’t find any apartments with reasonable roommates a close distance away from the college. I told the front desk that I was looking for a roommate to help with costs, so they put my name up and finally someone answered! Even better is we both love acting!” Madison exclaims. I laugh.
“Well I hope we both love food because I’m starving!” I announced. This time, she laughs.
“I don’t have much food here, so is it ok if we order a pizza?” she asks.
“Yeah, sure! Cheese please!” I declare. She laughs again and presses her phone to her ear. She orders us a pizza and soon we’re stuffed.
“That was amazing,” I say, after I’ve eaten my fourth piece of pizza.
“I know, right? That place is the best pizza place you’ll find here in LA,” Madison responds.
“So, you’ve been in LA for about nine months now, right?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she answers.
“Would you mind if you showed me around? Like when you’re not in your classes?”
“Yeah! I’d love to show you around! I was actually thinking about that earlier today. I don’t have any classes tomorrow, and I was thinking we could go tomorrow. I invited some of my friends to come along, if that’s ok. I figured you’d want to get to know some people, too,” Madison replies.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I smile.
“Haha, even though you just met me,” she remarks.
For the rest of the night, we engage in conversation. I get to know her really well and she is amazing. She’s funny, sweet, kind, everything a girl wants in a best friend. I’m glad I’m her roommate.
Notes
Hey guys, thanks for reading! I won't be updating for a while again, maybe 2 weeks or something. But please keep reading, share this story with anyone you know, and please vote and comment!Rachel :)
Make a Sequel please.
9/13/14