Ambiguous

Chapter 5: Part 2

Ace takes a turn into a street. Lukas watches the blur of buildings and greenery speed by as Ace drives. Lukas looked over at the driver. His eyebrows furrowed, a cold stare ahead as he grips on the wheel. The music vibrates the entire car. He looks tense, Lukas tries to lift the atmosphere.

He mouths something to Ace but he can't hear hin because of the music. He nudges Ace, he sees Lukas wants to say something. He stops in front of the next red light and turns down the music so it's just muffled back ground sound.

"What did you say?" Ace asks glancing at him.

"I was gonna ask you if you had any water, I'm a bit thirsty"

"Yeah they're should be one in the back" Ace motions to the back seat.

Lukas turns and sees among a jacket, his backpack, there was 5 water bottles. Everything else looked neat, the entire car almost looked brand new. He reached for one, cracked it open and felt the cold liquid wet his throat. He sighed in relief. He was more at ease.

"We're you that thirsty? Didn't we have hot chocolate like half an hour ago?"

"Yeah but that was my first drink of the day, and I get dehydrated easily"

"Didn't you have anything to eat or drink today?"

"I uh didn't eat anything actually" "Why?" "I was a bit nervous so I didn't have much of an appetite" he smiles.

Ace laughs.

"There's no need to be nervous, I'll help you unpack when we get back" Ace smiles back.

Lukas thanks him and looks outside the window as Ace continues driving this time at a slower speed, where the blur of colours are now recognisable buildings like restaurants, shops, launderettes etc.

"This area has a lot, I can see why loads of uni students stay here"

"Yeah, that's what Marcel first saw when he came here, he used the launderette a lot but rarely went to the restaurants, they're a bit priced"

"Marcel?"

"Oh my best friend. His another roommate, he moves from work to school from school to work so it is a bit rare to see him. But his an easy going guy, don't worry"

"Ah okay that's good...so all of you also go to Sky Uni?"

Sky University the one that I picked Lukas from just now.

"Me, Marcel, Seiko and Ivy do" "Mikayla goes to an art school an hour away"

Ace sees Lukas' confused expression and laughs.

"I know I'm just saying random names, but they're  rest of the housemates, you'll meet them"

"Ahhhh"

The car comes to a slow stop. "Well we're here now." Ace says unbuckling his seat belt.

Lukas was caught up in the conversation he didn't even realise they had arrived yet.

He got out, closing the car door behind him; back pack in hand staring at the building in front of him. It looked bigger than in photos. The two-story house had beige walls and a brown roof tiles. The front porch had a clean deck with a wide black couch and small grey pillows and a small table. It would be nice to come outside here at night and look at the view. There was a bed of assorted light coloured flowers that decorated the perimeter of the front garden.

"They look nice, did you do them yourself? " Lukas laughed and gestured at the flowers.

"yeah NO...it was actually Ivy she spends the most time at home so she does this to pass time" He responds as he slams the trunk, suitcase in hand and looks the car.

"Let's go inside, it's getting colder" Ace says. Of course it will get colder for him because his only in a hoodie in - 5° weather.

A rush of heat envelopes them, as they enter. They both take off their outside shoes. Ace automatically grabs his blue slippers and puts them on, Lukas didn't really have any so he just stood their awkwardly in his thin white socks, staring at the ground.

Ace sees something on the shelf "Ah! Here you go, I almost forgot" Ace gestures at the yellow slippers that still have the price tag on them. "Ivy got your slippers yesterday when she heard you were coming". He says as he climbs the stairs

A warm smile spreads on Lukas face as he looks in that direction. 8 pairs of shoes line the shelf. Red, Blue, Pink, Purple, White, Brown, Grey and Yellow. Lukas slips on his slippers and follows behind Ace.

When they reach the top of the beige stairs, Lukas sees 4 doors and a set of stairs on the right leading upstairs.

"I'll be your tour guide today." Ace says "On the left you'll see a living room-" Lukas peers in and sees 3 couches. 1 pressed on the rear wall facing the large flats reen TV on the opposite wall. 1 on the left directly opposite a far opposite 1, with a glass table in center. The overall room looks nice.

"If you look further right you'll see the kitchen" He looks further right and sees a mostly grey kitchen with a marble countertop, black fridge and cupboards with a latge glass table on the right next to the other door.
There are 2 plates packed with appetising food, Lukas goes to step in but Ace stops him "Lemme finish my tour then you can fuck around and do what you want. I had to wake up too early and I don't get paid for this" he says looking at Lukas half serious and so they move on.

"At the end of this hallway you'll see a bathroom." They move to the next door and when Ace opens it it's a mostly white bathroom. White tiles and light blue walls. On a glass counter, there's a pot of tooth brushes. Red, Blue, Pink, Purple, White, Brown, Grey and Yellow," The yellow ones yours" Ace says, he points at the loafas with the same colours "Same with the loafas". Lukas nods in acknowledgement and they move on.

Ace points to the last of the 4 doors in the hallway. "This is the store. We usually keep people's jackets and bags in here when they come over-" There's a coat rack hanging on the inside door and when looking at the closed space, Lukas sees an additional shoe shelf, much larger than the one at the entrance "When loads of people come over, if they leave all their shoes at the door it gets messy so all visitors put their shoes here" "Any questions?"  Lukas doesn't have anything to say, so he just shakes his head which sends his brunette curtains flying. "Aight let's keep it moving then."

Ace closes the door and the two of them ascend the winding staircase until they reach the upper level. This floor has 5 doors.

"The door on your right is the upstairs bathroom; same as the one downstairs but it has a bathtub instead of a shower." "The 1st door on the left is Ivy and Seiko's, the one opposite is just Mikayla's but her friend Angel sometimes stays there too when she comes over" "The room on the far end is me and Marcel's room." "and the room left that's right next to Ivy's is yours" "It used to be a guest room". Lukas takes in all this information as he looks over this wide hallway.

"Let's go in, I bet your arms tired" Lukas says looking at Ace. He hasn't dropped his suitcase since they got here and he must be exhausted.

"My arms aren't but I am let's get this done. I need my bed right now" Lukas opens the door and he seems a very empty room with black walls and a pitch black carpet. A neat double bed with black sheets aligned on the left side of the room. A big wardrobe in the right corner of the room, a long mirror on the side of the entrance and a comfortable looking desk directly below the large window. There would at least be a nice moonlight shining through when he draws. He can even set up his canvas in the corner...

Ace interrupts his daydreams as he drops his suitcase on the floor. "Judging by the size of this, you might need help unpacking...lemme just freshen up and I'll come help" Ace says as he exists the room.

Lukas can hear the bathroom tap start as he collapses on the bed.

Finally, I'm free. Lucas thinks.