"At this point, I'll be grateful for your pieces."
*****
Jessica Franklin is at her wit ends, literally. With two sisters depending on her and a mountain of debts on her neck, she needs a way out before she breaks down...
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I return to my room, my grip on the planner still as tight as ever. Once the door is locked behind me, I let out a breath, some of my tension rolling away with it. Placing it on the bed, I begin a tour of my new room. On a closer look, it's bigger than I thought and has everything a woman my age would need. There's a small walk-in closet, with dresses and shoes in place. The vanity beside the bed, housed skincare products, all expensive looking, I admire them for a while, before placing them back the way I saw them. Next, I walk into the bathroom.
Everything is flawless there and I'm taken aback by the sheer beauty and elegance of it. The bathtub in the middle of the room calls to me and I realize how much I've wanted to have a good soak, a bubble bath maybe. But I can't let myself get carried away. I go back to the room, cutting my boxes open and keeping things away.
My paranoia gets the best of me, and I begin to search for hidden cameras. Half an hour goes by with me searching every nook and cranny of the room, I don't find anything but I don't want to take any chances so I tape off every vulnerable spot. I take a mental note to search the entire house once I get the chance. Already exhausted, I step into the bathroom once more and take off my clothes and step into the shower instead.
Turning up the heat, I shudder as the hot water pours down my skin, the steam fogging up the glass. My muscles slowly relax and the voices in my head take a backseat as I soak up the heat. Gently working my hands through my hair, I apply soap and wash thoroughly, then spend the next few moments watching as water leaves my body and disappears into the drain, transfixed. It's only when my hands are wrinkled up and my skin is pink that I step out of the bathroom.
I dry out my hair with a towel and slip into nightwear. There's nothing else for me to do so I step out of my room to Emma's. Knocking on her door once, I open it before waiting for her reply. I meet her eating yogurt from a cup, her room already set up. She glances at me as I enter and a corner of her lips quirks up.
"Hey there!" She murmurs, glancing at the laptop in front of her.
"How are you doing?" I ask quietly, walking into her room.
"Great. I hate to say it but this isn't bad. I like my room and he doesn't seem like a bad person. Luck must be on your side this time around." Emma comments as she types, probably busy with schoolwork.
"What do you think of him?" I ask slowly, desperate for her opinion. Emma stares at me and I hold my breath. She then shrugs, concentrating on her laptop.
"He's pretty okay, I guess. I mean I've spoken to him already."
"You've gone down to see him?" I ask, surprised.
"Nothing happened. He was already leaving when I arrived so we just spoke and I grabbed a yogurt from his fridge." She says it like it's the most normal thing in the world.
Emma is adjusting faster than I anticipated. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about it. All of a sudden, she closes her laptop and peers at me, a concerned look on her face.
