The Beginning Of The End

Chapter 4

Nina's POV

I got home twenty minutes later. I parked not far from my house. I got down with my phone and locked the car. I went to the house and saw firemen and a fire truck near the front door. I walked towards the front and was stopped by a fireman.
"Ma'am you can't go in there"

Even though the fire was out the fireman didn't want me to go anywhere near the house. The house looked really bad from where I was standing.

"I live here" I hoped he'd let go of me and let me take a closer look at the damages

"Oh, Miss Anderson, I'm sorry. We've been trying to get a hold of you but..."

I nodded and stepped closer to take a closer look at the house. Nick arrived a few minutes later. I watched as he got down from his car and made his way towards me.
"Hey" he hugged me so tight and I knew everything was gonna be fine. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sure yet. No one has spoken to me about the damages, guess they're still looking for the source"

A few minutes later one of the firemen came out of the house. I made my way towards him and so did Nick
"Excuse me?"

"Yes" he turned round to face me

"Is the basement really bad?"

"Miss Anderson?"

"Yea. Evening"

"Evening Sir! Ma'am. I'm Drew Parker, head of this squad"

"Please its Nina and this is my brother Nick"
We shook hands.

"We've been trying to get in touch with you"

"So I've been told, so how bad is it?"

"The kitchen is really bad and the stairs leading up the rooms is partially bad as well"

"The basement?"

"The basement to was pretty bad but..."
Oh no! The basement! My paintings! I really don't care about the electronics and the groceries in the kitchen, but my paintings.

"How bad is it?"

"On a scale of 1 - 10? I'd say 3"

I didn't realize I was holding my breath cause I felt relieved when I realized that it wasn't 'that' bad. But still, some paintings would be gone.
"So where are you planning on staying ?" Nick looked worried

"I don't know. I guess I'll stay in an hotel till I can get someone who'll rebuild, repaint and furnish"

Nick sighed. He was expecting to say that I'll go back home with him and stay till they're done with the house. But No! I won't go back to depending on my family now that I'm learning how to depend on myself. That'll be two steps forward and three steps backward but if I find a way to get my place to stay that'll be three steps forward.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I couldn't help over hearing your conversation" Mr Parker who was still standing there said

"Yes?"

"Hmm, my friends and I are looking for roommates"

"Your friends?"

"Oh. We rent out rooms. We're mixed genders"

"Oh" I think that could work

"Its an apartment with ten bedrooms each having its own connected bathroom. Five females and five males. Right now we have four empty bedrooms, two each"

"Okay, so three occupants each now?"

"Yea" he smiled

"I'm sold" I smiled back at him "How much?"