Walking around the halls of the University, I find a board full of advertisements. Luckily for me a short man stood pinning in a sheet of paper which announced in large, bold writing 'ROOM AVAILABLE - HOUSEMATE NEEDED'.
Immediately, I walk over and read more of the sheet.
"You looking for somewhere to live?" He asks, smiling to me.
"As a matter of fact, I am." I admit, turning my attention away from the advert and to him. "My name's Alice. I'm new here, came from the UK looking for a good University to study Physics, I was told here's the place to be... never really planned out my stay, mind you."
Laughing, he replies: "my name's Leonard. My room mate and I just cleaned out the storage room in our apartment and have decided to convert it into another bed room. He insists that it's just a spare room, but I disagree." His attention is taken away from me and onto his story, clearly he's thinking very hard about what happened between him and his roommate. "It'll be nice having a Brit around." He adds, joyfully.
"So... when can I see the apartment?" I ask nervously, hoping not to be jumping too fast to conclusions.
Placing his hand in his pocket and pulling out a set of keys, he answers: "now, if you want? I can drive." He insists.
"Oh, my car's outside, I'll just follow close behind you." I smile at him as we start to walk towards the exit.
Leonard and I soon arrive at the large flat. "Which floor do you live on?" I ask, walking towards the lift.
"No, no, the elevator doesn't work! We have to take the stairs..." He shouts as I press the up button.
I back away from the lift, momentarily worrying for my safety, but then quickly coming to realise that I'm on the outside of the elevator shaft rather than the inside. Taking no more notice, I join Leonard walking up the stairs.
"So, what do you do in the University?" I ask, attempting to make conversation (which, if I'm honest, is not my strong suit).
"I'm an experimental physicist. It's pretty cool really, I get to use lasers and it involves quantum mechanics." His hands moving to show a laser beam. "If you ever need to learns about lasers, you know where to come." He laughs at himself.
Reaching the fourth floor, he unlocks the door that has '4A' stuck in the top centre.
"Come in," he says, opening the door.
I walk in and look around, it's pretty big for an apartment. Two desks with papers scattered all over, a rubix cube on one, a laptop on the other. Beside one of the desks, a TV sits upon a small table in which is surrounded by consoles. X-box 360, PS2, PS3, Wii and a Nintendo 64. Each of them with 2 controllers neatly places behind or beside them. The kitchen's small, a table stood in the centre, taking up most of the room. Then a corridor turns off to other rooms, where I'm guessing the bedrooms and bathroom are.
"It's a nice place you've got here." I admit, my head moving like crazy as I analyse every little detail of the room.
"Seriously, just make yourself at home, we'll get to know each other and if you like it, I'll help you bring all your things up the stairs later." Leonard suggest as he sits down on the arm chair, positioned adjacent to the 3 seater sofa.
Politely, I sit down on the part of the sofa closest to Leonard's seat, but the second I do, he responds quickly, shaking his head violently. "No! Don't sit there!"
Before I even have a chance to process his words, a tall and lanky man walks in from one of the attached rooms. "You're sat in my spot, Leonard she's sat in my spot, get out of my spot!" He whines like a five year old who's been deprived of his toy car.
Not wanting to annoy my new room mate, I hurriedly shuffle to the spot beside his.
"Sheldon, this is Alice, she's thinking of moving into our new bed room."
Sheldon crosses his arms and huffs. "I told you that was going to be a spare room. Now I'm going to have to rewrite the whole of the room mate agreement! If you'd just let it have been a spare room all I'd have to do is add a few pages." He whinges with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Look, Sheldon. She's only just arrived here in Pasadena, she needed somewhere to stay and we have room. Don't be so selfish." Leonard complains back, giving him what he deserves.
"Fine!" Sheldon says after sighing and rolling his eyes. "I'll go and rewrite the room mate agreement and fix up another emergency pack for her." He adds, getting up and walking off.
"You'll get used to him." Leonard laughs, laying back in his arm chair. "So, tell me about yourself, how old are you, what are your aims in life, any hobbies?" He then asks.
"Well..." I start, having to take a moment to think. "I'm eighteen, I've came here to study Physics and Mathematics, as well as searching for anything within the acting department. I play some games for example Zelda and Kingdom Hearts, I sing and play keyboard, I act..." my mind soon goes blank and I can't continue; I've never really been good at explaining myself.
Suddenly, the door opens and beautiful blonde walks in holding her large pink laptop. "Has Sheldon changed the Wifi password agai-" she starts, before turning her attention to us. "Oh, hi!" She smiles sweetly, though confusion is clearly raiding her head.
"Penny, this is Alice, she's thinking of moving in with us." Leonard speaks, breaking the quickly grown silence.
"Oh, good! It'll be nice to have another girl around!" She admits, taking a seat beside me.
"At least someone wants me around," I laugh, turning my head towards the rooms in which Sheldon had departed from us.
"You're British!" She yells joyfully, then quickly changing subject. "Sheldon? He wasn't really keen on me at first. He's like a puppy, when he gets used to you, he'll start to like you."
"He had a go at me... for sitting in his 'spot'" I complain, gesturing towards the empty seat.
"Oh trust me, he gets worse." She admits, her eyes widening. "Anyway, I'll leave you to get settled in, I'll be next door if you need me." With that, she stands up and walks to the door with her laptop.
"The password is 'Pennyshouldgetherownwifi'" Sheldon exclaims, re-entering the room. "No spaces." He laughs out a few breaths.
Penny glares at him for a moment before leaving the room.
"I'm going to bed." Sheldon announces.
"Goodnight, Sheldon." Leonard replies, rolling his eyes. When Sheldon once again leaves the room, Leonard turns his attention back to me. "So, do you want to stay here?" He asks, a persuasive smile painted to his face.
"Yes, I'd love to!" I answer, chuckling a little.
"There's just one thing I should've mentioned," he then starts. "We haven't actually got a bed in your new room yet, so you'll have to take the sofa... or you can take me room and I'll have the sofa, I honestly don't mind, not at all!"
"There's no way I'm taking your bed off you, I'll have the sofa. I was planning on sleeping in my car tonight anyway, I'm upgrading." I laugh, getting comfy.
"Are you sure?" He asks, a hint of guilt hidden withing his question.
After nodding, he walks off, soon returning with a duvet and pillows. Passing them to me, he speaks again. "Make yourself comfy. I'm off to bed now, so, goodnight, Alice." He smiles, before getting up and leaving the living room.
