Roommates

The New Roommate

  I turned on the TV as I waited for my new roommate to arrive. She was running a bit late, probably stuck in traffic.
  After flipping the TV channels over and over, I heard a knock at the door. I opened the door and was met with a young woman with messy hair and talking at a rapid speed.
  "Hi, sorry I'm late, traffic, plus I had to get some stuff from work, but I'm Lavinia your new roommate but you already knew that," she took a deep breath and continued, slower this time. "Sorry. I'm nervous. Let's try this again. I'm Lavinia but feel free to call me Lav. Sorry that I'm late, tons of traffic plus I had to pick up something for work."
  She smiled and stuck her hand out. Still trying to sort what she said, I stared at her hand for a second before shaking it.
  "Vedhas," I said, pointing towards a door on my right. "Your room is that way."
  "Thanks! I'll unpack," she stared into space. "Say, can I treat you to lunch?" Lav's face brightened.
  "Uh, sure. When?"
  "When I unpack. I'll be quick."
  With that she rushed off to her room. I watched her from the doorframe, my foot propped up against the wall.
  She packed clothes tightly into her dresser, some of her possessions resting on top. My eyes caught sight of the pictures she hung up. They were photo booth pictures and there were even some instant photos.
  Lav noticed me watching her. "I'm almost done."
  "No rush. Just... looking," I said, walking into her new room. I wanted a closer look at the pictures, as creepy as I was.
  Upon reaching the wall, the photos were clearer to me. There were some of her laughing, her arms around the shoulder of a man. "Who's this?"
  "That's my friend, Michael."
  I nodded. I pointed to another picture. "Who's this?"
  A young woman, looking very similar to Lav sat on a horse, seeming scared by the endeavor. "That's my sister, Isabelle."
  I nodded again, and kept glancing over them. They were of mostly the same people so I didn't bother asking any more questions.
  As I finished inspecting the pictures, she was ready. Lav grabbed her wallet and keys. "Let's go!"
  "Where?"
  "To lunch," she said. After a second, her mouthed shaped an 'O.' "How about pizza?"
  I shrugged and nodded. Warm pizza sounded so good.
  We jogged down the stairs and out the door towards a royal purple car. I got inside, looking around at my new surroundings.
  The inside of the car was impeccable. No signs of dirt anywhere. My new roommate seemed pretty good so far. "Where's your favorite pizza place?" She asked, her eyes on the road as the car shifted into gear.
  "It's a place Downtown," I said, pulling out my phone for directions. I could never remember how to get there.
  I told her where to go and, nearing the restaurant, we started up another conversation.
  "So, Lav, where do you work?"
  Her face lit up as she talked about her work. "I work at a publishing company I started with my friend. I've even written a couple books," she smiled. "Not bestsellers but it's okay."
  "Impressive," I wasn't lying when I said it, either. I was expecting my roommate to be a waitress at a diner or something less... interesting.
  She pulled into a parking space in front of the pizza place. Like a true gentleman, I held the door for her.
  "Thank you!" She said with a smile.
  I walked in behind her for the start of lunch.