Alexi sat on the top step of the stairwell and leant against the red brick wall. Wiping the beads of sweat from her brow she reached inside the pocket of her cardigan and pulled out her mobile and a tiny slip of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. She dialled the number and mumbled under her breath: "You'd better pick up!"
Leonard hurriedly collected a stack of papers on his desk, slung his bag over his shoulder and dashed out of his office and down the corridor to meet Sheldon for lunch. As he approached Sheldon's office he could hear his phone ringing. The office door was open and he could see Sheldon madly scribbling on his whiteboard, no doubt trying to solve some incredibly difficult mathematic problem.
"Sheldon…Sheldon… SHELDON THE PHONE!" He shouted.
Sheldon dismissively shook his hand in the air and told Leonard to answer it. He picked up and was bombarded by an angry female voice.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting here? Or just how long it's taken me to cart all these boxes up god knows how many flights of stairs because the sodding lift is broken? You said there'd be someone here to meet me when I arrived and so far there's been no-one!"
"I..uh..who?.."
"Who is this? You're asking who this is. This just so happens to be your new flatmate pal!"
"One moment please."
Leonard covered the mouthpiece of the phone and yelled: "Sheldon you idiot! Our new roommate arrived today and you didn't stay to help her move in!"
Sheldon finally detached his stare from his board and looked at Leonard.
"I must have forgotten." He said with a nonchalant tone.
"How could you forget? Oh my god…" Leonard went back to the angry soon to be roommate who was still seething on the other end of the phone.
"I'm so sorry to have you waiting like this. The girl who lives in the apartment across the hall from us has our spare key. Knock on her door and she'll let you in. Sheldon and I will be around as soon as possible to help you move in."
"Yeah cheers mate." She said sarcastically and hung up.
It took a lot for Alexi to get angry but the fact that she had to single handedly carry at least 20 enormous cardboard boxes filled with all manner of things up countless flights of stairs with no assistance whatsoever, really got her goat.
Leaving her cardboard box fortress she went across the hall and knocked on the apartment where she was informed she'd find a girl with a spare key. Within moments the door opened and a blonde girl of an average height with a warm smile stood in front of her.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm Alexi Chamberlain, I'm meant to be moving into the flat across the hall but nobodies there to let me in and I was told you had a spare key."
"Oh right. Well first of all hi; my name's Penny. Nice to meet you!" Penny extended a hand and Alexi shook it. Penny took a key from a small bowl beside her door and motioned Alexi to follow her.
"So, you're not from around here are you?" She asked.
"No not at all. I'm from a city called Bristol in England." Alexi replied.
"Oh sweet! England!" Penny replied with genuine interest, "So are you into all that science stuff like Sheldon and Leonard?"
"Me? Science? Oh god no. I'm studying a Masters Degree in Costume Design. I just completed an Honours Degree in London."
"Wow, I wish I had the skills and smarts to do something creative like that!" Penny said in awe. "Well, here you are. Your new apartment!"
Alexi surveyed her surroundings and was distinctly impressed with all the scientific paraphernalia that seemed to clutter every corner her eyes could see. And stacks of video games by the TV: an X-Box, a Nintendo Wii and a Playstation. Every Sci-Fi movie ever made was chronologically ordered on a shelf next to dozens of books on science and maths.
"Do you want some help moving these boxes in?" Penny asked as she moved towards the door.
"Oh yes thank you, I'd appreciate that!" Alexi replied.
They both started pulling and carrying boxes into the living room. Penny would enquire as to what made each one heavier than the last and Alexi would inform her that she owned 2 industrial sewing machines, a machine embroiderer, an overlocker and 2 standard dress forms. Of course, there were also boxes with her clothes, books, crockery and cutlery: standard items anyone would have.
Penny went outside to fetch a suitcase for Alexi and heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairwell. She stopped and waited to see who was coming up and giggled when she saw Leonard gasping for air and reaching for the banister.
"Is…she…inside…the…apartment?" He panted.
"Settling in as we speak." Penny replied.
"Thanks…for your…help Penny."
Leonard went on in and saw a tall girl with short blonde hair and thick rimmed glasses un-packing a box full of plates and bowls and setting them on the kitchen worktops.
"Hi I'm Leonard. Listen, I'm sorry about there not being anyone here to help you move in. My other roommate Sheldon was supposed to of taken the day off work to see that you arrived safely."
The girl smiled and shook her head.
"Look its water under the bridge now. I'd hate for us to get off to a bad start. I'm Alexi."
She extended her hand and smiled radiantly.
"Nice to finally meet you Alexi."
"So where is your other roommate exactly?" She asked.
Leonard rolled his eyes. "Supposedly on the verge of a scientific breakthrough." He replied. "Hey you must be really tired from moving all these boxes upstairs. How about you sit down and I'll get you a drink? Penny do you want something to drink?"
Penny set the suitcase down by the couch.
"I'm okay thanks Leonard. I'll swing by later and see how you're getting on Alexi."
She waved goodbye and closed the door behind her.
Leonard made a big cup of sweet milky tea for Alexi and asked her all sorts of questions like what was it like being a costume designer and how she enjoyed studying in London and what made her move all the way to America to study a masters degree. He seemed like a genuinely lovely guy who was very interested in what she had to say but she felt herself yawning as she replied to each of his queries.
"Oh I'm sorry I keep yawning. Would you mind if I used the shower to freshen up a bit? I feel a bit grubby."
"Sure go ahead." Leonard replied, "There's towels in the bathroom, just don't use the Batman one, that's Sheldon's."
"Oh okay, cheers!"
She took some toiletries and a change of clothes from her suitcase and made her way to the bathroom.
She laughed at the Periodic Table shower curtain and was perplexed at the sight of a toothbrush under a UV light. She put out her shampoos and shower gels beside the bath and set her clothes down on the toilet seat. Switching on the shower she let the room fill with steam before stepping in under the hot water.