New House Smell
Sharpshooter
Disclaimer; I own nothing.
The smell of a new home was supposed to be welcoming, the past owners cleaning every nook and cranny so that the place practically over flowed with the smell of cleanliness. This house was different, it over flowed with the smell of bathroom, mice, and cockroaches, and it didn't look like it'd ever seen a duster or mop in its entire life.
The advertisement had said it was in need of some fixing up, but further examination proved it needed more then just some. Though the wooden floors weren't so bad, the carpet laid awkwardly overtop of them needed taken out, with singe marks from cigarette's marring every corner the smell of unkempt dog and cat urine didn't. The linoleum in the kitchen would need to be replaced, and the cupboards needed cleaned of cobwebs and animal droppings. The bedrooms weren't so bad, only a couple of holes that needed filled in, but the bathroom, now that was another matter.
That wasn't going to keep a smile off the young couple's faces though. This was their first home together, their first taste of freedom away from their parents. They no longer had everyone around them looking down on their relationship, claiming they just weren't made for each other. One from the richest family in town, the other one a bastard from a drunk's home, they represented the East and West sides of town, and by some unwritten law, that meant they should never be together.
"Imagine if your father saw us now."
"Oh, that's a pleasant thought."
Darrel let out a laugh, the sound bouncing off the yellowed walls and filling the home with warmth. He dropped the boxes he'd been carrying with what few belongings they'd taken, and grabbed his wife around the waist.
"Can you believe we're finally here?" He was grinning at her from ear to ear, his eyes filled with a mix of love and excitement," Now that we're away from that God awful place we can finally live our lives the way we want to, not how everyone thinks we should. You watch, and this time next year, we'll be rich and have the best damn good looking kid around, and they'll be wishing they hadn't driven us away."
The expression on her husband's face reminded her of a reckless colt, let out to run in the open pasture for the first time. Lucy put a hand on her ever growing belly, sending a look of disbelief to her husband," I don't doubt our child will be handsome, but rich? I think you need a job first, dear."
"Aw, Luce, I already got it all planned out," He kissed his wife on the top of the head, bending down to pick the boxes back up," Larry and me got a deal set up, so I'll probably have a job in a couple of days."
Lucy rolled her eyes," Larry? You didn't tell me Larry was the one you made this 'deal' with." She pushed away some stray hairs that managed to find their ways into her eyes, grabbing a box with kitchen items inside.
"We can trust Larry, he might be a little on the crazy side, but he'll come through."
"You'd better hope so."
Lucy was about to set the box down, but let out a shriek instead. Bugs were dispersing in every which direction on the kitchen counter, having attacked a bottle of Pepsi Darrel had previously set down.
"What? What is it?" Darrel came running in, stopping next to his wife. The two stared dumbfounded as a lone roach scurried away from the bottle, squeezing itself down a hole behind the sink.
"I've got to drink that now."
Lucy glared up at her husband, the young man's eyes still fixed on the hole the bug had disappeared into," Darrel, I can't unpack any of these pots and pans if bugs and rats and who knows what else will be crawling all over them."
"Right, right, I'll call someone after we get telephone service."
"Darrel."
He nodded his head obediently, wincing at the tone in Lucy's voice," I'll ask around."
Lucy sighed, rubbing her forehead," Where do you have us staying tonight again?"
"Um…" He smiled innocently," here?"
"Darrel!"
He made a quick dash into the living room, Lucy chasing after him with a fist waving in the air. The two were on the floor wrestling in minutes, laughing and yelling insults at each other. No real fighting was going on, but the two made enough noise for someone to believe they were really going at it with each other.
"Ok, I call a truce," Darrel panted, standing to help his wife get up;" The smell from the carpet is too much."
"You're just afraid to get beat by a girl." Lucy straightened herself back up, but her hair still lay tasseled from the fight," me and the baby could take you any day."
Darrel's eyes widened," That's right, the baby! We shouldn't be rolling around like that," he patted his wife's stomach," We don't want to hurt that precious cargo."
Lucy was about to open her mouth to say something, when the ringing of the doorbell interrupted her. The two stared at where the sound was coming from, looking at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Wonder who that could be?"
"Maybe the neighbors? Go check."
Darrel loped off, opening the door with a curious look on his face," Hello?"
"Yes, we just got a report of a fight going on at this address."
"Oh, that must be me and my wife you're talking about," Darrel answered, motioning for the officer standing at the front door to come in," Honey, we have a guest!" he called out, grinning at the cop as he waited for his wife to appear.
"Oh?" Lucy tried fixing her hair, but gave up and hurried to see who could be at the door. She stepped up beside Darrel coolly, eyeing up the cop to try and determine what he was there for.
The police officer studied the two, squinting his eyes at them," You two new around here?"
"What could give you that idea, all the boxes-" Lucy gave Darrel a sharp elbow to the side, answering for him in an overly sweet voice. "Yes, we are sir. May I ask what brings you to our home?"
Caught up in her smile, the officer shook his head," Nothing. You've got a real character for a neighbor; she must have mistaken the noise from someone else's house for yours."
"Real character?" Darrel looked out the window, spotting a woman with curlers in her hair and a robe wrapped around herself watching their house from her front porch," Would never guess it."
The officer nodded," sorry for bothering you two, best of luck."
Lucy waved from the door way as the officer made his way to his cruiser," Nice meeting you, good bye!" She was practically singing the words, trying to keep from laughing.
The police car drove away, leaving the couple to burst into laughter as they shut the front door.
"You still got it, hunh?"
"Well, I should. Lord knows how much trouble I've had to get you out of," Lucy let out a sigh, smiling at her husband as he wrapped her in a hug.
Darrel, aware of watching eyes, gave her a quick kiss, looking at the window with annoyance," We need curtains."
Lucy followed her husband's eyes," Oh, I hate people like her, always in other people's business."
The woman who had been watching them scurried back into her house, screen door slamming behind her. Lucy and Darrel went back to unpacking, extra energy moving their feet forward. Only so many boxes could be unpacked and only so many rooms could be cleaned before the two grew tired though.
Walking through the house, admiring the work the couple had already managed to accomplish, Darrel entered the kitchen where his wife was sitting, taking a break. He noticed the Pepsi bottle on the counter, during all his work he'd forgotten he'd left it there.
Lucy stared in disgust as Darrel took a swig from the bottle, a smile spreading across his face in satisfaction. "How can you just drink from that, knowing some bug probably crawled all over it?"
"I can't let this good drink go to waste, it's not its fault bugs and humans alike are drawn to it." Darrel let out a chuckle watching his wife's face," You can take a girl out of the West side, but you can't take the West side out of the girl."
She frowned," No one should have to drink from the same bottle as a nasty bug, no matter where they live."
"Well, don't worry, because a year from now-"
"We'll still be un packing."
Darrel shook his head at his wife," Women, they never understand."
A/N:
Hm... Not too great...