"Jack," Eric winced as he hesitantly sliding a long envelope out from underneath a collection of the day's mail, "Here's what we owe for this month's rent..."
Jack immediately sprung up from the sofa, staring over Eric's shoulder as he opened the letter. Both of them groaned in unison as they saw the amount of money they would have to frantically scrape together this month.
"Man, we can't pay that!" Jack threw out his hand, grimacing in frustration as he continued, "Neither of our jobs pay anything close to amount up to that!"
Slapping the envelope on the table, Eric shook his head, hoping to loosen up some ideas inside his mind. The two of them had struggled to pay the rent since Jack had decided to share Eric's apartment at the beginning of the summer. Now, they were in the first days of August, and they had both had enough of this fight.
Man, they could really use Rachel's help right now. Back in college, they had never noticed how much she had actually helped in paying the rent. Now, in the midst of pricey NYC apartments, Jack and Eric realized they had really taken a third person's extra support for granted.
Unfortunately, Rachel was sharing a dorm with Angela at NYU, as they had both decided to go back to college in the fall and earn another degree.
"Eric, we can't keep battling this issue-" Jack said firmly. "Either we get a third person, or we go talk to the guy that rents us this apartment and figure something out."
Eric narrowed his eyes as he thought deeply. "Do you think Shawn would move in again and help us out?"
Jack shook his head. "I told you, Eric. Shawn's head has been-" He suddenly waved his hands as if he were pushing something into the distance, "I don't know where lately..."
Shawn had been very distant since his final break-up with Angela. Everyone was concernedly aware of that, and no one was sure what to do to reel him back in.
Shaking his head, Eric collapsed onto the couch, bouncing slightly with the springing of the soft cushions as Jack fell next to him. He blankly stared at the ceiling, which was cracked and stained in certain parts with age.
"Do you know anybody?" Eric asked, hoping Jack knew someone else to help him.
"No." Jack sighed. "Do you?"
"Jack, my only friends in this city are you and a bunch of orphans." Eric retorted bitterly.
"What about anybody in Philly?"
Eric was silent for a few seconds, yet mournfully answered, "No..."
"Well," Jack started with a tone of hopelessness and lackluster, "One of us will have to go talk to the guy..."
Quickly sitting up, Eric shifted towards Jack and held out his palm, pounding it with his fist as he chanted emphatically, "Rock, paper, scissors...shoot!"
Seeing that he had chosen rock, Jack slowly reached out and covered Eric's closed fist with paper.
"That's cheating!" Eric protested with a pout, beginning to try again. "Rock, paper, scissors-"
"Eric-" Jack interrupted, glowering at him as he continued, "Just go talk to the guy."
"Fine..."
After a long talk with the landlord, Eric left for home without of any luck. The landlord had been unwilling to bargain with Eric and help him out for even a month, leaving the him and Jack with one option: finding an additional roommate.
Where in the world am I supposed to find someone to help us out? Eric thought as he crammed himself into the crowded street. Maybe we can pick up an extra job...?
No, that was definitely impossible. Jack was set on returning to college for a master's degree in business this fall, and Eric's position at the orphanage was too demanding to share with another job. A third person was a definite at this point.
Suddenly, Eric stumbled at the forceful contact of another passerby. "Oh, excuse me."
"Eric?"
That voice sounded like-
Furrowing his eyebrows, Eric turned around to see someone who he had nearly forgotten about for seven years.
Jason Marsden.