Sara Roberts stepped off the plane and headed towards the baggage carousel. She shook her legs as she walked, adjusted her baseball cap which was on backwards, rewarding her with strange looks from her fellow passengers. She had just sat still for ten bloody hours, why couldn't she shake her legs? She arrived at the carousel and slipped to the front. Her bag was her last on the line and didn't look in the state it had when she booked in at Gatwick. Oh well at least she had it. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket to check what to do next. It read.
Dear Miss Roberts,
We will pick you up at the airport and take you to our lovely apartment. The boys can't wait to see you.
Racetrack and Cowboy
Sara pocketed the letter and made her way towards the exit. She joined the end of the huge crowd making their way through the double doors. As she waited she grew more and more anxious. She hated crowds which meant she hated night clubs and parties. The crowd finally disappeared and she was outside. Fresh air hit her like a brick wall. She looked round in amazement. America was beautiful.
"If ya don't close ya mouth it will stay like dat." a voice called in front of her. She looked and saw two men in their early twenties leaning against a beat up convertible. One had a red bandanna round his neck and a cowboy hat on his head. The other was short with a cigar hanging form his lips.
"You two must be Racetrack and Cowboy?" she inquired
"Dat be us." replied the small one. "I'm racetrack but Race for short."
"I'm cowboy or Jack."
"Nice to meet you two." Sara replied finally reaching them
"I'm Sara, or my friends used to call me Bob." she said shaking their hands
"Bob? Strange name for a goil." race said. Sara grinned.
"As you know my last name is Roberts. Bob is short for Robert so they just started calling me Bob." she explained
"I see." Jack said "let's get back to the apartment and let Bob settle in before the boys get back." he took her bags and placed them in the back seat. Bob placed her hand on the side of the car and jumped into the back next to her suitcase.
"Ya sure ya don't want at sit in da front?" race asked "I don't mind sittin in da back."
"Nah its fine. I like the back seat." Bob said. Jack sat himself in the drivers seat and Race sat in the passenger seat. Jack started the engine and they were off.
"Do ya drive Bob?" Jack shouted over the noise of the engine and Wind.
"Yer but I'll have to learn again as you guys drive on the wrong side of the road." she shouted back.
"I dink ya'll find it is you that drives on da wrong side of da road." race called
"England started driving first so it is you that drives wrong."
This went on for five minutes until they arrived at a quite street of houses with small kids playing outside.
"Looks nice." Bob commented.
"Yer but the kids are annoyin when day knock on da door every five minutes." Race grumbled. Jack turned up a drive with one car in the driveway.
"Looks like da boys are back already." jack commented, at that moment the front door opened and two boys stood there watching them.
"I told ya we shouldn't 'ave given dem a key." Race moaned. The car came to a stop and Bob leapt out. Jack took her case and they walked up to the door.
"wat you two doin' in our 'ouse?" Jack demanded playfully.
"Hidin'." the one with blonde hair and glasses replied. Bob thought he was very handsome. The other one was nice too. He had brown hair and glasses.
"Wat ya talkin' 'bout Dutchy who ya hidin' from?" jack asked.
"Me Ma." the brown haired one said. "I err told 'er 'bout Dutchy and she went mad."
"Oh sorry Specs." Race said. At that point Bob's stomach grumbled loudly. Everyone turned to look at her.
"Well whose dis?" Dutchy asked jumping up and down.
"Dis is Bob our new house mate." Race said proudly placing an arm round her shoulders. "Bob dis is Dutchy and Specs, dey don't live 'ere but dey are 'ere most hours."
"Nice ta meetcha." Specs said shaking her hand.
"You too. If you don't mind telling me, what did you tell your mum that got her so angry?"
"Oh she English, very nice." he said looking at Race and Jack. "Nah, you'll find out soon enough. I told me ma that I was gay and that I loved Dutchy."
"Oh." was all she said trying to hide her disappointment
"Oh? Somedin wrong with us bein gay?" Dutchy finally stood still.
"Oh no, nothing like that. It's just my luck that all the hot guys have to be gay, that's all." she explained quickly. Dutchy started jumping up and down again then hugged Bob tight.
"I like dis goil, she's nice." he squeaked. Everyone burst out laughing.
"If ya don't mind could we go inside, I've just spent ten hours on a plane with discussing food. I wouldn't mind having something to eat if that is ok?" Bob asked timidly prising herself away from Dutchys tight grip.
"Sure. Before we go in ya like dogs don't ya? Jack said stopping halfway through the door.
"Love them, the bouncier the better." Bob said smiling
"You wont say that when ya meet Tiny and Sky." Race warned. They all walked inside and entered the lounge which was right of the door. Jack left the case on the stairs which was right in front of the door. A second later bob landed on the floor with a wet tongue in her face. She opened her eyes and saw a Great Dane staring back at her. A collie puppy appeared under its legs. A hand appeared to help her up.
"I warned ya 'bout dem." Race said as he pulled her to her feet.
"I'm guessing Tiny is the Great Dane?" bob replied brushing herself off.
"Yer, great name aint it." Dutchy said standing on a warn out, faded red, three seater sofa. Bob picked up Sky and sat next to Dutchy's feet.
"So how old is this cutie then?" Bob asked
"I'm twenty one." Dutchy said above her.
"Not you, you dim wit, this cutie." Bob whacked Dutchy across the shin then pointed to Sky.
"Err, she's nine months." Race said looking to jack for confirmation
"And the horse?"
"She's five, got er from a rescue centre when she was one, a moving in present from me aunt." Jack said coming in with a plate of toasted cheese sandwiches. Bob placed the squirming Sky on the floor and took one from the plate.
"So what brings ya at da U.S?" Race asked
"My mum was suffocating me and I just had to get out"
Bob mumbled with a mouth full of cheese. "Not literally of course." she added seeing their faces. "She just wouldn't let me do anything on my own so once I finished college I came here, my course ended two days ago." Bob explained.
"Ya really wanted at get away then." Specs commented pulling his boyfriend onto his lap.
"Yer, wat bout you four, what is your story?" Bob asked
"Err, well we all met in an orphanage called News Boys Lodging House as it used to be where the Newsies lived. I was there first, then Skittery, Dutchy, Blink, Race and Specs. Ya will meet Blink and Skittery when they get back from work." jack explained. They talked for a couple of hours and watched TV till the door slammed.
"Anyone 'ome?" came a voice form the hall.
"Yer Blink in 'ere." Race called back. A tall sandy blonde walked through the door. His short blonde hair was sticking out from under his baseball cap. She noticed he had a brown leather patch over his left eye, the other one was a piercing light blue.
"Bob this is blink, blink this is Bob our new house mate." jack introduced them
"hi" bob said shaking his hand." please don't say you're gay too." Dutchy and Specs burst out laughing.
"No I'm not gay." Bobs face lit up. "And wat's so funny?" Jack and race started laughing too.
"Blink ya should take it as a compliment. She thinks all hot guys are gay." Dutchy explained proudly between fits of laughter. Blink caught on quickly
"Er danks, but wait till ya see Skitts, he looks a lot better than me." Blink said blushing.
"Well I'll have to see it to believe it, what time is it? Shouldn't I see where I shall be sleeping? She asked no-one imperticular. She stood pushing Sky off of her lap again.
"Sure I'll show ya, I need at go up anyway and get changed." blink suggested.
"Thanks." Bob murmured as she followed Blink into the hall. He carried her case up the stairs and into the right hand bedroom.
"Er so did is ya room. Dere is a CD player and a TV that has been donated by various relations. I'll er leave ya at get unpacked." Blink murmured not making eye contact. He walked out the room.
"Thanks." Bob called after him. She looked round the room. The door was in the left corner of the room, with a bookcase to the right of the door. The bed was small with drawers underneath and was diagonal to the door. A built in wardrobe was in one corner and a sink was in the opposite. Between the wardrobe and the bed was a window showing the houses surrounding. Bob sat on the bed and started to unpack. Five minutes later she changed into some clean clothes and washed her face. When she was ready she went back down stairs and found it deserted. On the TV was a note.
Bob
We have gone to get food. Will be back soon. Do what ever you want.
Your darling house mates.
Bob snorted with laughter at the note then lay down on the sofa, turned the TV on and started watching but soon she fell asleep.