Exit Stage Left 3/?
By: Fele414
*I just wanted to say thanks for all the positive
feedback that I've gotten. It's so
exciting to know you all like my story. I'm going to try and keep it interesting, it will probably be a few more
days until I can post another chapter. 40 hours at work and 15 credit hours at school give me little time to
myself, I'm sure most of you know how
I feel. Once again I kinda just typed it up and won't have time to read it over
for grammatical errors so if it doesn't all flow, then that's just too bad.
Anyway, on with the story!!
Jodi arrived early before practice,
she didn't really know her way around all that well and wanted to get more of a
feel for it. She strolled down the
endless hallways until she came upon a small lobby. It contained a couch, vending machine, and a bulletin board. Jodi wandered up to the board hoping to find
someone looking for a roommate, it had been almost a week since she had arrived
and she hadn't even begun looking for an apartment. Her gaze wandered over several pages until a particular ad caught
her attention. She tore the paper from
the board and stuffed it in her bag before rushing off to practice.
Later
that day…
Practice had been long and
enduring. In Cooper's ballet Jodi had
always felt comfortable in her position, her self-confidence never
faltered. But here, here she felt as
tall as an ant. She could feel every
time Charlie looked her way, and it felt as if he was burning a hole through
her.
The apartment she had gotten off the ad was in a
small complex just down the street from the Center, it was an older building, a
split level Mexican design. She buzzed
the apartment several times before someone finally picked up, "yeah?" "Hi I'm Jodi Sawyer, I'm here about the room
for rent." "Oh snapp, hold up, I'll be
right down," the girl's accent was a thick New York accent, Jodi couldn't help
but laugh at how much she sounded like Eva. The door opened and a girl taller than Jodi with dark red hair with
spiral curls appeared. "Hi," "hi," Jodi
replied back a little nervously. "My
name's Jen," she introduced herself while sticking a piece of gum in her
mouth. "You seem pretty normal, why
don't you come on up." Jodi followed
her up to the apartment, it was nice she thought to herself. There was a kitchen, a dining room, a living
room, and 3 bedrooms. "Are you the only
one living here," Jodi asked walking through the dining area. "No, Katie lives here too. She's in the San Francisco Ballet, she's
real good too." "Really, so am I," "Well
hey 'aint this a small world. Anywho,
this would be your room, rent's 300 a month plus your share of the food and
what not." Jodi shook her head, "wait
are you offering me this room," "well
yeah you do want it right?" "Well of
course," Jodi shocked back, "but I mean aren't you going to ask me any
questions or anything?" "Well you seem
pretty descent, but okay. Ever been in
jail?" Jodi shook her head no, "Okay
then, you pass the test. They're just a
few rules, no smoking and no drugs, you think you can handle that?" "Uh, yeah I think so," "great, welcome home
Jodi."
Later
that day…
Jodi sat in what was now her new
room. Surrounded by boxes Jen had
insisted she move in right away. Jodi
knew she meant soon, but she didn't think she meant that night. But Jen even took the time to go down to her
hotel room and help her get all her boxes. Apparently her old roommate had left them stranded, what was it Jen had
said Jodi thought, oh yeah, "well Jo, that was our old roommate, she met some
guy and less than a month later poof, they were married, just like that can you
imagine? She left us high and
dry." Jen was nice, the two had bonded
really well and San Francisco was starting to look better.
Jodi wandered into the kitchen, Jen
was sitting on the counter painting her toenails. "So where's Katie, I can't wait to meet her," "ah, she's probably
with her boyfriend, you know how that goes. All she eva' twalks about is how much she loves him, and how she
couldn't bare to lose him. I mean don't
get me wrong or nothing, she's my friend and all but the girl is paranoid. I remember one time she had the cops up here
breaking up a fight between her and her man because he called her by his ex's
name or somethin'. If you ask me I
think he's still hooked on some girl he left back home, but you didn't hear
that from me." "hear what," "exactly,"
Jen answered back.
As if on cue the door opened and
Katie walked through the door. Jodi's
mouth dropped, "you," Katie spit out, "me?" "What the hell are you doing here," "you two know each other," Jen
asked. "Yeah she's in my company,"
Katie answered. "But, I thought your
name was Gretchen," "Gretchen's my middle name, only Charlie calls me
Gretchen." Of all the luck, Jodi
thought. "Now like I said, what the
hell are you doing here?" Jen jumped
down from the counter and put her arm around Jodi, "she's our new
roommate." Gretchen dropped her bag and
pointed at Jen, "can I have a word with you for a moment… alone?" The two girls walked over by the door and
began whispering. Jodi tried to listen
in but with their backs turned she couldn't make out what they were saying.
"How dare you get a new roommate
without asking me first. Tell her she
has to go," "I don't think so Gretch, she's nice. Besides, she's already paid for the next three months, and you
know we need the money." Gretchen
stomped her foot in frustration, "fine, but for the record I'm not very happy
about this." "fine, duly noted." The two turned around, "sorry about that
Jodi, you just caught me off guard a little bit." Gretchen eyed her evilly and gave a chilling grin, "well I don't
know about you two ladies, but I'm going to spend the night at Charlies. I'll see you two in the morning."
Gretchen left and Jodi through
herself on the couch sighing heavily. "I don't' think she likes me," "no shit, I coulda' told ya that. What did you do to pist her off?" Jodi didn't answer, what could she say. She had only known Jen for a couple of hours, she didn't know where her
loyalties were. Besides how could she
admit it to her that she still loved Charlie when she couldn't' even admit it
to herself.
