March 19th, 1995

Christy smiles at the door to apartment B of number 1209 West 7th Street, the keys to said door in her hand. There were only three to the apartment, one for the door to the outside and the others for the doors at along the inside stairwell. The top two floors were hers to do with as she pleased.

Well, she amends that thought, with in reason to do with as I please. I'd like to get my security deposit back if I ever wind up moving out.

Her bed had already been moved to the top floor where the bedroom and the spacious bath was, not to mention the very large room with a window bench on the south wall that the door opened onto. Her bike was leaned up against the short wall of the four-season porch. There was a private stairwell that she could use in the back of the first floor of her apartment to get to the top floor, which she'd probably use more often as it was smaller and creaked wonderfully. The kitchen was large enough for her to have a decent sized table and chairs in there. The living room had a big window that looked out on the four season porch. The four-season porch probably couldn't be used much for four seasons. It could really only be used for three seasons. The windows (and there were many of them) were too drafty to allow for much winter watching…

But she could see everything as she wanted it. A nice long couch in the living room with as much of an entertainment center as she could afford (which wasn't much as her savings from college were severely dented by the down payment and first month's rent). A bench swing on the porch and a small chair to allow for reading or socializing (not that Christy did much of the latter). A four-person table would be in the kitchen. Her old desk fit nicely at the west window near the back stairs for the phone and taking messages. The large open room in the upstairs would make a wonderfully comfortable library.

She just had to finish things up.

She unlocks the door to the first floor of her apartment and goes to the old rotary dial phone hung on the wall by the west window, taking off her lightweight gloves and putting them in the pockets of her black pea coat that was then draped on a hook near the door. Picking up the receiver, Christy deftly dials Mari's number. Christy had never seen the point of getting a car. It'd just take up space and she never needed to go out of easy biking distance anyways. Mari, on the other hand, had inherited her dad's old pick-up truck and used it whenever she could. Christy was sure she'd help her find a Goodwill or Salvation Army, even if it meant going back to Augusta.

"Hello, Groth residence, Lynn speaking." Mari's mother answers after the second ring.

"Hello Mrs. Groth. It's Christy. Can I speak with Mari, please?" Christy asks, the polite sequence of things having been drilled into her.

"Oh! Hello Christy! One moment and I'll get her. She's been raving about this apartment she found yesterday," Lynn Groth replies before setting the phone down gently. Christy waits through the long silence until Mari picks up her receiver with a loud, "Hey there girlfriend! What's up, Wispy?"

Christy sighs slightly at the nickname but says nothing about it. "I need help furnishing my apartment. Could you help me out with that nice truck of yours? I only have my bed and a very small desk from my par-"

"Awesome! Let's go! Where do you live now?" Mari interrupts eagerly. Christy smiles.

"West seventh, twelve-oh-nine, apartment B," Christy answers, summing up the important information shortly.

"Great! I'll be there in a minute!" Mari responds. "See you soon!" she adds before hanging up.

Christy grins at her exuberant friend as she hangs up her phone. If there were two things that could be counted on in the universe, it would have to be Mari's love of driving people anywhere, and Mari's willingness to spend money… Especially if it wasn't her own. This was going to be interesting.

"I can't believe you had me get all that stuff…" Christy says, staring at the balance page of her checkbook before putting it in her purse again. She then twists in her seat to peer at the flat bed and the back seat of Mari's truck. Boxes of home-assembly kits for chairs, tables, and bookcases and a desk filled most of the flat bed, the rest taken up by the large couch that was too long for the bed and was tilted up over the gate. The backseat was filled with painting and paint effect supplies, not to mention a few household supplies that Christy had yet to have gotten… Like non-perishable food, plates, flatware, and shower curtains.

"You would've gotten it eventually. Isn't it better to get it all in one trip?" Mari retorts with a wry smile as she drives the pair back to Christy's apartment.

"The sofa's going to be interesting to get into the apartment. At least it's going in the front room." Christy replies as she sits back in her seat. "I won't have time to do all the painting. You know I start working on Monday."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Even the library closes on Sunday. Even you can't work when the library's closed, Wispy Christy," Mari rejoins playfully with a smirk at her best friend though her eyes remained steadily on the road before her truck. "And besides, I'll do it between working at the library, since I don't intend on being at work from dawn 'til dusk, and writing my latest brilliant short story."

"Another one, Ghostspeaker? You'd think the brilliance would wear off… Aren't they more towards inspired now?" Christy teases with an almost identical smirk.

"Hey!" Mari exclaims, risking a quick glance at her passenger with a look of feigned hurt. Christy could only laugh in response.

The teasing continued through the last five minutes of the drive back to Christy's apartment.

The fun part of carrying in the sofa came first, which they'd decided would go in before the overcast sky could rain on them. They'd had to go up to the landing, go up towards the top landing with one end, angle it in the door, go into the kitchen to turn it around, and then set it against the wall in the living room. All of this was done with not a few fumbles resulting in bruised feet and toes, causing the landlord downstairs to come out and see what the ruckus was. After seeing the limping girls heading back out to the truck with a half full flatbed, he laughed and helped by carrying in the assemble-at-home chairs inside in pairs.

One of the tables, all of the bookcases, and four of the chairs went upstairs in the room designated as her soon-to-be library, and the desk and another chair went into the bedroom. The rest was shuffled around the first floor of her apartment, five chairs going into the kitchen with the dining table.

Christy thanks her landlord as they bring the last of decorating and food supplies were dragged in by the slightly rained-on girls and they set about to organizing all her new possessions in the roomy apartment.

After they'd put together the kitchen table and two chairs for themselves, Christy fixed spaghetti for dinner for both of them, as both had not eaten more than a snack bar since that morning, and soon all of it was gone.

"So much for leftovers…" Christy muttered, not a bit resentful as she washes the last of the dishes and hands it to Mari.

"Heh… Yeah… I'll come back tomorrow to help with all the painting and stuff but I'm beat. See you around ten?" Mari responds with a half-covered yawn as she sets the dish in the crowded drying rack.

Christy smiles at Mari and nods an agreement. "See you tomorrow, Mari."

"See you, Christy," Mari replies and lets herself out, leaving Christy to finish the tidying up and her thoughts.

After Christy quickly wipes down the table and stove, she realizes just how tired she is as well. With a great yawn, Christy makes her way up the creaky back stairs to head to bed.

Author's Note: Many thanks to Peter for being my ST. This will be an ongoing bit, I think, just to keep track of how my Changeling game goes. Christyana Adyna Frank is of my own creation and I'm rather proud of her so please ask if you'd like to use her at all. Thank you muchly and please review!
Slytherin Shaman