Jack

I slept surprisingly well that night, despite the fact that a possibly murderous personality thing could apparently get into my room from across the hall. When I woke up the next morning, Emily was already at rehearsal, so I got dressed and walked to the kitchen to see if there was breakfast. I found cereal sitting on the table and got some milk from the fridge.

After breakfast, I got ready for the moving van to arrive with all my stuff. Emily got home and shut herself in her room to stay out of the way.

The van got there, and I spent the next half-hour instructing two guys where to put all my shit. The standing desk goes there. The bookshelves go on the other side of the room. Put that box here, it's just foam pads to put up. Once I was moved in, I let Emily know I was starting the vlog. After all, everyone who watched my channel would want to see the new place. Emily had agreed to appear.

I started in my room, showing the new setup and the room in general. I went to the hall, mentioned the bathroom just down the hall, and knocked on the closed door of Emily's room, half scared Bloody would answer. But Emily opened the door and said hi, as planned, and I moved on.

I showed the rather messy living room and the kitchen, which was cleaner, then returned to my room and wrapped up. Turning off the camera, I went to Emily's room to ask for help with the foam pads to put up on the walls.

The pads were much easier than normal to put up, thanks to Emily's help. When we finished, it was lunchtime, so we returned to the kitchen and made sandwiches.

"I heard a weird sound last night," I mentioned casually, trying to confirm what Bloody had told me.

"What sound?" Emily asked, oblivious.

"Sort of a rattling," I replied.

"Oh that was just my hedgehog." Emily remained cheerful. "When he drinks from his water bottle, he jostles it against his cage, and it rattles. Nothing to worry about. Which reminds me," she continued, "you haven't met Basil yet."

"Basil?"

"It's a family tradition to name pets after herbs. Hey, it's better than my grandpa. He named the barn cats after sports, mostly because if he came across one, he would kick it."

"Aw, poor cats!"

"They learned to stay out of his way!" Emily said, laughing.

After lunch, I met recorded the second video of the day and Emily made me wash my hands before I met her hedgehog. He was adorable, but prickly. She went out to eat dinner that night, leaving me to manage alone.

Microwave meal it is.

I went to Twitter while I ate, and saw a bit of buzz about my new apartment. The vlog wouldn't be up until tomorrow, but people were already wondering if I had a roommate. Mark texted, asking if I was settled in. I said I was, and we got into a conversation about the apartment and Emily. Mark warned me that a female roommate meant a new ship, but I already knew that would be a thing.

He asked about Anti, and I said he was behaving just fine, but he would probably show up soon. Mark asked if I'd told Emily about him, and I realized I hadn't yet. Anti probably would show up soon, wanting to meet the new person. Fortunately, Emily had Bloody, so Anti would be easier to explain to her than someone else. It would certainly be easier than explaining to Mark had been. That was an awkward conversation.

Then I heard the door close, and a voice call softly, "Sean, I know you're here."

I froze. That wasn't Emily. It was Bloody.