House Rules
Across the room, on a separate couch, sits a blonde girl who couldn't be more different.
She's watching you with open, friendly curiosity, the kind of look that makes you feel immediately at ease, which after days of rejection feels almost disorienting. She's wearing a colorful striped top and denim shorts, hands clasped in her lap, like someone who dressed for a picnic and ended up at a job interview.
"Hi! I'm Gabbie," she says, and the warmth in her voice is completely genuine. She starts to say something else but catches herself, glancing briefly at Charlotte before settling back into a smile. Just the smile, this time.
You take in the room properly for the first time. Large windows, clean lines, furniture that costs more than a month of your old rent. Whatever you were expecting when you saw that listing, it wasn't this.