DisPLACEd: Beginnings

Chapter Two

"Six people with only four bedrooms?" Aadita questioned.

Jake peeked into the two rooms to the left of the house. "These two are shared rooms."

Harley poked her head into the bedrooms to the right of the house. "These two are singles."

"So I'm assuming we get to choose our own rooms?" Eric asked.

"I call a single room!" Ryan called out, his hand up in the air.

"How is that fair?" Jake protested.

"Because I called it," Ryan said matter-of-factly. "That's how these things go." He shoved his way forward, standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Come on, man. That's not really fair." Eric stepped in again to be the voice of reason.

"OK," Ryan groaned. He looked at Reb and then over to Jake. "You two are the twins, why don't you share a room."

"That's not happening," Jake said sternly.

"I want a single room so I can practise." Reb waved her cello in front of the group.

"I want a single room so I can study in peace!" Aadita said, eyeing off Reb's huge and presumably loud instrument.

"What about you Harley?" Eric asked. "Do you have any preferences?"

"I don't mind where I sleep, as long as I have a bed." Harley smiled warmly, shrugging her shoulders carelessly.

"I don't mind who I share with either," Eric said.

"OK great, you two can share a room then," Ryan suggested. Eric looked appalled and frightened at the prospect of having to share with a girl.

"And this one and this one," Ryan pointed at Reb and Aadita, "can share the other. Me and four eyes can have the single rooms."

"Or, you and Jake could share a room and me and her could have the single rooms," Reb protested.

"Eric doesn't look too keen to be sharing a room with the opposite sex," Jake interjected.

"Oh it's not...I mean it's not that I'm not..." Eric stumbled for words. "I mean, I don't want to impose on Harley and make her feel uncomfortable. You know, men have certain, um..."

"Needs?" Harley asked innocently.

"Y-No!" Eric was flustered. He was trying to dig himself out of the hole he had made. "That's not what I meant. It's just that guys and girls are a lot different in their bedroom manner, for example, when it comes to cleanliness and, ah, bodily functions..." He trailed off, realising he was just making a bigger fool of himself.

"It's okay, dude, we get it. You can shut up now," Reb said, releasing him from his anguish. Eric sighed in relief. Reb continued. "I can share with Harley if she doesn't mind listening to me practise. And Aadita you can have one of the single rooms."

"That's great, thank you Rebecca," Eric said.

"It's Reb!" She said abruptly. Eric smiled an apology. She squirmed under his gaze, uncomfortable with the attention.

"So that just leaves the boys," Aadita said.

"Ryan, what if you and I share?" Eric asked.

Ryan stood in silence staring at Jake. Eric looked to Ryan, Jake, the girls, and then back at Ryan, waiting for an answer.

"Fine." Ryan picked up his bags and moved to the shared room on his left.

Eric nodded once, closing his eyes in feign of mental exhaustion. He picked his suitcase up from beside his feet and followed Ryan.