Their City Dream

The Beginning

The Beginning

“So this is the apartment your aunt sent us to look at?”

“It seems so, it’s kinda-“

“Ghetto.”

“I was going to say cute.” Audrey beams as they walk up the stairs of the brick apartment building. It was indeed old; it looked just like an old 80’s movie with the emergency stairs outside every window attached to the side of the brick building. It was only six stories tall, with a small flower shop attached to the bottom of it.

Almost a week and a half ago, Audrey’s aunt Summer had found them the reasonably priced apartment, making them move out of her house. They bought it because of the location, it wasn’t the safest area but it was only two blocks down from Audrey’s work and Carson’s soon to be job.

“So I talked to the owner on the phone, he said he would be meeting us on the fourth floor, with the key.”

“I have the first months rent, we can give it to him now.” Carson tugged onto her black leather bag that hung on her shoulder. The carpet below them was a dark grey, speckled with maroon dots making a diamond pattern. There was no elevator, just a wooden stair case with a mustard yellow carpet following it up. Each hallway was different, the first floor had purple walls with painted white doors, and the paint crackled and chipped faded into more of a cream.

The fourth floor had the same crackled and chipped white walls as the doors of the first floor. The doors were a mint green with the same grey and maroon carpet as every floor.

“Girls!” The third door at the end of the hallway to the right of the stairs a man stood holding two keys, he was short with black short hair that was none existent at the very top. He wore a white button up with a jean jacket the same color as his pants.  “Good morning ladies, you wouldn’t happen to be Audrey Small, and Carson Joy would you?”

“That would be us.”  Carson showed off her billion dollar smile, the one that parents adored and boys loved to see.

He smiles blushing as he hands over the keys. “I hope you girls enjoy living here, contact me if there are any problems. Rent is raised 100 if you own any animals-“

“Oh, yeah we have first month’s rent already for you.” Carson searches her purse for a white envelope.

“Well you two certainly know how to get on your land lords good side don’t you.” He snorts, taking the envelope from Carson whose jaw was tightened making her give a polite smile to keep from laughing at him.

Unlocking the mint green door to the apartment, a burst of cleaning chemicals and perfume burns their noses. The inside had old wooden floors, and white walls. The side wall that was on the opposite side of the room as them was all windows. There was no furniture in the house other than bed frames in two rooms. The light in the dining room was just a hanging light bulb that was dim enough to not even be on at all.

“This is nice.” Carson’s nose scrunched as she smiled, her voice’s pitch rising as she becomes infatuated with the broken down apartment.

“It’s ghetto.”

“Cute.” She corrects just as Audrey had before.

“I thought there would at least be a couch.” They walk into the cramped kitchen that barley fit the two of them. Opening the fridge all that was in there were five water bottles and a screw driver.

“Okay tomorrow we go furniture shopping.” Carson grunts as they haul their suit cases to their new home.

“Oh that’ll be interesting.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“It means between you and I, this house is going to look something between an antique shop and a junk drawer.” Audrey’s words were drug out with each breath she took.

“So? Everyone has a junk drawer.”

“Yes Carson. One junk drawer. Not a whole apartment.”

Lying on the floor, Carson covered herself in her clothes from the suitcase she had brought up since she was too lazy to bring the rest of her things up to the room. Audrey lye beside Carson’s head so they made an “L” at their heads on the floor, she had grabbed all of her luggage which contained a pillow and blanket in her smaller carryon bag.

“We actually did it.” Audrey whispered into the darkness, knowing that Carson was just as awake as she was, probably even more. “After all those years of dreaming we made it to New York, and together. Not many people can say that-“

“Oh my gosh I knowww,” Carson flips onto her stomach to see her. “I was just thinking about tenth grade, and how we talked about becoming writers and moving to New York together, living this dream.”

“I didn’t think you actually wanted to when we use to talk about it.”

“Are you kidding! This is my dream! OUR DREAM! The only thing that’s missing is my first job at a coffee shop. Which I will be applying for tomorrow.” Carson wasn’t whispering, her volume was on high now, “I will get that job.”

“Yeah and after that.” Audrey stared up at the ceiling, “Authors.”

“And attractive lovers to mate with.”

“Oh yeah, can’t forget those guys. I mean who else is going to kiss the ground we walk on?” Now they’re both sitting up, criss-cross facing each other.

“This all still feels like a dream.”

“That’s how you know you’re truly living.”