Check Yes, Juliet

Numinous

I walked into Chris's house; trying not to gag. I looked back at Ian and Jesse, they weren't surprised at all by this. In fact they looked even more comfortable than usual. The house smelled like cigarettes and alcohol. Chris was watching me carefully. This was a huge step he made in inviting me here so I didn't want him to regret it; I smiled.

"This is a really cute house." And I meant it. The outside was a little old, but it had a sweet cottage feel to it. The layout of the house was nice; if Chris and his mom cleaned it up a little it would be very sweet.

Chris raised his eyebrows. "You don't have to pretend-"

"I'm not pretending. I mean it." I said this seriously, looking him the eyes, hoping he would see how much I meant it. I liked the house, I did not like the smell. Did he live with this all the time? "Show me around." I said smiling again.

He nodding, still cautious. We moved around the boxes and walked through the first hallway on the right. There was one bedroom on the left, a bathroom on the right, and a blanket closet between the two. We moved into the bedroom.

"Uh, this is my room." There were no boxes in here. Everything was put in it's right place and all the posters were hung up. There was a bed and the covers fit on it perfectly. There were matching blue blinds and the closet was clean and clothes were organized.

"This is awesome, I wish I could have posters like this." I said, stepping further into the room. He had everything, sleeping with sirens, you me at six, we came as romans, a day to remember, paramore, breaking Benjamin, everything.

"Thanks. It's taken years to collect." He said smiling.

"You clean up fast, I would have boxes out for days." Ian says stepping in. He looks around too. Jesse stands by Chris, looking around politely but not invading like Ian and I are.

We walk out and follow Chris into the living room and kitchen. I have rarely ever been into small houses, so it's always new to see the kitchen and living room connected together with no dining room. There is a small island in the kitchen, the countertops are a boring white color and so are the tiles. The cabinets are a faded brown and more boxes sit on top of the kitchen. The living room is barely furnished with just a couch and a TV that is stacked on top of a bunch of phone books. There are more boxes lining the wall near the square windows.

"What's that room?" Sandra asks.

"That's my mom's room. It stinks even worse in there, I try to contain it. She is out working right now, though."

"It's a very nice home you have here." She says, smiling at him.

He nods and then Chris moves into the kitchen to make the pizza and breadsticks. Ian, Scott, Sandra and I sit down. We are all nervous. I am freaking out, this is what Chris lives in! I'm so used to clean clothes and clean sheets everyday and a completely furnished living room with up to date furniture, that this is all such a shock for me.

"So, how was the trip down?" Chris yells from the kitchen.

"Three days in a train, I kept thinking I was going to get sick." Ian said, rubbing his temples just thinking about it.

"It was good. I'm so sad you missed this one shop, it was all old vintage guitars and music. You would have loved it!" I said to him.

"Yeah the guy that worked there kept watching us thinking we were going to tear it down or something." Jesse says chuckling.

"You wouldn't dare hurt a vintage guitar." Chris said.

"Yeah, but he refused to acknowledge that fact." Jesse said.