Alternia Residential Complex

It looms in front of me, glowing yellow eyes set in beige. For a moment, I want to turn away, get back in the car, and leave. Just run back to California where everything was easy and familiar. But I know it's too late for that now, so I take a few calming breaths, adjust my grip on my suitcase, and stroll up to the building. 

At second glance, Alternia Residential Complex looks…well…sort of boring. The twelve apartments are arranged in a U shape, with a quaint little garden in the middle. It's hard to believe this is my new home. 

I walk past the square of grass, decorated with a few small trees, some flowers, and a little wooden bench. Nobody's out here, but I'm not surprised, since it's still february and freezing cold. It's probably not even really that bad, but I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so the jump to Pennsylvania weather is shocking. I tried to prepare myself before I came, bundling up in a big puffy coat and a scarf and a snug blue hat, but it didn't really work. I'm fascinated by the haze of fog expelled from between my lips every time I breathe, and the little soft clumps of white snow brushed to the edge of the sidewalk, but it's all mostly melted by now. 

My apartment is number eight. I fit the key in the lock and turn it to get my first look at my new home.

It's a small one bedroom. The movers came and dropped my stuff off here this morning; the manager said she would open the door for them. I walk into an open kitchen and living room, tastefully decorated with my ratty blue couch, a few under-stuffed armchairs, and my small square TV. There's a bathroom to my left, and then my bedroom. 

I was hoping it would be a familiar relief to see my bed after the long flight and drive over here, but it's not really. This has only been my bed for a little while, a shoddy replacement for the one in my dorm at UCLA.

I sit on the edge of the fluffy azure bed and kick off my tall black boots.

What am I doing here? This can't be my life. My life is back at California. Back with my friends and my parents. Back at home.

But it's not my home, not really, not when I don't have a home there. I couldn't afford an apartment, and there was no way I could bring myself to move back with my parents, so I ended up here, at Alternia. I've already landed a job as an arachnologist at the Philadelphia Insectarium. It's a while's drive from here, but, luckily, I had enough money to buy myself a car before I came here; a 73' faded blue chevy vega. The salesman said a bunch of stuff about good handling and coil springs, which I'm fairly sure was all just fast talking, but I don't really care. As long as I have wheels, I'm good.

The room looks bare. I take off my coat and hat and unload the stuff I had with me in my suitcase; my clothes, my books, a few folders full of various drawings and unused roleplaying character sheets, and a magic 8-ball, which I place on my night stand. I don't even know why I keep it, I'm too old to believe in stuff like that. But, I don't know. Maybe it's nice to have something to believe in.

There's a loud knock on my door. I look around, surprised, and pad over to my front door, the soft carpet squishing under my mismatching socks.

I open it a crack. It's a woman; she's tall and elegant with a golden-brown complexion and thick pink horn-rimmed glasses. I recognize her as the owner and manager of Alternia, Feferi Peixes.

I open the door the rest of the way to reveal she's holding a potted plant.

"Uh, hi?" The cold air chills my bare arms, since I'm only wearing a t-shirt. 

"Hi!" She draws the word out, her bubbly excitement almost too much to handle. "Vriska, right?"

"Yeah." I stare at her for a moment. "Oh, right! Uh, do you want to come in, Ms. Peixes?" I awkwardly open the door for her, suddenly self conscious of my scant furnishings.

"Oh, call me Feferi." She chirps, walking inside. She's wearing this long blue and green skirt, and blindingly pink boots. "Here! For you. Like, just a little housewarming gift."

She pushes the potted plant into my hands. I fumble with it for a moment before finding a good way to hold the heavy plant.

"So, how do you like it here?" Her excitement level is way too high. Nobody ever has to be that hyper. "I know it's sort of cold and dreary out today, but it's usually totally nice!"

I stare at her as she blinks expectantly at me. She doesn't look like she's going anywhere, so I heave the weight of the plant into one arm and shut the door with the other. I gesture for her to follow me into the living room.

She takes a seat on my couch while I position the plant underneath one of my few windows. 

"So, um," I take a seat in a beige armchair across from her. "I like it here. So far. I'm not really used to the cold weather, though."

"Ohmygosh, I forgot! You're from California, right? I took a vacation there once. I was born in Hawaii," she chatters. "So I'm no stranger to warm weather. It was totally a shock when I moved here. I went to college at Temple University, you know? Down in the city?"

I nod, although I really have no idea what she's talking about. As long as she's talking, I don't have to.

"I majored in environmental studies. Didn't really go anywhere, though, since now I'm here! But it's honestly really fun, just managing this place. Everybody's so nice! I mean, mostly everybody." Her smile slips a bit, but she quickly replaces it with an even broader one. "We should totally have a party tonight! Like, to welcome you and stuff."

"Oh! Well, uh," I try to come up with some last minute excuse. Going out to dinner? Seeing a show? Anything but the truth; I'm staying here, watching netflix, eating pringles, and crying. But she's smiling at me so earnestly, like she actually wants to be my friend. Why not make some friends? God knows I could use some. "…I guess?"

She jumps up unexpectedly, actually clapping her hands and bouncing a little bit. "Ooh, it'll be simply wonderful. I'll invite everyone in the apartments! And don't you worry about food, we'll have tons. What, like, six? Six is good. Six is good, right?"

I stand up, too, and start maneuvering towards the door. "Yeah, six would be cool. Uh, which apartment is yours?"

"Number twelve." She winks at me. "See you then!" She bounces out the door, already flipping open her cellphone (to call the guests, I guess).

I close the door behind her. The house seems so much more quiet without her chatter. I trudge into my bedroom and sink back onto my bed. Just being around her drains me, like she sucks up everyone else's energy and uses it to replenish her own supply.

I pull my laptop open. It's old and slow, but at least it still (mostly) works. I pull up my email. Mom said she would write me, to check up on me and stuff, but she hasn't yet. I consider sending her something, to just tell her I'm okay, but decide not to. I don't want to be perceived as clingy; she needs to know I can handle myself out here.

Instead I type up a generic 'Hi how are you its cool here hope to hear from you soon' to my old dorm-mate, Sarah. 

I close the computer and flop back onto the bed, staring at the white ceiling. It'll be cool here, I know it will. It has to be.