Look Samantha, I’ve been thinking about it and I’m not ready yet, I only put the card in yesterday and I haven’t really had a chance to get sorted. Yeah, makes me sound like a bit of a dork but that’ll do it. I won’t even let her get through the door, cut this off before it starts and then take the card back.
No sleep at all last night, worrying about the stupid thing at the shops and then this Samantha person. Well, it’s nearly eleven and once that’s over I’m going to have a nice cup of coffee, settle down with my book and try to get back to normal. It’s ages since I’ve thought this but thank goodness it’s Monday tomorrow, work to take my mind off things and my account will be back in credit – just. I might ring the bank and tell them it was just a timing thing and maybe they won’t make a charge.
Yeah who am I kidding, this is the third month in a row. I should really go and organise a proper overdraft thingy but it feels like an admission of failure, huh, well yes that’s what it is isn’t it. Sorry I can’t pay my way can you let me live on tick for a bit. Oh sod it, I hate money.
Oh, oh there’s the gate. Right, Sorry Samantha I’m not really ready yet.
“Hi, hello, I’m Samantha I rang yesterday about the flat share. Are you Charlotte.”
“Yeah, yeah that’s me. Hi, nice to meet you.”
“I love these houses. I’ll bet they were amazing when they were first built. It must be brilliant to live in this road. I’m so excited about this, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the card. Is it the ground floor? Will we have a garden?”
We
“Yeah, right, listen Samantha.”
“Call me Sammy all my friends do, I just know we’re going to be friends, I can tell right away. I’m never wrong about that sort of thing. Is it in here, shall we erm.”
“What, oh yeah, of course. Come on in, sorry, don’t know where my head’s at today. Come in. In there, the first door on the right. Yes it’s the garden flat.”
We!
“Oh what a gorgeous room. I love these colours, amazing. You’re so clever, did you do it yourself? Super pictures, are they just prints. The garden’s great, I’ll bet it’s lovely sitting out there in the evening, after work with a nice G & T eh.”
Oh God, let me get a word in will you. “Er, yeah I did the decorating myself, well my dad helped me but, you know the colours and everything, I chose them, yeah.”
“Oh, you lucky thing, I haven’t got a dad, nobody but me. Been on my own for a long time.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“No, no don’t be I can’t remember him, can barely remember Mum either. I spent most of my time back and forth between aunties and granny and so on and so forth. I sometimes think I’d have been better in care really, I had to move around that much. I am so excited about the room.”
“Where are you living now?”
“Well, nowhere really, I’m on my auntie’s settee just now. I was in another flat but the landlord sold it on and they moved us out. I did stay with a friend but she’s moved to Edinburgh. I went to a squat for a bit but it was horrible. Oh, yeah don’t worry about the rent. I’ve got a job. It’s just that I was very short of money for a while. I did have a place but it burnt down.”
“Crumbs, you haven’t had a lot of luck have you?”
“Oh well, it’s been up and down you know but it’s okay. I have a good feeling about this place; I think this is going to be a whole new start for me. Do you think we could look at the room? Is that alright? I can’t wait to see it.”
“Oh, erm er yeah, yeah course. This way, it’s only small, tiny really and only a single bed.”
“Oh it doesn’t matter I don’t need much, it’ll be brilliant to have my own place. Oh wow it’s gorgeous, it really is. When can I move in? oh please tell me I can move in. I just love this”
Oh, shit now what am I gonna do!
Diane M Dickson's Stories 
Samantha reminds me of my first college roommate – a bit of a ditzy blonde but fun to be with in those first few weeks. She helped me a lot, helped me out of my shell, so to speak. She was into the sorority houses so she dragged me around to RUSH (where the sorority houses open their doors to potential new members, introduce themselves and the type of girls they’re looking for). Although I got to ‘meet’ a lot of new people, I quickly realized that lifestyle wasn’t for me, but my Roomy really thought she had a chance with one place. It’s all she talked about, which was fine because I was still pretty shy back then and listening was better than talking. I quickly learned how to speak up for myself, though, and I think it was because of her influence, a little. I hope your character helps Charlotte, as well. Sometimes, opposites can compliment each other. 🙂
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