I sighed as I checked yet another paper’s classifieds, my aquamarine eyes skimming each ad, to see if there was anyone in need of a flatmate. In a city this big, everyone probably owned their own house or some big bachelor pad and were in no need of a flatmate. I picked up another, ordering myself another coffee to make sure I didn’t get kicked out of the diner I was crashing in, and almost jumped out of my seat. There it was, an ad for a flatmate. I gulped down my coffee and grabbed my bags, heading out into the busy streets and hailing down a cab.

I should probably explain what’s going on. My name’s Tex, and up until a few days ago, I lived in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. Now, that’s fine and dandy when you’re a little kid, but when you’re a grown man with big ambitions living in a town where nothing happens... Well, you get kinda sick of it. So I packed up my stuff, kissed my family goodbye and headed for the city, where all I’d succeeded in doing was getting lost, annoying the locals and getting confused each time I attempted to brave the subway system. Back where I’m from, a subway was a mythical thing, unless it was the sandwich shop.

I’d torn the ad from the paper out and looked at the address, trying to work out if the cab driver was taking me the long way round since it was obvious I didn’t live here. As I glanced at the street signs and saw him take a left to go round the outskirts instead of the right I knew he had to take, I stopped the cab and said I was happy to walk, paying him what was an already expensive cab bill.

I hefted my backpack back onto my shoulder, picking up my suitcase and figuring I might as well brave the subway again. Yeah, I changed my mind pretty much the second after. I know it sounds stupid, but I really don’t get the subway. I mean, there’s all the different lines and all the different stops and unless you know your way around the streets, which I don’t yet, the stations are pretty much all the same and yeah. I mean, I’d bought myself one of those little maps from the map booth things you get in cities, but it didn’t really help.

Nonetheless, I set off on my way, eventually finding my way to the apartment and pressing the buzzer, hoping I didn’t look too scruffy from wandering around a city all afternoon.

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Collab between me and CrystalRose :)

updated Nov 29 '11 by Alley