Chapter 16
Shelley
Istand motionless in front of the communal mailboxes, staring at the pink paper in my hand. The one I found crumpled and stuffed into the back of the slot for my apartment. It’s a letter from the housing department, dated two weeks ago. Apparently, I’ve been forgetting to check my mail for a while.
My eyes scan over the words again, as if they will have magically changed sometime within the last thirty seconds. Unfortunately, even upon further inspection, it’s still the same letter I read the first, second, and third times.
Dear Graduate Residents,
As per the email sent on the eighth of April, our graduate housing will be closed for the summer months so that the buildings can be mitigated for mold and inspected for any further water and structural damages caused by last month’s storm.
Graduate apartments will reopen the last week of August. Room and board fees will not be charged for the dates the space remains unavailable.
We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing everyone upon the start of the fall semester. Thank you.
Dean Winters
The thunderstorms did get nasty in our area, but who knew the tropical storm that passed through caused so much damage on campus? Why didn’t anyone mention this in class? I know a lot of people leave campus over the summer, but I can't possibly be the only one who was planning to stay.
I don’t remember seeing a message, but sure enough, when I open my email on my phone, there it is, mocking me.
I’m sure they probably called about this, too, but I usually delete the robocalls from the school without bothering to listen because the fundraising requests and parking issues don’t apply to me.
Welp.
This is a disaster.
I was hoping to get a summer job or an internship, but now missing out on those opportunities is the least of my worries. I need a place to live.
Since I won’t be charged for my apartment, I’ll still have the money from my student loans, but that was meant to cover cheap student housing. I don’t know if I can afford to stay, or even find something available, anywhere else in this city over the summer.
Think, Shelley.
But no good options spring to mind.
Going all the way back to Idaho doesn’t make much sense when I have other family nearby. I think I need to swallow my pride and call my brother. I wince at the thought of having to beg to move in with him.
Before I start to hyperventilate, I pull out my phone. He’s going to love this, though. If there’s one thing my brother does better than anyone else I know, it’s play the hero. He lives for solving other people’s problems. This time I’m going to have to let him.
How did I let myself get into this situation?
Mike answers on the third ring. “Hey, Shelley, what’s up? You’re on speaker. I’m in the car with Danielle and Alice.”
There’s no point in dragging this out with pleasantries, so I jump right to the reason for my call.
“How would you all feel about taking in a displaced law student for the summer? Namely, me. Your sister. Who you love and respect and would not want to see left unhoused in a big city for two months while her school rewires the building and repairs a bunch of mold or whatever other storm damage they’re talking about in the notice I’ve been given. ”
Danielle screeches. “Ew, have you been living with mold?! Of course you can stay with us. It might get a little tight adding another roomie, but we’ll manage. But please know, I take no responsibility whatsoever for Honey’s actions during your stay.”
I laugh, remembering Honey’s late-night visit to my hotel room. “Understood.”
Mike’s tone is also concerned. “What about your classes?”
“I won’t be able to take any this summer, I guess.
All I know is I don’t have the budget for D.C.
rent prices, and I really don’t want to have to go back to the bank and take out yet another loan.
I don’t even know if any apartments nearby would let me take on a short-term lease at the last minute.
I know Mom and Dad will let me come home, but… ”
“It doesn’t make sense to drag all your stuff to Idaho and back again,” he finishes my thought.
“Exactly. And cross-country moves are expensive.”
“Yeah, stay with us. We’ll figure it out.”
Alice’s voice sounds further away. I imagine she’s probably riding in the back seat as she pipes up.
“Or you could stay somewhere you would not be forced to third wheel the newlyweds and listen to your own brother’s nasty love noises.
Take it from me, their usual third wheel.
I’m sickened by these two every day, and I’m not even related to them.
We’ll find you a place. There are a few vacant apartments in Mike’s old building.
I was looking into it for myself, but I can’t beat the free rent at my dad’s place at the moment.
Let me text Jake and get the building manager’s contact info. ”
“Whatever they’re charging, I’m sure North Bay is more affordable than D.C.,” I say.
Danielle scoffs and protests. “Oh, like Shelley won’t be exposed to way more ‘love noises’ in an apartment.”
“Not from her own brother. I’ve heard the two of you. Believe me, Shelley, it’s horrific,” Alice interjects and makes exaggerated moaning sounds as I get a new text from her with the manager’s name and number.
“But we won’t charge her rent like they will,” Danielle argues.
“Trust me, Shelley. You want some space from these two,” Alice insists. “So much grunting.”
Silly arguments aside, I actually do want space from my brother, if I can get it.
“Enough,” Mike chimes in. “Shelley, come to North Bay. You can stay with us if you want, but the apartments are also a decent option. They have a few furnished units in the building. Now, ladies, could you cool it with the sound effects and talk about absolutely anything else with my sister, please?”
Furniture? I hadn’t thought of that. My student housing came furnished, and I don’t even own a bed, let alone a couch or a table.
“I appreciate both options,” I tell them. “But Alice makes a fair point. I’ll look into it and see if any short-term leases are available. Are you sure you guys won’t mind me crashing your summer plans?”
“Are you kidding? This is going to be so fun! You can help me plan my next prank on Jake. Especially if you’re his neighbor. Plus, with a lawyer on my side, now I’m going to win every argument with that punk.”
“That punk” is probably the love of her life. We could all see how she was drooling over him at the wedding, and Jake is just as obsessed with her. Judging by the way she clung to him on the dance floor, I’d be willing to bet they’ve given in to their obvious chemistry at least once already.
“I’m not an attorney yet,” I protest. “Only a student.”
“Tomato, tamahto. I love this plan.” I think I hear Alice clap.
“Sounds like you’re spending the summer in North Bay then,” my brother says.
“Looks that way.”
“Cool. Okay, sis. Guess that means we’ll be seeing you as soon as your semester ends. Let me know if you need help moving your stuff. I can recruit a few of the guys to come up there and help. And you’re coming to Idaho for the game, right?”
I almost ask if Jordan will be one of his recruits for my move, but I stop myself.
“Yeah. I’ll be there to cheer you on. Thanks, Mikey.
And thank you, Alice. You’re a lifesaver.
I did appreciate the offer to stay at the house, Danielle.
But it sounds like the apartments are probably the safest bet for my delicate eardrums.”
“No hard feelings. To be honest, we have enough roommate drama as it is with Honey around.” Danielle laughs, and Mike barks out a noise I can only take as an agreement.
“I can imagine.” I wonder what shenanigans Honey is pulling now. Maybe she’s raiding their room for condoms after all.
I hang up, feeling relieved until I imagine Jordan’s surprise if I show up in his building unannounced, and my stomach lurches. We haven’t spoken since I hung up on him. I know I should reach out, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that yet.
Talking to Mike and making a plan lifted some of the weight off my shoulders, but as soon as I enter my apartment and see the pile of clothes on the floor and my plethora of books and school supplies, the dread comes rushing back.
I need to pack, and I’m running out of free days to get everything done.
This weekend I’m flying back to Idaho, and when I return I won’t have long before I need to be out of here.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. All I know is, ready or not, I’m moving to North Bay.