"How many more fucking steps are there??" Misty groaned from her side of the box.

"I don't know!" Kylie cried. "Just...a...FEW!"

Kylie tripped over the top step and the large box landed in her lap with Misty nearly falling over the top. Misty instantly started cussing.

"Okay! Who's mother-fucking idea was it to bring kitchen supplies?? Pots and pans and silverware and shit is damn heavy! We could have bought some!" Misty wiped her hand across her forehead, wishing she hadn't left her bandana all the way on the other side of the country.

"Misty...we don't have the money to keep buying things," Kylie said calmly. Misty glared at her.

"We'll make money! That's what a fucking job is for!" Misty hollered.

"Okay, can we get this box off of me? It's getting quite heavy."

"Well, no duh!"

"Looks like somebody needs a nap...."

"I do not..."

"We both do."

Misty struggled up the last few steps and they plopped the box on level floor.

"Okay," Misty said. "Which one's ours again?"

Kylie reached in her pocket for the lease. She brought it out and unfolded it. She read, "Third floor..."

"Well duh. I didn't notice."

"Apartment 3J."

"That's all the way down the hall, ain't it?" Misty said softly.

"Yup," Kylie replied, almost giggling at Misty's changing attitude.

Misty adjusted her short hair back in her ponytail, and muttered, "Ky, if you ever cut your hair, I swear to God I will kill you." Kylie laughed out loud and reached back to touch the locks she had in a French braid, compliments of a bored Misty at the last gas station.

"I'm going to see if it's really that far, okay?" Kylie said, still laughing. Misty nodded and sat down on the box, the top nearly caving in. She sat on the floor.

Kylie began down the hall, carefully looking at each door for the number and letter. Of course, every door was going to have the number 3. It was the third floor.

Starting on the left and looking at every door, Kylie said, “Let’s see...E...F...G...H...I...J! That’s not so bad. There’s stairs on this side! Crap! We could have come up on this side!” Kylie moaned in frustration and scampered back to where Misty was now laying down on the floor.

“We could have come up on the other side and been right in front of our door.”

Misty shot up. “What?? Are you fucking serious?” Kylie nodded. “Bull shit!” Misty fell back on the floor. She lifted her leg and gave the box a kick. She then sat up. “Okay, let’s go.”

Misty grabbed one side of the box and Kylie grabbed the other and they more or less dragged the box down the hall to apartment 3J. Kylie reached in her pocket and revealed one of two keys to the apartment. She unlocked the deadbolt and the lock in the doorknob and opened the door. Misty kicked the box which made it move a few inches into the doorway. Misty grabbed her side and shoved the box the rest of the way into the apartment.

“It’s in! It’s in! I score! I rock! Whoohoo!” Misty danced around the hall, Kylie in hysterical laughter.

“Now we need to get the other boxes!” Kylie laughed.

“Oh, but you see, best friend of mine, they’re not that fucking heavy!” Misty cried, pointing to the box. “That son of a bitch will die when I get back!” Kylie laughed and followed Misty down the set of stairs right next to the apartment door and across the bottom to Kylie’s car.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Is that it?” Kylie asked Misty as she brought in a bag of trash from their car trip.

“Yup, should be. I checked the trunk and everything. My flip-flops are in the backseat but that’s okay. I’ll get them later.” Kylie nodded and looked around at the few boxes of items they had brought and the suitcases of clothes. Kylie’s computer was already up and running through the cable Internet in the apartment.

“Whoa, you got that puppy set up! What are you gonna do with it?” Misty asked.

“I’m going online to order pizza, of course!” Kylie laughed and logged on to Pizza Hut’s website.

“Oooh, stuffed crust! Stuffed crust! Oh, meat lover’s!” Misty suggested from the kitchen. She began putting the plastic cups in the cupboards.

“Extra cheese? In honor of Cara?” Kylie said, looking over her shoulder at the petite brunette.

“Of course!” Misty was about to open the box of the dreaded kitchen supplies when the door swung open.

“You ladies didn’t lock yo door!” said a barefooted black woman. She looked around the room. “I’m just down the hall and decided to welcome you ladies to the neighborhood! You girls doin’ alright?”

“Yes, thank you,” Kylie said and clicked “order.”

“My name’s Michelle,” she said. Misty came into the room and offered her hand.

“I’m Misty, and that’s Kylie,” Misty offered. Kylie stood from the floor and joined the two women by the door.

“Would you like to join us for pizza? I got an extra large and we won’t be eating all of it,” Kylie offered.

“Sure! Hey, I have some soda. You guys like Pepsi and Dr. Pepper?”

“Hon, we live by it!” Misty laughed. Michelle laughed as well, and left to get the drinks.

"When's it gonna be here?" Misty asked Kylie.

"Twenty minutes." Misty tore the tape on the box of kitchen supplies and began to stick pots and pans in the cabinets below the counters. Kylie reached for the silverware and threw them in a drawer.

"Okay, I'm done," Kylie declared.

Misty laughed and handed her a roast pot. "What the fuck are we supposed to do with that? We dontt know how to cook roast."

"I do!" Michelle announced as she entered the apartment with a bag of ice and two, two liters of Dr. Pepper and Pepsi. "I'll take it if you want me to!"

Kylie took the Pepsi and ice from Michelle and Misty handed her the pot. "Here! Have fun!" Michelle laughed.

"You girls are so much fun! You have boyfriends?" The girls both said no.

"Completely new to the entire area?" The young women nodded.

"Are you ladies over twenty one?" They laughed and nodded.

"We gonna have fun up in here!" Michelle cried and threw her hands up.