I turn around, finding Sam waiting patiently for my answer. “Umm…I’ll unpack for a bit and then you can show me around, if that’s okay.”
“Sure. Come on, Jenny. Let’s give Haley some space. She’s had a long day. Kaylee…are you coming down or are you gonna stay with Haley?”
Kaylee waves her hand at the girls. “I’ll wait for her. Don’t want her to get lost on her first day.”
I can feel Kaylee’s eyes on me as I walk around my bed, stand in front of my suitcase, and start to unload it. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t bring any hangers.”
Kaylee bounds off her bed and goes to her closet, grabbing a few extra hangers then brings them over to me. “Here, this should help until you can get some. I think that Steph left some in the closet when she moved out.” She turns and opens my closet, and there are, in fact, several hangers in there.
“Thanks,” I say as she lays several hangers on my bed beside my suitcase.
Kaylee walks around to the other side of my bed and sits down, making herself at home. “So, where did you come from?”
I thought I would have a few minutes by myself, but she wants to get to know me. “Utah.”
“Ahh…I’m from Oregon. I take it you got a scholarship.”
It was more of statement rather than a question. How the hell did she know I got a scholarship? I must have given her a weird look.
“Everyone that lives here got a scholarship of one kind or another,” she replies.
Hearing that makes me feel a little better. I’m not the only geek living at this house; although not one of these girls looks like a geek. They’re all beautiful. I kind of feel like the ugly duckling. I’m not model thin with my curves.
Kaylee doesn’t move the entire time I unpack. We carry on an easy conversation, asking questions back and forth, just getting to know each other. After all, we are going to be spending a lot of time together. I had mentioned that I was looking for some place to work until school started, and she had named off a few places that I should be able to get a job at.
I finish with one suitcase and put it in my closet, hefting the other up on my bed and start unpacking it as well. I follow her to the bathroom, so she can show me where I can put my stuff. She explains that they all take turns buying supplies each month, and if I would like to do that, I can, or if I prefer to use my own, I can do that as well. It just seems to save everyone a bit of money. I didn’t think it sounded too bad, myself. She shows me where the media room is, laundry room, a very small library, and the dining room. The voices that I heard a little bit ago are becoming clearer when we walk around the corner, leading us to the kitchen, and I nearly trip over my own two feet when I see who’s sitting there.
“Guys, this is Haley. She just got here a bit ago, so be nice.” Kaylee steps out of the way so she’s not blocking the view of the three most gorgeous guys I have ever laid eyes on.
One by one they each say, “Hi Haley.” They all smile and wait for my reply…only…I can’t talk. I can’t find my tongue. The words won’t form.
Kaylee leans over toward my ear and whispers, “Close your mouth, dear. They’re just guys.”
They may be ‘just guys’, but they are guys without shirts on. They’re ‘guys’ like I’ve never seen before. Damn! I snap my mouth shut and smile at them, finding some sort of strength. “Hi.” And give a little wave. Kaylee ushers me over to the other side of the island so we are now standing directly in front of them.
“This is Liam, Zach, and Brendon.” She points to each of them as she introduces. One by one, they each reach out their hand to shake mine, all saying ‘nice to meet you’. Everyone seems so nice.
I’m a little embarrassed by my appearance. I’m in the same clothes that I’ve worn all day long on that damn bus. I probably smell. I should have taken a shower before I even thought of coming down.
“You guys ready to go out back?” Liam speaks up, taking a second to look at all of us to see if we’re going to respond.
Zach and Brendon agree and rise up out of their chairs. Kaylee grabs my hand and starts pulling me toward the back door, since I have yet to reply. When we take the last few steps and my feet land on the deck, I’m once again shocked at what the backyard holds. It’s a fucking pool, for God’s sake.
“Haley?” Hearing my name causes me to turn, and I see Brendon standing in front of me. “You okay?”
“Uh…yeah. I’ve just never seen anything like this before.” And I really haven’t.