Testing The Strong Ones

As the first day in Seattle had seamlessly crashed to an end the newcomers found it almost an idealistic situation. Their roommates were friendly, the apartment although; it didn't always meet their personal taste or the expectations they were used to living to, was more or less ideal. The Blonde, The Vegan, and The Workaholic crowded around the living room. All sitting on different pieces of furniture, that Chase had undoubtedly put into a fun shuei setting. The Surreptitious was getting ready to venture out, just like he did most nights.

"Ryan leaves around eight, he's a bartender; So he's gone four nights a week. Schedule varies." Chase said as he scratched Rascal behind the ears and gave the girls a smile,

"It's not like a topless bar or anything, he's not one of those type of guys, it's just you know a bar. Though, any type of alcohol is absolutely disgusting, I live a pretty pure lifestyle. I'm straight-edge. You know, the whole no caffeine, no alcohol, no smokes, no promiscuous sex, and no drugs of any kind. That includes over the counter and prescription as well as illegal ones." Maria and Isabella had lost interest at the whole part about no caffeine.

Ryan himself was still getting ready for work. He could hear Chase giving the girls the Vegan rant. He himself remembered his very own Vegan rant, and so he could imagine the look on their faces. The thought of it made him smile. That was until he noticed a certain little fur ball walking around on his bed near the red shirt he was planning on wearing tonight.

"No, don't you lay on that it's red and your black little kitty fur will get al-damn it!" he exclaimed as Rodeo started rolling around on his shirt much like a little kitten would. "You know, I'm not much of a cat Person, shouldn't you be in your room, and not in my bed?" He asked the cat rhetorically.

He grabbed the cat, and shirtless headed for the living room. "Try and keep him off my clothes please," he said as he handed the cat to Isabelle. And with that he turned around and headed right back for his room. Shutting the door behind him.

"Well I personally prefer wine" Maria resumed conversation, as she and Isabella had been talking about the different vineyards from around the world, and the difference between champagne and wine, and which they personally liked better."But my favorites are southern home white Marlo and forest glen white Marlo."

Isabelle sighed, "I don't know the exact names of the wines. I usually just order the most expensive red wine they have and charge it to Daddy's card. You know back home we actually have a vast wine cellar on the estate, some of the bottles date back generations back to the early nint-" Isabelle stopped for a moment, "Is something wrong?" She asked Chase who had been uncomfortably shifting in his chair.

"Why don't we change the subject" offered Maria, who gave them both a warm smile, "So Chase, what do you do for a living." She couldn't think of any better question. Being a workaholic, her main focus in life was work, what other people were doing to work, or how tight money was. Her whole focus in life was based around the corporate world and the corporate dream. To make it to the top.

"Well," Chase started, "I work full time at the ASPCA, you know with animals and such. And then on the weekends I do alot of volunteer work with those traveling vet places that give the dogs shots, and insert microchips and stuff. You know, just to better their lives. I do alot of stuff with Peta too. You know educating people on how they should be vegan, and stuff. Just trying to save the animals." He sighed as he thought about the rally that had taken place two weeks ago. But he figured, enough about him, may as well hear more about his two new roommates.

"Fuck, my shoes are all ugh!" The three heard from down he hall, "Princess, I'm going to kill your damn cat."

Chase shook the incident off, knowing that Ryan would never really harm an animal, and went back to the conversation.

"What about you two?" Chase nodded in the direction of the bored looking girls.

"Well I moved here for work, and yes I work alot." Maria said in a very dry and plain voice.

Truth be told what she had just said was an understatement. She worked herself into the ground. She was going to get to the top, even if it meant she had to step on some people to get there. She's what one might call a workaholic, and that might be even too weak of a word for it.

"And you Isabelle?" Chase asked.

"I'm a college student, undergraduate. As far as working, I don't have a job and don't need one. Daddy pays for my bills, for my schooling, and for anything else that I want. I have a debit card that goes straight to his account." She said in a very bubbly voice, although you could tell she was almost embarrassed. Here she was sitting in front of accomplished people, and all she could talk about was how rich she was because she was born into it.

"Oh" Chase and Maria said in unison. Both looking at her as if she were a spoiled little child. Isabelle hated that look more than anything. So she simply grabbed her Vogue magazine and started flipping through and deciding on what kind of fall coat she wanted for her birthday this August.

"Alright well, I'm out." They heard a loud voice from down the hall, "Night everyone, and Princess keep Schizo Cat away from my stuff." Ryan had a light and teasing tone in his voice with the last bit, but Isabelle didn't take well to it. She didn't like being called Princess and she most definitely didn't like being treated like a spoiled child in a room filled with well accomplished and deserving adults.

"Bye Ryan" Everyone but Isabelle said.

She sighed and yelled back, "Rodeo is not a schizo!" Ryan laughed and closed the door behind him while shaking his head. She was most definitely going to make life a littler more interesting.