Shooting Stars And Chemistry

“Allie!!”

There was a scream from the crowd as Alyssa stepped out of the subway. She had never seen so many people in such a small area, it was rather nauseating.
Hitching her rice-sack handbag over her shoulder she looked around for the source of the now frantic squealing.

“Allie! Allie I’m over here babe!” called Becca from her spot near the stairs.

Rebecca had been Alyssa’s friend since early childhood, and Alyssa had always looked up to her.
It was Becca who got asked out on Saturday nights and it was Becca who got voted prom queen and, sure enough, it was Becca who escaped the drudgery of every day life in suburbia first. Funnily enough, Alyssa never looked on her best friend in anything more than awe. Jealousy simply wasn’t a part of their relationship.

Running to greet each other, the two girls very nearly collided when they embraced.
Alyssa dropped her handbag, as did Becca and they received many stares from various strangers.

Holding her at arms length, Alyssa was finally able to take in the appearance of her best friend. She had died her hair a honey blonde since the last time they had seen each other, but her eyes were still sparkling with the same excited joy they had always contained.
Standing slightly off to the side was a tall but lanky looking man who seemed to be looking at Becca as much as Alyssa was.

“Allie, I am so glad you finally ditched lame-ville and decided to join us here in the real world! Oh, by the way, this is Aiden. My new boyfriend.”

Becca seemed to vomit romance and adoration as she gathered her new “slice” up in her arms. He looked slightly abashed at being addressed that way but he returned her hug nonetheless. Alyssa rolled her eyes at her friend’s outward behavior and held up her hand in a wave to the man who looked as if he was receiving the Heimlich maneuver.

“Well, we should probably get going, I only paid the cabbie to wait for us for twenty minutes Becks.” Said Aiden slowly and softly, just over the noise of the crowd.

“Oh shoot, you’re right! Well, lets go before he does a New York minute on us and disappears.”

Alyssa agreed quickly and retrieved her rice sack handbag from the ground along with her packed suitcase. She climbed the stairs quickly sparing no emotions at what she was leaving behind, only a little thought to the kind man who helped her out on the subway.
Shrugging her shoulders she stepped out into the city she had always dreamed of, the noise and the smell welcoming her the way her old friend had.

For the first time in her life, she felt like she was finally home.

Joe was glad that he was able to see the girl leave with her friend. He shuddered to think what the city would do to her if she were on her own. In fact, he shuddered to think what the city would do to him.
Slinging his rucksack-esque backpack over his shoulder, he proceeded to weave his way through the crowd to the open air. He held in his hand a piece of paper with an address on it,
Apartment 23, No Eight, 4th Street, New York

That was the address that he was given by a friend of a friend, who told him the owners of the house would put him up until he had his own place. At first Joe had been hesitant about staying with strangers, but at this point he had no other choice.

He managed to get out into the street ok, and hailing a cab, he gave the address of the apartment. All he could do now was hope that he would arrive in the right place, with the right kind of people.

“Wow”

This was all Alyssa could say when the finally made it up the monumental flight of stairs to Becca’s apartment.
It was a huge apartment, five flights up, and it looked so…hip!
Every surface was white and the space that everything sat in was huge. It was like the living room and kitchen, even though they were adjoined, were separate rooms with separate charm.

“Dude, how on earth do you afford to keep a place like this?! I thought prices in this city were massive for rent?” Alyssa proclaimed, awe and curiosity in her voice.

“Well, to be honest I haven’t been able to keep up the rent for a while. Aiden’s been chipping in, he’s such a sweetie, but I just lost my only tenant which was a real bummer. I’m looking at getting some people through this week though. You wouldn’t mind it would you? I know you aren’t really one for living with strangers.”

Alyssa bit her lip nervously, she didn’t like the idea of having some potential crazy living only a room away from her, but at the same time it was Becca’s apartment that she had let Alyssa come to out of the goodness of her heart.
Unless she wanted to live on the street, she couldn’t deny Becca another source of income to pay the rent.

“It will be fine, gosh! Bring them in!”

“Allie, you bit your lip. I know when you are nervous.”

Alyssa cursed silently to herself. She should have remembered that her habit of chewing her lip was oblivious to everybody but Becca.

“No, it will be fine. If it helps pay the rent then it isn’t my place to deny or approve.”

“Okay, but how about we buy you a lock on your door this week then?”

“Deal.” Said Alyssa, smiling at her friends infallible ability to compromise.

Stepping out of the cab Joe stretched his aching limbs. Looking up at the inky sky that seemed mile away he was sure that the cab driver had fleeced him by taking him on the “scenic” route of the city. He had obviously taken advantage of the fact that Joe was an out-of-towner.
Joe wasn’t in the mood however to create a scene. He was tired and all he wanted to do was meet the new landlord or lady and find out if he would be able to sleep in a house or a backpackers that night.

He gave a last glance to the piece of paper in his hand, then clenched it in his fist as he suppressed his anxiety.

*

Puffing and panting he finally managed to reach the landing for the apartment he was looking for. He gathered himself up, and after taking a few well needed breaths he drew his hand up to the white painted door. After he had rapped his knuckles firmly across it a few times, he stood back and waited. Pushing his flyaway blonde hair out of his eyes he felt ready for whoever or whatever it was that greeted him.

When the door opened, he felt all the air fall out of his lungs and drop to the floor.
He wasn’t expecting her.

As the girls were watching the end credits roll for “Grease” Alyssa heard a knocking on the front door. Becca looked half asleep, what with a faint line of drool traveling down her chin and her breathing more than steady.

“Ill get it.” Alyssa laughed to herself.

Skipping over to the door, she didn’t bother to look through the peephole. She swung it wide open and she swore she could have felt her heart skip a beat.

Standing in the eave of her best friend’s house was her very own train savior, Master Corn-cob, come Knight in Shining Armor.