After picking up the key, I turned around and drove back to building thirteen. My section sat across from the others, which meant I had a hike to the laundry room. Still, I liked how the first floor unit felt tucked snugly away under the stairwell. The key slid into the lock and opened smoothly. The door needed a little push but that was okay. Upon entry, I sat down the box I had brought with me from the car and took a look around. The living room seemed smaller than the model I’d seen a few weeks before, and of course my furniture wouldn’t be as nice I remembered thinking. Still it was the first time I could afford a place on my own, and I wanted it to be perfect.

I figured I’d remove everything from the inside of the car that could be seen and worry about the stuff tucked away in the trunk the following morning. “No need to tire myself out on the first night.” I figured the TV would sit on the floor facing the bedroom wall, which would be a nice place to line up the sofa. I thought it out as though there were hundreds of choices in that tiny little room. I looked at the paint and checked everything off on the list I needed to sign as part of my lease. I smiled and gave myself a pat on the back.

It wasn’t long before I wanted to unpack some of the things I’d boxed up, and found myself putting them away. Mom had made a special trip down the day before I was to move and bought tons of groceries. I wouldn’t starve the first month was a certainty that gave her comfort. The nonperishable's filled the shelves in no time. I went back out to make another run.

“You need any help?”

A guy that had been polishing the wheels on his Nissan Z came over and offered a hand. I was happy to accept the offer.

“I’m Marco. Welcome to the neighborhood.” And just like that I’d met my first neighbor. With Marco’s help I got the things out of the trunk and managed to put most of it in its place leaving time to relax and make a few phone calls.

The obligatory call to mom that I was actually dying to make: “yes, the place if perfect. I love it.” A call to my best friend Josette: People actually thought that she and I were an item which we played up pretty well. When I came out to her, she said she’d already known, when she came out to me I told her “I figured.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think people can tell?”

“No. Far from it, you are a very beautiful woman, it’d be the last thing on anyone’s mind,” I told her.

“Then what” she demanded, jabbing me in the shoulder.

“We’ll I don’t attract women like you unless they have a few secrets.” I’d called her up after speaking with mom and invited her over the following evening to be my first guest.

“The furniture is supposed to be here around noon,” I said. “You can come at six or so, that way the traffic will have died down a bit and it won’t be so hot.” I slid open the patio door and stepped outside. I could see a light had been turned on in Marco’s bedroom. “Hey I met one of the