Inspection

Lindsey and Rachel stood shoulder-to-shoulder in silent contemplation. It was that most dreaded day of the month for those who dwell in student apartments: monthly cleaning checks.

“We did everything we were supposed to right?” Lindsey asked her roommate.

“Sure we did. We went right down the checklist,” replied Rachel, a quaver ruining the confidence she was trying to project.

There came a tapping, a rapping on their chamber, er, apartment door.

“Well, no sense worrying about it now. Let’s have done with it,” said Lindsey, squaring her shoulders and yanking open the door. Valerie, one of the Branbury’s RA’s came in and greeted the two warmly. Lindsey had taken an instant liking to the blond-haired girl, as they were both from Australia.

“Ready for cleaning checks?” Valerie asked, smiling.

“Of course!” replied Rachel with a somewhat forced grin.

“Alright then, it’ll just take me a few minutes,” Valerie said and then walked into Rachel’s room.

Not quite being able to take the suspense, the two girls followed Valerie into Rachel’s room. It was extremely neat, almost too neat for a student apartment, with pictures of her family and other things of an LDS nature on the walls and everything in its place… or so Rachel hoped. They caught their breath a bit as Valerie bent down to check the desk and its contents and then moved on to Lindsey’s room, giving the two them a slightly odd look for following her around.

Lindsey was, by far, the more nervous, as Valerie entered her room. She had cleaned and vacuumed it to the best of her ability, but it looked… just a little more wild then her roommate’s. Various posters covered the wall that had more to do with pop culture than anything else, especially the large poster of Chris Hemsworth on the far wall. But Valerie just looked around for a few moments, checked a few things off on the sheet and then moved on.

She had no objections to the state of the living room, so she moved on to the kitchen. Rachel and Lindsey watched in trepidation; there was always something you missed in these sorts of things and like as not it would be found in the kitchen. Their anxiety grew as Valerie poked and prodded around the kitchen, taking muchy longer than she had in any of the other rooms. Lindsey started to clench her fists as she began to run various scenarios through her head. What was the hold up? Why was it taking so long in this part of the apartment? Couldn’t be the sink; they’d cleaned that till it sparkled. The floor? No, Rachel had a Swiffer mop and they’d cleaned the floor until it practically sparkled as well? Did they not clean out the fridge enough? Finally, Valerie made a few last notes on her checklist, wrote two large checks on Rachel and Lindsey’s own checklist and smiled broadly at them.

“You passed!”

They waited until Valerie was out of the apartment before erupting with whoops of joy and hugging each other.

“Why did we have to get so worked up about that?” said Lindsey, flush with relief, “I bet we would have passed even if we hadn’t cleaned! It’s not like either of us are that messy.”

“Yeah, I’m more worried about Ryan and the boys in the next building. How much do you want to bet they’re all cleaning right now?”

This was not entirely true. Ian, Chris, Ryan and Mikael had done the majority of their cleaning the previous night. Ian and Mikael were sleeping past it, while Ryan and Chris watched TV in the living room. Ryan suddenly sneezed.

“I have this weird feeling that someone’s talking about me,” he said.

Party Time!

Party Time!

 

Ryan, Chris, Ian and Mikael lifted the inflatable arch into position as it rose up above them, clipping a white vinyl sheet to it’s front as it rose. One of the Branbury’s RAs, Robert, walked over from behind the inflatable screen, having made sure that the air pumps were working just fine.

“Thanks for the help guys. Now I just have to get this projector, my XboX and the speaker all interconnected and we’ll be good to go.”

“No problem man,” replied Ian, “You need any help with that?”

“Naw, I got it, thanks though,” said Robert.

“Well shall we go and get some food then?” asked Chris, who was eyeing the line forming up for the Branbury’s Steak and Salmon Cookout.

“Yeah, let’s get some before it’s gone,” agreed Mikael.

They quickly got into line and Ryan took a moment to look around. The Steak and Salmon Cookout had been set up on the basketball court behind Building 1 and there were already a fair amount of people sitting down at the tables to eat, with more streaming across the bridge over the little creek to join him and his roommates in line. Tables had been set up to the side, buffet-style, where Ryan could see the Branbury’s managers, Nina and Erica with two of the RAs, Annie and Kevin, helping to dish out the food. The delicious smells of grilled meat, barbecued beans and potatoes were beginning to make his mouth water and he desperately wished for the line to move a little quicker. But the food wasn’t the only attraction tonight. Ryan and some of his friends had, of course, just been helping Robert set up his booth where they would be projecting Rockband 2 onto the Branbury’s inflatable screen. There was also another inflatable pit where you could do a sort of jousting game with big foam batons. Another one of the RAs, Jake, was manning that post, taking on all comers. There was a photo booth set up off to the side where Heather, another RA, was taking pictures of the residents.

At last they arrived at the head of the line and just as Chris and Ian started loading up their plates, Ryan heard a pair of familiar voices.

“Awe man, we should have gotten here sooner! Look at that line! It’s almost back to the clubhouse!”

Ryan turned around and saw Rachel and Lindsey standing off to the side of the buffet table. He smiled and waved them over.

“Listen if you don’t want to wait, we’ll just get you two extra plates, OK?” he said.

“Wow, you’d do that for us? That’s so awesome of you!” exclaimed Rachel, clasping her hands together.

“Yeah, surprised you can be a gentleman, Ryan,” teased Lindsey.

“Hey, I’m plenty gentlemanly,” Ryan retorted.

“Oh? And what about last week during that game of one-on-one, when you elbowed me in the kidney?” shot back Lindsey with a grin.

“That was an accident!”

“Uh-huh, sure it was.”

“Do you want food or not?”

“Relax Ryan, I was just kidding,” said Rachel, holding up her hands in a placating gesture.

“Hey buddy, you’re holding up the line talking to your girlfriend,” said the guy who was next to Ryan.

“She’s/he’s not my girlfriend/boyfriend!” Ryan and Lindsey shot back simultaneously. They glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Them, a couple? Pfft, as if.

Later, the six of them had found a table and had eaten their fill of the awesome steak and grilled salmon. Chris and Mikael were talking about movies while Ian and Rachel were talking about the Institute class they were taking together when suddenly a blast of static came out of the speaker that was attached to the projector screen. The six turned to see Nina, the Branbury manager with a microphone in hand, standing in front of the screen.

“Hey there Branbury! Hope you’re enjoying the Steak and Salmon Feast?” A cheer rose up in reply.

“Great! Don’t forget, we also have a cotton candy machine set up over here,” she pointed to her left to where Kevin, Annie and Carol had just gotten the aforementioned cotton candy machine running, “Heather’s photo booth, the gladiator pit where you can challenge the undefeated RA, Jake the Hammer! And Robert has gotten Rockband 2 up and running, so there’s still plenty to do even after you’ve finished eating. So please enjoy and thank you for coming!”

Ryan had just turned back around to finish off the last of his beans when he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Lindsey standing off to his side, grinning.

“Think you can beat me in Rockband, tough guy?”

For whatever reason, Ryan found he couldn’t resist the challenge in her words, so he stuffed the remainder of his beans in his mouth and followed her over to where the line had just started to form. They didn’t have to wait long for their turn. The others had joined them, eager to see that latest challenge between these two. As Ryan slung the guitar controller’s strap over his shoulder he turned to Lindsey and said, “I gotta warn you, I’m pretty darn good at this.”

“I’m not so bad myself. You know what? I’ll even let you pick the song.”

Ryan scrolled down, finding it kinda awesome to be playing on this big screen, until he found one of his favorite old-school rock songs: Huey Lewis and the News’s “Power of Love.”

“Ready?” he asked Lindsey.

“Ready!” she replied confidently. Ryan started the song and they began pounding out the chords, Ryan on bass and Lindsey on guitar.

The power of love is a curious thing
Make a one man weep, make another man sing
Change a hawk to a little white dove
More than a feeling that's the power of love

Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream
Stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream
Make a bad one good make a wrong one right
Power of love that keeps you home at night

You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love
That's the power of love

As they played, Chris and the others looked on, noticing that the score was remaining fairly even as neither Ryan nor Lindsey missed a single chord.

“5 bucks says that Ryan beats her,” said Mikael to Chris.

“You’re on.”

First time you feel it, it might make you sad
Next time you feel it, it might make you mad
But you'll be glad baby when you've found
That's the power makes the world go'round

And it don't take money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden it can be cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life

“I’ll be darned, they’re still pretty even,” remarked Ian.

“Lindsey has a copy at our place and plays it a lot; it’s pretty much her favorite game,” remarked Rachel.

They say that all in love is fair
Yeah, but you don't care
But you know what to do
When it gets hold of you
And with a little help from above
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Can you feel it?
Hmmm-hmmm

During the previous chorus, Ryan had managed to miss a note, but then Lindsey missed one during the guitar solo before the finale, making them even again.

It don't take money and it don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
Tougher than diamonds and stronger than steel
You won't feel nothin' till you feel
You feel the power, just the power of love
That's the power, that's the power of love
You feel the power of love
You feel the power of love
Feel the power of love

The song finished and as the virtual and real crowds cheered, Ryan and Lindsey gaped at the screen. They had tied on the score after all.

Rachel nudged Ian and asked, “Do you think it was just coincidence that Ryan picked that one song?”

“Naw,” Ian said with a grin on his face that suggested he thought quite the opposite.

 

Movie Night

Movie Night

The movie rental machine sat there in front of him, taunting him with its inventory. What to watch and what not to watch? Aye, that is the question. For whether ‘tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of a chick flick or to watch an adventure movie? I mean, the outcome of the whole entire movie night rested on this stupendous decision—

“Dude, are you gonna choose a movie or what?”

Ryan looked to his side to see Chris standing there, arms folded over his chest.

“I’m thinking, all right?”

“Well hurry up and finish thinking. Time’s a-wasting.”

Ryan and his roommates had recently reserved the entertainment room at the Branbury’s clubhouse so they could have a movie night. By virtue of rock, paper, scissors, Ryan had been chosen to pick the movie. The problem was, he was currently having a bout of movie-block. Movie-block is kinda like writer’s block but more about the inability to choose a movie to watch.

Why was I even considering a chick flick? There aren’t any girls here! My brain is fried.

“If Ryan can’t choose, I’m popping Curse of the Black Pearl in,” groused Ian.

“Just relax, I’ll find one!” he growled back. Turning back to the rental machine, he focused all the powers of mental faculty to help him select the perfect movie. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Nah, Johnny Depp was too creepy in that. Warrior? No, not in the mood for a boxing movie. Too bad there were no Rocky movies in there. And then he saw it. The word of words. Avengers.

“Hey! Since when has Avengers been on DVD? I thought it didn’t come out for a while yet?”

“What?! They have Avengers?” yelped Chris, “Where?”

“Right there,” said Ryan as he pointed at the very bottom of the case.

“They really have Avengers? I love that movie!” said Mickael, “Check it out, man!”

Ryan didn’t need to be told twice. He plugged his card in, made the selection and watched as the machine grumbled and rumbled until it spat the chosen movie out. He pulled the case out of the slot and opened it.

“Yup, definitely Avengers,” he said happily.

“Awesome!” added Ian, “I freakin’ love this movie. Man, I’m so glad that Joss Whedon is coming back to do the next one. Well, after they do the next Captain America and Thor movies and Iron Man 3.”

“You see the pictures they circulated around the net of the new Iron Man suit?” asked Ryan as he popped the DVD into the entertainment room’s player.

“Yeah!” said Chris, “Man, it’s gonna be so awesome!”

As the movie booted up, Ryan walked over to the popcorn machine, which had just finished popping up a new batch of popcorn. The delicious scent of fresh buttered popcorn wafted heavily out of the popcorn popper as he opened the door on the side and began to scoop out the fluffy white stuff into a giant bowl. He sat down between the rest of his roommates as the opening scenes of Avengers began to play across the screen.

Let’s see here, fresh popcorn, large flatscreen, Avengers, big comfy couch. Can life get any better? I submit that it cannot!

Competition

 Competition

He stared down his adversary, noting every possible angle of attack. His allies stood silently by, waiting for him to make his move. He hefted his weapon in his hands and tested its weight before he pointed it at his foe. He struck and his opponent shot across the felt covered table and crashed into others of its kind, causing one of them to fall into the far left table’s pockets. Ryan, supremely pleased with himself, whooped and did a little victory dance.

“Lord of pool! King of the cues baby!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah so you get another shot. Big deal,” shot back Lindsey.

“Nobody likes a sore loser,” replied Chris with a grin and a wink.

They had been playing this particular game for the past hour and it had been pretty close the whole time. It had started when Ryan and his roommates had gone to a dance that the Branbury had held in the Clubhouse a few days before. There had been a live jazz band even and most of the guys, with the exception of Chris had been pretty psyched to go… even though they didn’t know much about swing dancing. And just his luck, Chris had gotten partnered up with Lindsey, the girl he’d accidentally kinda sorta insulted a week or so ago.

“I promise I’ll try not to step on your feet,” he joked, trying to break the ice.

“Yes, please don’t,” she responded coolly.

They hadn’t done too badly either… right up until Ryan did the very thing that he’d joked about and accidently stepped on Lindsey’s right foot. She’d limped off the dance floor faster than you could say ‘gaffe.’

Chris had wandered over and thrown an arm around Ryan’s shoulders grinning at him.

“See, if only you’d stepped on her foot earlier then you might be even further behind than you are now!”

Ryan had just glared at him witheringly, especially as he’d noted that Ian and Rachel were cutting up the rug.

To Ryan’s surprise, he saw Lindsey again just an hour and a half later as they piled into the Branvan (the teal van that the management owned) and headed up Y mountain for a midnight hike by the full moon. He’d tried to wander over to apologize but she was busy talking to Rachel and a couple of other girls. It was when they got back down the mountain and were in the parking lot that things turned around. After they piled into the van again, one of the RAs, Jake, ended up driving them to an apartment complex nearby the Branbury. Just as Mickael asked Jake why they were here, he shouted, “Chinese Fire Drill!” and turned up the music with heavy bass out the external speakers. Caught off guard, nobody moved a muscle as Jake leapt out of the driver’s side door. There was a pause and then he stuck his head back in.

“Hey, what part of Chinese Fire Drill don’t you understand? C’mon, get crazy!”

They piled out of the side doors and began to run in a circle around the Branvan and almost as if it had been planned, Ryan found himself running next to Lindsey. Suddenly, she put on a burst of speed as they rounded the rear bumper. Ryan began to run faster as well and overtook her.

“You think this is a race huh?” she called from behind him.

“No, I’m just faster than you!” he joked, looking back and grinning at her. Lindsey began to run faster until Jake called out, “OK, back in the van before we wear out our welcome!”

They climbed back into the van and Ryan found himself sitting next to Lindsey.

“Wanna try that again, where it’s a straight run instead of going in circles?” she asked.

Not sure where the sudden desire for competition came from Ryan just shrugged and said, “Sure.”

So they had a race, first around the Branbury wins. He’d managed to pull it off but it had been close. And then, for whatever reason, Lindsey had challenged him on his win, saying that he’d won because he had longer legs or cheated around the last corner or some other excuses that were mumbled with a smile under her breath. So he’d asked her if she wanted to join him for a tie-breaker. That led them to a game of basketball.

“First to 21?” he asked.

“You’re on,” she shot back and for a moment Ryan was pleasantly distracted by her big brown lashes and glowing smile.

Once again it had been a very close game and she’d managed to duck under him at game point and scored the winning basket.

Bristling under the laughter from his roommates, he’d asked her if there wasn’t thing else she thought she could beat him at. That then had led to a game of swimming pool basketball that Ryan had won… again narrowly. That had led to another challenge and this was the one they were in now, the game of pool (or billiards or whatever you want to call it). So far, Ryan was winning, but again, narrowly.

He lined up his next shot, intending to pocket the 4 ball in the far corner pocket. He cracked the cue against the cue ball, watched it roll across the table, smack into the 12 ball, the 12 smack into the 4 and the 4 rolled towards the pocket. He turned around to grin at Lindsey and found her pointing triumphantly at the table. He turned around again and saw, to his horror that the 4 ball had glanced off the side of the pocket and bounced out.

“Oops,” said Lindsey with fake innocence. She strode around to the side of the table, lined up a shot and pocketed the 12 ball, which meant that all she had to do was pocket one more ball and the 8 ball and she would win. Ryan watched with a sinking heart and a touch of pride as she lined up another shot. Hoping against hope, he watched as she lined up her last shot, struck… and pocketed the 8 ball, ending the match.

“So… shall we play again?” she asked, a triumphant smirk plastered across her face.

“Racquetball?” he asked.  He suddenly had a strong desire to make sure their competition continued for a completely different reason than why it had started.