I told her, "That one's mine."
She turned to face me. "Oh really? Doyouown the house?"
Already, I didn't like where this was going. Grudgingly, I replied, "No."
"Then if I were you, I wouldn't be so picky."
My fingers clenched.Iwas picky?
She had no idea what she was talking about. I hadn't even picked the bedroom. Brody had picked itforme, on that very first night, when he'd insisted that I stay here.
I told her, "I didn't pick it. Brody did."
With a tilt of her chin, she said, "Yes, well, that was beforeIcame along."
And with that, she turned and flung open my bedroom door.
As she looked inside, I looked, too – scanning the bedroom with fresh eyes. The room had a double bed, a decent size dresser, a medium-sized closet, and a small private bathroom.
All of this was clearly visible, since I'd left the closet and bathroom doors wide open.Maybe that had been a mistake.
Waverly pointed toward my duffle bag, resting atop the only dresser along with a small pile of receipts. "Whose stuff is that?"
Wasn’t it obvious?"It's mine. Youdidhear me say this is my room, right?"
With a little laugh, she replied, "Not anymore."
My jaw dropped. "What?"
"It's mine now."
Talk about nerve.I gave her a stiff smile. "Are you sure? I mean, have you checked the bathroom lighting?"
"It doesn't matter," she said. "I'll have them put in new lighting tomorrow."
"Who?" I asked.
"The construction guys," she said, as if this should've been obvious. "Seriously, how long can it take?"
Not being an electrician, I had no idea. But this was the least of my concerns. As far as the bedroom, now I didn't know what to do. The truth was, she actually had a point about it not being my house.
If Waverly weren't being so heavy-handed about it, I might've volunteered to switch on my own. Sure, I liked having a private bathroom, but I'd shared bathrooms before. It really wasn't such a big deal.
And yet, the thought of sharing a bathroom with Brody – well, that made me feel just a little bit unsettled.
Thinking out loud, I said, "Maybe Brody should take this room. And you and I can take the others."
She frowned. "Why would we do that?"
"Because," I explained, "that way, Brody can have his own bathroom. And you and I can share."
She looked at me like I'd just suggested drinking out of the toilet. "You're kidding, right?"
"Um…no?"
"Well forget it." She turned and pointed once again toward my duffle bag. "Now grab your stuff and pick another room."
"Oh, come on," I protested. "You can't be serious."
