Chapter Three of Isolated! Hurrah!!!

Three

12:53 pm, December 3rd, 2099

   "Hello?"
   I hear the click of the key turning inside the lock, leading me inside to what will now be my house. It seems vacant, and from what I can see, it's not furnished. The dirty chandelier above my head seems precariously close to falling off the ceiling. I take a cautious step to the side.
   "Hello?" I call again, this time louder.
   "Hey!" comes the slightly-raspy reply. She's pretty, with a slender body, high cheekbones, and jet black hair that any girl my age would kill for. She wears her hair in a high, messy ponytail resting atop her head. Her fitted black sweatshirt looks comfortable with her loose gray sweatpants that taper at the knee. In that outfit, I wouldn't look cute, I'd look disheveled and messy. "I'm Annika," she says.
   I extend my hand. "Devin," I say with a grin. She ignores my outstretched hand so I rest it by my thigh in defeat. "I like your hair."
   "I like your eyes."
   "Thanks, my mother gave 'em to me."
   She pretends to ponder it for a bit, and then remarks, "I like you Devin. I just got her, like, ten minutes ago, but I can show you around if you'd like." I nod in reply. Annika's gait is strong and confident, while I stroll over very tediously, a shy walk. I follow her and don't say much.
   "Welcome to Chez Annika, mon ami!  Now this," she says with a rueful grin, "is where the party begins." Her unkempt room is full of scattered clothes on the floor, open drawers, little parcels laid out all over. "Your room is across the hall. Go explore!"
   I practically skip to my room. My room. In my new house! Well, it's still a Community House I share with Annika, but 50% mine nonetheless.
   My room is more or less my very own kingdom of isolation. It's the loneliest looking room I've ever seen. It's this depressing little bedroom with these dull grey-blue walls, a solemn twin bed, and an old wooden dresser with chipping paint. Annika runs up behind me and gives me plaintive eyes as if to say, sorry I got the bigger and better room? I tentatively shrug in response. I brace myself and enter the room to get a closer look. I slick back my boring brown hair and tighten my sleek ponytail. I'm not a very… flashy person, but even I have some raggedy old posters tacked up on my bedroom walls.
   Next Annika and I decide to look at the second level of the Community House.
   "So, Devin…"
   "Marcus. Devin Marcus. Um, yeah?"
   "The second level is this lanky old kitchen. There's not table to eat at and stuff, but I found a foldable one in the laundry room, which is on the other side of the second floor. Silverware's not too expensive, but we can buy plastic ones for now at the Market until we can afford real ones that are actually nice." There's a slight pause. "you know, my grandfather had eyes just like yours."
   "Really?" I nearly shriek. "I've never met another person with eyes like mine."
   "Nope. He didn't. Just wanted to see your reaction."
   I let out a weird snort-laugh just as we reach the second level. "That's an awfully weird prank," I smirk.
   "I guess I'm awfully weird, then," she chuckles in reply. "Lange, by the way. That's my last name."
   After I finish unpacking, Annika Lange and I talk for a while…
   Until I get an unexpected phone call.