Emma pov

I check the clipboard in front of me, sighing. Two more people. Two more people I have to interview before I can finally change out of these jeans and into my running shorts.

I push myself off the sofa when the doorbell rings. I pull it open to see a tall lanky girl with purple hair and a nose ring. I give her a tight lipped smile and gesture for her to come in.

"Arial?" I ask, already knowing she wasn't going to get the room.

"Yes. Sorry I am late." She said throwing her bag on the floor at her feet, blocking my way to the sofa. I stare at it in disgust before stepping over it and walking back over to the sofa. I sit at one side and her on the other.

I question her for ten minutes before we stand and I lead her to the door telling her I would call her. As soon as the door is closed behind her I lean against it and sigh, banging my head with the clipboard.

The last person, a tall guy with a SpongeBob top on goes pretty much the same way, leading to me collapsing on the sofa with a curse.

When I hear the door open five minutes after the SpongeBob guy leaves, I am lying with the clipboard over my face on the sofa.

"By the looks of it, they all failed." Addi, my best friend said amusement in her voice. I pull the clipboard away and glare at her as she comes over and collapses on the sofa beside me.

"Not one of them are even a consideration," I tell her. She pulls the clipboard out of my grasp, flicking through the options.

"What about this girl. She is studying biology. That is hard, there is no way she is out constantly partying." Addi suggests, glancing at me.

"She plays the trumpet," I tell her, my face showing I disapproved. She nods once, going back to the options.

"Ok, so what now?" She asks, once she gets to the end of the list and sets the clipboard on the coffee table.

"I go upstairs and beg Ava to let you out of your contract and move in with me. I'll give her one of these people." I suggest, waving to the clipboard. Addi lets out a laugh, shaking her head.

"If I could move in with you, I could." She tells me. I nod, knowing it was true. Addi transferred uni this year after having attended the university closest to our hometown for her first year yet didn't like it and decided to transfer. I already had a roommate by the time she got the paperwork in order, so she had to find somewhere else. She was lucky and was able to move in with the girl who lives in the flat above me. However, a week later, my roommate, who had been my first-year roommate in halls, decided she was going to travel to uni instead, leaving me with an apartment with two bedroom and no roommate. By that time Addi had already missed her forty eight hour window to get out of her own contract.

"I know," I reply, closing my eyes again. "What am I going to do, Addi?"

"You aren't going to like what I suggest." She tells me, sighing.

"Tell me anyway,"

"You have two options. You either pick the best out of this bunch or pick your phone and call your parents and ask for more money to cover the whole rent." She tells me, all amusement and teasing gone from her voice. I groan, not liking either idea.

"And which is the best of that lot? The Arial girl who said she is going to have her stoner boyfriend here most days?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"No. Maybe, you just need to be less picky." She suggests.

"Addi, it's me." I remind her, both of us knowing I was exceptionally picky as well as a perfectionist.

We sit in silence, both of us knowing I was also too stubborn to ask my parents for the money.

I grab the clipboard again, scanning the options. I take the ones that I know I couldn't stand and put them on the coffee table before taking the remaining two and sitting up on the sofa, setting them on my lap.

"Ok, so either SpongeBob guy, who will be watching cartoons constantly, or the girl who is an aspiring model and looked at my sweet wrappers with disgust," I said screwing my face up.

"These are seriously the options?" Addi asks, laughing again.

I let my head fall into my hands, knowing I couldn't stand to live with either of them. I hear my phone ring, making me sigh and put the pages on the sofa as I stand and walk to the counter where my phone is sitting. I see an unknown number, making me sigh again and answer it.

"Hello?" I said coming back to the sofa and sitting down.

"Emma?" A deep voice asks. I am surprised when the voice makes me close my eyes, trying to savour the sound.

"Yes?" I ask, wanting to hear his voice again.

"Hey, my friend just told me you were looking for a roommate? He gave me your number." He tell me, sounding like he was in a busy place, making him sound slightly distracted.

"Who is this friend?" I ask, surprised.

"Jackson," He tell me. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Jackson was in my class and we were always partner for group work. He knew I was picky and a perfectionist, making me think if he gave this guy my phone number, he thought he stood a chance.

"Ah, if Jackson told you that, I am guessing he told you what I'm like?" I said amusement in my voice.

"Yes," He said, giving a low chuckle before continuing, "he seems to think we have more in common than a need of a roommate."

"And what would that be?" I ask, surprised that I was on the phone with a guy I have never meet, yet seem to be able to have an easy conversation with him.

"We are both picky," He said simply. I give out my own laugh, noticing Addi glance at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Is that so? Well, I suppose for Jackson's sake, I could interview you," I said with a smile on my face.

"Interview me?" He questions, sounding amused as well.

"Yes. You happen to be the tenth person interested. If I didn't interview how am I supposed to pick the best. Like Jackson said, I am picky." I tell him.

"Do I have to wear interview clothes?" He asks and even though I cannot see his face, I know he is smirking.

"No," I said giving a small laugh. "When are you free?"

"Tomorrow?"

"I have class until five," I tell him.

"I have practice at seven." He tells me. I raise my eyebrows slightly, the new information intriguing me.

"Well, you can come before practice or after. I am free either." I tell him.

"Before would be best." He tell me.

"Ok. Well, like I said I am free after three." I said.

"I'll get the address from Jackson." He tell me. I nod slightly, surprised when I realise I am still smiling.

"Wait, what's your name?" I ask before he has a chance to hang up.

"Josh," He answers.

"Alright. See you tomorrow." I said, hanging up. I lean forward and set my phone on the coffee table, beside the sheets of paper for people I have refused to give the room too.

"I think you got yourself a winner," Addi comments making me look over at her.

"Why?"

"You were talking to them for more than two minutes and you are smiling." She said rolling her eyes and placing the two pages which were the sofa on the table as well.

"He seems nice enough. Jackson told him to call me on phone."

"Which one is Jackson?" Addi asks, making me remember she wasn't here last year.

"He's my coursemate. The one that is my partner for group work." I clarify.

"So Jackson knows you are... picky." She said, using a tone to suggest I was more than picky.

"Yes," I said, scoffing and turning back to the TV.

The next day, I am walking out of my lecture at three, carry a textbook and pen, while my bag is overflowing with notebooks. I smile at Chrissy, a girl I am close with in my class, both of us descending the stairs of the lecture hall.

I listen as she talks about the assignment that was already assigned, knowing I was obsessed with doing well, however, Chrissy always seemed to be more obsessed.

We step out of the hall and my mind starts to only half listen to her as I see a tall, athletic body leaning against the opposite wall, wearing jeans and his football sweatshirt. I move my eyes to his face, seeing his brown hair, brown eyes, strong jaw and high cheekbones. He was insanely hot.

TBC