“Uh, excuse me,” Penelope said, picking up Nolan’s bag and extending it out to him. “I won this bedroom fair and square. You can take your personal items elsewhere.”

“I wouldn’t say you’ve won anything,” Nolan said, refusing to take his bag from her. “You won the unlock the door challenge, sure, but we didn’t set out the terms of what that meant.”

“What did you want, a contract? Come on, don’t be a sore loser,” Penelope said, dropping the bag at his feet. “It’s not a good look.”

“What if we take turns in the bedroom—just until Flo decides who she wants to stay. We can do one day on, one day off. I’ll take Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays to start, ” said Nolan.

“No way that’d work. What are we going to do? Put two beds in here? There’s no way they’d fit and I’m not sharing a bed with a stranger,” said Penelope, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Ok then what about this,” Nolan said, unzipping his bag and pulling out a roll of black gaff tape. “We’ll split the room in half.”

Before Penelope could protest, he started pulling the tape from its roll and applying it to the floor in one swift motion. He rose from the floor and smiled at his handiwork. “Not bad, right?”

“So let me get this straight,” Penelope said, looking at the line. “One of us gets the closet and one of us gets…the bathroom?”

Nolan turned his gaze to the half of the room containing the toilet and shower…which happened to be the only bathroom in the entire apartment.

“Hmm,” he said, reevaluating. “I can see why that might be a problem.”

“You think?” said Penelope, rolling her eyes. “Nolan, let’s just—”

But Nolan was already pulling up the tape and reapplying it horizontally. “Ok, now we each get half a closet and half a bathroom.”

“Half a bathroom? How does that even work?” Penelope asked, skeptical.

“Well, there’s a shower,” Nolan started to explain.

“I regret asking,” said Penelope. “Ok listen, only one of us can have the bedroom.”

“And the apartment,” said Nolan.

“And the apartment,” agreed Penelope. “But…it doesn’t look like either of us are forfeiting, right?”

“Well, Flo’s going to see how much I deserve it, so feel free to leave any time,” said Nolan with a smirk.

“As I was saying,” Penelope said, ignoring Nolan’s comment, “we both seem committed to proving ourselves worthy of the apartment. So I guess we both have to make this work -- for now.”

“What do you have in mind?” Nolan asked, looking confused.

“A little healthy competition never hurt anyone,” said Penelope, smiling calmly.

“You should know I excel at competition,” said Nolan, reaching into his bag and pulling out a plastic trophy. “I was best outfielder at PS 191 sophomore year-”

“Why do you even have that?” asked Penelope. “You know what, never mind. What I’m thinking is…we play for the bedroom.”

“Play what?” Nolan asked, uncertain.

Penelope thought for a moment. “Tic tac toe?”

“No way,” Nolan said, shaking his head. “Too many ways to cheat. How about Monopoly? I have the board in my bag somewhere,”

“What? No,” Penelope said. “That can go on forever.”

“So…back to rock, paper scissors?” Nolan asked, shrugging.

“I beat you once, I can do it again,” Penelope said, grinning.

“Oh, I won’t make the same mistake twice,” Nolan said, smiling back at her.

“Let’s do this,” said Penelope, extending her hand.

“You’re on,” said Nolan. “One, two—”

“Three!” yelled Penelope, throwing out a rock.

Nolan, who was holding a pair of scissors, yelled. “Aw, come on!”

“Did you really think I’d go paper two rounds in a row?” Penelope asked, shooing him out of what was now, definitively, her room.

“I don’t know, some people like routine, and you seem like one of those people,” Nolan pouted. “You’ve got a whole vibe.”

“I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be an insult, but either way the bedroom is mine,” Penelope said. “But there’s that loft space up there that looks perfect for you.”

“I don’t like heights,” Nolan said, eyeing the space several feet above ground.

“Yeah,” Penelope said, “neither do I.” A moment of sympathy crossed her face. But then she shook it off. “Sorry, but you’ll have to make do.”

As Penelope started to close the door, Nolan protested once more. “Just…let me use the bathroom before I go.”

Penelope narrowed her eyes. “Fine.”

Nolan crossed in front of her and shut the door to the bathroom. After a few moments, she heard the shower turn on.

Penelope noticed Nolan hadn’t taken any of his things into the bathroom with him—not even a towel. She knocked on the door. “Nolan? How long are you going to be in there?”

“Oh it’s going to be awhile,” came Nolan’s voice over the running water. “Bathroom is neutral ground.”

“Are you even—” Penelope started to respond as her suspicions rose. When did I get so distrustful? She thought to herself. And then, because Jake made me that way.

New apartment, new me, she thought, shaking it off and listening to the water run.

But she allowed herself to wonder…where’s the water heater? A small smile crept across her face as she had an idea.