Nola had sent the form four months ago and it was accepted for better or worse. She had spent months finding and waiting for the perfect accommodation to show up. She had found a new school that had a bus service for Allie. In a couple of days, they will be moving to a new city.

Nola had asked Allie and he had said what she expected. "If that's what you want, do it."

One of the work colleagues suggested a going away party for Nola which she was elated for before Dave interjected and said she's still working here. It was true. From time to time she would have to drop back to the main branch to sort her project out. She shot a disappointed look to the ceiling, to the heavens. Damn Dave! How dare he thwart my going away party! They ended up deciding to have a small party instead of a company wide, full blown one where everybody was invited like those old primary school birthday parties from rich kids.

For lunch, Vasco went around poking people working at their desk to see if they wanted to join them for her last lunch. One elderly gentlemen refused. Every day, this old skeletal man would eat lunch at his desk so it wasn't unnatural for him to turn down the offer. Nola with quiet pity, urged him amicably. It bored the hell out of her seeing these goddamn office drones so obsessed with their menial paperwork.

"Where's Dave gone?"

"Dave's meeting with his wife."

"That Dave! He's always there for everything. His wife's the only thing stopping him," said office mook number one, whose name was Marcus.

They collected three other workmates in the end: Jack, Marcus and Jane. They went down to a local gourmet style burger joint three blocks from the office. Burgers again, she thought.

They grabbed a seat beside the cashier. Marcus let out a good hearty laugh at Vasco eating his vegetarian Caesar salad.

"Didn't know you became a vegetarian Vasco, eh?"

"I've been trying to lose weight recently to make my wife happy.”

"Yeah right. I bet she complained about your beer belly."

Vasco ignored the office mook and turned his attention to Nola, "Have you found decent accommodation yet?" Vasco forked a lettuce leaf begrudgingly and put it into his mouth slowly.

"Yeah I did," she said enthusiastically, "I found a really large bungalow if the description and the pictures can be trusted. It has a large supermarket right beside it and it's not too far from the city centre or the university."

Jack and Marcus nodded in unison.

They chatted about old times, plans for the future and blah blah blah. The talk bored the hell out of Nola and she was glad when they left. Vasco paid for Nola's meal which made it sort of worth it for Nola.

Nola was having a real party with her friends tonight. Nola's friends have organised a going away party at a high end bar called Tribal. She was planning to drink away all her worries of her uncertain future. She made some small talk with Jane as they walked back. She was so quiet that she almost forgot she was part of the party and not a random stranger sitting in their table. She invited Jane to it but she turned down the offer.

She messaged if Eleanor wanted to come over and even urged her to come to the bar to meet and mingle with her friends. She staunchly rejected her proposal as always and wanted to babysit Allie instead.

The next day, she woke up on the couch in the large living room. Allie sat in front of the upright piano by the wall. His hand was gliding over the keys effortlessly, hovering like a ghost that haunted the piano. Back and forth it went. Nola saw what he was doing. He was ghost playing and sight-reading. The music sheet in front of him was Liszt's Liebesträume No.3, Love's Dream. Nola read a bit about music so she could share some trivia with Allie. She had learnt that Fran Liszt was a virtuoso in piano who kept a single hairstyle all his life. Allie's hand stopped and his fingers fell gently on the keys to sound the dream. Allie played a simplified version of his piece, not because he lacked the skill to play the original, but because his hands were too small.

Fragments of the dream that Nola woke up from were still in her memory. In her childhood there was a neighbour she visited often when her older sisters refused to include her in their games. The neighbour was a boy who was a year older than her. She always treated him like how her own older sisters treated her which was to say, not equal in any way.

He was a small ginger boy whose mother was devoutly religious. She remembered they went to mass every Sunday. How he dressed in a little kid suit and she always waited dearly for him to come back and play. She didn't know what they did in mass but she wished she got to dress like the other girls going to church.

Thinking back, the ginger boy was her most intimate friend. She never thought of him as her best friend but he was. She never put much thought in their relationship and one day she moved away. She had even forgotten about his very existence until she had this dream.

She felt ashamed. Feeling groggy from the alcohol didn't help either.

Allie continued playing in a gentle pianissimo. The piece became a soft lullaby as it reached the final third which he repeated again in his own intricate variation.

"Morning," Nola's voice was rasp from all the alcohol she downed last night.

"Morning." Allie repeated without missing a single beat.

"Did Eleanor leave?"

"She said she had to go the music wooniversity."

"University." Nola corrected Allie who would stumble on long words occasionally.

"Yeah, university. She said she'd be back later. I wanted to finish this song with her." He stopped playing and looked at Nola with a wide smile. "We're adding our own parts to it to make it better."

Nola laughed at him saying song. She saw how Eleanor's eyebrows twitched whenever Allie referred a music piece as a song.

Nola thought that they should have their own private party.

"Let's have our own party tomorrow and invite Eleanor. What kind of food does Eleanor like?" She asked about Eleanor because she had the tastes and pickiness of a queen. At the buffet in Paris, she refused to eat many of the dishes that were top of the line. She was a very fastidious lady. Probably a trait of an artist is to be picky, she thought.

"Ham and pineapple pizza!"

"Okie dokie." She observed his little beautiful face, so radiant with joy that it blinded her hung-over eyes. "We're moving tomorrow. Do you still miss here?"

"No, no," he shook his head cutely, "as long as we're still together."

They decided they were going to have a pineapple pizza party at the new home. She invited Eleanor who was sure to come. Her friend Matt was going to drive them there. He told her he owned a big jeep.

Nola started packing the essentials for the road trip tomorrow. Two large luggage bags were on the floor. She looked thoughtfully. Thoughtfully lost.

"Clothes, yes. The essentials." She stuffed her own and Allie's favourite clothes together into the luggage.

She then took out her list that she composed during work. Toiletries, make-up case, medikit, towels, electronics...

She went over to the bookshelf in the sitting room to pick out a photo album. Maybe I'll bring one album to look back on. It could curb homesickness. She flicked open a random page.

She saw a nine year old of herself sitting with her two older sisters at a restaurant. Her eldest sister Anna was ten years older than her and had raven black hair which nobody in the family had. Another photo with herself and her parents. She remembered Silvie taking this photo. It reminded her that she needed to get their signatures for Allie's new school.

She flicked through the pages looking for someone. She grabbed another one and leafed through it. The albums piled up until she finally found one with her neighbour, the little ginger boy. She told herself she wouldn't forget him again.

...

Matt was a friend of Nola who incidentally had a jeep for the journey. Eleanor wheeled Allie out. Eleanor wore an elegant sundress with knee high socks and long silk gloves. All clothed in complete white with a large sunhat to top it. Allie wore a cheap t-shirt and shorts that Nola bought from Pennys, her favourite store, in the discount aisle so it was extremely cheap. Three euro for the whole outfit.

Matt opened the boot and helped Nola throw in the luggage. Nola collapsed Allie's wheelchair and placed it flat on top. Matt had to be on his toes to reach the top of the boot to close it. Matt was short, a good head lower than Nola who was a bit above average in height. He had long wavy black hair that was really greasy. He wore a tight fitting dark blue t-shirt that might as well have been black because it was so dark. His jeans were the typical light blue and he wore black shoes that matched with the colour scheme of his t-shirt and his greasy black hair.

Short men can be generalised into two groups from Nola's experience. The potbellied jolly type and the easily angered type. Nola had noticed in her social circles that a lot of short men seem to have short tempers. It must have had something to do with always being at the short end of things or recompensating for being small, she theorised. Matt was the latter who always gave a good laugh and fitted into any group regardless of his stature. The type of person that you would feel comfortable confiding with. He reminded Nola of Dave but in a good way.

Nola took the front passenger seat while Allie and Eleanor sat at the back. Eleanor looked at Matt and saw some sort of pig-like abomination and tried to ignore him as best as she could. It was going to be a three hour journey. She tipped her sunhat down to doze off and to prevent Matt from seeing her face. He had a lecherous look to him, like somebody who hits on women above their weight and height so to speak.

The jeep Matt was driving was actually his father's. His father was a doctor and so Matt has never needed to work a single job in his entire life. He couldn't keep one even if he tried. His father told him to get a job once. He got a job as a barista. He spilled a cup of scalding hot coffee on his own hand and that was that. Such was the curse of being affluent, he thought. It's not my fault that I can't work jobs below my status.

"I bought a new phone yesterday. Latest model. It has the latest camera A.I. Technology. And it-"

Matt listed out the specs of his new phone that threw Nola into instant slumber. Matt looked across, hoping to see Nola's reaction when she didn't react. Her mouth was agape and she was drooling. Matt looked ahead into the distance of the endless motorway. This was going to be a long drive.

"Alex", he called out. "Yo, Alex."

"Hmm?"

"Alright Alex... What do you think of Nola?" Matt was interested in Nola. He knew there was no such things as male and female friends. It was a global truth that only woman were oblivious to this fact. Either they're pretending when they have an unattractive male friend or they were truly oblivious in their flaunting of sexuality. Matt will never know since he had never dated anybody.

"Nola? She's the most beautiful and kindest person in the whole wide world. She lets me have ice-cream on weekdays but not on weekends though."

True, true, Matt nodded on the nicest person part and beautiful part.

"What's she like at home? Like what do you for fun together?"

Matt glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw the child's eyes lost in wonder looking at the fields of sheep and cows. This stupid kid, he thought. A lot of the times Nola had turned down nights out to take care of this crippled child. "Here's a fun fact: Did you know that if a rabbit doesn't find a partner for themselves, it dies of loneliness."

"That's such a sad fact!" Dear Eleanor now awoke and looking quite scrumptious in her gothic black dress. She was an artist all right. Off the hinge, Matt suspected. "Why would you tell him that?"

"You missed the point. I’m trying to say that people aren't meant to be alone. Humans are far more intelligent that can carry more emotional burden and we use our intelligence to convince ourselves that we can live alone." Matt explained his hypothesis. He was just improvising his thoughts on the spot but had started to believe his own hypothesis the more he spoke of it.

"I was perfectly fine alone. It's one of the reason I'm a successful pianist, a world renowned pianist," Eleanor placed extra emphasis on the word renowned, "I could practice by myself without speaking to anybody for month's end." Eleanor was visibly agitated and her voice shook. She didn't like queer strangers like Matt. Matt knew he struck a chord with her and continued wanting to prove his newly formed hypothesis.

"You had a good long run until you met Nola."

"It wasn't Nola I met, please. It was my sweet Allie."

"I remember", Allie interjected, "I asked Nola I wanted to see the performance live."

"Yes, it was fated! Allie and Ellie. Fated!" Her voice was starting to rise to soprano levels. The conversation from both sides was getting hysterical by the second. Matt began to get defensive about his well thought out theory that Eleanor attacked with nonsensical statements. She forgot want she was arguing and she just wanted to viciously humiliate him.

At that point, Nola awoke to the rapid fire crisscrossing of passive aggressive remarks.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." said Eleanor.

"What did I miss?" Nola looked at Matt.

Matt t-shirt was drenched in sweat and his hair looked greasier than normal.

"Ha-ha. You look like you're being cooked. Matt, why don't you open the window a bit?"

Matt obliged. Crazy woman are scary, he thought.

They arrived at the new city and got stuck in traffic. When they drove into the estate, Nola spotted a middle aged lady waving at them. It was the landlady for their new home.

They got out of the jeep and the party greeted the landlord. She was a black haired, stout lady wearing an oversized purple sweater. She had a big smile on her face and shook hands with all of them.

"Wow, I didn't know I was renting to four people!” the landlady was clearly joking. "I'm Joan, nice to meet you all! You must be Alex. I think you will find it very pleasant here. It’s a bungalow and we don't have a basement so no stairs at all. I think you'll find it perfectly suited for you."

Nola examined the house. By the look of it, it was refurbished due to how modern it looked compared to the neighbours' houses which were all in a different style.

They exchanged the usual pleasantries, talking about the weather, the ride and life in the capital city.

"You'll like it here I think. They call it a city but it's nothing more than a big town. The university's just down the road, there's a supermarket, a library, a boxing gym down the other direction-" Nola's eyes lit up, "-and there's a large running track but that's about a fifteen minute walk from here."

They followed her in the house. Eleanor slunk to the back, pushing Allie who was intrigued at the sight of his new home.

It all felt too perfect. The cost was on the higher end of the spectrum. More often than not, they looked more spacious in photos but it wasn't the case here. Nola had expected some catch.

"I used to rent to students. Oh, it was such a mess. especially since I just got the renovations done and I couldn't stand the thought of students here ever again. That was the last time I rented to students." So it was renovated Nola thought. "Oh, but you're mature and working while you're studying," Joan the landlady corrected herself.

A door opened as they were walking through the corridor. A large shadow loomed over the guests. Nola's eyes widened. What looked like a huge lard of lubber came out.

"Oh, let me introduce you to Lauren. You will be sharing the house together."

Nola heard nothing of this when she spoke to Joan on the phone and email. The price was a bit too good from what it was. The landlady saw Nola relaxing and knew she had her. Nola planned to have a good long talk to her later and composed herself.

"This is Nola, Matt, Alex and Eleanor." Nola shook her large tubby hands. She had the physique of the puffer fish from Spongebob Squarepants.

"Nice to meet you." Nola examined her like a specimen. Lauren was ninety percent blubber and she guessed she ate a minimal of ten deep fat fried meals a day. Nola didn't mind fat people, she was worried that she could get diabetes since her own grandmother probably weighed the same as her and she got diabetes from being obese. Once she visited a nursing home and saw a young man in his mid-thirties. She found it strange that he was missing both of his legs. He must be a Soviet soldier who lost both of his legs in the war, she thought. Nola asked the nurse about him. The nurse told her his diabetes got to the point where they had to saw off his legs.

Eleanor just looked on ahead, unfazed at the colossal sight blocking the corridor. What an elephant, she thought, an elephant in the room.

"She fa-". Eleanor covered Allie's mouth.

"Wow what a f-" Eleanor swung her leg to land a striking blow into Matt's leg that sent him spluttering a compliment to the house. Eleanor didn't expect an ounce of decency out of Matt's mutt.

"I'm gonna take a walk outside to take a breather." Matt said as he wiped the tears streaming down his face.

Allie was remarkable open even in children. He was not afraid of sprouting whatever truth that currently occupied his mind. Eleanor liked his honesty but even she knew there were some things better left unsaid. Especially if this land lubber was going to live with them and they would need to get along.

Lauren as if sensing she was being eyed like an animal, broke the silence of the observation. "I'm just here for the time being. I'm engaged and I'll be moving out next year. My fiancé and I had saved enough and we're looking to buy a new house soon."

Joan was thankful she explained it instead of her. That way it didn't feel like she had to apologise for deceiving a tenant.

"Congratulations!" Nola said. "You have to tell me about that later." Nola looked forward to hearing about the romantic escapades from her new roommate. Nola had stayed at home for her bachelor's degree and so she secretly felt excited that she has a roommate for the very first time.

Nola smiled widely at the really fat lady. She guessed that her profession was probably a programmer or some other engineering type job. The type of discipline that was filled completely with men and so a woman who studied in those courses meant she was going to be strange.

They went together to the kitchen for some tea and biscuits. Eleanor looked disgusted at the sight of multiple layers of fat folding onto itself when Lauren sat down, the fat from her ass spilling off the chair. She was mesmerised at the five layers of fat rolls that was able to sprout from the human body. She looked at Nola chatting away like the social bird she was. She learnt that Lauren was a software engineer and worked from home now. Nola was prying through the awkward social barrier that all engineers have and befriending her quite easily.

"-Allie loved that movie as well."

Lauren talked about her boyfriend and how they were big fans of the newest Marvel movie coming out. Nola said she wanted to see it as well and invited them. Joan was lost amidst the geek talk and chatted enthusiastically with Allie. Eleanor just sat still like a statue. Lauren gave a quick glance at Allie and didn't feel like lugging around a cripple boy to the cinema. Nola already knew of the prejudice that people had when they saw Allie and reassured her that it was just herself. She wanted to make the movie was good and appropriate for Allie and she didn't mind two viewings.

"My boyfriend and I are the biggest sci-fi and fantasy nerds," Lauren was spluttering having finally found a female friend that shared her interest.

Eleanor made a face of disgust at their nerd talk.

Nola asked if they wanted to all get pizza together. Then Eleanor and Lauren argued on what toppings they liked on their pizza that went on for a while until Matt came back and acted as a mediator to settle the food war.

They ordered pizza from Supermacs on Deliveriloo with Nola paying and tipping a tenner to the delivery boy as customary. The delivery man thought she made a mistake and told her the order has already been paid. Nola let out a laugh and told him she knew.

It was important that every food courier earned extra since they were important workers in society, especially when they had to cycle through the heavy rain and wind. These people deserve more than the office workers like myself who sat on their fat asses all day long. This was Nola's thought.

Matt and Eleanor left at night. Eleanor, normally cool and collected, looked teary-eyed. She stuck herself out the back window and waved goodbye with her handkerchief and reassured Nola and Allie that she'll visit. Nola and Allie waved back and went back inside what was now their new home.