Lina sighed and looked through the paper. She had to hurry up and get an apartment or SOMETHING. Her big sister had nearly driven her to insanity, she had to get out.

Lina was a sophomore in high school, and lived, at the moment, with her older sister. She was short, scrawny, and had an awful temper. What was worse, she liked to beat up street gangs in her spare time. She was the type of girl you didn’t want to meet in a dark alley, but you didn’t know that until you had insulted her liniage.

She was also a big eater. If there was an Olympic for eating, she’d win.

She was happy and bouncy most times. You know, the type who thinks that a good soft serve ice cream cup should be full to the brim and only have enough ice cream to hold all the sprinkles together. She tended to wear purple a lot, and had a cape, no matter how much people at school laughed at her. She also excelled at black magic. But everyone agreed that didn’t exist.

She was already in trouble for twenty three accounts of bombing, which her sister had honey-tongued her way out of.

Top of her class in math and history, she was horribly outshined by her perfect sister, and wanted out. Not to mention the fact she scared Lina stiff.

She flipped through a few more times. There had to be SOMETHING in her price range…Ah HAH! Lina triumphantly pulled the page with the ad out.

Perfect. A house, fully furnished, for rental, right near the high school! This was perfect! And the price was insanely low…the owners obviously didn’t want to pay anyone to house sit so it didn’t get all dusty. Lina couldn’t believe her luck. This was perfect!

* * *

Zelgadis Greywyrds looked through the paper. He lost his job at the last place because he’d pulled his sword on the last guy who commented on his…skin problem. So he wasn’t going to be able to pay the rent. Which meant he’d better find somewhere cheaper.

Which wouldn’t be easy. A high school kid, on his own, no parents what so ever, he was kinda low on cash at all times. So his apartment wasn’t exactly penthouse.

Zelgadis liked to be called Zel by his friends. If he’d had any friends. Not that he wanted them, anyway. No, he liked it by himself. Besides, what would he do with them?

Zelgadis was a rather irate, moody, and annoyable senior in high school. He excelled at EVERYTHING. HE had on several occasions alienated his teachers by proving them wrong on several occasions.

Zelgadis was good looking enough to make Aphrodite swoon, but he never noticed it. He slunk around in the corners wearing his big, black trenchcoat and glaring at anything that came within ten feet. He was the type of guy you’d stare at in English class, and he’d glare at you for the rest of the week.

Because Zelgadis had a tiny problem. He was stone.

Not that he was a cold, unfeeling jerk, which he also was, but he was really made of stone. His grandfather did it to him a while ago.

And so while all the girls were staring at his good looks, he was certain it was his stone skin. And it pissed him off no end.

He sighed and turned the page. Then he found it. Perfect! Full house, fully furnished, cheaper than this wreck by half! Rental, of course, but who cares? It was perfect.

* * *

"We’re sorry dear. But we just can’t afford your eating habits anymore." Gourry Gabriev’s mom looked down at him sadly. "You’ll have to get a job and move out, your father--"

"AHEM!"

"WE think." She sighed unhappily. "I looked through all the job listings, I think you’d love this one, You don’t need any brains at all, I love you so much make sure you visit and write, oh yeah, I found this great ad in the paper for a house you can rent for very very cheap $50 every three months don’t be a stranger I love you!" His mother gasped for breath.

Gourry was a jock.

No, I’m not gonna do a big ol’ explination about his character. He was a jock. He played football in college, where he was a junior at the time. It should be obvious. He was a jock. With hair that would make most girls green with envy. But h’e a jock, for crying out loud! How much explanation do you need?

"Um…okay! I have to pack…"

"We packed everything for you bye!" His dad said hurriedly.

"Ummm…okay! Bye!"

"Bye!"

"I love you don’t forget to visit don’t kill anyone with that nasty sword be nice to girls don’t eat anything with green fur on it tie your shoes ash regularly eat your vegetables don’t become a homicidal maniac and make me lie and say I don’t know where you are like your brother Jarred Wash behind your ears and don’t--" His father slammed the door on the rest of his mothers speech.

"Ummm…right mom! Bye!" Gourry started off to the house he was supposed to stay at.

* * *

Amelia stood in front of her gracious Daddy. "Papa, I have to!"

Amelia, princess of seyruun, wanted a chance to get out from under daddy’s eye. Anytime a boy got within thirty feet, ten men in black suits would suddenly appear. It was getting embarrassing.

She was a sweet girl. She was kind. She wanted the world to be fair. She liked chubby unicorns on her bookbag. She rescued baby birds and cried when they died.

She was a flake. But a sweet, pretty one.

"Amelia, it’s too dangerous!"

"Papa, it’s the thing for girls to DO!" She wailed. "I’m big now! 14! And I should move out!"

"No."

"I already have the place picked out, I can get as job to pay for it,"

"Wellll…….okay. But promise not to become a delinquent!!

"I would never, Father! You have my word!"

"I know I can count on you!"

"I will!"

"And I’ll only check up on you every other hour!"

"Aww, PAPPPPAAAAA!!!"

* * *

Lina walkied n and dumped her baggage in the bed room. Ahhh, A house of her own! No one to share with, no one to boss her aroundm and only that big dumb stature in front of the TV to take up space.

Hmmm…what weirdo built a statue into the couch? Line bonked it on the head. Such shoddy work…

"HEY!"

"EEEEEEK!" Lina screamed. "FIREBALL!!!!"

"Ouch." The statue said annoyedly. "What was that for? And what are you doing in my house?"

"Your house? This is MY house!"

"Um.." Gourry leaned on the doorframe. "I thought it was my house?"

"Burglars! Enemies of justice! This is MY house!!"

Lina sighed. "I knew the price was too perfect…"

* * *

"The bedroom is MINE."

"But…but I’m a princess!"

"Whatever. I get the couch."

"Ummm…I’ll take the basement…"

"You can have the cot in the attic."

"But I’m a…" Amelia screwed up her courage. "Fine! I shall suffer, as did my forefathers! This will no doubt build character!"

She stomped off to the attic.

Lina looked at Zel. "I bet three weeks dishwashing she’s a asylum escapee."

"You nuts? I don’t want to have to wash dishes for three weeks straight!"

* * *