“Next week is when the Council hears my case. Is Heda going to be able to make it?"

"Heda has no intention of missing it, and Mom wouldn't let her anyway. Civic responsibility is another big thing for Mom." He looked around.

“Hey, back to the furniture thing, it sounded like the guys were going to an Aarons Rent-A-Center or something like that. I guess they're getting a washer and drier for the house. Why don't you go that route? Some of those places have a no payments and no interest for a year deal. You have any credit?"

Madison nodded.

“One card. I put my DJ expenses and stuff on it, but that's it."

"Excellent. Just means that you've got a credit history. C'mon," he added, moving out of the way so that the girl could ascend the stairs.

"I was going to look for something for Heda anyway. She likes nice, comfortable beds," he added knowingly.

"That's not the . . . seriously, if you really think that I'm going to buy a bed just because . . . okay, let's go.”

Sometimes Heda adored her older brother. She had gotten back from Albuquerque after a horrible trip where they had lost in five games.

She was sore, disappointed in her performance, and had not been looking forward to packing and moving to the new place in the middle of the night. Her brother and roommates had done it all. Of course, they hadn't unpacked anything, but that was cool.

She had arrived at the new place to find that a party had already been thrown, albeit just for the new residents. Joanna was dancing to the tunes from a boom-box and was threatening to show off her chest, much to the delight of all. Carla and Anthony were making out on the stairwell, much to Heda's surprise. Paul and Edgar, who would be their guest for a while, were arm wrestling while Kevin could be located by a cloud of smoke outside the kitchen door. Sasha and Bill were curled up on a sofa that someone had managed to procure, watching the festivities and simply enjoying each other's presence.

Heda waved to everyone and then ran upstairs to her room. Her brother had somehow gotten her a queen sized mattress but had left getting the base and headboards to her. Smart man. The bed did have clean sheets on it and, on top of the mattress, her own set of keys.

She propped open one of the windows and looked out into the dark Southwestern sky.

"Nothing like it," she whispered to herself and the sky she loved to fly. Then she realized she had not seen Madison, so she headed back downstairs. ‘Where the hell is the door to basement?' she wondered, embarrassed that she had forgotten. Then she grinned. Someone had put the Batman symbol on a door next to the kitchen. She knocked on the door, but could not hear any response over the noise. She opened the door.

"Madison?"

"Down here!" came a reply, followed by, “as if that weren't blatantly obvious since that's where my voice is coming from."

Heda chuckled as she trundled down the stairs and plunged into darkness once the door at the top closed.

"Hey, is there a light switch?"

"You know, I didn't bother to look. Not exactly necessary for me."

There was a moment of silence while Madison scanned the room.

"The switch is actually at the top of the stairs I think, ‘cause I don't see one down here."

Heda opened her mouth, then stopped, then said, "You know, I was about to ask if you have a reading lamp, but that would be dumb too."

Madison laughed.

"Just a bit."

Heda put her hand on the stairs and walked back up, flicking the light switch and then coming back down.