[center][h3]8:30 AM
The [color=6ecff6]House[/color]
Allan[/h3][/center]

Early the next morning, a shrill beeping resounded through the [color=6ecff6]house[/color]. With a groan, Alan awoke, groping groggily for the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed, finding the annoying black cube after a few seconds and slapping it silent. He sat up and stretched, yawning a little as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The morning sun streamed in past his curtains, casting long shafts of light on the cold floor as he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up. 

A few minutes later and he sat in the living room, nursing a hot mug of tea as his roommates went about their day. With her head resting in his lap, his black lab Bess was snoozing in the morning cool, while he read a book with his earbuds in his ears. Another regular, dull day. Next to him stood Nicki, one of his roommates; a leggy blonde with a head for clothing, she stood with two differently coloured lengths of clothed draped over her arms, comparing each against the blank white mannequin that occupied the corner of the living room like a silent sentinel. For the better part of ten minutes she stood in quiet, stern contemplation, alternating the fabrics against the dull white figure, before unleashing her frustration in a loud growl as she sat down on the couch. The impact, of course, woke his dog, who licked her lips and stared at the friendly if angry face next to her master, curiously flicking her gaze between the fabrics and the concerned expression on her friend's face. The fluffy black dog sat up and laid her head on Nicki's lap instead, staring up at the lady with her cute brown eyes, ears splayed as she wagged her tail gently against the couch.

Allan smiled. His dog was a member of their little family as much as Nicki was. As he watched Bess trying to cheer her up, he pulled the earbuds from his ears and reached over to set his phone down on the coffee table, which came to rest half on the table, half off. As he leaned back again his hand gently brushed his phone which toppled over and clattered to the floor.

"Ah, crap, my phone."

He bent over and picked it up, inspecting its screen for any cracks before placing it fully on the coffee table. With a resigned sigh he leaned back and continued with his book, but not before giving Nicki a glance to offer his quiet opinion.

"I think the gold looks better, Nicki."