Choose Your Words.

I have come to a realization in the past few weeks that is definitely worthy of sharing with the overgratified youth of America. No matter what your argument is, no one will hear you if you don't say it well. Behold:
In this 3 month assignment, I had ponied into an apartment with two other travelers in the same situation as I. They had signed a lease for the months of Aug, Sept, Oct here in the RGV. As convenience would have it, I agreed to hop in for the last two months so we could all live together and save some cash. I was added onto the account as an occupant. Enter in that nasty old Mr Conflict. One of the girls abruptly quit after deciding that she deserved more than to float at work. (In case you don't know, travel nurses are always subject to float to other units when ours are not busy enough and other units need help. We are the scab workers, and are expected to be flexible.) She was getting married anyway, and probably was going to spontaneously combust from the stress of not being named Bridezilla while wanting to tear the flesh of her florist/cake decorator/ valet boy. So she left.
The other roommate, stuck around until the first of this month. Then decided, in a heated argument that involved hosp security, that she had 'rights' that were not being met. Up and left an hour into her shift, pointing fingers, yelling, and storming about. Not kidding, people actually do this.
As far as I understood, these girls had agreed with me that we would continue to split the rent three ways until the lease was up. After all, it's their lease to begin with. Right???
Well, I had originally written a check to one of the girls before she left, and she cut a check for the entire amt of rent to the leasing office on her way out. Five days later, the two girls decided they didn't want to pay rent for the last month. They're not here. Well, of course I refused and told them that I'm sorry they left, but I already kept my end of the deal and they can't change the terms on me now. It was already a week into the month and it was a done deal.
She stopped payment on her check.
.....because that's what mature adults do. Do you know what happens when you're living in an apt with a negative balance? Turns out, you get evicted. Never happened to me before, but the joke's on them. My name isn't even on the lease and those two girls are headed for a time of poor credit and rental history. It's just unfortunate that it had to be this way. What's worse, she still has my rent and utility money for the month and I couldn't even live there. She called it "collateral". Yeah, ok.

Maybe we could have reached some middle ground. Maybe I would have been more willing to hear her. Maybe her arguments at work were warranted. Doesn't matter, though because she acted so poorly. If you don't behave well, no one will listen.
You can be crusading for third world orphans, women's suffrage, or clean drinking water. If you don't present your argument well, you might as well be opening gunfire.