The Superheroes' Soulmate

Chapter 2 - Friends

The next month had me falling into a routine. Monday to Friday, I'd leave my apartment around 7:15 to walk to the cafe Scott told me about my first Saturday in the city. I'd get a coffee and a muffin, eating the muffin as I walked to the university library. I'd arrive typically by 8:15 and have approximately 15 minutes to get ready for my day.

At the end of the day, I'd brief the overnight crew and walk home. Stopping for groceries or takeout for supper depending on my mood. Occasionally, I would see Scott in the hallway or the lobby, but he didn't seem to have any kind of normal hours. Thanks to my chronic insomnia, I sometimes heard him coming and going at all kinds of hours. We didn't really talk much, just a wave or a simple greeting.

It was boring. But right now, boring was exactly what the metaphorical doctor ordered. I was curled up on my saggy couch reading when I heard a commotion in the hallway.

Nah. Man. I'm telling you my cousin man. He told me that he was told by Ernest that Tina has this job in an arcade now. So, she was seeing this guy right. And that guy told her that someone told him that—

Luis, I swear, just skip all the unnecessary details and tell me what you are on about.

Smiling, I stood and walked over to the door, opening it to see an exasperated Scott standing at his door with a Hispanic man who must have been Luis.

I leaned against my door frame as the pair turned towards me. "Hey Scott."

HIs face brightened, "Lexi, hey."

The man standing next to him turned a wide-eyed look on Scott, speaking in a stage whisper, "This is her?"

Scott scowled at him before he turned to address me again. "Lexi, this is my buddy Luis. Luis, this is my new neighbor, Lexi."

"Nice to meet you, Luis."

Luis grinned, "Ah man, nah, it's nice to meet you. Scotty has told me a lot about you."

Scott elbowed him in the side, shaking his head, but the damage was already done. I tilted my head at him. "Oh, he has has he? What has he told you about me?"

A slightly panicked look crossed the man's face as his eyes darted between Scott and me. Then he turned towards me and opened his mouth, "Well, you see, Scotty here, he told me how you moved at the end of last month. You see, the guy who lived here before you, man he was a scary dude, right? And once he told me—-"

Bemused, I listened as Luis rattled on and on in one of the longest, most rambling answers to what should have been a pretty basic question. Scott just dropped his head into his hands as his friend continued. What had to be ten minutes later, Luis finally seemed to have reached the end of his story.

"---So anyway, what I'm saying is that Scotty here is a good guy."

I felt Luis's mind racing as it brushed against mine and was not the least bit surprised as his thoughts rambled and tumbled over each other. I decided I like this man. "Well, Luis, that is the impression I got."

Scott picked his head out of his hands and looked at me, such an earnest puppy dog look on his face that I had to internally roll my eyes.

"So, like, what are you doing tonight?" Luis asked.

"Excuse me?"

"You see, my man Scotty here and I are going out to this bar? It's owned by the girlfriend of my uncle's first wife's cousin twice removed."

I blinked, not really following what he was saying. "I'm sorry I don't understand?"

Scott huffed, "What he's trying to say is that we are going out tonight."