Nuisance: Short Stories

Nuisance: Chapter 2 - Part 1

The keys jingled cheerfully as Haylee unlocked the navy blue door to her shared apartment with Bri. It'd only been a week since they had moved in, so a few unpacked boxes still lay scattered across the kitchen and living room. She carried a dozen bags of groceries in her arms when Bri came out from her room.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Groceries," Haylee replied. "Gotta have something to eat, right?"
"Want some help?"
"Please."
She set some bags down on the counter and others on the floor. Bri sifted through them, carefully picking out the items that belonged in the pantry, while Haylee put away the refrigerated products. As they worked, a knock came at the door.
"It's open!" Haylee called.
Princey poked his head inside. "Hi. Can we come in?"
He and Fern stepped inside without waiting for an answer, knowing full well Haylee would've just responded with sarcasm. They spotted the two unloading groceries.
"You guys went shopping?"
"Without us?" Fern added, feigning a sad frown.
"Haylee did," Bri answered. "Didnt even ask me if I wanted to go."
"For good reason," she retorted. "If I'd brought you, absolutely zero groceries would've been bought."
"You say that as if you actually paid for this stuff."
Haylee smirked as their friends began to wander around the apartment, observing the layout. The seating in the living room was a cute shade of pink (obviously picked out by Bri), complimented by a matching white coffee table and TV stand. Inside the stand, behind glass doors, already a wide variety of video games lined the shelves. The TV was a decent size, perfect for movie nights, with fairy lights on the wall behind it. The table and sofa sat directly in front of the TV, and behind those stood a white cabinet with framed pictures and books along its shelves. The frames held edited pictures of them at different landmarks around the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Canyon, and the Sydney Opera House. Princey laughed at those.
"Really Haylee?"
He held up one of the frames. "The Leaning Tower of Pisa?"
"What? It's not exactly like we have any photos of us doing normal human stuff."
"Yeah, but c'mon. The only photos on here are of us at different landmarks; it doesn't actually scream 'Hey, look at me! I'm an actual human being with flaws who experiences average day-to-day activities!'"
"He makes a good point," Bri chimed in, feasting on apple slices at the counter.
"When did you cut up an apple?" Haylee asked.
She shook her head. "Never mind. Whatever. I'll fix it."
She waved her hand at the frames and slowly they changed, instead picturing a peacefully napping Haylee, a grumpy Bri, and a group photo of them smiling in front of the apartment building. Their friends, the ones they had left behind, were also there, smiling with them.
"I like that one," Princey smiled. "Even if it's fake. Feels like they gave us a proper send off."
The others nodded, a sad silence filling the room. They missed their friends, and for a moment they wished they had come with them, but a loud knock at the door interrupted their thoughts.
"It's open," Haylee called cautiously, looking at the others, who only gave confused shrugs and looks.
An unfamiliar face crept out from behind the door, searching for the source of the voice. When he spotted Haylee, his eyes went wide, before quickly turning into a nervous smile.
"Uh, hi," he said, his light brown face turning pink in embarrassment. "Sorry, I wasn't sure where you were, or if I should just come right in."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"No worries," she said, giving a small smile. "I'm Haylee. It's nice to meet you."
She held out her hand and he shook it, relieved.
"Andres. You guys just move in?" he asked, noticing the others in the apartment.
"Mm-hm. This is Bri, my roommate, and that's Princey and Fern. They live in a different apartment, but we're all friends."
"Cool. I actually live here with a friend, too. His name's Phoenix. Maybe I could bring him by some time?"
"Yeah, that'd be great!"
He smiled.
"Ok, great. I'll, uh, get out of your hair then," he said, heading back to the door. "It was nice meeting you guys!"
With a quick wave goodbye, he shut the door and was gone. Fern immediately turned to the others.
"Guys, I'm in love."
"Fern, what the hell?" Bri said exasperated. "We've been here two seconds-"
"I know, I know," Fern cried. "But look at him! He's so cute! I want that one. I call dibs!"
"Fern, you can't call dibs," Haylee sighed. "He's a person with actual feelings and.. shit. Ok?"
Fern crossed their arms and pouted. "Never stopped you and the others from doing that back in the Realms."
"That's different," Bri said.
"How?"
"Because we're not in the Realms anymore, Fern!"
They all stared at Haylee. She sighed and put her head in her hands, siting down on the pink sofa.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell, I just- I miss it. I miss the Realms."
Princey sat down next to her and soothingly rubbed her back.
"I get it," he said, nodding. "We all miss the Realms. Right?"
The others nodded, too.
"Change is scary, and uncomfortable, and it sucks sometimes. But hey, at least we're all going through it together. You're not alone, ok? We're here for you."
"Thanks."
She gave a sad smile and they proceeded to drag her into a group hug despite her protests, but secretly she liked it.
"Ok, ok, that's enough," Haylee laughed. "Did we even finish putting away the groceries?"
"Yeah, I finished everything," Bri said proudly. "So! You guys wanna go to that little bob-a shop down the street? I think it's really popular with humans."
"Uhh, I think it's pronounced bow-ba, Bri," Princey laughed.
"Whatever. Let's go!"
They laughed as she raced down the hall and Fern tried to catch up, while Haylee locked the door behind them. They walked down the slightly busy street to the boba shop, the sun setting in front of them as they chatted happily. They all got something different and sampled each others drinks and boba. In the end, Bri was the only one who didn't like it much and got an ice cream cone instead, leaving Fern with two drinks. Not that he minded.
They were all just happy to be together and excited at the idea of making new friends soon. They would always miss the Realms, but maybe Earth wouldn't be so bad. And who knew, maybe they'd all have romantic prospects at some point.