Smoke Break /Georgenotfound/

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I woke up early today. And I usually treat myself with a cup of coffee on the balcony in the early mornings, so today wasn't an exception.

The quiet surroundings paired with the distant sound of the birds chirping and the bitterness of the coffee were the refreshments I needed. I caught myself taking small sips purposefully just to enjoy the moment for a bit longer. And also because I didn't want to study and this was a good enough excuse to stay away from my books for a little while.

A sound of a car engine and distant laughter disturbed my moment of peace and drew my attention to whatever was happening down there. I knew the voices were familiar, and as I saw the guy in a snapback and his tall friend enter a matte black car, a satisfied smirk washed over my face.

That means they won't be blasting music or screaming at each other for the next few hours, hopefully. Unless they finally decided on who was gonna go to the store and will be back shortly.

I hope that's not the case. I know I say this every day, but I need to be as productive as I can today.

Well, I said that and spent an unnecessary amount of time on a single cup of coffee. But then I actually started reading for 3 hours without taking breaks. Then I ate, studied for another 3 hours, and got distracted by a sudden sound.

At first it was so loud and unexpected that it made me jump. Then, after a few seconds, I could recognize the pattern and identify it as the sound of a drill.

I looked up and down and realized the sound was coming from outside. But it sounded way too close for me to think it was some construction work. Almost sounded like a construction work inside my own house.

Whatever, it'll probably stop soon.

Why is it getting louder?

I put my book aside and went to the balcony again. Unsurprisingly, the noise amplified right as I opened the door.

My head snapped to my right, and I saw the same silhouette from yesterday hovering over a table and obviously using a drill. I'm not even sure if he's building a table or fixing it, and even though all I saw was his back, I could tell he's concentrated and committed.

He didn't notice me, and I'd lie if I said I wanted him to. I quietly went back inside and decided to take a break for a little while until he's finished with whatever he's doing.

As time went on, the intense drilling gradually gave way to the resonating sounds of hammering. The air slowly filled with a symphony of a rhythmic ear assault which would get louder then die down, never letting me recognize a pattern and predict what was gonna happen next.

However, just when a sense of relief settled in, the soundscape shifted once more, this time echoing with the distinct peels of duct tape.

Am I living next to Bob the builder?

This can't be serious. If I was building a table (which I've never done before), I'm sure I'd be done by now. And I'd be way less noisy.

I need a plan.

I have a plan.

Because I was feeling confident today, I got out and went to the balcony, took a seat on the chair, and put my book infront of me as if I was reading it. Hopefully the guy will see that I'm reading and realize that he's being too loud and distracting.

That was the plan, at least. But I've been staring at my book for 10 minutes, and he hasn't even acknowledged my presence.

Yet I got the chance to analyze him from head to knee, cause I couldn't really see his toes.

His dark brown moppy hair definitely caught my attention because of how unruly yet somewhat flattering it looked. Kind of reminded me of the coffee I had in the morning.

I didn't get the chance to see his face from the front because of the angle he was working at, but his side profile was pretty impressive; delicate eyebrows, straight and slender nose bridge, perfectly proportioned pink lips and a defined yet not harsh jawline.

I also noticed the chain around his neck- and he had an attractive neck if it makes sense.

My gaze was gradually descending to his shoulders when I caught him looking at me.

It's fair to say that he caught me looking at him cause, god, I'd been staring for a while now.

At least my plan was starting to work.

Instead of looking away and making it more obvious, I gradually moved my eyes to the table he'd been working on, making sure to be as natural as possible with it and not make sudden, planned movements.

But now it's more like he's staring at me. And he's smiling too. Now, I had to make the choice of acknowledging his gaze or just keep on ignoring it.

And because I don't work well under pressure, I leaned my head against my hand and started staring at my book as if nothing happened.

I heard him chuckling, and my nails dug into my scalp. Oh shit.

"Am I distracting you?"

Oh, so he's the one with the accent.

I look up from the pages and smile slightly, just to return the gesture.

"Just a little bit," I can't believe my people-pleaser ass had the balls to say that.

"Oh, okay," his smile is attractive, "you must be the exam girl then."

What.

"Uhm-"

"My friends warned me about you."

The fuck.

"Warned?" I scoffed, not even hiding the fact that I was annoyed.

He just laughed and raised his shoulders, "There's an urban legend going around that if you play music too loud, a girl will appear at your door."

My jaw actually hangs open. I let go of a laugh, in complete  disbelief. And the way he looked so satisfied with his joke shocked me even more, but I managed to come up with an answer.

"Trust me, the urban legend will get scarier if she fails her exams."

"Then she should probably go inside and study," he pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and a lighter. I bite my tongue not to comment anything about how he shouldn't smoke and it's bad for him.

He already thinks I'm a boring nerd, there's no need for me to prove it.

So I got up and grabbed my book, not because he told me to, but because I wasn't willing to sacrifice my lungs.

"Don't be too loud," I smiled at him passive-aggressively as he lighted his cigarette.

The last glimpse I caught of him was half-covered by the cloud of smoke he was blowing, "I'll try," his voice was the final sound that reached me as I closed the balcony door.

And finally. Complete silence.

...

Anyway, what the fuck was that?