The Outsider

2. Getting Into Routine (Part Two)

2. Getting Into Routine (Part Two)

"You're no fun in the mornings," James said, eyeing me off as he bounced on the balls of his feet. "Come find me at uni when you're happy again!"

As soon as the elevator doors opened, James darted out of them, almost knocking down an old lady that had been waiting to get on. I watched as he did a small skip when he reached the apartment building's front door and barged out of it.

"I'm sorry about him," I said to the older lady, stepping onto the elevator as I held the door open. "I just picked him up from the shelter. Still trying to house train him."

"You may need to try harder. I can hear him howling at all hours of the day," she replied with a smile. "I live right near your apartment. I'd recognise his voice anywhere."

As I said—it was only a matter of time.

"I'll be sure to put a muzzle on him when I can." I returned the old lady's smile and moved away from the door.

That was the first time I had ever interacted with one of my neighbours. It went much better than I thought it would. Albeit a little weird.

Turning back to face the lobby, I was thrown back into my morning slump. The sight that greeted me instantly reminded me how horrible of a place this building was and, in turn, what a poor, university student I was.

Everything was mouldy. The carpets were ripped, and the stains that covered the walls looked a lot like blood. Or mould that decided to get creative. Even the plants in the corners of the lobby were as drab as the rest of the room. Mainly, because they were dying.

Trying to focus on the window that sat in the middle of the building's door, giving me a view of the less shitty outside, I powered across the lobby and quickly made my way into the fresh morning breeze.

When I said the outside was less-shitty, I didn't mean it was good. Buildings were covered with graffiti, and windows were boarded up. Burnt-out cars littered the streets and there was always the faint smell of someone cooking drugs.

Luckily for me, as you walked in the direction of the university, things became a little bit gentrified. A little cleaner. The closer you got to the university's campus, the more upstanding the neighbourhood became.

I may have practised the walk to the campus a few times. To make sure I knew where I was going. A few times may also mean that it was close to twenty times, but I wasn't counting.

Kicking at the ground, I turned right from my apartment building and began walking along the narrow path, occasionally, jumping over the holes that were scattered about. The morning sun beamed down on me and I bathed in its warmth, glad I had decided to wear shorts. Though, the maroon did not compliment my blue sneakers.

Pair that with my yellow beanie and you could say my fashion sense was non-existent.

"Matty, Matt, Matthew!" A voice suddenly floated to my ears from behind me.

"Stranger danger!" I said jokingly, knowing immediately who the voice belonged to.

Amber skated up beside me and kicked her skateboard up into her hands to walk along with me. We had met at orientation and had hit it off instantly. After exchanging numbers, we continued to bond and grow closer over our love of sending each other random pictures of pasta.

"So rad," I whispered in fake awe as Amber slung her skateboard over her shoulder.

His short, black hair was shaved at one side, showcasing a dragon tattoo that wrapped around the side of her head. She made a point to try and show if off to me every time she got the chance.