Through the Floorboards

3

Despite the noise complaint that I raised last night, I was only able to get at least 5 hours of sleep, which is not the best I've ever had but not the worst, compared to my housemate, who had 8 hours plus and was feeling like Cinderella the way she let herself into my room and opened every source of light she could.

"Care to join me for my spin class this morning? Do you think it will keep you in the right mood and feeling energised and ready to take on the day?" She asked as I pulled my sheet back and stared at her as if the devil itself possessed me. "Fuck no, I need coffee," I said, swinging my feet around and getting up. "I don't want to feel energised! I want to go back to bed," I added as she followed me out of my bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Jesus! What's gotten you in a bad mood already? It's Tuesday, your work from home day," she said as she started to pack her gym bag with the breakfast she had made the night before.

I looked at her and then at the coffee machine that was placed on our kitchen counter, strumming up the energy to turn it on. "Our neighbour below decided to become an exorcist last night, so I got the worst amount of sleep, and beteedubs, it isn't upstairs; the new neighbours, it's downstairs.".

She gave me a little look and then proceeded to sit on the kitchen counter, dangling her feet. We proceeded in silence as I got the power to actually make myself a coffee, and she just, well, just sat there.

After my coffee was done, I placed it on the kitchen table and sat down, pulling my phone out. "You going to tell me what went on?" My housemate blurted out, startling me as she jumped off the counter and sped to sit opposite me at the table.

"No, not really. Don't you have a spin class to get to anyway?" I said, waving my hand with the phone in towards our door. "They hate late people, and you pay for this monthly," I added as she rolled her eyes, slamming her hands on the table and sulking off, collecting her bag and heading towards the door.

As she opened the door, as if by the devil himself, there stood 102 guys standing in the door frame, just about to knock.

"Oh, sorry, I was just about to knock," he said sheepishly to my housemate, as if she were the intimidating one out of the two of us. "It's all good; I was just leaving for a spin; nice suit," my flatmate complimented the man, and soon she was down the hall, leaving our door open with this man still standing there.

"Can I help? It looks like you should be heading to work," I bitterly asked as he scanned the room from the doorway. "Can I come in?" he asked as I myself looked around, then my eyes landed back on him. "No, what do you want?" I asked with a little annoyance laced in my words and facial expressions.

"I was just coming around to apologise for last night; I shouldn't have been so rude; I'm fairly new around town and this area and should have been more respectful," he explained as I got up, went to place my cup in the sink, and walked back to the kitchen table.

"Thank you." Silence followed, and it was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. "If that's all, can I get back to getting ready for work? Plus, the children are going to start flying out the doors any minute, and I'm in my dressing gown?" I stated as he frowned a little, and I walked over to the door, holding it in my hand, waiting for him to turn around.

"Do I not get one back?" I laughed as I proceeded to shut the door on his face. I apologised for what exactly?

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After going about my morning routine and filling in my housemate with what happened and the exchange between myself and 102, I was logged in and went through my to-do list for the day.