The Girl Next Door

7. The Cabinet

I wasn't expecting that. None of us were.

Melanie's dare was bold, but Astrid? She didn't hesitate for a second. The moment the words left Melanie's mouth, Astrid stood up, her eyes scanning the room like she was choosing something trivial. Without a second thought, she walked over to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me toward the dark, narrow cabinet under the stairs.

I barely had time to process what was happening before we were inside. The door clicked shut behind us, leaving the muffled sounds of the party and the chaos outside in the distance.

Astrid didn't say anything at first, just adjusting her position and sitting down cross-legged on the floor. I stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, what to say. My heart was beating way too fast for comfort.

I could hear the faint sounds of the party and people laughing in the distance, but the silence between us felt heavier than anything. I glanced at her—Astrid, sitting there like she didn't care about any of it, her arms resting on her knees.

Then, for the first time since I met her, she laughed.

It wasn't loud or forced, but it was real. Her laugh filled the small space, and for a second, it felt like time stopped. It was light, carefree, and way more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

I just stood there, dumbfounded. What the hell was going on?

"You're welcome, by the way," she said, still smiling a little. There was something in her eyes, something I hadn't seen before.

For a split second, I think I forgot how to speak. All of a sudden, the whole world outside of this small cabinet seemed so far away. Astrid wasn't the same girl I thought I knew.

"Uh... yeah," I finally managed to say, still trying to process everything.

She didn't seem to care much. She just shrugged and leaned back, resting her head against the wooden wall of the cabinet.

It felt strange. Intimate, even. And yet, it was still Astrid, the girl who kept her distance, the one who never seemed to let anyone in.

But here I was, trapped in a tiny space with her. And somehow, that laugh had cracked open a door I didn't know existed.

I could feel the seconds stretch on, and I found myself wondering—what the hell was I even doing here with her?

All I knew was that for the first time in a while, I didn't feel like I was in control. And I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The silence in the cabinet wasn't uncomfortable, but it felt different from anything I'd experienced before. The party felt like a distant memory, and there was something about the quiet with Astrid that made it all too real.

I shifted on my feet, trying to make myself comfortable, but it wasn't exactly easy in such a cramped space.

"So... you don't like games, huh?" I broke the silence, trying to ease the tension.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "Truth or dare? Please. Child's play," she said, mimicking her earlier tone. But this time, there was a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

I chuckled softly, rubbing the back of my neck. "I get it. But Melanie's... well, Melanie." I shrugged. "She has a way of making everything weird."

Astrid glanced at me sideways. "That's one way to put it. What's your excuse for joining, then?"

I smiled, leaning back against the cabinet wall. "Honestly? No idea. Maybe I just wanted to see how far she'd go."

Astrid laughed again, the sound light and genuine this time. It caught me off guard, but it made something inside me settle.

"Yeah," she said, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You're definitely not a 'truth' kind of guy."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

She shrugged. "Take it however you want."

There was a brief pause before I spoke again. "So, what do you do when you're not avoiding everyone at parties?"

Astrid looked at me with that unreadable expression, and for a second, I thought maybe she wasn't going to answer. But then she spoke quietly.

"I don't do parties," she said simply. "I just... watch. Listen. People are... interesting."

"Interesting, huh?" I repeated, studying her face. "In what way?"

She leaned back slightly, her arms crossing over her chest. "People like to pretend they know everything. But it's all just noise. You know?"

I didn't know how to respond to that. It was one of those things that made sense in her mind, but I wasn't sure I fully understood it. Still, I wanted to know more.

"You really don't like being around people, do you?" I asked, my voice softer now.

Astrid didn't answer right away, instead just looking at the ground for a moment, as though gathering her thoughts. "People just... make things complicated," she finally said. "It's easier to stay on the outside."

I didn't know what to say to that. Part of me wanted to argue, to say that people weren't always as bad as she made them seem, but another part of me... well, part of me understood. I'd spent a lot of time trying to figure things out on my own, too. But something about her said she wasn't just distancing herself for the sake of it. There was something else there—something deeper.

"Yeah, I get that," I said quietly. "But sometimes, you can't stay out forever. Eventually, you'll have to get in the game."

Astrid met my eyes then, and for the first time since we'd been sitting there, she seemed to let her guard down just a little bit. "Maybe," she said softly, almost like she was considering it. "But not yet."

The words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, it felt like the world outside the cabinet didn't matter at all.

And then the muffled sound of the party broke through again, reminding me that we were still in the middle of everything. But I didn't want to leave. Not yet.

"Do you always think this much?" I asked, breaking the stillness.

Astrid smirked. "Only when I'm trapped in a dark cupboard with people who don't make sense."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Fair enough."

And for a brief moment, it felt like everything was okay.