Efflorescence

chapter four

"Mar, I think we have asshole neighbors." Sapphire mumbled, attempting to fall asleep. 

The girls' new next door neighbors, were having a party. A noisy party, that was hitting the two hour mark since the girls got to the apartment complex.

"When are they going to stop?" Maribell whined. "I can't fall asleep when they're playing their music that loud."

Sapphire thought of the, very bright, idea to bring ear plugs to use when Maribell was singing in the car. She didn't actually use them, so she didn't know if they would work. But she was desperate for sleep at this point in the night. 

"I'm gonna go get my ear plugs out of the car, Mar. I'll be right back." she muttered, voice sounding as raspy as ever. 

They were in the car for eight and a half hours, arriving at 11:40, bringing a few boxes up to the apartment at 11:55, and blowing up their air mattress at 12:20 p.m. The girls needed some sleep, it now being ten till two in the morning.

Sapphire grabbed her white, fluffy robe and her matching slippers and walked out the front door. She shuffled down the hall and waited for the elevator. Her new setting was pretty nice. 

Everything was modern, and mostly white, which she loved. There were hints of gray here and there, to tie in with the steel railing and elevators. 

The apartment itself was definitely more gorgeous in person. The dark wood floors complimented the granite counters and stainless steel appliances. The apartment had already came with a fridge, oven, microwave, a washer, and dryer. 

It was all pretty pricy since there was so much they would be getting, but Sapphire's dad agreed to pay for some of their rent until they were stable and on their feet. Some, being half. 

She didn't want to accept her father's money, but she knew she wouldn't be able to fully be on her own for a couple months. She needed to find a manager still, and follow through with her plan. 

She stepped into the elevator, and pressed the P button, for parking lot. She waited as she traveled down eight floors, her apartment being on the seventh. She was so tired, she almost fell asleep waiting, but the loud ding from the elevator woke her up. 

She walked out into the parking lot, and found Opal. She was grateful that the parking lot was under ground, so Opal could stay protected from bird poop and rain. She couldn't stand having a dirty car. 

She popped the trunk, and dug around the boxes for the ear plugs. Once she found the container, she closed her trunk and set her car alarm. 

She started walking the same way she came, and began hearing a woman's giggles and moans echo through the structure. 

She stopped walking towards the elevator, once she saw a woman hoisted up against the elevator, straddling the man she was kissing. They weren't there before, she would've heard them.

How was Sapphire supposed to get to the elevator, when they were right in front of it? 

She had never been put in this situation before. No one probably had been. 

She just stood there with wide eyes, trying to figure out what to do. There was another elevator, but it led to the other half of the apartments, so it wasn't like there was another way for her to go.

She did what Maribell would've done, and took a deep breath, and started walking to the couple. She kept her head down, and tried to act like she didn't know that two people were swallowing each other right in front of her. 

She got close enough for the two to hear her gasp and say, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you guys there. Sorry to interrupt, I just need to get to the elevator."