When Summer Arrives (On Hold)

The Neighbor

 I had walked pass several moving trucks in order to get to my apartment door.  The hired men quickly, but carefully, hulled in box after box into the apartment adjacent to mine.  I fumbled around my bag, searching for my key hoping to unlock the door.  At that moment a mop of curly blonde hair appeared next to me, the boy’s face seamed to glow with utter cheerfulness.

“Hello there!” The teenage boy said as he raised his hand in a wave.

I stared.

He seemed only slightly hindered.  “Umm, well I just moved in, umm” he stuttered as his arm came to point at the open door.  “Over there in apartment 111b.”

Slowly I said, “Good for you.”

“Well I was just going to, uh, meet the neighbors and all,” The boy paused again, his confidence slowly fading, “so, uh, what’s your name?”

I finally gave up on finding my key, for now at least, and faced the good looking teen. “I’m sorry, but I don’t give my name out to random strangers.”

“But you see,” He adjusted his stance, leaning downwards, so we were face-to-face.  “I’m not a stranger, I am your neighbor!”  I could feel that he thought he had just accomplished something spectacular, I didn’t see where his enthusiasm came from.

“Oh I’m sorry, let me rephrase that,”   I went up onto my tiptoes for that added effect.  “I don’t give my name out to random neighbors.” Turning towards my door I continued my key search.

 He was shocked “Oh wait wait wait, ok so, i-if you tell me your name I’ll tell you mine.  Then we won’t be random neighbors anymore, right?”  His smile and confidence returned to their former glory.

I had found my keys. “So does this work the other way around as well?”

He looked very confused.  “What?”

“If I,” Pointing to myself. “don’t tell you,” Pointing to him. “my name,” me again.  “you,” him again.  “won’t tell me,” again I pointed to myself. “your name.” I finished pointing at him.

After a moment of what seemed like self-thought he perked up and said, “Exactly.”  He even added a nod.

“That’s great then.” I unlocked my door and started to enter my apartment.  I had just accomplished something fantastic.

He looked befuddled, “Oh but wait!” He jolted forward stopping my door.  “If I tell you my name you have to tell me yours.”

“I’m sorry Stranger, but we made a deal.” I gave him a small smile and he responded similarly with a crooked half smile. 

He opened the door allowing me inside, “I will find out your name Miss,” He trailed off.  “Apartment 112b.”

I walked into my apartment and closed the door behind me, shutting myself off from the rest of the world.  After making a light supper I started on some homework, although I quickly aborted the idea.  My mind kept on wondering to the teen across the hall, I hoped he wasn’t bothersome.

I changed into dark fuzzy pajama pants and a thin t-shirt with a logo on the back, although I didn’t know where the logo was from.  It took me awhile to get asleep or even close to being tired.  In the end it was past five am when I finally lost track of time and dropped into the darkness; this darkness that is the nightmares I have every night, every nap, and every moment of closed eyes.  I closed my eyes and surrendered to the darkness, it washed over me like a river over rocks.

As per usual I gazed into nothingness where I sat on the petite swing. Stepping down I reached to find something, anything really, and then the wall appeared.  Then I heard my alarm clock, it was eight a.m. and time for school.  Well actually school was starting and I was, once again, late.  I started my morning routine with just as much speed and enthusiasm as any other day of the week; which was none. 

I passed Sal we had the same conversation, with the addition of the new neighbor.  Who fortunately enough I hadn’t seen yet this morning.  I really did wish that he was quiet and not to bothersome, however, from his little non-introduction it didn’t seem to be happening.  The boy seemed to be my age or older, his blonde untamed curly hair was an exact opposite of the black deadbeat straight hair upon my head.

Gratefully I was able to sneak into the school while in-between classes as the hallways were flooded with awkward adolescences, the thought to be cool dudes, and the occasional teacher.  Being able to get to third period English class without getting pulled aside by the principal brought me high spirits.  In the classroom I found an empty chair by the window which overlooked a near empty field, half of it was used as a garden for the gardening club the other half was used for various extracurricular activities such as the ‘end of the year’ festival.

I propped my head on my arm facing the window.  More and more people were talking about the transfer student who was coming into class today.  Everybody, aside from me, seemed to be ecstatic about his arrival; it took the teacher a moment or two to calm the class down just so she could make the class announcements.  Again my mind went to the field outside the window and anything my teacher was saying had gone out the window.  I was still extremely tired and wouldn’t be surprised if I just fell asleep and never waked up again.

That is I was tired until I heard the voice of a certain ‘random neighbor’ speak in front of my class.

Yay! Finally THEY SPEAK! It's not much speaking, but they have now met each other and it's about to get very interesting.  Or, you know, at least I hope so.  This is so much fun to write.  So as per usual a comment would be helpful, a vote would be cool, but the best thing is that y'all enjoy this story. Peace out.