Neighbors(.)

Chapter 2

Vincent looked around at the apartment that he'd soon be calling "home sweet home". The walls were a bland beige, the floor covered in white carpet. There was a modest kitchen, bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom, and not much else to the place, save for a tiny window by where his bed would be. It was a beautiful, sunny day outside. How he'd rather be enjoying it, rather than be cooped up moving furniture...

On his right side was a hallway, but on his left was another door. Another apartment, and a neighbor. The realtor who sold him this place had said his neighbors would be nice. Perhaps next door was a young woman, maybe around his age, who enjoyed herself and her body and wearing what she liked. Shy, or outspoken, wearing much makeup or none at all... it wasn't his place to judge. Or a young man... they tended to be aggressive, sure, but nonetheless Vincent wanted to welcome them. It was the least he could do, as a neighbor. Or maybe someone in between, who would undoubtedly share his views on the world to some extent.

He then turned to face the many boxes and piles of furniture wrapped in plastic that had yet to be moved about the apartment and groaned. He had skinny noodle arms, there was no way that he could move all of them on his own. But he wasn't going to let his first meeting with the neighbor(s) be begging them for help. He tried to pick up something from the top of a stack of boxes.

Bang!

Well, great. Simply perfect. There went his box of records... He picked up another box, willing to wager to try to do the job himself.

Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang!

Down came the whole stack, and a lamp for good measure. As Vincent climbed out from the avalanche, getting increasingly more and more frustrated, he heard a mysterious clicking noise down the hall. The neighbors must have heard all the banging... oh, no, no! He didn't want his neighbors to see him now, like this! But nobody ever came in.

Frustrated, and now with a chance to express this rage, he kicked one of the fallen boxes and cursed. Books. That box was full of hardback books.

Whatever! He gave up and stomped over to the neighboring door. Not caring that he was in his toast pajamas or that his hair was a mess, he looked at his neighbor as soon as he flung open the door and said "I need your help. Right now."