Neighbor From Hell [on hiatus]

Chapter 1: The Encounter

"For the hundredth time, I'll be okay," I said through the phone.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," I could tell mom was trying her hardest not to cry, "I'm just worried that's all! You're living in a new city that is so far away from home, what do you expect me to do?!"

"Um, celebrate? Isn't that what parents do when they're kids finally move out?"

"Amelia Rose, don't you dare try to be funny right now!" She said, using my full name and making me cringe. 

Would you just lighten up, mom?

"Everything will be fine. I'm not twelve anymore, you know?" I sighed.

"Yes, yes I know, but you'll always be my little girl. I swear it feels like just yesterday you were a baby," Yup, she was crying, "God...and now you're all grown up and living so many miles away!"

"Mom, please don't cry. I promise everything will be fine. I'll call you and text you often to let you know how things are going," I replied, hoping she'd feel at ease.

"I better get a call from you everyday, and text me every chance you get. I mean it Amelia."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, okay."

"Don't okay okay me missy, I mean it!"

"Mom, give me a chance to just take everything in for a moment will you?"

I heard her exhale, "You're right, yes I'm sorry. T-this is all just new to me, I'm still overwhelmed."

"Don't worry, I understand," I said as I walked into the kitchen and grabbed my oven mitten, "Look, I've got to take something out of the oven now, let me call you later?"

"Okay darling, I love you and stay safe. You still have the pepper spray I gave you, right?" 

"Yes, I have it," I laughed, "And I love you too mom. Talk to ya soon."

"You better," she responded before hanging up. 

I know she's worried and is upset over me leaving, but it was bound to happen. I can't live in a small town forever. I want to explore the world, live in a busy city. Get a fresh start and hopefully a new career that would lead me somewhere. 

But I don't know how that's going to happen if my mom calls and texts me every minute. I haven't been living here for more than two days and I've already gotten over two hundred texts from her. Don't even get me started on the number of phone calls...

Honestly, I wish she would already get used to the fact that I moved away. It would make me feel really guilty if she kept this up. I have a life to live you know? 

And I haven't even met the neighbors yet! The only people I've spoken to since moving here was the barista at the coffee shop I went to this morning and the three movers who helped me take all my boxes up to my new apartment.

So, in order to fix that I figured I'd bake some cookies and go around to the three neighbors I had on this floor and introduce myself. 

I took the two mouthwatering trays of cookies out from the oven and set them on the adjacent counter to cool down before dividing them up in three separate plates, one for each neighbor. 

I grabbed one plate off the counter, ready to go. I walked over to the full length mirror beside the front door first and studied myself.

My hair was in a messy top bun and my eyes were behind large black frames. The oversized green sweater that I rolled the sleeves up on looked decent with the black skirt beneath it.

Whatever, you look presentable.

I shut the door behind me quietly and walked across the hall to the door of the first neighbor. 

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I don't know why I was getting nervous all of a sudden. 

Grow some balls Amelia, you got this.

Right. Yes. I got this. 

I knocked three times before stepping back and smoothing over the fabric of my skirt.

I shifted uncomfortably as I waited for the door to open. About five minutes had gone by, and yet there was no response. 

Maybe they aren't home?

As I lifted my hand up to the door once more to knock, it aggressively opened. 

My hand and jaw dropped as I found myself in awe at the sight before me.

A half-naked man stood there casually. His tall frame leaned to side as his hand supported his weight by holding on to the door. I didn't even know where to look first because he was too damn good looking, literally every feature of his was breathtaking. His curly chocolate brown hair was disheveled but still managed to sit beautifully on his head. His bare chest and abs were chiseled to perfection. Those tattoos of his were interesting and decorated his body flawlessly. And that v-line, good lord that tempting v-line...

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Oh my god, and that voice! So raspy and sexy! I could listen to him talk for hours on end and I would never get tired of it.

"Hello?" He said flatly, waving a hand lazily in front of my face. 

I tore my eyes away from his lips and looked up into his dreamy emerald eyes. 

"H-hi," I stuttered, snapping out of it as I pushed my glasses farther up the bridge of my nose.

"Aren't you too old to be a Girl Scout?" 

"W-what?" I knitted my eyebrows together and looked at him like he was nuts. Where did he get that assumption from?

"You ring my doorbell dressed up like one and have a handful of cookies with you. What the hell do you expect me to think?"

How in the world did I look like a Girl Scout?

"I'm not a Girl Scout" I clarified, "I'm your new neighbor." 

"New neighbor?" He raised an eyebrow and I smiled.

"Yeah, I live across the hall from you," I directed his gaze to the door behind me. 

"Okay, and you're here because?"

Wow, okay.

"I wanted to formally introduce myself. I'm Amelia," I held out my hand for him to shake.

Instead of shaking it he folded his arms across his chest and looked at my hand like it was covered in filth. 

Okay, this is not turning out good. 

I quickly pulled my hand back and nervously tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear, "um, I made you some cookies..."

"I can see that. What, did you poison them or something?"

What the hell is his problem?

"Look the least you can do is be nice to me! I didn't even do anything to upset you! I just came by to say hello and introduce myself! But, little did I know that you are a fucking jerk!" 

He smirked and took a cookie from the plate. He lifted it up to this mouth and took a big bite of it, all the while acting like what I said didn't phase him. 

"You better get used to it," he shrugged before slamming the door shut in my face.

Unbelievable.