Boy Across The Hall

Chapter 2

❝At first, I did not believe in love at first sight. That was until a special person came along and stole my heart.❞

ㄧ Anonymous

            My dad pulled over across the street since there was no space on the driveway. I could hear the loud music playing as soon as I opened the car door. I waved goodbye as my dad drove away. It was exactly 10:30 p.m. A part of me wanted to run away and hide. I was never a social person. I was very introverted, but if I was comfortable enough, people would call me crazy. I walked up the driveway and stood at the door waiting for Cleo and Thomas to come. A couple of minutes later, his car drove up and dropped Cleo off. That was weird...

            "He's too tired... Gave me permission to do whatever I want," she said while running up to me. She wore a long black dress that showed off too much cleavage, and heels that looked like they could've been worn by a stripper. Classic Cleo. We stepped inside. The loud blast of music instantly gave me a high. I took a deep breath that smelled like sweat and cigarette smoke. Cleo took my hand and pulled me to the snack stand. There were many bags of chips and beer kegs with stacks of red cups on top. Cleo quickly poured two half-way filled cups. One for herself and one for me.

           "You don't have to drink it. Just hold it so you look like you know what you are doing," she screamed over the loud music, as she handed me the drink. I despised the taste of beer, so I was definitely not getting drunk tonight.

           "OOH! HOT BOYS!" She ran over to the dance floor and started flirting with everyone there. I wondered why she would do that since she had a boyfriend. I decided to not think about it too much, maybe she was just doing that because she could. Out of nowhere, the music stopped abruptly, and everyone stopped moving. I looked over at the DJ. I couldn't believe my eyes. Usually, I had no interest in guys. But this one...this particular one had caught my eye.

           I stopped daydreaming and remembered that I had a DJ set back at home that I used a couple of times, so I should be able to help somehow. I ran up to him, asking him if he needed some sort of assistance.

           "Uhhhhh, sure! Why not?" he said with a big smile. I immediately got to work. We somehow managed to fix everything without saying a word. As I plugged in the last wire, I caught him staring at me.

          "What's your name?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

           "Elena... Elena Cullen. But you can call me Lena."

           "Okay, Lena. I'll see you around then," he said while putting his headset back on. I took the hint and left him alone. I noticed that there were now non-alcoholic beverages at the snack table, so I walked over and helped myself.

           I wanted to tell Cleo what had happened, but she was nowhere to be seen. Honestly, she was probably hooking up with some older dude in a bedroom upstairs, not giving two craps about her relationship with Thomas. A part of me wanted to go find her and keep her out of trouble, but I decided to keep my eye on the prize...Oh, wait! NOOO! I forgot to ask for his name!

           The rest of the night was pretty boring. Drunk boys and girls of all grades were dry-humping each other, and there were people making out in every corner... It wasn't my kind of scene. I checked my phone. It was fifteen-to-one in the morning. My dad hadn't called me yet, which was surprising, but he probably just fell asleep doing work. The strong scent of sweat and alcohol got progressively worse throughout the night, so I decided to cleanse my nostrils by getting some fresh air. I shuffled my way through the giant crowds of people, finally making it to the backyard door. I didn't see any signs that it was off-limits, so I opened the glass door and stepped out. The warm, but refreshing breeze hit me straight away. For the first time, I noticed how pretty this house actually was. It had dark-red brick walls, the greenest ivy that I have ever seen growing up the sides, and giant glass windows that were cleaned to a sparkling perfection everywhere. There was a big pool with colored lights shining from the sides, and I could hear the small waterfall pouring down a stone wall behind it. I took off my beautiful, but painful heels, and sat on the wooden deck, dipping my legs into the water. I was so mesmerized by the backyard, I didn't even notice that the music back in the house had stopped playing.

           "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I heard a voice behind me. I quickly turned around and saw the DJ I helped earlier.

           "My name's Matt, Matt Palmer, but you can call me Matty," he said, mocking me while taking off his shoes and sitting next to me. I couldn't help but smile. Not only was he absolutely gorgeous, but he was also quick-witted and had a sense of humor. This was freaking awesome.

           "So, Matty, how come I've never seen you around before?" I asked, hoping to hear that he lives somewhere close-by.

           "I actually just moved into this area. My dad dropped me off here and drove the van to our new apartment. He said that I would be a distraction. I got invited here by my friend who goes to your school, I believe. I'm actually transferring to Beverley Acres S.S. for the rest of high school. I'm starting grade twelve next school year. What about you, what grade are you going to?"

           "I'm also going to grade twelve actually. Where's your new apartment?"

           "It's at fifty-six Orchard Heights Avenue, twenty-fifth floor, apartment number 2523. Please don't stalk m," he said proudly laughing a little at his own joke. He. Was. So. Adorable. Now that he was in a place with better light, I could see his features more clearly. He had big blue eyes with long, but masculine eyelashes (don't know how that's even possible). He had bushy but tamed eyebrows, and a dimple on his right cheek. And-Oh my God, his jawline looked like it would slice right through my finger if I touched it.

           "Hmm, earth to Lena! Hello?" I quickly snapped out of my dream and apologized.

           "Sorry. I just think you're very cute." Jesus Christ! What the hell? How could I have said that? I just met the guy, and I'm already making a fool out of myself. For all it's worth though, I'll probably never see him again during the summer, and he will most likely forget me before school starts up again.

           "You're not so bad yourself," he replied smiling widely, making his dimples deeper, and showing me his white and perfectly aligned teeth. God. How can someone look so perfect? I couldn't help but smile back at him. Suddenly, I remembered.

           "Wait! Did you say you moved into apartment 2523 at fifty-six Orchard Heights Avenue?"

           "Yes, why?" he said with a concerned look.

           "I live right across the hall! I'm in apartment 2524!" I said a little too excitedly.

           "Well, well. At least I have one friendly neighbor." I knew what he meant. The twenty-fifth floor was famous for the many mean people that live on it.

           "Yes, well we're in this together then..." I said half-jokingly looking at him. His phone suddenly rang. It was 'Spirits' by the Strumbellas! My favorite song! I couldn't wait to see what else we had in common.

          "Sorry, I have to take this." He stood up and walked over to the waterfall.

           "Hello? ... I know dad. YES!... DAD, I KNOW!... OK, I'm COMING!" He was practically shouting at what I was pretty sure was his father. I wondered what happened.

           "I'm really sorry. I wish I could stay here longer, but my dad is already pissed. He told me to come back before 1:00 a.m. It's already ten-to-two." Wow, now I could see what people meant when they said time flies by when you talk to someone you like.

           "By any chance... do you need a ride? We basically live together anyway..." My dad was probably already sleeping, and I didn't wanna bother him, so I agreed.