IncuBUST

Jessica

I left Octavia in the sixth floor utility room and journeyed down to the third floor. I wasn't very familiar with the third floor landlord. Heck, I wasn't too familiar with my own landlord. Whenever there was a problem in the apartment Sissy 'took care of it'...unless it was something I could fix myself then I would take care of it.

I gripped Octavia's keys tightly in my right hand and thumped down the stairs to the third floor. I took a deep breath when I reached the third floor landing and mentally prepared myself. I walked down the long hallway, glancing briefly at Octavia's former apartment and proceeded towards the one at the end of the hall. 

I knocked tentatively on the wooden door and waited. No one responded. Maybe no one was home. I held my breath and listened. If I focused I could hear things going on three floors away...and that was on a bad day. After feeding on Barapha I could hear things going on in buildings B  and C. It was disconcerting. I could hear people inside so I knocked again. 

"What do you want?!" an angry voice snapped as the door swung open. I suddenly came face to face with a tiny, angry teenage girl with short black hair streaked with hot pink and cut in a heavy fringe. Her eyeliner made her look like a demonic raccoon and she was wearing a plain white t-shirt studded with safety pins and displaying the words "You Make Me Sick!" in what looked like permanent marker. 

"Uh, is this where the landlord lives?" I inquired hesitantly taking a step back. Her dark brown eyes looked me up and down and then came to rest on my bare feet. I had neglected to put my slippers on. 

"Yeah, but she's not here right now," she said after a moment of silence. I fumbled awkwardly with the keys in my hand and mumbled, "Okay, I guess I'll come back later." I turned to leave and made it two steps before the girl said, "Wait!" I turned back around and saw her with her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pursed moodily. 

"What do you need?" she asked. I held up the keys and replied, "I was walking down the hall and I found these in front of 319 on the floor." She took the keys from me and said, "Alright. I'll tell my mom." I smiled at her and her pale face flushed. 

"Thanks," I said and she mumbled some flustered non-words. That was weird. People didn't usually react to me that way. I turned away from her and made to leave, but again she stopped me. 

"Wait, what's your name?" she asked as I looked back at her. She looked away from me and angstily muttered, "You know in case my mom asks or something." I smiled again and her eyes flicked to me for a second and she glanced away again. 

"I'm Chase. I live up on six."

"Then what are you doing down here?" she snapped suspiciously and my heart thudded in my chest poisoning me with sudden panic. 

"Uh, just passing through. What's your name?" I replied trying to take her attention off my lie. She was quiet for a moment and then she answered, "Jessica or Jesse if you like." 

"Well thanks for your help, Jesse," I said and she looked away from me brushing her bangs out of her face. 

"Yeah, whatever," she muttered her pale cheeks tinged red and she slammed the door in my face. I exhaled and hesitated for a moment before turning on my heel and running up the stairs back to the sixth floor. 

I found Octavia sitting on one of the rickety chairs inside the utility room playing on her phone. That was another thing. If Octavia wanted to keep using her phone I'd have to pay her bill or else put her on mine and Sissy's plan. 

"Do you know your landlady's daughter?" I asked checking the timer on the washer. There were fifteen minutes left. Octavia made a face and mockingly gestured, "Oh yeah, I know Jesse. Such a poseur. She goes to my school and thinks she's so punk rock but she's really a giant nerd. She's only fourteen but she's a sophomore. She likes to pretend she's a rebel slacker but you don't skip two grades if you're a slacker." 

"Okay then. Didn't mean to open that can of worms," I muttered and she rolled her eyes.