Skeletons

Neighbors

Ian watched her for days after she moved in, building up the courage to welcome her to the apartment complex. His apartment was next door, so he would sit just inside his patio on an angle, his chair settled so he was hidden but she was not. He had a full view of her patio and just inside to the living area. She had the most beautiful auburn hair he had ever seen and he would stare at it while she watched her shows. He loved when it would get late and she would pillow her head on the arm of the chair and her hair would cascade over the side and barely brush the floor it was so long.

It was a Tuesday morning when he had finally mustered up enough courage to knock on her door. She answered it in a t-shirt, shorts and her hair tied back with an elastic band.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her skinny white legs had red marks on her knees.

"I'm, uh, I'm Ian...I, uh, I live there." He pointed at his door, and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. His dark hair fell into his face like a curtain. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Is that right?" She asked, leaning against the door jam. Ian nodded, not making eye contact with her. He wondered what color her eyes were. He hadn't been able to see that from his seat next door, and now that he was in front of her, he could barely lift his head to look at her face.

She waited a few more moments before she sighed. "I'm cleaning the floors right now, is there anything else you needed?"

"Oh, oh no, nothing. Just wanted to say hello," Ian rushed, his face heating with embarrassment. He glanced up once, noting her smile. "Thanks for stopping by."

She closed the door soon after and Ian stood in the hallway staring at her blue door, the dulling gold 407-C glaring at him below her peep hole. Her music turned on inside, and Ian shuffled back to his apartment locking himself in with images of her red knees. Her socks hadn't matched either, one blue and the other yellow with orange polka dots. He didn't like when things didn't match, but it seemed to match her, so he wasn't really mad.

Ian continued to watch Rachel. He learned her name later when he bumped into her coming in from grocery shopping. She had asked him to hold the door. He hurried to oblige and offered to take a bag off her hands as well.

"We're on the same floor, I'm going there anyway." He only glanced up at her face once, preferring to keep his focus on the floor.

"Thanks," she smiled at him. She preferred the stairs, she said stopping him before he hit the elevator button. "Saves energy and exerts mine." She prattled on as they walked up about the environment and plastic eating mushrooms. She struggled to open the door, until Ian took her key and fitted it into the lock himself.

"You're a lifesaver." She headed into her apartment and Ian hovered by the door, the yellow plastic bag in his hand.

"Come on in, you can put that on the counter." Ian hesitated a moment before stepping inside. Her apartment wasn't too festive, simple wood furniture and a blue oriental carpet that was hidden by the blue couch she sat on at night. There were little bird decorations scattered about the rooms. White birds perched on the top of the fridge. Their white feathers fluffed up around them. Little white birds graced the round kitchen table, sat on the bookshelf in pairs, and a pair of white wings were framed on the pale blue wall.

"Ian, right?" she asked from inside the fridge. Ian nodded before realizing she couldn't see him, "Yes."

"I'm Rachel." She turned and pulled yogurts out one of her reusable grocery bags and disappeared back into the fridge. "How long have you lived here?"