Chance Encounter

First Meet

Why are these lights so bright?

Oh, did we get hitched last night, dressed up like Elvis?

Why am I wearing your class ring—?

Hitting the button to turn off the radio, Sock rolled back to his bed shutting his eyes tight trying to hide from the light streaming from his window. It's too early to wake up. I could've sworn I went to sleep an hour ago.

Opening one of his eyes he glanced at the clock reading it to be 8 o'clock when he set his alarm. Laying in bed for another minute, the twenty-four year old pulled the cover to the side and got out of bed. Walking over to his bedroom door he looked behind him to his messy room. His clothes were scattered around in a systematic format only he knew. His mother kept nagging at him to clean up but he liked his disorganized order.

There were papers all over his oak computer table, some of his college assignments cluttering the workable area. Shrugging a shoulder, Sock rubbed his hand over his face feeling a bit of stubble rub his palm. I'll shave after breakfast, he reminded himself.

Walking down the small hallway to the bathroom Sock ran his fingers over his short crazy bed hair when he heard faint snoring coming from the living room. Blinking up from the dregs of sleep, Sock walked in that direction. Sure Sock had two cats living with him, but he's never heard them snore quite like that.

On his couch, was a man of no more than twenty-eight years old sleeping heavily with one arm over his eyes and another over his bare stomach.

"Uh..." Sock said looking from side to side. Everything looked like his apartment, so at least that wasn't the issue but he didn't understand who this guy was sleeping on his couch without a care in the world.

Stepping closer, Sock leaned in to see better. He had blond hair with a darker shade underneath. The mystery man also had a nice chest, not muscular, but definitely well define. His pink lips were parted as he exhaled letting out a soft snore.

Feeling nervous to disturb him, Sock backed up and made his way back to his bathroom letting the stranger sleep. Sock's heart pounded in his chest loudly, he took a big long gulp of air to calm himself. Standing in front of the mirror, Sock turned the handle of the sink and cupped his hand under the cold water, splashing his face. After a few rounds, he was fully awake and went onto his morning routine.

Coming out of the bathroom twenty minutes later drying his damp hair, Sock peeked to the living room to see if the stranger was still there. Noticing that he was still there in fact, Sock went back to his room to grab some clothes to change into. In a record of three minutes flat, Sock came back out of his room and entered seeing the stranger slowly waking up as he rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning," Sock offered standing near the entrance by the hallway.

Bright blue eyes under dark bruises glanced up at him. A look of surprise passed his face as he sat up, "Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sock countered as he watched his stranger look around the room trying to catalog it to his memory.

"Where am I?" he said his face looked more and more confused. Looking back at Sock the stranger asked, "Where's Lil?"

"Lil?" Sock echoed, the name ringing a bell, "My next door neighbor Lil?"

"Next door neighbor..." he repeated slowly. Looking back around the room he noticed Norris, Sock's brown furred cat, watching him walk across the floor to Sock as it rubbed his body across Sock's ankle before trotting down the hall. "Well, that certainly explain why I'm here."