Hey, Neighbor ! (IB READER INSERT)

FANCY SEEING YOU HERE

        Some might like to describe you as homeless, but you don't agree with that label.

       You perfectly like where you're living. It's pretty hardcore.

        You might look silly washing your face with the water from the street puddles, but at least after getting made fun of, and stared at all day, you can come home to the comfort of your cozy cardboard box. Nobody understands you. You wouldn't expect those SIMPLETONS, with their MONEY to understand your lifestyle. It's really none of their business, anyway. 

        Besides living under a bridge, and hiding from the feds, your life is actually pretty normal.

        You even have a roommate, and a few neighbors, too. You're all buddies.

         Your roommate's name is Mary. She's an orphan. Isn't that funny? You found her sitting outside a McDonald's, apparently having been kicked out after kneeling under some family's table, sniffing the floor for scraps, and biting their ankles when she didn't find any. She has rabies! You love her dearly; she's like a daughter to you.

        Your neighbors are some pretty QUIRKY characters as well. The cardboard box to the left of you is occupied by a chap named Guertena. He's a pretty weird guy, you gotta say. He's always rambling about the gods and the corrupt government, and has a crack addiction. Pretty handsome though, and very creative. Sometimes you see him making little sculptures out of twigs and mud, and other times you can find him scrawling images of little blue people on the inner walls of the bridge using his nose blood.

        "Haha, are those the blue people from like, Avatar," you remember asking him a few weeks ago. You still feel the fingernail marks in your neck from where he tried to choke you. Mary had to pry him off of you. You try to keep her away from that guy.

        You don't know very much about your other neighbor. All you know about her is that she is a con artist, and has brown hair. She has never spoken to any of you before, but you hear the occasional concerning grunting and snarling sounds coming from her box late at night. What a wild card!! 

        You crawl out of your makeshift box door, and look around. It seems like nobody but you and Mary are home at the moment. She's outside of the box, scribbling on the concrete with a piece of white chalk you stole from some kid playing in their front yard. You nearly shed a tear, watching as she patiently drew an image of you and herself.

        "Good job, Marry! You're so talented," you say, giving your gremlin daughter a thumbs up.

        She turns back to look at you, and as she grins, a bit of rabies foam forms at her mouth.

        Awwww.

        You're interrupted while you're admiring your precious sunshine, Geurtena making his way under the bridge to greet you. You begin to wave, but pause, noticing someone behind him. Two people, actually. You feel a bit anxious. 

       "Hey, guys. I have someone to introduce you to," Guertena says, speaking in his usual low voice, and impulsively scratching his arms. "My cousin got fucking evicted, haha. Him and his little daughter got nowhere to go. They're gonna stick with us for a while," he spoke calmly, but his eye was twitching.

        Two people stepped out from behind him, one tall, and one tiny.

        "Purple hair is Garry, and the little one is Eve. He tells me it's 'Ib' but I call her Eve because I WASN'T BORN YESTERDAY. 'Ib,' he says. Whatever. Fuck you."

        Guertena sniffles, and scratches his neck beard. Everyone blinks at the same time. 

        "Have fun. I'm gonna go get my fix."

        He leaves after that, everyone siting in silence and staring at each other.

        You clear your throat, deciding to be the alpha, putting on your big boy pants and standing up to properly introduce yourself to your new neighbors. 

        "My name is (IMAGINE THAT YOUR NAME IS HERE. KEEP DREAMING). It's nice to meet the two of you."

         Garry is the first one to shake your hand, giving you a polite smile. His hand is warm, and his fingers are slender. You feel your heart skip a beat.

         Ib shakes your hand, too, reluctantly. 

        "You smell bad," she comments, quickly pulling her hand away and wiping it on her skirt. 

         "Ib," Garry scolds her, sweating. "That's rude."

        You laugh it off at first, but then the sassy toddler speaks up again.

          "But, dad, she's the one who broke into our house. 'Member?" She tugs on his raggedy jacket sleeve. "Easy Cheese..." Ib grieves.

        You gulp loudly, scratching your cheek. The tall man stares at you, his eyes then moving to the upper right in remembrance. After a moment he perks up, the light bulb flickering on as he points accusingly at you.

        "OH !! IT'S YOU !!! Easy Cheese Thief !!!!!"

        Your face turns red as you recall the time you broke into someone's house just to take their Easy Cheese. You were desperate, and you still are. You feel awful for letting this HOT ANIME BOY see that depraved side of you...

        Just when you forgot she was there, you hear Ib make a sound of distress, and look down to see Mary latched onto her ankle.

        The air is tense.

T>>>> TO BE CONTINUED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!