Sudden Neighbors (Part 2 ish)
Okay so at 2 in the morning I read a fun story. It was fantastic and it was a writing prompt. Because I’m a wuss and couldn’t do it on my own blog from fear of being judged I created an entire blog dedicated to responding to this story. I’m sorry. This is complicated. But long story short this is a personal part 2 to @bananashemmo ‘s Sudden Neighbors I don’t know how old or new this was but I read it at 2 AM so....Please forgive the few spelling or grammar mistakes it was 3:30 by the time I finished.
Your jaw hung slightly ajar at the sight of your shirtless former roommate standing in the doorway of the next door apartment. What were you supposed to say? ‘Oh hey there Calum. What a nice surprise?’ No, that’d be to awkward. Obviously that was something you were going to have to get used to. With a deep breath and all the courage you could muster you managed to give the most menacing glare a person covered in little pink bunny pajamas with matching slippers could give and whispered.
“Keep it down.” Your hushed tone was nothing to fear and obviously didn’t match the glare you were attempting. With one last look, you turned around and shuffled back to your apartment. You closed the door without so much as a glance behind you.
Safe behind your own walls, you let your weight be carried by the door. The smell of burnt food still filled the air near the kitchen door. It stung your nose to breathe in but what else could you do? The shock was far too great. After a few moments you managed to shuffle yourself back through the apartment towards the couch.
“Okay...Okay okay okay…” You repeated to yourself. Normally in times of extreme and quick panic you would have called on Calum to help you calm yourself. However seeing as Calum was the problem what were you supposed to do? Call your best friend? Calum was your best friend. Your best guy friend to say the least. All of your other friends in the city who would still be awake you either knew through Calum or were also friends with him. Call your mom? And say what? My roommate moved out and next door with his new girlfriend, Vanessa and conveniently forgot to tell me? That didn’t sound needy and codependent at all.
Why hadn’t Calum told you? Had Vanessa asked him not to? Did he just not want to be around you anymore? A million scenarios went through your head. You forced yourself to take a deep breath. And then another. As you focused yourself on your breathing a knock came to your door. First a soft one then louder, in a pattern.
“Y/N? I know you’re not asleep. You were just at my door, remember?” Calum’s husky voice came through. He still sounded out of breath.
“ I um... I’m a bit busy.” You shouted through the door.
“Doing what? It’s a Thursday. All you do on Thursdays is watch Grey’s Anatomy reruns, and eat take out if I’m not there to stop you.” He laughed.
“Grey’s anatomy is very important to me.” You shouted back.
“That’s fine but you don’t have to watch every episode fifty times.” Calum snorted. You stomped over to the door, your bunny slippers squeaking with each step. You flung the door open.
“I’ll have you know I’ve only watched each episode three times.” You defended yourself.
“Gotcha” Calum said smirking half heartedly. Your defensively angry face shifted to a mix of realization and anger. There he stood, all six foot four of him, now fully clothed.
“You sneaky little..” You said going to close the door. Calum moved his foot in between the door before it could close. Unprepared for his move the door slammed against his foot full force.
“Ouch!” Calum screamed in pain bringing his foot up to his hands.
“Oh my God!” You screamed,” Are you okay?”
“Yeah I think I’ll be okay.” He assured.
“Good. Then that’s what you get.” You yelled back.
“For what?” Calum asked, “Was I not allowed to move out?”
“For moving out under false pretenses.” You insisted.
“What exactly was false about it? I told you I was moving in with Vanessa.” Calum defended. Indeed he had, but he hadn’t said a word about moving next door. And the whole keeping you up for the past three nights thing wasn’t helping. You glanced at Calum’s leaning figure and opened the door a bit wider.
“Come in here, I’ll give you some ice and then you can go home.” You said avoiding the answer. Calum limped inside and sat on the nearest stool by the kitchen island.
“What did you burn?” He said a disgusted look on his face. You ignored the question getting an ice pack from the freezer.
“Here” You said turning back and handing it to him. He took the ice pack from your hand. He held the pack to his foot.
“Listen, Y/N I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Really I am, but things were getting awkward enough as it was.” Calum defended.
“Awkward?” You asked.
“Yeah well, it was pretty obvious you didn’t like Vanessa.” Calum stated.
“Didn’t like her? Calum I hardly know her! The only time I ever saw her was when you were shuffling her in and out of your room...your old room.” You defended yourself. What was there to like anyway? The only thing you knew about her was that she was a friend of Michael’s and they met through him. The day you met her you were sick and after that it was just brief passings.
“Would you like to know her?” Calum asked. It took you by surprise that he’d ask. Did you want to really get to know Vanessa.
“I honestly don’t know.” You whispered,” I guess I’ll get to know her either way right.” You said grabbing a paper towel and wiping your nose.
“Y/N” Calum’s guilt ridden drawl whispered.
“You should be going home.” You said quickly. Calum sat up straight and set the ice pack on the counter. You made a mental note to disinfect both the counter and the ice pack. Perhaps you weren’t the most well adjusted adult in society but either way feet creeped you out.
“Right..” He whispered standing back on both feet, “I’ll see you around.” he hobbled over to the slightly ajar door.
“Uh huh” You murmured following not far behind.
“We’ll uh, try to keep the noise down.” he said turning around as he exited the apartment
.“Just move the bed.” You deadpanned closing the door. You locked the door behind him and made your way towards your bedroom. Turning the lights off behind you, you couldn’t help but peek into Calum’s now personality lacking bedroom. He’d left the bed and most of his furniture saying he didn’t need it anymore. Actually most of what he’d taken included his clothing, toiletries and a few other things. A single picture frame was left on his dresser. A picture of Ashton, Luke, Michael and Calum that you’d taken and given to each of them on their respective birthdays. Each individualized with personal picture frames. You couldn’t believe he hadn’t taken it with him. You entered the room slowly and picked up the frame. If he didn’t want it, you would take it back. You brought the small frame back to your room and placed it on your vanity mirror.
You picked up the box of cigarettes you kept near your bed and for the first time since Calum moved out, you stepped out onto the balcony for a smoke.