chair at my table and held my head in my hands.
“Please?” A soft voice came from the other side of the wall. My head snapped up and I pressed my ear to the wall. I remembered that the walls were thin enough to hear through them. I had a loud neighbor a few weeks ago .
“Teenagers,” I muttered to myself, but kept my face pressed up to the wall.
“No,” another deeper, yet teasing voice answered.
“Just the chorus?” the girl, I now recognized as Claire, pleaded. The boy, her brother I was guessing, laughed.
“Fine,” he surrendured and I heard Claire muffle a yelp. It was silent for a moment, but it was long enough for me to hear the beat of a rap song.
“And when I’m gone, just carry on. Don’t mourn; rejoice, everytime you hear the sound of my voice. Just know that everytime I’m looking down on you, smilin ’ and I didn’t feel a thing.”
“So, baby, don’t feel my pain. Just smile back,” I found myself singing along. Smiling, I stood up and stretched my arms behind my head. I grabbed my wallet and shoved it in my pocket as I walked out of the door.
Once out of my apartment, the beat got louder and more pronounced. I bounced in step to the rythym as I made my way to the next apartment over. I knocked on the door, my knuckles pounding against the wood to be heard.
“Alex! Turn that down,” Claire yelled from inside. Instantly the sound disappeared and the silence was almost deafening. The door opened in front of me and Claire’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, they hardened and I could see fire burning dimly in the dark grey.
“Hey,” I said and smiled easily.
“What do you want?” she snapped and placed a hand on her hip. Her brother, Alex, walked up behind her and leaned against the wall. He studied me for a few seconds; checking out my torn jeans, faded tee , and vans. Finally, his eyes met mine and he nodded.
“I wanted to see if you two would go to dinner with me tonight,” I invited.
“No,” she answered immediately. Behind her, Alex frowned and cast his stare down to his feet. Suddenly, he looked back up.
“We would love to,” he stated and took a few steps closer. Claire turned towards him, a look of anger on her face.
“But,” she stuttered. Alex shot her a look and she backed down.
“Where to?” he asked me. I laughed, a hint of a smirk on my lips.
“Surprise,” I said and gestured for them to go first. With forced anger, Claire grabbed her purse and pushed by me. Alex shrugged and closed the door behind him.
It was quiet as we took the elevator down to the first floor. Claire stood in the corner, not waning to speak to either of us and Alex tried to comfort her even though she didn’t want it. I stood awkwardly to the side, not wanting to interfere.
Once we reached the lobby, I led them outside noticing Joy in her little office.
“Good luck,” she mouthed and pointed at Claire. I rolled my eyes, but smiled.
“Thanks,” I said and opened the door. “Bye Joy.”
“Bye Mikey !” she shouted as the door closed behind us. I whistled for a cab, while Claire and Alex waited behind me. A young woman passed by in front of me, her eyes shining as she looked me up and down. I nodded at her and she smiled. A cab pulled up and I opened the door. The woman walked away quickly after stuffing a paper in my back pocket.
“I saw that,” Claire muttered as she eased into the cab. I threw on an innocent look as I slid in behind her.
“What in the world are you talking about?” I grinned and settled into the sticky seat. I told the driver the directions and he set off.
“That girl who stuck her number in your pocket,” she fumed nad crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t know who you are talking about.” I replied defensively. Alex reached out and I felt his fingers close around the piece of paper and pulled it from my pocket. “Wait.”
“Her name is Rachael Adams,” he announced after unfolding the paper. Claire watched me with a curious
“Please?” A soft voice came from the other side of the wall. My head snapped up and I pressed my ear to the wall. I remembered that the walls were thin enough to hear through them. I had a loud neighbor a few weeks ago .
“Teenagers,” I muttered to myself, but kept my face pressed up to the wall.
“No,” another deeper, yet teasing voice answered.
“Just the chorus?” the girl, I now recognized as Claire, pleaded. The boy, her brother I was guessing, laughed.
“Fine,” he surrendured and I heard Claire muffle a yelp. It was silent for a moment, but it was long enough for me to hear the beat of a rap song.
“And when I’m gone, just carry on. Don’t mourn; rejoice, everytime you hear the sound of my voice. Just know that everytime I’m looking down on you, smilin ’ and I didn’t feel a thing.”
“So, baby, don’t feel my pain. Just smile back,” I found myself singing along. Smiling, I stood up and stretched my arms behind my head. I grabbed my wallet and shoved it in my pocket as I walked out of the door.
Once out of my apartment, the beat got louder and more pronounced. I bounced in step to the rythym as I made my way to the next apartment over. I knocked on the door, my knuckles pounding against the wood to be heard.
“Alex! Turn that down,” Claire yelled from inside. Instantly the sound disappeared and the silence was almost deafening. The door opened in front of me and Claire’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, they hardened and I could see fire burning dimly in the dark grey.
“Hey,” I said and smiled easily.
“What do you want?” she snapped and placed a hand on her hip. Her brother, Alex, walked up behind her and leaned against the wall. He studied me for a few seconds; checking out my torn jeans, faded tee , and vans. Finally, his eyes met mine and he nodded.
“I wanted to see if you two would go to dinner with me tonight,” I invited.
“No,” she answered immediately. Behind her, Alex frowned and cast his stare down to his feet. Suddenly, he looked back up.
“We would love to,” he stated and took a few steps closer. Claire turned towards him, a look of anger on her face.
“But,” she stuttered. Alex shot her a look and she backed down.
“Where to?” he asked me. I laughed, a hint of a smirk on my lips.
“Surprise,” I said and gestured for them to go first. With forced anger, Claire grabbed her purse and pushed by me. Alex shrugged and closed the door behind him.
It was quiet as we took the elevator down to the first floor. Claire stood in the corner, not waning to speak to either of us and Alex tried to comfort her even though she didn’t want it. I stood awkwardly to the side, not wanting to interfere.
Once we reached the lobby, I led them outside noticing Joy in her little office.
“Good luck,” she mouthed and pointed at Claire. I rolled my eyes, but smiled.
“Thanks,” I said and opened the door. “Bye Joy.”
“Bye Mikey !” she shouted as the door closed behind us. I whistled for a cab, while Claire and Alex waited behind me. A young woman passed by in front of me, her eyes shining as she looked me up and down. I nodded at her and she smiled. A cab pulled up and I opened the door. The woman walked away quickly after stuffing a paper in my back pocket.
“I saw that,” Claire muttered as she eased into the cab. I threw on an innocent look as I slid in behind her.
“What in the world are you talking about?” I grinned and settled into the sticky seat. I told the driver the directions and he set off.
“That girl who stuck her number in your pocket,” she fumed nad crossed her arms over her chest.
“I don’t know who you are talking about.” I replied defensively. Alex reached out and I felt his fingers close around the piece of paper and pulled it from my pocket. “Wait.”
“Her name is Rachael Adams,” he announced after unfolding the paper. Claire watched me with a curious
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