Pepper and The Passports [coming soon]

1. |lessons|

[to all trying to find some balance in their journey of life, one flight at a time.]

______

"Took out the trash last night?"

Pepper halted at Isa's voice with certain alertness. With caution, the brunette rested the various grocery bags that pooled down around her. They remained close to the door as she avidly searched for the apartment keys only to then turn her gaze back towards her neighbor merely feet away from her across the hall.

Isa Mitchell stood peacefully in front of her own ajar apartment door. The swift trip to take out the trash bag had gone smoothly, all while she hoped to catch up to her neighbor sometime soon. After hearing the subtle movements of packing the night before, Isa had concluded that Drake Adams had officially left. Truth be told, Isa had been meaning to run into Pepper eventually with the unrelenting desire to congratulate her on the long awaited milestone. And now that she was coming back from the first floor, running into Pepper Hughes merely minutes after she had arrived from grocery shopping seemed to be perfect timing.

Pepper stared blankly at her neighbor for a moment, carefully comprehending her question. "Uh, yeah. Last night I did..."

It took a moment for Isa to register the answer. And after a suppressed chuckle, her umber hair swayed with the amusing shake of her head. "Not the actual trash," she laughed. "The jerk. I might've heard some rustling last night."

Pepper should've known better than to assume Drake's absence would go unnoticed. Although everything seemed to be running smoothly the first couple of months after moving Drake into the apartment, the bliss would be short lived. Frankly, it seemed as if two complete strangers habituated the same apartment as opposed to an actual couple. The odd hours were especially grueling for Pepper at the beginning of her new job, but it was tolerable. Her desire to work on air had been conceived a long time ago and finally being able to put that dream into reality did nothing but elate her- the hours a mere inconvenience. Being a newbie, she would hold her spot in being on reserve for a substantial amount of years, meaning taking the shifts of lineholders unable to come in to work particular flights. Despite the system of seniority, she was too excited to mind it.

But apparently, Drake actually did mind it.

"Oh," Pepper breathed sheepishly, "Yeah, you heard right. He had 3 whole days to get his stuff and decides to leave it for the last minute." 

"Probably too busy with some other chick," Isa concluded with disdain.

If there was one specific person Pepper Hughes was exceedingly grateful for, it was surely Isa Mitchell. Not only a watchful and apathetic neighbor, but also a true friend who wanted the best for the young flight attendant. There was no refuting Isa's ever growing hatred for Drake Adams. And while Pepper might've not have noticed at first, it didn't take long until Isa informed her of the suspicious behavior going on across the hall during Pepper's absence.

It was by far the most grueling revelation Isa had been burdened with. She would never forget the night she had had enough with the constant noises at such late hours of the night, and out of spite, she was fully prepared to give Drake Adams a piece of her mind. She was internally seething as she leaned against her door firstly, nearly gasping at the appalling sight. Isa had looked through her door's peephole absentmindedly. And despite the rage over the constant noise, the reason for her anger soon changed once she saw Drake Adams himself, laughing and talking with another woman- not Pepper. They had no consideration for their overbearing voices in the narrow halls, much less actually caring about what time it was. And before she knew it, the pair had gone inside Pepper's own apartment without a care in the world.