What It Seems | Wattys 2023

Chapter 17

"How in the world do you afford this place?" I stared at the height of the humongous building. I opened the car door and jumped. I landed with a quick, harmless landing, and walked towards Baylor who was waiting for me on the sidewalk.

"It's my parents'," he answered. I followed him into the building, smiling at people who walked past me.

I entered the building right after Baylor and the aroma was refreshing. There was a gym straight ahead and a pool along with a hot tub to the right of the check-in desk. The lady at the desk simply smiled and welcomed me to Oakville Condos.

"I live on the fifth floor. I hope you're not afraid of heights," Baylor grinned, pushing in 5 on the elevator. I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall of the elevator, feeling my body move along with it. The people that accompanied us in the elevator were apparently on the fifth floor as well. They smiled.

Once the lift came to an abrupt stop, we unloaded, and I followed Baylor down the long hallway. Once Baylor began slowing down, I figured we were about to approach his condo.

There was no possible thought of how many girls he's brought here. Rather it'd be at midnight or after school, or the gym. How many girls have slept in his bed . . . It just practically blows my mind. Since he's moved here, I've seen at least three females he's been around. I kind of felt like an idiot for even coming here, but I kept the thought in the back of my mind that we are just friends.

The condo was humongous. Everything was nicely decorated. The furniture was in perfect place. The white couches matched along with matching lounge chairs (that weren't recliners). The pillows were in an organized design. It looked like a maid had recently been here. To my surprise, the condo was two-story. The second floor was almost like an upper balcony, overlooking the whole first floor, the steps were stainless steel, and the glass railing outlined the steps. The place was gorgeous.

I lost count when I tried pointing out all the doors.

"So, this is my crib." Baylor plumped down on the sofa. I slid off my shoes at the door, and once I stepped aside, there was the kitchen, which everything was almost tiled. I walked across the hardwood floor and onto the soft rug that lay beneath the furniture. It also coordinated with the sofas and lounging chairs. I sat on the opposite side of him, being careful not to do anything to mess up the sofa.

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?" I asked. From what I remember, Baylor didn't have any siblings around.

"Nope, I'm the only one."

"This place is huge. I couldn't stay here by myself," I stated. I couldn't stand the chance of being left alone for a while, let alone live by myself. Being only seventeen years old, I could take care of myself. I'll be eighteen in two months, so I could perfectly be fine on my own: I prefer not to, though.

"Someone who could stay, maybe a good friend or a family member, like my cousin, would be cool to have someone to share this condo with. But, really, I'm fine. It's peaceful here. There's rarely anyone living in the condos, and if there is someone staying, they visit for maybe a week. And the people who do live in this building either live on the first or second floors. I rarely see anyone around except in the gym or by the pool. Sometimes even the elevator."

No wonder, this condo building labels are expensive. It's for high-paying jobs that people rarely have in Shady Grove. Maybe one would see a doctor live here. Not that I know for sure, but on the rich side of Shady Grove, it is very expensive to afford.

"I bet you've never seen a condo that's two-story," Baylor guessed. No, I haven't.

"I haven't been on vacation in forever, and the last time I've been, we stayed in a hotel, so no, I've never seen a two-story condo before."