Dirdum Heights •TomTord•

•2•

Tom came home to see the elevator was out of order again, just his luck as usual since he lived on the fourteenth floor. He took a deep sigh before he began the trek up the stairs, he groaned and took step by step, making his way to his apartment. He groans as he has to stop every now and then by some movers, carrying boxes up to an apartment above him.

Of all days for a family to move in and they pick today? He rolls his eyes at the thought. Another family living next to his, he couldn't stand the last ones and he couldn't help but feel as though these new ones would be even worse. After making his way to the fourteenth floor he stood at the stairs and huffed, doubling over in exhaustion.

'You're only four doors from your room, just keep going.' He told himself as he stood again, his tired legs kept going as he shuffled to the door. He was going to take the fire escape tomorrow, there were less stairs. "Hey! Watch what you're doing with those!" A gruff voice barked from the doorway making Tom look up in confusion.

He raises an eyebrow at the door, seeing it was shut, meaning it wasn't his door the voice came from. He looks to his right, assuming that was where the voice came from, his eyes were met with man who stood in a red turtleneck sweater. His arms were crossed and a previously stubbed out cigarette stuck out of his lips. He was rather short, definitely shorter than Tom by a few inches, and he looked pretty grumpy. Probably tired from the move. He quickly looks away before the man notices he was staring and producing a key from his back pocket, quickly inserting it into the knob and shoving his way into the apartment.

A loud thump echoes through his apartment as he dropped his bag by the door. "Tom?" A soft feminine voice called from the kitchen. "No it's a burglar." He answers sarcastically before walking in to see his cousin Tamara leaning against the counter with a doughnut in hand. "Whatever smartass." She laughed and rolled her eyes jokingly. "I thought you were supposed to stay after today?"

"That's only on Monday's and Wednesday's." He says and reaches into the fridge, rummaging for something to drink. "Where's mom?" He asks and pulls out a can of cola, quickly popping the tab and reaching into a cabinet for a glass. "Working, she got an extended shift." Tamara says and watches Tom fill his glass with ice. "It was warm today huh?" She asks, attempting to make small talk. "Too warm. Spring is going to be early this year." He said and sipped his iced drink.

"Extremely." She agreed and finished her donut. "Did you see the family next door?"

"Yeah Tam, we've always had a family next door."

"Not those ones jackass, I meant the new ones." She says as she tosses the trash from her snack away. "Oh yeah, them, I saw the dad."

"Which one?" Tamara asks making Tom look at her with a shocked expression. "There are two?" He asks earning a nod in reply. "Yeah, tall guy and short guy." Tom makes a face in confusion, two guys moving in beside them, they'll be gone within a month. Mrs.Pendit wasn't to fond of gay people.

"There's a kid too, he's in his eleventh year, I think. He's an odd one, not too good at English."

"So?" He asks and raises an eyebrow, wanting to know more. "It's just a little strange, his parents speak perfect English and yet he doesn't."

"Maybe he was adopted late."

"Maybe." Tom shrugs at his cousin before grabbing a can of cola and walking toward the door that lead out of the kitchen. "I'm going to my room, don't bother me." He says and Tamara nods. "M'kay." She says and starts digging through the cabinets to find something else to eat.

Tom rolled his eyes fondly before walking into his room and shutting the door. He looks over at the window and raises an eyebrow seeing it was open, 'Tamara was probably locked out again' He thought before grabbing his guitar from its place on the floor. It leant against his dresser carelessly, staring up at him as if to ask when was he going to play again, as if he didn't just play it yesterday.

He grabbed it by the neck and walked over to the window, sliding a leg through and letting it land on the fire escape before the rest of his body followed, he looks around at the nearly empty streets, nobody was out today, which was surprising given the nice weather. The teen sighed and let his feet dangle over the edge, swaying over the 14 story drop without care. He strums a few chords and hummed a tune, unsure of what to play, maybe he'll play something original?

He continued to strum, quickly switching cords to play the opening to something by the band Fuel, he close his eyes and sighed before letting the lyrics fall from his chapped lips. "Memories are just where you leave them. Try the waters, but the depths give up their death. What did you expect to find? Was it something you behind?"

He continued to sing, his ears straining as he thought someone began to sing with him. "Don't fall away, don't leave me to myself. Don't fall, away. And leave love bleeding in my hands, in my hands again~" Tom glanced around, wincing at the bright sun that shone in his eyes as the city began its descent into night. He slowed his strums and eventually stopped, wondering who sang with him, they had to be close, otherwise he wouldn't hear them. He looks down to see a guy standing under in the middle of a serious phone call, from the hair style and constant use of his cellphone he could tell it was the stout man that lived on the third floor, Garrison, he believed was the name. There was a high doubt that it wasn't him, that man didn't have a talented bone in his body.

Tom glanced around the fire escape and raised a curious brow as he saw the curtains billow from the window beside him. "Uhm... Hey? Did... you sing with me?" He asked the open window, making a disbelieving noise at how ridiculous he sounded. "Of course not." He mumbled to himself and ducked into the window of his room, quickly slamming it shut in embarrassment, he couldn't believe how ridiculous he probably looked, thinking someone was at the window listening in on him.

But what if someone was? The fear slowly crept up on him as he thought about how much he just embarrassed himself in the fire escape. He'd have to find a new place to play now, there was no way he could risk looking like a fool again.

As Tom stayed in his room and sulked over having to find a new place to play guitar Tord sat on the floor beside his bedroom window, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down from almost getting caught by the mysterious singer on the fire escape.