The Apartment (Working Title)

Prologue

I would have sooner made the apartment, if I’d known one fine day I'd walk in and find him there.

Over the course of a few months, I'd realised I was probably a little insane for creating a haven for myself in my mind, but it had done wonders for my general mental health. Closing my eyes and retreating to a small alcove of infinite possibility and peace before drifting off to sleep every night was a sufficient way to help me forget about every possible flaw of the world around me, in comfortable solitude of course.

That was, until he'd shown up and confirmed my fears that I had gone completely and utterly round the bend.

So there I was, unlocking the quaint little door to my quaint little home, in the building with no tenants that probably wasn't even a building at all, and walked in to find a teen-aged apparition sprawled out on my sofa.

My sofa.
In my apartment.
My made up apartment.
In my mind.

Of course the only logical thing to do was close and lock the door, stare at him in stunned silence for a little bit, and then quite ineloquently blurt out a startled,

“What in the actual fuck?”

Not one of my proudest moments, but there wasn't anyone else around to see it anyway. Scratch that, there shouldn't have been anyone else around to see it, but he was there, looking up at me with mirth in his eyes and I hadn’t an inkling of a clue how to deal with it, and that was exactly the problem.

“I should be asking you that, Miss -?” the corner of his mouth quirked up into a confused yet amused smirk, his words trailing off expectantly.

“El-Ellis. My name is Borealis.” I stuttered, still too dumbfounded to function properly.

“Like the Northern Lights?”

I nodded.

Until I realised, for the second time in the last minute or so, that this was my apartment.

The dam burst.

“What do you mean you should be asking me that? I'm the owner of this apartment and you’re just- well, here! Which- which shouldn't even be remotely possible! How on earth did you- I can't fathom wha- Who even are you?”

He scrambled to his feet. “Woah, woah, lady! I can explain!” Muttering a few choice words under his breath, he crossed the room in three large strides and placed a warm hand on my shoulder.

With a sigh, “calm down.”

I ducked under it and backed up towards the door.

“You’re evidently not deaf, so answer me. Who are you?” I prodded, regaining an ounce of self-composure, crossing my arms over my chest and hugging myself tightly. “And don't call me ‘lady’, I'm only 17!”

He raised his arms as if to surrender, “Good heavens, alright!” He paused, probably waiting for me to give him some kind of permission to continue.

I nodded curtly.

“My name's Jared, Jared Fitzroy, and if you would be so kind, I’d really like to know what in heaven's name you are doing standing in my living room.”

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a/n

I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! More to come soon <3