Snippets of a Spiders Non-Spidey Life

Textbooks are Expensive and I'm Running Out of Coffee (Part 5)

'Do you want to come in?'

The question hung in the air.

The silence seemed almost too loud and Michelle's fingers started to twist the key that was in her hand around and around.

It was just an innocent question but it was still crossing a line in their friendship that they had never gone over before. They had always met up at a mutual, neutral ground, the library, but never had they ventured into one of their places.

Michelle took a deep breathe.

Friends came round each other's homes didn't they? Friends liked spending time with one another and want to spend longer with the other person, that wasn't unusual was it? Just friends. That's all that she and Peter were. Just friends.

'Ummm, sure. If that's ok with you, of course.' Peter said, after a moment's silence.

'Yeah, I mean I did ask after all.' A pause. 'Anyway, I live on the fourth floor and the stairs are not ideal so I hope you don't mind a short ride on a worryingly creaky elevator.' Michelle joked, hoping that her words covered up the slight uncertainty in her voice.

Michelle pushed open the door leading onto the main entrance of the block of apartments. Trailing after her, Peter made sure to gently shut the door behind him and wipe and dirt off of his shoes, not wanting to leave a mess.

'Honestly, I think I would be more worried if it didn't creak. The last time my one didn't creak it had to be decommissioned for like two month because someone did something weird to it. It was always fun trying to lug grocery bags up five flights of stairs.' Peter replied with a chuckle.

'You're place seems like a death trap. First your roommates seem to set it on fire on the daily and then the elevator has to be repaired for two weeks.'

'Yeah but the chaotic atmosphere is what makes it fun. Well until you try to study in it. You have to leave to actually get some quiet but that didn't seem to turn out to bad. I mean I met you.' Peter said, his hand smoothing his waves down on his head.

Michelle turned to the elevator, pressing the button as a smile crept onto her face.

'You know 'chaotic' gives the impression that the place is hay-wire and frenzied not 'fun' as you said.' Michelle said matter-of-factly, entering the elevator as the doors pinged open.

'That can be true most of the time but it's weird, I don't know how to describe it but it's fun. You'll have to see for yourself as some point.'

Peter followed Michelle onto the elevator smiling at her as he finished his sentence, before the two descended into a comfortable silence. The elevator's creaks filled up the silence at random intervals, just like Michelle had promised.

They caught each other's eye, playing a silent game of who could predict the next creak correctly. Michelle wasn't entirely sure how the game had begun in the first place but she was enjoying it, silently hoping that somehow the elevator would keep going so they wouldn't have to stop. She was also pretty certain she was winning.

Against all her wishes, the elevator pulled to a stop on her floor, opening its doors for them to exit through. Prompted by the robotic announcement of 'the doors are now opening', the two teens slowly walked out the doors and into the quiet corridor. It wasn't often that Michelle ever saw any of her neighbours and sometimes she wondered if they even existed but that was an issue for another day.

Michelle led the way down to her door, finding the correct key on the set of three in her hands. Her door was previously white but now more of a cream colour, no fault of her own, and proudly displayed the number 42. The paint work was slightly chipped and peeling in places but that was down to the previous owners, who she had only met once despite supposedly only moving a few doors down to have a bit more space.