Swiftly cruising down Gardenia Dr. is Kyle always in a hurry, but never on time. Digging in her black trunk bag with silver detailing for her phone in her passenger seat, she nearly runs a stop sign quickly catching the breaks looking up to see a hooded man piercing his eyes through the shadow of his black cotton hoodie for almost hitting him as well. Startled, she finally pulls out her phone to facetime Junie.
"MiMi! Facetime "Spy Kid".... he better answer too." she mutters under her breath as the phone rings are clouded out by the horns of the cars behind her.
"WAIT YOUR FUCKING TU-"
"Ummmm Kyle!?" Junie chuckles."You meant to call me???"
Looking down in frustration and turning her wheel she responds...
"Ugh! Shit yeah, I meant to call. you, I'm about to turn in to the complex can you open the gate for me... you know I just moved in I can't remember that code for shit, and I left my key on the counter next to my slim jim!"
"Ky... you moved in a month ago, and what was taking so long anyway it's 6:30 you were supposed to be here an hour ago?" rebutted Junie.
"Whatever buggy, the night is still young, and I'm bringing the wine this boy "gifted" me last night chile, now hurry up and open the gate I'm here!"
Junie clicks the red end call button and proceeds to open the gate. Gliding his way up the stairs in his messily distressed jeans and a white graphic t-shirt, from the kitchen to the living room, he seeks out Jordin. Just past her mountain of beautiful curly hair, is a large screen displaying Jordin's indecisiveness between movie options.
"Wassup loser!" She shouts while pointing the remote at the tv.
"Damn inspector gadget..." He giggles. "You still ain't found nothing to watch yet?"
"You know it's always hard to pick a movie with these shitty ass options." Sounded Jordin in a disinterested manner.
Walking over to the fluffy sectional to accompany his sister, Junie glances over to the large window to the left of him. Peering out checking for Kyle, he rolls his eyes acknowledging her continuing absence. Somewhat worrisome he asks...
"Yo, you saw Stonie? I tried calling his blockhead ass but he ain't answer."
"He's either in the room or upstairs I don't know..." Jordin shrugs. "I thought he was with you." Continuing to tamper with the remote.
"Nope, he stayed, said he was tired. But I'm gonna go look for him. Open the door for Kyle when she gets here, the house panel is on the wall by the elevator."
Turning her head to him from the couch, watching him begin to walk off she mumbles.
"Hey bro, thanks again for letting me stay here this summer... that house was getting to be too much." She shuns herself mentally and scatters the ground with her eyes.
Peaking back over his shoulder he gives her a smirk and walks off to find his boyfriend. Jordin turns back to the paper-thin screen flipping through pass time options. After finally picking something to disregard, she is abruptly interrupted by her phone vibrating on the cushion next to her.
A few buildings over, Kyle is irritably unlocking her front door with her black key fob. Hunched over she pushes the door open. Walking through the hallway reaching the kitchen she drops her bag on the marbled countertop and grabs a bottle of water from the clear doored refrigerator. Lifting the bottle lip up to hers she comes to a curious pause, rattled by the thud coming from upstairs. She returns the cap and puts the bottle down to investigate. Creeping past the last step she scans the second floor to see her room door slightly ajar. Approaching the door she whispers...
"Something told me these bitches we're weird!" In reference to her roommates.
Gradually she widens the door frame of her room, still decorated in unpacked boxes to hear some more tapping rippling from under the bed. In moderate fear, she squats down to peek under the bed, only for her roommate's dog to jolt past her brushing through her braids.
"Shit, I told her about this fucking dog..." Rising from the floor to turn back to the door, she continues. "... next time I'm gon-"
A thick southern accent rolls from the face inching uncomfortably close to Kyle's.
"Thanks for spotting scooter, again I am so sor-"
"What the fuck, you never heard of fair warning bitch?! You scared the shit out of me girl!" Now lying her hand upon her short-haired roommate.
"Sorry... again... really I am, but I'm about to get on the road." She clumps her fingers together, frowning her face. "Chloe already left so you got the place all to yourself! Hope you have a good weekend, tootles."
"Yeah, yeah have a safe trip, y'all too."
Raising her brows at the shape of her roommate floating down the stairs with the dog in her hands, Kyle closes her room door. She strips her clothes on the way to the bathroom and drops them in the laundry bin. Winding the square steel knobs in the shower, the steam starts to cloud the glass door. Her long nail digs into the power button of her Bluetooth speaker as she selects a song.
Back over in building 8, a harmonizing is subtly muted by the raining shower head in Junie's bathroom. Stonie lathers his body through the steam clouds not noticing the shower door cracking open. A shadow slithers past the opening and seals the door. Lips address the edge of Stonie's ear, a whisper travels.
"Why didn't I get an invite?"
Stonie swiftly swivels around in shock relived once he notices Junie's face. They both crack a smile and exchange lips.
On the living room couch, Jordin's snoozing is tampered by the pinging of the house panel. She grumpily elevates off the cushions wrapped in the white knitted blanket. Reaching the panel a camera display shows Kyle and opening options, she lets her in.
YOU ARE READING
GATED
Horroron a cloudy summer night in the college town of clarksdale during a city wide quarantine, a slightly evacuated elite student townhouse complex and five unlucky friends are being taunted by a serial killer.
