Author's Note:
I'd like to thank all those who stuck by me and still read my stuff even if it took me so long to update that last chapter. Haha I know that was like more than a month and I'm really sorry!
Anyway guys, I'd really appreciate it if you told your friends about my story and ask them to read it too. Comments and votes help a lot. They make me want to write more. For real. Also, you all know I'm a beginner here so help me out and spread the word! Lol. Just don't make me do a vote for vote, okay? I'd like to get voted because I wrote a good book, I don't want trades. -___-
*sticks a note on your screen*
Ily <3
-Monique xo
*end of note*
Chapter 11 – I'm Nobody. Are You Nobody, Too?
"I find damaged people beautiful. I find scarred people intriguing. I find broken people inspiring. After all, they've been through hell, and they're still alive to tell us about it."
-Jordan Sarah Weatherhead, Author of "Naked Truth"
"Oi! What the fuck are you looking at?!" the guy shouted at me again when I didn't answer.
I was gaping at him. Still unsure of what to say or do. I mean, what exactly do you say to a neighbor you have just met in the most uncompromising situation you can think of? I'm sure there could be much worse scenarios but this was pretty bad in my book.
He was still talking. Thank goodness he stopped singing but he looked proper pissed off now. His voice wasn't even slightly muffled even with the window separating us. I made a mental note to replace my windows for something thicker since I was unlucky enough to get a demented neighbor who seems to like early morning karaokes. Heck, I might even soundproof my room due to the voice quality he had.
Aside from the comical sight of him holding a hairbrush, his towel, the one currently wrapped around his waist, was now slipping dangerously lower. Okay, okay. I admit that the guy looked really good. He had a toned torso, some six pack going on and all that, hell I could even see that V line clearly. But right now I was concerned about the fact that I might see some guy's genitalia.
And honestly at my age and at this point in time I really wasn't ready for all that commitment!
"What the hell?!" I shouted, putting my hands up to cover my eyes and stumbling back as quickly as I could. I almost tripped on the blanket that I dragged with me earlier but I regained my balance pretty quickly. "You're naked!"
He didn't say anything. I peeked through the gaps of my fingers and saw that he just arched an eyebrow at me.
"Put some damn clothes on!" I cried in distress, refusing to uncover my eyes. Not that doing this was sparing me from the sight from the oh so depressing sight.
Once again, through the gaps between my fingers, I saw him narrow his eyes at me. He tossed the brush aside nonchalantly without taking his eyes off me, and moved closer to the window in a leisurely pace, still unmindful of the towel that was slipping lower, and lower, and even lower still.
Please God, don't let my eyes be tainted! I'm too young for this!
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he suddenly snapped at me, eyes flashing in anger.
"No one!" I immediately answered, still covering my eyes, still backing away. "I'm Nobody! Are you nobody, too?" I said lamely while I tried to give a half smile in my current pose, trying to lighten up the sudden change of mood.
"How long have you been spying on me?" he asked, voice pitching lower as he ignored my jab at humor and stood straight, staring at me.
Or maybe that wasn't humor? What do I know?
"I wasn't spying!" I protested. Then I realized I looked stupid backing away when we were both separated by the gap between our houses, so I stood still and uncovered my eyes. I looked away as I gestured to his length agitatedly. "But you really need to put on some clothes on! Seriously!"
"Stop screaming. You'll wake people up with that annoying bitch whine," he said acidly as he braced his arms on his window and leaned on them. His towel slipped lower.
"What? I wasn't screaming!" I protested again before I realized that I actually was, so then I lowered my voice to a whisper-yell. "But you were! You woke me up!" I hissed.
"I don't give a fuck," he stated, voice still dripping in acid, as he raised his shoulder in a half shrug.
His eyes met mine again and I felt like I was doused with a bucket of cold water. His expression was cold, so cold, in fact. And it confused me because I don't even know what I did wrong; I mean all I did was catch him singing. What was so bad about that?
"Er.." I trailed off then. I didn't even know him but I felt like I was intruding on a really private moment so I tried to placate him. "I wasn't supposed to see that, was I?"
His expression went even colder, if that was even possible.
"As I said," he spat out, eyes burning angrily. "I don't give a fuck. But if you tell anyone about what you saw, you're done." His icy expression shocked me. He was looking me over like I was scum, and his eyes were now lingering on my zebra print pajamas. I happen to like these pajamas.
"What?" I asked, shocked. "Why would I tell anyone? And who do you think you are to tell me what to d—"
"Shut your bloody mouth, bitch."
I sucked in a breath sharply and pursed my lips, holding back a rude retort. Rude neighbours. Heh.
"Excuse me, but you—" I said and exaggerated the "you" as I pointed an accusatory finger at him"—need to shut up!"
"No," he said, smirking coldly again.
"Uh, yeah you do," I answered, annoyance lacing my voice now. " You woke me up with your ruckus then you—" I jabbed my finger in his direction again "-- accuse me of spying and now you threaten me?"
He arched a brow at me again and I threw my arms up in in surrender.
"I'm not even going to bother," I said, exasperated now and I made to turn away from the window whilst I was still calm. "Whatever."
"Look, bitch," he started, his cold expression now morphed into a chilling smirk, stopping me in my tracks. "I don't give a single fuck about your girly girl problems. But if you—"
"These are not girly girl problems!" I protested agitatedly.
"Do not interrupt me!" he hissed at me, leaning forward, almost out the window, and that made his towel slip lower.
Dear God! I can see pubes! Are those fucking pubes?! Those are bloody pubes!
I shut my eyes again and waved my arms in front of me in a stopping motion. "Bloody hell!" I cried again. "Stop being such a d—"
"I said shut up!" he bellowed, sticking his body out the window even more.
Dear God! The neighbours will see! What will they think of this! Oh wait, this guy IS a neighbor. Why? Why, Lord? Why?
"Okay!" I said and I threw my arms up in surrender again. "I'll shut up! Just put some clothes on, please! Or maybe even just tie that thing properly?" I asked lamely as I looked away and gestured to his towel that seemed to be holding on, defying gravity.
He rolled his eyes as I watched him relax and lean forward on his arms again. "Just make sure this stays quiet, bitch."
I opened my mouth, about to verbally abuse him but a knock on a door stopped me. I looked curiously behind him.
A knock was heard at the door again, my door to be specific. The almost-naked guy froze, a panicked expression flitting across his face for a few seconds as he looked at the spot behind me, but it didn't last long before it was being replaced by a blank expression once more. I tilted my head curiously at that but he remained quiet. And as his gaze fell on me once more, it went back to being cold.
"Meg?" I heard my mum call through the door. "Are you up? I heard voices."
"Yeah, I am," I called back, still looking at the guy, but he just gave me one more cold look, a curt nod, and yanked his curtains close just in time to cover himself as his towel finally dropped.
I slapped my hand on my mouth to keep myself from crying out in distress or in laughter; I'm not quite sure how I felt. That was certainly close. The guy was certainly...let's see, what word would be appropriate for him? Interesting? Odd? Peculiar? Maybe. But he was certainly intriguing.
I berated myself for not researching on who my neighbors were.
"May I come in?" mum asked, calling my attention from my drifting thoughts on paranoia again.
"Sure," I said softly before realizing that mum probably didn't hear me. I cleared my throat and called out in a louder voice. "Come in," I said as I gave the guy's shut windows one last look before turning to walk towards the door and opening it, letting my mum in. I leaned my head on the door as she grinned at me.
"Why are you up early?" she asked as she strolled into my room, making her way to my bed. She turned to look me over, her gaze lingering on my pajamas. She chuckled.
"Not that it is early, it's just that today is a Saturday and you're not usually up at this time." Mum plopped onto my bed and crossed her legs, looking at me with an amused expression on her face.
I debated on telling her about the rude neighbor but I held it back at the last minute. Who knows what she'll do? She does have some issues with guys. She might make me transfer to another room if she knew a guy lived across my window. And I'm too lazy to haul my things around. Who wants to clean up again, anyway?
"I don't really know," I said, shrugging it off, going to sit on my beanbag by my bookshelf and study table that I don't use for studying at all. "I just woke up. Something must have woken me up."
"Hmm, is that so?" mum asked distractedly. She was now looking around my room until her eyes settled on my open window. She arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me.
"What?" I asked her, feigning nonchalance and stretching my legs in front of me. I stretched my arms as I looked up to her from my spot, and allowed myself a small smile to try and distract her. Her eyes crinkled in amusement.
"Your windows are open, by the way," she stated the obvious, jabbing a thumb in the direction of my windows as a curious expression crossed her face.
"Yep. I opened them today," I said, grinning cheekily at her.
"This is the first time I've seen them open," she said, chuckling at me. And right now, I felt some semblance of happiness, because it isn't all the time that I see mum with a genuine smile on her face while talking to me. Mostly she just looks worried or sad.
"Is that so? I've never really noticed." I shrugged again, still grinning cheekily.
Mom just smirked at me before suddenly jumping up and clapping her hands excitedly. "Well then, since you're up, let's have breakfast together!"
And with that, she sashayed out of my room, chuckling, while I was left to gape at her even more unusual behavior. I eyed her with suspicion.