Night One
-Kaydan’s P.O.V-
“I can’t believe I got this place!” I exclaim as I walk into the room.
There is a couch in the center, accompanied by smaller couches, that is right in front of the TV (which was a flat-screen), and the place also came with a washer and dryer already built into the unit.
The landlord follows me close behind, saying, “Yeah, isn’t it nice?”
“Really, really nice actually! I still can’t believe the price is so low for such an awesome place!”
“It is a one-bedroom, and the walls are really thin.”
“So? This place is completely furnished and right across the street from Felix Centre!”
He laughs awkwardly. “Yeah...”
“Why did the last guy leave exactly?”
He pauses to think. “These living conditions just weren’t...compatible with him,” he answers.
“Well, these conditions are hella compatible with me!” I yell.
He smiles at me. “I guess I’ll leave you to it then. If you need anything, be sure to call, alright?”
“Yes, sir! Thanks again, Mr. Cooms!”
With that, he turns on his heels and exits the room, closing my door behind him.
I immediately pull out my phone and dial Luke.
He picks up after four rings. “Yo?”
“The place is mine.”
“Nice! Getting to work should be much easier now!”
“I can practically walk there in five minutes!”
“So I can expect you to be on time from now on, then?”
“Don’t push it.”
He laughs at that. “Just be at work on Sunday. Think you can manage that?”
I look over my shoulder at my clock. It was 8:34 P.M. on a Thursday. “That is doable.”
“Great. Go get settled. I’ll see you then.”
We say our goodbyes, then I hang up. I sigh and sprawl out onto my couch. Usually, life isn’t this kind, but this was one of my smarter decisions. I roll on my side and close my eyes. I only have a few boxes to unpack, so a little nap won’t kill me.
I awake to the sound of heavy thumping and moaning.
“Oh god, yes!” A barely muffled scream calls out.
...Are you fucking kidding me? I know Mr. Cooms said the walls were thin, but I didn’t think he meant this thin.
There was another moan and thump in response.
Oh my god.
I lift a pillow and cover my head, which does little to help. I would move to my room, but that’s right against the wall, so to hell with that. I only hold the pillow harder over my head and pray that it will have some effect soon.
For the rest of the night, that’s all I hear. The noise never ceases. When I think there’s no hope left, it stops. And I don’t mean “stops” like last time, when they were only taking a ten-second break. It actually stops. I slowly lift my head from under the pillow after a good five minutes.
Silence.
I glance at my clock. My jaw drops.
5:12 A.M? Is that even possible?
I sit up all the way and wipe my face. I haven’t felt this tired in a while. I drag myself into my bathroom, turn on the shower, and finish up by tossing on my clothes. I luckily managed to walk downstairs after that and head straight for Mr. Cooms’ room. I knock. Hard.
He finally answers and instantly takes a step back when he sees that it’s me.
“M-Mr. Green!” He says, baffled. “What are you doing here?”
I stare at him in absolute silence.
He begins to squirm nervously in place. “U-Uh, would you like to come in for some coffee?”
I hold my stare.
He sighs in defeat before saying, “Come in. I’ll explain after I get the pot started.”
I follow him into his simple, tiny room. He’s got quite the cozy living space. Far enough away from the noise for him to enjoy a good night’s sleep, I suppose.
After two minutes, he hands me a cup of French vanilla-flavored coffee.
I say thanks as he sits at the table, opposite me. “So...thin walls, huh?”
“I told you the walls were thin!” He argues.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think they would be playing that kind of music!”
“Why did you think the room was so cheap?”
“I thought I was just lucky!”
“You weren’t expecting any kind of catch?”
“...Not really, no...well...the fridge is a little pink-”
“This obviously has nothing to do with the pink fridge!”
“I got that!
We finally settle down and take small sips of our coffee.
“So...who is my neighbor exactly?
“Christian Zureich. He’s lived here for two years now.”
“...And you couldn’t tell me about this because...” I start.
“You were the last person who was interested in the space, and I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“...I guess that’s understandable,” I finish, standing up. “Does...ithappen often?”
He nods.
“I guess I’ll just leave the days he’s at it then.”
He nods again, just slower this time.
I head out of his place and exhale deeply. I was not expecting that. I check my phone. It’s now 5:43 AM. Since I’m already downstairs, I decide to head out with a specific location in mind.
I travel about a mile up the street and make it to Wayne’s in 15 minutes.
Okay, so maybe I exaggerated the time a bit by saying it was a 5-minute walk. I should tell Luke it’s more of a 5-teen-minute one.
I open the door and look around.
Wayne’s was one of the nicer restaurants in the area. The inside had dark brown walls and floors, with very dim lighting, and on most occasions, you needed a reservation to get in. We had full staff for both the morning and evening shifts, along with an excellent cooking crew. Usually, the doors opened at 7 for those who enjoyed an early breakfast, and we closed around 1 AM for the ones who came later and enjoyed a classier bar scene.
I say a quick hi to the prep crew, make my way to the back corner, and lock eyes with Luke so he knows that I’m here.
After a few minutes, he makes his way over to me. He was wearing his nicer uniform, which consisted of a long white sleeve shirt, black pants, and a black vest with a bow tie. All the uniform did, in short, was up his attractiveness. Girls flocked in here just to get a glance at him. “Sorry, some of us have to actually work- and holy shit, you look terrible,” he says, picking up pace at the end. “Are you alright?”
“I’m just fine! My apartment walls, not so much,” I groan.
“Thin walls, huh?”
“You have no idea,” I reply, rubbing the bags under my eyes.
“I’ve had my share of bad apartments!” He tries to fight.
“Oh, really? Did your neighbor have loud sex from dusk till dawn?”
His mouth drops. “You’re joking.”
I shake my head. “Nine to five.”
He continues to stare at me before saying, “Did you talk to the landlord?”
“First thing in the morning.”
“And?”
“He’s the reason why the room was so cheap.”
“...Have you talked to him?”
“Who? Mr. Goes Bump In the Night?
He nods.
“No.”
“Well, you should, and while you’re at it, thank him for making the room so cheap,” he finishes with a wink.
I glare at him.
“But, for now, you can enjoy this meal on me,” he says as a guy I’ve never seen brings me a breakfast special.
“This is Daniel. He’s a new member of the crew.”
Daniel gives me a shy wave, and I nod at him in response. He quickly turns and walks back into the kitchen.
“He’s still getting used to working here,” Luke says with a shrug. “I think I’m going to appoint him as sous-chef. He isn’t a bad cook, and with more time here, I can definitely see him running the kitchen.”
“Oh, so you’re saying he’s put the early birders’ shift at a higher bar than the graveyards’?” I ask.
He takes a second glance at the tables around him. “He has made it significantly easier, but he also hasn’t experienced a lunch shit yet, so we’ll have to see how he holds up,” he winks. “I also have more tables I need to buss from last night’s customers, so I’ll catch you later.”
I watch him duck into the other section of the restaurant before I start eating. Soon after I start, I realize I’m too tired to down much food, so I take my plate to the kitchen and clean it off before I leave after saying a quick bye to my friend. When I get back to my apartment, the first thing I do is collapse on my bed. I smile instantly as I melt into the mattress. It was marvelous.
It’s around noon when I wake up. I still had boxes that needed to be unpacked, so I got to work. It takes a while to place everything down and in the right spot, but when I do, the place already feels a bit more like home.
I finally muster up the courage and head outside. I make a right and stop in front of Mr. Zureich’s door. I take a deep breath.
I can do this.
I reach out a knock. Seconds pass, and there is no response. I knock again, harder this time. Still nothing. I scratch the back of my neck.
Maybe he’s still out?
I sigh and turn back, closing my door behind me. “...Now what?”
I trudge over to my couch and turn on the TV. At that same moment, I get an incoming call.
“Hey,” I say as I answer it.
“Yo. You busy?” Luke asks.
“Watching TV, yes. Why?”
“I was thinking about heading over there for my lunch. I want to see your new place.”
“Come on down! Water’s fine!”
“Awesome. I’ll be there shortly then!”
“Kay,” I finish as he hangs up. At least now I have something to look forward to.
He shows up in no time at all. He also brought me lunch. Before he walks inside, he whistles. “It looks pretty decent.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He does a full 360 and stops. “Pink fridge?”
“Shut up!” I scream, causing him to laugh.
We walk into my living room and set out the food.
“Is this the lemon chicken?” I ask after taking a bite.
“The cheapest thing on the menu!” He replies proudly.
I smirk at him. “It’s never tasted better.”
“Right?” He stuffs some chicken into his mouth. “So did you talk to the guy?”
I shook my head. “I tried, but he wasn’t home.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Just before you got here.”
“Huh. Maybe you’ll have better luck tomorrow?”
I shrugged, saying, “Maybe.”
Luke checks his watch when he’s done with his lunch. “I should probably head back,” he sighs, standing up and stretching.
“Shouldn’t you have clocked out by now?” I ask, pausing our show.
“Have you forgotten you haven’t returned, so someone needs to cover your absence.”
“Yeah, but I usually stay in the back and play card games with the guys on break for the first hour of my shift until more help comes.”
We stare at each other in silence.
“You’ve shown up and gambled with me a few times!” I defend myself.
“It doesn’t;t make me any less ashamed,” he shakes his head. “I’ll just go back for another hour and come back after then, okay? I’ll ask one of the others to take over.”
“Bet! I’ll be here. Just text me when you’re headed.” I reach into my pocket and toss him my keys so he can just come in when he’s here.
After Luke comes back, he ends up staying over pretty late, then decides to leave around 9. “I have an early start tomorrow, so I’ll see ya later.”
“Thanks for keeping me company,” I say as I close the door behind him. We ended up having a Land Before Time marathon. You’d think, after all those movies, Littlefoot wouldn’t be so little anymore.
Once he’s gone, I make my way to my room. I jump on my mattress and prepare to let it take me to Dreams and Z’s land, but then I hear it.
“No,” I have the courtesy to whisper. “Have some mercy.”
Sadly, it doesn’t comply with my wishes.
I stand up, walk to my living room, and lie on the couch. It doesn’t really change anything, but it’s better. I pull the pillow over my head again. I just want to sleep! I cry silently to myself.
It finally stops. Again. I look at the clock. 5:49 A.M. My phone rings, stealing my attention back.
“Yo,” Luke says as I pick up.
I don’t respond.
“Again?” He asks in disbelief.
“Yeah,” I breathe.
“When did it stop this time?”
“Right before you called me.”
“Now’s your chance! Go talk to him!” With that, he hung up.
I slowly place my feet on the floor. Come on! You aren’t THAT tired! I’m barely able to drag myself to my door. I swing it open and take six steps to my right, then I bang on his door.
No response.
I bang again.
...Still nothing.
I sigh deeply and return to my room. As soon as my head hits the pillow, my phone rings.
“Hey, hope the talk went well! Also, sorry to do this, but I’m gunna need you to come in. Daniel is sick,” Luke says.
“...When?”
“Right about now.”
I groan.
“Thanks, man. I knew I could count on you.”
I end the call and throw my phone to the wall, then I force myself to get dressed.
