Chuck rakes her hands through her strawberry bond hair and growls at the computer screen on her desk in her apartment. "Why aren't you working!? What did I mess up?" she grumbles. The code she had just input is not working the way she expected. She's still ahead on what she was supposed to get done for the day, but she it's still frustrating to have to search through code to find your mistake.
Chuck had started to work for Ad Astra Software in Charlottesville, Virginia about four years ago, right after she graduated from college. After about a year working there, she was allowed the opportunity to work from home, which Chuck accepted happily. Being naturally shy and introverted, she finds it difficult to work around other people. Being at home, alone in her space allows her to work much faster and better than if she had to deal with a bunch of people around her. Now, she only has to go in to the office about once a month to check in.
After her graduation is also when she moved to her current home. The one bedroom apartment is just perfect for her. The open plan living area contains a small kitchen and has enough room for Chuck's couch, tv, computer desk, and a small dining room table. The bedroom isn't exactly spacious, but it has a small closet and an en-suite bathroom that is actually fairly big. It's in a pretty good neighborhood, too, which her mother especially likes.
Chuck's cell phone rings and she turns it over to see, though she already knows who it is. Her mom's picture and the name "Diane Langdon" shine on the screen. Chuck accepts the call and stands from her chair to start pacing around her apartment. She could never sit still and talk on the phone at the same time.
"Hi, Mom," she answers.
Her mom's cheery voice rings through the speaker. "Hey, sweetie. Whatcha doing?"
"Working. What are you doing?"
Diane takes a bite of her sandwich and answers without swallowing. "I'm taking a break. Eating my lunch."
Diane works as a nurse at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, so she doesn't always get time to talk to her daughter from work. But she tries to talk to Chuck at least once a day, no matter what.
Chuck suddenly yawns into the phone. Not because she's bored with her mother, but because she didn't get much sleep last night. "Ugh," she groans and rubs at the crick in her neck. "I need to get a more comfortable couch since I end up sleeping on it so much."
"What's wrong with your bed?"
Chuck lets out a huff. "You know why, Mom. Negan," Chuck emphasizes.
Negan is Chuck's next door neighbor. And they happen to share a wall between their bedrooms. It didn't take Chuck too many nights to figure out that that wall isn't exactly sound proof. And that Negan is somewhat of a womanizer, bringing home a different girl a few times a week and "entertaining" her. Which always ends up with Chuck hearing moans and screams and Negan's headboard slamming up against the wall.
"Oh. That's right," Diane answers with a little chuckle. "Your alpha neighbor."
"Yeah. He's like the worst alpha ever."
"I don't know if that's true, Chuck. He's not killing people, is he?" she jokes.
"I guess not," Chuck concedes. "But he's so arrogant! Like way more arrogant than any other alpha I've met."
Diane chuckles into the phone. "You know alphas love showing off for us betas."
It was no surprise that Chuck didn't present as omega in her early teens, though her demeanor is very omega-like. Both Chuck's parents are beta. Or was beta, in the case of Chuck's father. He had passed away when Chuck was eight years old from a car accident. He was struck by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the highway and died almost instantly.
Omegas in general are pretty rare, comprising about 5% of the world's population. And they almost always come from alpha/omega pairings. But omegas being born from beta parents has been documented, so it's not entirely impossible.
And Chuck has no way of knowing that she is actually part of that 5%. Yet.
Chuck lets out a huff as she thinks about what a douche Negan is. "Well... Remember when I first moved here and I left a note on his door informing him that I could hear his... uh..." Chuck isn't sure how to describe it to her mother, "night activities," she settles on. "And because I'm a nice person, I thought he should know so he didn't get embarrassed about it. Then the next day, he left me a note saying 'Enjoy the show'! Like, who does that?!"
Diane laughs. "Oh, yeah. I forgot he did that."
"Yeah! He could've at least moved his bed from our shared wall like I did. But, no. He kept it there. And I swear he got louder after that."
"Well, I'm not surprised he has a steady stream of women to entertain. He's very handsome."
Chuck groans. "Yeah, yeah. I know, Mom. You think he's so hot."
Chuck knows that Negan is a good looking man. He's tall, like most alphas, but he's not as bulky as some are. He's more... lithe, if Chuck would have to put a word to it. His dark hair always seems to be slicked back perfectly and his beard, of course, has just the right amount of gray.
"Well..." Diane giggles. "He's nice to look at."
"I guess. But he's horrible to live next to. No amount of dimples makes up for that."
Diane laughs hard. She had told her daughter more than once about how much she liked Negan's pronounced dimples. "I suppose, sweetie. You know alphas can't help but be assholes. Especially the handsome ones."
"It's annoying."
Diane's pager beeps. "Shit." She leans down to look at the device on her hip. "I gotta get back to work. I'll talk to you later."
"Ok, Mom."
"Love you."
"Love you, too. Bye."
Chuck sets her phone back down and goes back to her work, finding her mistake and fixing it accordingly. Once she has everything else done, she decides to actually look for new couch online. The couch in her living room that has been doubling as her bed a few nights a week is a few years old and was pretty much the cheapest option available when she moved in and needed furniture. She researches various models and sellers and finally places an order for one she thinks will suit her needs.
While she's at it, she also stocks up on some other things she needs. Her mother always tells her that it's weird that she buys groceries and the like online, but Chuck would rather do it this way. Being in crowded stores is not Chuck's idea of a good time.
So, yeah, she's a bit of a homebody.
Chuck had never been a social butterfly. And throughout her childhood and schooling, she had never really had any friends. No close ones, anyway. Her shyness made it hard for her to put herself out there and make friends. And the fact that she always felt like a freak kept her from getting close to anyone that may actually try to be her friend.
When Chuck was sixteen, it was found that she had underdeveloped reproductive organs. Her ovaries were mostly normal, which meant that she still went through puberty, somewhat. She had filled out and grew body hair, at least. But her uterus and vagina hadn't matured properly, which meant that she would never get a period or be able to have a child. Even having sex would be extremely difficult.
Chuck's doctors don't realize that her underdeveloped organs are pretty typical of a very rare syndrome afflicting omegas. So Chuck has no way of knowing that, either.
He condition is something that Chuck could easily hide from most people. But she would ultimately have to tell any man that may be interested in her that she could never have sex or give him children. So she simply never pursued anything romantic. She kept to herself, never going to parties or even really socializing in any meaningful way.
Yes, it's a lonely existence. But the alternative seems so much worse to Chuck. She always had nightmare scenarios of telling fantasy boyfriends that she wasn't normal. They would laugh at her. Call her a freak. Tell her that she wasn't worth it. That she should just go away and disappear.
So she did just that, herself, before anyone could tell her. She was essentially a ghost in her own life, never making an impact or impression on anyone.
That night, Chuck decides to get some laundry done. She usually goes at night because the machines in the basement always seem to be in use during the day, which seems pretty normal for people keeping a regular schedule. But Chuck is somewhat of a night owl, actually. She loves the fact that she can sleep in because she can set her own hours at work. And she's happy that her lost sleep during the night because of her neighbor doesn't necessarily lead to her having horrible mornings. If she had a normal 9 to 5, she would go completely crazy.
Chuck doesn't know how Negan does it. She knows that Negan does have a 9 to 5, yet he still takes out several hours a few nights a week to have sex with random women. He must take naps.
Chuck gathers up her hamper and takes the elevator down to the basement. When she gets to the laundry room, though, she stops dead in her tracks. Negan is in there with a beta woman that Chuck recognizes as another tenant. And she's sitting on one of the machines with Negan standing between her spread legs. Their mouths are all over each other, making lewd noises. And Negan's hand is conspicuously in between their bodies.
Chuck instantly turns around an leaves, fully disgusted at the sight. But as she reenters her apartment, that disgust turns into something else. She's hurt. Not in the way you might think. She's not jealous of the woman because Negan is all over her rather than herself. No, she's more envious. Of both of them. Envious of the fact that Negan is naturally good looking and charming enough that it's so easy for him to get women. Envious of the woman that she's beautiful and sexy enough to get a man like Negan's attention. Envious that they can easily have what Chuck can't. She knows that they aren't in a relationship, because she's pretty sure Negan doesn't do relationships, but they still could have that kind of intimacy with another person. The kind of intimacy that Chuck would never have.
Chuck breaks down once she gets to her bedroom. All of her self hatred seems to consume her all at once. Her body is wracked with sobs and she cries into her pillow heavily. This isn't a normal occurrence. Yes, she cried at times. Yes, she was sad. Depressed, even. But this all consuming emotion is new to Chuck. It's part of an escalation.
She had found herself being frustrated more often, having a shorter fuse. And she was more restless. But she kept it all from her mother, not knowing how to really explain what she's going through.
When Chuck wakes up the next morning, her whole body hurts and she has a hard time even getting out of bed. But, again, she doesn't tell her mother when she calls her. She says that everything is fine. And her mom believes her.
But Chuck doesn't realize that some of the pain she is feeling isn't just because of her panic attack last night. Her body is changing and she doesn't even know it.
Chuck's monthly day at the office comes and she readies herself for it. They were pretty laid back there, so she just dresses casually. Though the first T-shirt she pulls out ends up being too tight around her chest. She hadn't really seen her weight go up too much on the scale, but her clothes seemed to be fitting her differently. Her diet hadn't changed, but she thinks that maybe it's just her metabolism changing with age. What she doesn't really see though, is that all the changes are to her chest and hips, making her curvier than what she was before. Giving her a more classic omega physique.
When Chuck gets back to her building, she ends up walking behind Negan. He enters the elevator before her and holds the door so it doesn't close. Chuck is actually a bit surprised at the polite gesture, figuring that Negan wasn't capable of being chivalrous. But that good will fades when he looks back at her after he pushes the button for the fifth floor.
"What floor, sweetheart?" he asks.
Chuck hesitates to answer.
He doesn't even know that I'm his next door neighbor. I've been living beside him for four years and he doesn't even recognize me, she thinks.
"Uh... three," she answers without really thinking.
He pushes the button then pulls out his phone to answer some texts, completely unaware how his simple question has affected the girl beside him. Chuck tries not to let it get to her. She tries to focus on anything but the dark feeling that's bubbling up in her chest once again. What's the song playing in the elevator? What's she going to eat when she gets home? What cologne is Negan wearing? It smells good.
When the door opens on the third floor, Chuck exits and starts to walk down the hall, pretending to head to her nonexistent apartment. When she hears the elevator doors close again, she turns back around and enters the stairwell.
Yeah, it was a little stupid not to just tell Negan that she was headed to the same floor he was, but she was too embarrassed.
How could he not know that I'm his neighbor? she thinks. How am I that unmemorable? What is wrong with me?
Chuck checks the hall on her actual floor to make sure Negan is in his apartment before she exits the stairwell. With the coast clear, she walks through the hallway and enters her apartment, throwing her keys and bag on the counter beside the door. Once she gets inside, she lets out a heavy breath, that same self hatred bubbling up in her again.
"Great," she mutters to herself when she feels her eyes well up with tears. "Just great."
The rest of the day is rough for Chuck. She tries to keep her mind occupied with anything, really. Tv, video games, a book, but that lonely, dark feeling is ever present.
About a minute after Chuck gets into bed for the night, she starts to hear Negan and his current lady friend next door.
She lets out a huff. "Really?!" She turns over on her side and pulls the pillow over her head to try to stifle the sounds. But with every minute that ticks by that Chuck can't block out the noises, her anger rises. Eventually, she can't take it anymore and whips her covers off of her, jumping out of the bed. She stomps out to the living room and unplugs her Bluetooth stereo, carrying it back into her room to set it up on her desk, facing Negan's apartment.
Chuck picks up her phone from her nightstand and opens Spotify, intent on creating the world's least sexy playlist. The Mickey Mouse Club theme song, Cat's in the Cradle, Tiptoe Through the Tulips, How much is that Doggy in the Window, and some random songs from the Christian rock channel soon blast out of Chuck's speakers.
Yeah, it's petty. And it's certainly not a thing that Chuck would normally do, but she just couldn't take it anymore.
The next morning, Chuck is woken up by a pounding on her front door. After she gets over the initial shock of being rudely awoken, she remembers everything that went on last night.
"Oh, god," she whispers when she realizes who is probably at the door. "Oh, no no no." She scrambles off the couch and searches for something to put on, because she's certainly not answering the door in just her tank top and sleep shorts. Just as she finds her hoodie and pulls it over her head, there is more pounding at the door.
"Jeez," she mutters and unlocks the door, pulling it open slightly.
The exact person she thought is standing before her, looking angry to boot. But his expression changes to confusion pretty quick.
When Negan had decided to his confront his neighbor, he realized that he actually didn't know who it was. C. Langdon is the name on the mailbox beside his, but for the life of him, he can't picture the person. They must be a shut in, because he never sees them coming or going. Probably on welfare or disability or something. But what he sees when the door opens completely confuses him.
Negan stares at the girl a moment before speaking. "You got parents?" he asks. The girl doesn't look like she's out of her teens to him. But he thought all the tenants with families lived on the first two floors.
Chuck scrunches up her face. "Of course I have parents," she bites back with uncharacteristic attitude. She was never one to talk back, but she's finding it increasingly hard to control herself.
He lets out a huff. "Don't be a smartass, kid." He's used to dealing with teenagers from when he used to be a gym coach years ago. And right now, he's thinking that he doesn't miss it one bit. "Is your mom or dad here?"
Chuck is confused for a moment until she realizes that Negan thinks she's a teenager. It's not exactly new to her; people always think she's young. But for some reason, it annoys her endlessly hearing it from Negan. "I'm twenty five," she barks. "And this is my apartment."
At first, Negan doesn't believe it, because the girl standing before him looks very young. But he knows her apartment is set up exactly like his. It makes more sense that only a single person would live there. And he knows C. Langdon has lived there for a few years. So her being twenty five seems to fit.
None of that matters anyway because Negan suddenly remembers why he knocked on this girl's door. "So, you think that shit you pulled last night was fuckin' funny?"
Chuck knows that she should be ashamed about what she did last night because it was childish and petty, but she's really not. In her eyes, Negan deserved it. And, maybe she should be more cautious about having an angry alpha on her doorstep. Despite that, she doesn't back off. "Actually, I thought it was hilarious."
Negan chuckles darkly. "Well," he leans forward, "I didn't find it fuckin' funny, little girl."
That just rubs Chuck the wrong way. "Don't call me a little girl. I'm an adult," she asserts.
Negan looks down at her and thinks that she couldn't possibly look less like an adult if she tried. So he laughs at her. "Alright, princess."
"My name is Chuck."
"What the fuck kind of name is that?"
"What kind of name is Negan?" she retorts.
He lets out a huff from his flared nostrils. This girl is getting on his nerves. "Listen, princess, that shit you did cost me a night of fucking cuz my date couldn't stand the shit you were playing. So don't fuckin' do it again."
"Maybe keep it down a little and I won't."
A smirk forms on his face. "I can't help it if I give a good dicking."
Chuck scrunches up her face. "You're disgusting."
That's not the first time he's heard that, but for some reason, it bothers him coming from her. So, of course, instead of backing off, he pushes forward. "Maybe you just need a good dicking, yourself. It might help to remove that fuckin' stick you got up your ass."
Chuck is taken aback at that. She's offended and hurt. And it takes the fight right out of her. Without knowing it, Negan had hit a pressure point of hers and it leaves her reeling. The only thing she could do is slam the door in his face. And that's exactly what she does.
Negan pulls his head back at the last possible moment, narrowly avoiding being hit on the nose by the swinging door. He's still angry, though. He leans on the door, placing his mouth close to it and calls out, "Oh, little girl. You have no idea the shit storm you just brought down on yourself."