I could hear a shrill noise working its way into my brain as I tried harder to bury my face into my pillows to drown it out, however that wasn't working so I settled for roughly slamming my hand down onto the snooze button then quickly drifting back to sleep. Half an hour later I was awake lazily sitting on the side of my bed, running my hands over my face in an attempt to rub the sleepiness out of my eyes. It was Sunday so I didn't have to work but I needed to start packing before Wick got there with his truck so we could move into our new place. We had been on a waiting list for almost six months for an apartment downtown, Octavia had moved there first with her boyfriend and not long after I filled out an application so I could keep a closer eye on her. It wasn't that I distrusted Lincoln or anything, Octavia was just my responsibility and I needed to be close by for her in case she needed anything. It also didn't help that I was still twenty-five and living with Kane he didn't complain or ask for rent hell most of the time he was pre-occupied with his girlfriend, but it was still weird for me to be out of college and living at home.
Really the only reason I had stayed so long was because of Octavia. Yeah she loved Kane and had a better relationship with him than I did but I was just uncomfortable leaving her with him, I mean he did leave us when we were little and I was worried he'd do it again. Yeah Kane had also taken us in when our mother passed away, apologized countless times and tried to build relationships with both of us. He had handled me patiently through high school, paid for my college and didn't push for me to call him anything other than Kane. I respected him to an extent, but I still had some issues with him. He had disappeared when I was seven without any sort of warning and was basically forced back into my life eight years later. It wasn't easy to forgive him, but I had decided to try for Octavia. Overtime I eventually began to grow closer to him, not that I exactly had a choice; he was the only parental figure I had left, the only family O and I really had.
By about ten I was almost finished packing and Kane had knocked on my door, "Hungry Bell?" he asked glancing around the room at all of my boxes before looking back at me for a response.
"Uh yeah, just got one more box to pack and I'll be right out." I told him picking up a large box and heading over to my bookshelf; Kane simply nodded and left the room. About fifteen minutes later all of my books were in the box and it was taped shut. I looked around the room with a sigh, I was going to miss this room it's were I'd lived for the last ten years, the longest I'd ever lived anywhere and I was saying goodbye to it in a few short hours.
The smell of bacon drew me from my thoughts, I moved the boxes into a neat stack beside the door before heading into the kitchen for breakfast, "You need any help moving?" Kane asked from his spot at the table nose deep in his newspaper and coffee.
"No, I think Wick and I have it."
He nodded in response before asking, "What apartment will you be in?"
"205."
"Ah, two floors away from Octavia?" He paused looking up at me with a small smirk, "I expected you to move closer."
"It's the only apartment open." I mumbled with a mouthful of pancakes. Kane smiled in response before returning to his newspaper. I finished breakfast quickly before returning to my room, I flopped onto my beanbag chair putting in headphones and blasting some classic rock.
A little after one Wick popped his head into my room quietly rapping on the door as he walked in, "You ready?" he asked when I pulled out my earbuds.
I took one last look around the room as I got up, "Yeah, I'm ready. Help me with these boxes?" I asked motioning towards the stack by the door. Soon all the boxes were in Wick's truck and we were heading downtown.
Wick began pulling over and asked, "Hey man, you want to stop for lunch really quick?" I responded with a slight nod as he pulled in front of Space Walkers Café. We walked in and took a small booth in the corner quickly looking over the menu before the waitress arrived.
A peppy voice made us look up from our menus, "Hello!" It was a small girl with chocolate eyes, dark brown hair and copper skin. She was looking directly at Wick only glancing at me for a moment to flash me a small smile, "What can I get for you boys today?"
Wick just sat there looking at her for a moment like he hadn't heard her so I cleared my throat to order, "Uh, can I just get a burger and fries with a coke?" I asked placing my menu back behind the napkins.
She smiled and nodded at me quickly writing down my order before turning back to Wick, "And you sir?"
"Uh, yeah… uh same." He said pointing at me and quickly turning to look out the window, the girl let out a small laugh before walking away and going back behind the counter.
"What the hell man?" I asked giving him a scrutinizing look, "You suddenly can't talk to a girl?"
He glared at me for a moment before heavily sighing, "I don't know man, it was nothing." He said waving his hand absent mindedly and turning back to look out the window.
Soon our food came, we ate, we paid for it and we left. Wick didn't speak or look at the girl again the entire meal; I however learned that her name was Raven. We arrived at the apartment around three and began unloading our things. The apartment had a kitchen/living room area when you first walked in, a bathroom off to the right and two bedrooms straight back. I took the room on the right with the big window that led out onto the fire escape, right across the fire escape was another apartment with another huge window, and hopefully whoever it was wouldn't bother him too much. We were carrying up the last of our boxes when two boys came walking towards us from the other side of our building. One was tall and lanky with shaggy brown hair and the other was a shorter Asian. They were walking towards us waving with goofy looks on their faces, "Hey!" The taller one called, "You guys our new neighbors?"
"Uh yeah…" I said awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck.
"Cool, cool. I'm Jasper and this is Monty." He said pointing to his friend, "We live across from you in 204."
"Oh cool. Well we need to finish moving our stuff soon, so we'll talk later." I said quickly making my way into the apartment trying to avoid the any further conversation with the weird kids in the hallway. We finished unpacking around seven so we sat down to have a few beers and watch some hockey. "So," I said glancing over at Wick, "The girl from the café?"
"Shut up." He said taking another swig of his beer not taking his eyes off of the TV.
"Raven"
"What?" he asked finally taking his eyes off of the TV and turning his recliner towards me
"Her name," I said turning to match him, "Her name is Raven."
"Okay." He said nodding and slowly turning back towards the TV.
We sat there for a few more minutes cheering for the Penguins until a commercial came on and we ordered pizza. Not even an hour later the delivery guy showed up bringing both us and our neighbors across the hall pizza. Jasper caught sight of us, inviting himself and his roommate over. They brought their pizza, some whiskey and a small suspicious bag in throwing themselves on the couch.
"Yeah, just make yourselves at home." Wick said loudly giving our guest an annoyed look. Jasper gave a goofy smile while taking a large bite of pizza and holding up the bag, quirking his eyebrow like he was trying to ask if we wanted any, "No, we're good." Wick informed the two turning away from them and looking back at the TV.
Another hour passed before the game was over, we watched our team lose the game by a singular point before chauffeuring the two drunk guys back to their apartment and heading off to bed.
Three days later Octavia came down to the apartment, Wick was still at work and Jasper and Monty had invited themselves over once again taking over the Xbox.
"Hey O" I said giving her a hung as when I opened the door.
"Hey Bell," she said returning the hug, "Want to come over for dinner tonight? Lincoln is having his brother and sister over."
I was about to respond when Jasper interrupted walking over to hug Octavia, "Hey Tave! It's been like two weeks since you've been over to party with us, what up with that?"
"Oh! Hey Jasper," She looked around me, "Monty" she waved. "We've just been so busy, no time really." She turned away from the tall lanky guy and back to me, "So dinner?"
"Uh, yeah I'll be there. What time?"
"Seven! I'll see you then!" She said turning to walk out of the apartment, "I have to go, I need to start cooking! By boys!" she said cheerily waving before closing the door to the apartment and heading down the hall to the elevator.
For the next two hours me, Jasper and Monty sat playing games, talking about Octavia, the building, the area and their parties. Wick came home somewhere in between taking a beer from the fridge, lounging in his recliner and joining in the game. At ten till seven I left the apartment heading towards the elevator I walked in, pressed 5 and watched as the doors closed, except they didn't close. A foot came in between the doors which caused them to reopen revealing the girl from the café. She gave me a slight smirk stepping into the elevator beside me, "Hey."
"Hi." I responded moving over so she could select the floor she was going to.
She looked at the buttons and smiled, "I'm going to 5 too. Brother's having dinner."
"Lincoln?" I asked.
She nodded, "Octavia."
I nodded in response and we stood there in silence until the doors opened, "Ladies first." I said motioning for her to lead the way. She didn't protest as she stepped out of the elevator making her way towards apartment 510. She didn't bother knocking she just walked straight in so I followed her lead.
"Hey Raven!" Octavia yelled walking into the room, "Oh Bell, you're hear too." She gave me a small smile and introduced us to each other. "We're still waiting on Lincoln's older brother Tristian." Octavia told me as we took our seats at the table. Not too long after Tristian arrived, Octavia served a spicy chicken stir fry with white rice. We mostly ate in silence just making small talk; I learned the Tristian had lived in my apartment with his wife Anya before buying a house, Raven lived in apartment 321 which was down the hall from my place and that Jasper's family owned the Space Walkers Café that Raven worked at. After dinner everyone hugged saying goodbyes before Tristian, Raven and I made our way back to the elevator. Raven and I both got off on the third floor heading towards opposite sides of the building.
Things were going good for the most part, I mean Monty and Jasper were over frequently without permission which kind of bothered Wick but other than that everything was going fine until two a.m. on a Thursday morning, a morning I needed to be up getting ready for work in four hours and I couldn't sleep because the apartment across the fire escape had been blasting music for four hours. At first I tried to ignore it, I didn't want to be that neighbor, the neighbor that complained, but I had a class to teach in the morning and this, this was not working. I got up not bothering to change out of my pajamas or put on shoes before heading out of my apartment in search of the loud one. I reached the other end of the building following the sound before stopping in front of a door. "Three twenty-one" I sighed to myself, "Of course… Raven." I knocked on the door expecting the small brunette to answer but instead I was met with a set of bright blue eyes, long blonde hair and pale skin.
"Can I help you?" She asked putting her hand on her hip looking me up and down with a small smirk.