Hello.. So, I'm here for the first time with an actual story, no one-shot. I came up with an idea a while ago and I started writing down more and more ideas. I didn't really wanted to dive in and see where I would end up. I wanted this to be good and I still want it to. It's still a little vague, but I'm pretty certain about this chapter. It more or less an introduction. There'll be more information in the next.
Oh, and I came up with this title before I even knew the movie 'No Strings Attached.' I still haven't seen the movie, so I really don't know if this will have anything to do with the movie. If it will, I didn't know and I'm sorry. And the updating can be a little slow, I'm already apologizing for that, but I warned you
Anyway, enjoy and remember, English isn't my mother tongue. See any mistakes? Please point them out.

Chapter 1

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With a sigh I shoved a moving box outside the door and took one last look inside the empty apartment. I never really loved it, because it was tiny, it always had smelled like socks and every night I heard people screaming at each other in some weird language I couldn't understand, but still.. I had lived there for 1.5 years. I kinda got used to it. Except the smell.. I think I could've never gotten used to that. In the beginning I tried to fight it with air freshener, but it didn't work. Even that one time when I forgot I put a cake in the oven, it burnt badly and the whole apartment smelled like it for three days. Even through that smell I could still smell the old socks.

I wandered back into my apartment and looked around. It had 4 tiny rooms in total. A living room, a very small kitchen and bathroom and a bedroom. The memories of just moving in here flooded through my head. It was a good time. I couldn't believe I already lived in Los Angeles for 1.5 years and I only had 1.5 years left.

I shook my head and walked out the apartment, ready for leaving this behind. I closed the door and locked it. I picked up the box and walked to the elevator. I pressed the button and waited until the doors went open.

'Goodbye, Brittany,' a small voice said. I looked to my right and saw a girl standing outside her door. I smiled a sad smile at my girl next door.

'What did I say about goodbyes, Zoë?' The 7 year old looked knowingly at me with big green eyes. She played innocently with her long, brown hair.

'A goodbye is for someone you're never going to see again. And this is not a goodbye, because you're coming back to see me.'

'That's right. And you know I always keep my promise.' I winked at the girl, who let out a small giggle. The doors of the elevator jumped open and I placed the box between the doors, so that they couldn't close.

'Come give me a hug,' I said, while crouching down. Zoë walked up to me and threw her little arms around my neck. I squeezed her middle softly. After a couple seconds she pulled back and looked at me with a smile.

'See you later, Zoë. Be good for your mom and your little brother, okay?' The girl nodded, while I tucked a stray of hair behind her ear.

'See you, Brittany!'

I stepped into the elevator and picked the box up. I waved with my fingers at Zoë and she waved back until the doors closed. I actually still couldn't believe I was being kicked out. Someone had complained about me, because the owner himself was really nice. He was always asking me how I was doing and how the dancing worked out for me. It was that woman who lived two doors away from mine. She was always looking at me with these suspicious grey eyes and jeez.. How many times she had dropped notes in my mailbox telling me to be quiet for once. But I wasn't breaking any rule.

After 9 o'clock pm you had to be quiet in this building. It was the number one rule. Well, after paying your rent of course. Each evening I wasn't working or looking for any dance opportunities, I was dancing in my living room until 9 o'clock pm. I always loved dancing when no one was around. I could act crazy without having to worry that somebody laughing at me.

One time I totally forgot about the time and I danced until a quarter past 9. I didn't realise until that woman came up to my door and threatened to throw my stereo installation out of the window, if this happened one more time.

I was shocked, because firstly; I really could see her storming into my apartment and throwing my stuff out of the window and secondly; she could've just asked?
After that one time I didn't do my living-room-dance session for a long time, until Zoë came by on a Friday evening and asked me if we could dance together. It was this thing we sometimes did together in the weekend. She also really wanted to become a dancer one day, so I started learning her some things. I could swear it was 20:30 when Zoë went back home, but from there on that woman started telling the owner of the building I never was quiet after 9 o'clock and I always had my music up very loud until 10 o'clock. She also said I was rude, asocial and that I didn't respect her.

The owner, Gregory, told me he couldn't handle this woman anymore. He did told me that he didn't believe her, because he always thought I was very nice, but the woman already lived here for 10 years and she was paying a lot of rent. She threatened to move if it wasn't for me being kicked out. Gregory really needed the money the woman was paying him. He had three children and they all just went to High School. It was very expensive. I understood, though I was angry back then. He promised to help me looking for another apartment.

So after three weeks we found another apartment across the city and it wasn't that bad. The first thing I noticed was that it didn't smell like socks and it was nearby the beach. That was one thing I was very excited about. It also was a tad bigger, but on the other hand that also meant it was a little bit more expensive. First I didn't wanted to do it. I was afraid I wasn't able to pay the rent the for the next 1.5 years, but I just took the risk and called the owner of the new building in an enthusiastic mood to tell him I was going to take the apartment.

One week later I found myself packing my stuff. Zoë wasn't too happy with me moving and though I was just moving to the other side of the city, I knew I was still going to miss her. Zoë's mother, Daniela, was a busy woman. Her husband died a couple years ago and she was working every day to pay for her and her two children. I offered to come and babysit Zoë and David one in a while and she accepted it gratefully. I found out hanging with those 2 children was actually really fun. Daniela was a really nice woman and she invited me to dinner at least one a week. I bet she felt guilty about having me babysitting her children and not being able to pay me for it. I didn't mind, I had a lot of fun teaching Zoë to dance and helping David learning to read. Though most of the time I got confused myself and Zoë had to help me and David out.

When I told them I had to move, because that old woman had complained about me, Daniela was actually really angry. She even offered going to her to tell her she could shove her complaints in her.. Well, she never really got to finish that sentence, because Zoë gasped knowing her mother was going to say a bad word.

I said I could still come once in a while to babysit Zoë and David and the next thing I knew she was hugging my tightly, whispering in my ear that God must've send me. I didn't tell her God wasn't the one that send me and I came to Los Angeles on my own, because she seemed so happy and I didn't wanted to ruin that for her.

The elevator doors jumped open and I looked into the dark hallway. A black Chevrolet pickup truck stood outside. Gregory had said he would also help me moving, so he already drove across LA once to bring a lot of stuff to my new apartment. Unfortunately I had a little bit too much stuff, so he had to drive twice. He said it wasn't a problem and that it was the least he could do.

I pushed the door open with my hip and stepped into the warmth of the Los Angeles weather. Gregory was just pushing a box in the back of his pickup truck and looked up when the door slammed shut behind me. He smiled sadly.

'Last box?' he asked and came up to me to take over the box to put it beside the other ones.

'Yup,' I mumbled and sighed. 'Here's the key, by the way.' I handed him the key that used to hang next to my favourite duck key ring.

'Thanks,' he said and I heard guilt in his voice.

'Hey, this isn't your fault. How many times do I have to say it?'

'I just feel guilty about having to kick you out. Can't help it.'

I nodded and squeezed his shoulder. 'Let's go, I can't wait for having to unpack everything again.' He chuckled, hearing the sarcasm in my voice and got into the car. I went to sit in the passenger seat and he started the car. When he drove off to the other side of Los Angeles, I looked outside the window and bit my lower lip. I felt like I was leaving an amazing 1.5 years behind, but I was approaching another even better 1.5 years.

I was going to make it, I knew it. Well, actually.. I had to. I didn't have a choice. I had to prove it to them.