NEIGHBOURS

TICUS' POV

As Hilda and I returned to our messy apartment, she handed me a letter with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Looks like Lumina University is calling for me," she announced, grinning. "I'll be moving into the hostels soon, leaving you to have some quality time with your 'admirer'." She nudged me playfully, knowing full well how I felt about the mysterious guy I had met.

I rolled my eyes at her teasing. "You don't have to leave, you know," I replied, half-jokingly. "Especially when we only have each other right now." But Hilda was determined to prioritize her studies, promising to visit whenever she could.

As we busied ourselves with rearranging our belongings, the reality of Hilda's imminent departure sank in. "Tomorrow?" I exclaimed incredulously when she announced her leaving date. "You're joking, right?" But she shook her head, and I resigned myself to driving her to Lumina University the next day.

Our day flew by in a whirlwind of packing and organizing. By the time evening fell, we found ourselves heading out to buy dinner, too exhausted to even think about cooking. But fate had other plans in store for me.

As we made our way through the crowded streets, I accidentally bumped into someone. "Sorry," I muttered automatically, looking up to meet the familiar gaze of the guy I had been unable to forget. Charles.

My heart skipped a beat as I tried to compose myself, but Hilda's knowing look only added to my flustered state. She excused herself, leaving me alone with Charles, who was looking at me with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Hi," I managed to say, my voice sounding embarrassingly squeaky. "I live around here." I inwardly cringed at my awkwardness, mentally cursing myself for not being more suave.

To my relief, Charles seemed unfazed by my clumsiness. "Nice to meet you," he replied with a friendly smile. "I'm Charles."

We exchanged pleasantries, and I found myself agreeing to catch up sometime soon. But as I walked away, I couldn't resist stealing a glance back at him, only to find him looking back at me with a hint of curiosity.

Back at our apartment, Hilda couldn't contain her excitement at witnessing my encounter with Charles. "You looked so weird," she teased, poking fun at my flustered demeanor. "Do you love him?"

I scoffed at her suggestion, trying to brush off my conflicting feelings. "Of course not, Hilda," I retorted, trying to convince myself as much as her. "He's just a guy."

But deep down, I knew it wasn't that simple. There was something about Charles that intrigued me, something that made my heart race every time I saw him. But admitting that to myself was a whole other story.

As we settled in with our snacks from the supermarket, I couldn't shake the memory of my encounter with Charles. Despite my best efforts to deny it, there was an undeniable spark between us, one that left me questioning everything I thought I knew about myself.

As Hilda's teasing words cut through my thoughts of Charles, I couldn't help but chuckle at her playful banter. "Always," I replied with a grin, rolling my eyes at her nickname for me. "But seriously, what are we watching tonight?"

She laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hmm, how about a reality show?" she suggested, knowing full well that it was one of my guilty pleasures.

I groaned dramatically. "Oh, come on, Hilda. You know how trashy those shows are."

But she was adamant, and after some playful arguing, we finally settled on a reality show that promised drama, laughter, and everything in between. As we snuggled up on the couch, popcorn in hand, the hours melted away as we laughed and cheered on our favorite contestants.

But as the night wore on, Hilda's eyelids grew heavy, and she eventually bid me goodnight, leaving me alone with my thoughts. "Goodnight, lover boy," she teased before disappearing into her room.

Alone in the dimly lit apartment, I felt a wave of emotions wash over me. The laughter from our evening together still lingered in the air, but underneath it all, there was a deep sense of longing and sadness.

I found myself drawn to a photograph of my mother on the mantle, her warm smile reminding me of the strength and resilience she had instilled in me. "It's getting harder, Mum," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. "I have to be strong for Hilda, but I'm losing it."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I allowed myself to feel the weight of my emotions, letting them wash over me in waves of grief and uncertainty. But even in my darkest moments, I knew that I had to find the strength to carry on, for both myself and for Hilda.

With a heavy heart, I reached for the bottle of sleeping pills and antidepressants, knowing that they were my only escape from the turmoil swirling inside me. Swallowing them down with a glass of water, I closed my eyes and let the darkness of sleep envelop me.

CHARLES' POV

I couldn't believe my luck. Just moments ago, I had bumped into him, Ticus, the guy who had been occupying my thoughts more than I cared to admit. And now, standing outside my apartment door, the realization hit me like a bolt of lightning—we were neighbors. Fate truly worked in mysterious ways.

As I stepped into my apartment, a surge of exhilaration washed over me. Ticus had been just as charming and intriguing as I had imagined, his smile sending a delightful shiver down my spine. I wished he'd stay smiling forever

With trembling fingers, I dialed Stacy's number, eager to spill the beans about my unexpected encounter. "Stacy," I practically squealed as soon as she picked up, unable to contain my excitement, "you won't believe what just happened."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Stacy's voice crackled through the line, sharp with curiosity. "What happened? Did you finally stumble upon your mystery man?"

I couldn't help but smirk at her choice of words. "Stumble is right," I replied, a hint of sass creeping into my tone. "I literally bumped into him in the hallway."

Stacy's gasp of surprise was loud enough to make my eardrum wince. "No way! Tell me more!"

I chuckled, relishing the opportunity to spill the juicy details. "Well, after the clumsy collision, we got to talking and, lo and behold, turns out he's my new neighbor. Can you believe it?"

Stacy's excitement was palpable, her voice practically crackling with disbelief. "Wait, so you're telling me you're living in some kind of rom-com now? That's too good to be true!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, feeling a surge of camaraderie as we dissected the absurdity of the situation. "I know, right? It's like fate decided to throw me a curveball just for kicks."

After regaling Stacy with every last detail of my encounter with Ticus, we reluctantly bid each other farewell, knowing that I needed to get some rest before facing the chaos of the hospital the next day.

As I settled into bed, thoughts of Ticus danced through my mind, filling me with a sense of anticipation for the future. Who knew what other surprises fate had in store for us? But one thing was for sure—I was ready to embrace whatever came my way, with a healthy dose of sass and a whole lot of excitement.