0 7| n e i g h b o u r s

H E R M I A

"And...?" I demand in irritation.

Sally has been this situation because of me. I shouldn't have left her alone and what was I doing the whole time? Having snacks at the balcony and enjoying the taste of pies made by the bastard of course.

If she hadn't dialed emergency, I wouldn't have known and I'd still be there.

My blood boiled with anger just thinking of what I'm going to do to Daniel. I'll get him castrated and get his member fed to the dogs. Being the Commissioner's son isn't even going to save him now.

I glanced at Sally who was sleeping casually on the floor with her body supported by the lamp shade. I found no better place to put her.

"You could come with us. " Aaron suggested. He's being extremely nice and I get affected by nice people.

"I don't need your help. I'll just take a cab. Besides you have to cater for. . ." I paused looking at the similarity in the guy he was holding and himself.

"My twin brother, Noah. ", he answered my thought. How come he knew I'd ask that. Did I say it loud?

"Okay, bye. "

I helped Sally up. She grunted a few times. When she abruptly jerked forward, I tripped on my own toe.

"Ow..." I yelped when I sprained my left ankle.

"Everything okay?"

"Hmmm..." I murmured and just started to walk both Sally and I down the sidewalk.

"I'll come to pick my car up tomorrow and make the person who did this to my friend pay for it." I muttered to myself as I limped.

"Hey! Is your leg fine?"

I paused in my tracks and glanced down at my own legs. Was it that visible I was limping?

"Hi?"

"Yeah, what?" I snapped and continued to walk farther away from him.

"Hey... I insist you come with us. Your friend is more safe with us. I know you might not like the idea of coming with us but for her sake..."

I stopped in my tracks and turned to glance at him.

"How does that help? You've got your brother as well."

"Well, yeah... It doesn't look safe..." he pointedly glanced at my wreck of a car.

Then, I look back at Sally and a wave of guilt washed over me.

I don't want to risk anything with her. The street is void of any walking soul...

Just this once... Just this once, accept help from him...

Reluctantly, I started to limp back towards him.

"Well, weirdo... That makes the two of us having drunk friends..." I muttered and stopped in front of him.

For a while, all I did was stare at him.

He was standing directly beneath the lamp shade, hus silhouette draped in the simmering golden light. His auburn hair went wild as the midnight winds brushed its fingers through it.

The shadows of his lashes danced on his nose, as if his very gaze holds secrets the light can't touch.

In that moment, he was both mystery and magnet to me.

My breath quickened and I didn't like the feeling I was getting so I was eager to cut it off.

"You have a car?" I broke the silence.

"Huh? Er... I'll call someone. Wait up."

I nodded and wondered why he's even acting so nice. I was captivated by the way his fingers moved swiftly across the phone screen as he dialed a number.

He unexpectedly looked up at me. I quickly glanced away and focused on fixing Sally's hair. I waited for a few seconds before quietly looking back at him.

Soon the line was connected.

"Sorry to disturb your sleep... Can I use your car tonight? Oh really...? The key... oh! Great! Thanks Tyler."

And he cut the call. I raised my brows at him.

"Wait up," he simply replied and got rid of his brother, whose head he placed against the nearest lampshade and arms put around it to stand still.

He dipped his hand in his back pocket and in no time produced a car key.

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I placed Sally at one of the back seat when he also pulled his brother in the back seat as well. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Um, we could just let also stay at the backseat... That makes two unconscious people together. " he suggested.

"I'm responsible for Sally's state. I should stay with her now."

"Are you okay? " He asked all of a sudden.

"What? "

"You look pale... "

I clench my jaws. "Well, thinking of a thousand ways to murder the scumbag."

"Oh..." He was clearly taken aback.

I shouldn't have left her with Daniel.

It's so evident he was only into her for his selfish gains but I let her talks about romance fool me.

"Actually, Daniel isn't someone to be trusted... I was quite surprised you let your girlfriend— I meant friend— around him so easily."

I just glared at him because he was right. I didn't do a proper background check on him. He just resumed with us and all I knew about him was that he flirted with girls. Sally said he's changing for her... I thought she had her fairy tale already.

"Fuck!" I cussed as I got in the front seat and slammed the door behind me.

He also got in and started to drive. I was looking out the window when I sensed eyes boring into the side of my face. I turn my head sharply to catch him in the act.

"What, weirdo? "

His eyes widened. "First, I'm Aaron—"

"Whatever..." I cut in but he continued to talk.

"Uh... I was just thinking, you looked so much like someone I know..."

"And...?"

"I just wanted to ask you that. "

"Don't. " I snap and looked ahead.

"Well... where do I drop you two?"

I gave him my address since Sally's parents weren't even aware she was at a birthday party.

As the car sped down the road, the houses seemed to blur like faded watercolors through the window—a kaleidoscope of lives, each one framed in fleeting moments.

My gaze drifted from one house to the next, each a quiet reflection of my unsettled thoughts.

The first house was an old, tired cottage, the windows cracked like broken promises. It stood in the middle of a garden that had once been lush but now lay tangled with weeds.

I could almost feel the heaviness of its walls, weighed down by time, much like the weight of the memory pressing on my chest. The day had started with glee, but now it felt like a house whose paint had long peeled away, revealing the rot beneath.

Further down, a sprawling modern mansion gleamed with cold, pristine glass, reflecting the dying light of the setting sun.

It was perfect from a distance, a monument to perfection. But as I gazed at it, it felt hollow, empty inside—like a party full of laughter but no warmth, no substance, just a shiny shell.

It reminded me of the party that had gone wrong, the laughter that had seemed so carefree before the darkness crept in, before what happened...

The car pulled up to a stop and Aaron began to chuckle. I paused in my reverie to take a proper look at him.

"Is this a joke?" He asked, staring intently at the house in front of us. My home.

I glance between him and the building. "Yeah, what?"

"We're neighbors.... Yeah!"

My hooded eyes widened. No way. We aren't.

"Pfft... If we were, I would see you around?"

"Well... We really are neighbours!"

"How? Uh, what? Wait... No chance."

"Mrs Jones..." He muttered and shut his eyes as if trying to recall correctly. " Yeah. The Jones-s! And their girl child."

Holy Shit. He knows mom. He must know dad too...

My eyes even widened further when he nodded at me fervently.

"What? When did you move here?" I ask.

He removed the car key from the ignition and twisted it around his index finger while whistling.

"We were always here... I mean, our houses are separated by that lamp shade. Over there... " he pointed out at the street lamp shade behind my house.

I traced his finger until it landed on the pitch colored house I never really paid attention to. Its windows were closed and directly to my room's. Was it not of those strange neighbours we had some time ago?

Mom said they moved so I'm not sure it's them. We always heard some noises in there occasionally but I was too busy with my life to care about what the hell might be happening.

And then I turned my head around to look at him. I wanted to ask him but,—"No way I'm neighbours with you now. " I groan.

He began to chuckle. "Well, wow... We should be friends!" He started to drum his fingers against the steering wheel.

Heck. Does a chuckle sound so annoyingly good?

What the hell?

"No way I'm being friends with you, weirdo." I rolled my eyes and unclasped the seatbelt off me and went to pick Sally from the back seat.

I heard the door open on his side as well and we made eye contact once he made it out. He was awkwardly silent while his striking blue eyes told a different story.

Was I harsh just now? Well... I have no idea what to say to undo that...

I wanted to stop going and turn around and then say thank you for what he did but I didn't do any of those.

I just continued to pull Sally into the house without a single glance at the boy who helped us home.

"Hey!"

I halted in my tracks when he called. I was hesitant to look back whe

n he went further.

"You should take care of yous ankle."

I looked at him over my shoulder and waited for a moment before limping off again, Sally resting heavily on my shoulder.

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