Dearest Neighbour- Chapter 2

‧₊˚☁️⋅♡𓂃ִֶָ࣪☾。 Chapter 2‧₊˚☁️⋅♡𓂃ִֶָ࣪☾。

Unexpected Neighbours

Elara was enjoying a rare quiet afternoon in the living room, the soft glow of the lamp illuminating the pages of her psychology textbook. She was deeply engrossed in a chapter on cognitive biases when the sound of raucous laughter and heavy footsteps outside shattered the tranquility. Startled, she glanced towards the window and saw a group of young men, a flurry of arms and legs, carrying boxes and furniture into the house next door. They were a whirlwind of chaotic energy, and Elara felt a sense of dread growing in her stomach.

“Looks like we have new neighbours,” Luna said, appearing beside Elara, her face a mixture of curiosity and mild alarm. “And they seem… lively.”

Elara nodded, her eyes following the antics of one of the boys in particular. He was tall, with tousled brown hair that constantly fell into his eyes, and a mischievous grin that was both disarming and, Elara had to admit, rather appealing. He was struggling to balance a precariously stacked tower of boxes while bantering loudly with his friends. They were, without a doubt, loud, unapologetic, and undeniably… well, Elara had to give it to them – they had an aura.

“Oh, come on,” Ashley said, her hand clutching her chest, “They’re gorgeous!” She held up her phone to a picture of a particular boy she had already been stalking on social media. He had a black sleeveless tank top and exposed biceps.

Elara rolled her eyes. "Ashley, don't." She knew she'd be in for a long night. Ashley’s obsession with attractive men was a constant source of amusement and exasperation. It was barely noon yet.

As the day wore on, the noise only intensified. It was as if the boys were deliberately trying to test the limits of the neighbourhood’s tolerance. The sound of furniture being dragged, booming music, and the constant roar of their laughter echoed through Elara’s walls, making it nearly impossible for her to focus on her studies. Her peaceful existence, one she had carefully constructed, was under siege by this new force of chaotic energy.

By evening, the girls – Elara, Luna, Fay, Ashley, and, as always, the reclusive Eden – had gathered in the kitchen, their usual easy banter replaced by a shared sense of bewildered frustration.

“I can't believe how loud they are," Luna complained, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I have a quiz tomorrow and an exam the day after! It's like they don't know the meaning of 'inside voice.'" Luna's anxiety was palpable, her usually bright eyes now clouded with worry.

“Maybe we should go introduce ourselves,” Ashley suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye. “It could be fun.”

Before anyone could respond, a knock echoed through the quiet house. Elara hesitantly opened the door to reveal the tall, brown-haired boy, who was now wearing a charming smile that reached his eyes. He held a wicker basket overflowing with snacks and, rather suspiciously, a few bottles of cheap grocery wine.

“Hey there,” he said, leaning casually against the doorframe, his voice a low rumble. “I’m Kai, and we just moved in next door. Thought we'd come over and say hi.”

Behind him, a few more boys appeared, each with a distinct presence. There was Finn, with his easygoing smile and athletic build, who gave Fay a nod of greeting, an electric smile. There was Leo, who had a playful glint in his eyes and a guitar slung over his shoulder. There was Marley, an artistic heartthrob who wore far too little clothing, and last but not least, Peace, the shy one with long, dark bangs that perpetually covered his eyes.

“Hi, I’m Ashley,” Ashley beamed, quickly stepping in front of Elara to collect the basket. “And these are my housemates: Elara, Luna, Fay, and… well, Eden’s around here somewhere. Your gift is much appreciated.”

“Who?” Fay whispered, confusion written all over her face.

“Nice to meet you all,” Kai said, his gaze lingering on Elara for a moment longer than was necessary, a subtle challenge in his eyes. “We were thinking of having a little get-together tonight to celebrate moving in. You should all come.”

Elara immediately classified him as a smooth talker, a potential panty-dropper. She refused to fall prey to his cute smile or boyish charm. These boys had only been here for one day, and already, their presence felt like a disruption to her meticulously organized life. Her first few weeks in this peaceful house had been bliss. She had enjoyed her quiet mornings, her routine, and her focused study schedule. She was not about to let these new neighbours ruin that. She was, in fact, ready to set some boundaries.

“We'll think about it,” Luna said with a tense smile. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Absolutely! We’d love to!” Ashley interjected, effectively overriding Luna.

“Cool…We could use some cute girls at our party; don’t be late,” Kai winked, his confidence bordering on arrogant.

Finn threw a flirty look at Fay before leaving, “Saw you around the field last week. How about we play sometime? It’s Fay, right?”

Fay stumbled over her words, her bright pink cheeks making a statement. "Uh, yeah, I guess we'll see..."

“Cool,” he smiled, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than was appropriate.

After the boys left, the girls retreated to the kitchen, munching on the chips and cookies from the basket. A heavy silence hung in the air, punctuated by furtive glances and the occasional awkward smile.

“Are we not gonna address that we have a fifth roommate?” Fay finally broke the silence, her voice edged with disbelief.

“Eden’s a bit shy; she mostly stays in her room," Luna responded.

“Yeah, it’s the room in the attic,” Ashley added, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

“We have an attic? Nice to know. Any other secrets I should know about?” Fay joked, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere.

The girls bantered for a while until the conversation inevitably circled back to the new neighbours. It seemed they were all, reluctantly, in favor of going, at least for a short time. They argued that it was only their first day as neighbours, and it was essential to try to be civil with each other. It would be unreasonable, they decided, to march over to their front door to scream at them for a single day's worth of noise, especially after they had presented themselves at their door with a (mostly) palatable gift basket.

“We show up for a bit and leave. What’s the worst that could happen?” Luna sighed, flipping through her flashcards, her usual academic resolve battling with the thrill of breaking her routine.

“Exactly! Luna gets it. We’ve got hot new neighbours and they’re hot,” Ashley said matter-of-factly.

“You said ‘hot’ twice,” Elara pointed out, a smirk tugging at her lips.

“And I meant it. Have you seen those biceps-“

Luna and Elara exchanged knowing glances, and Fay sighed dramatically, digging into her wallet. She pulled out two five-dollar bills and reluctantly handed them over to the other girls.

“Did you bitches make a bet… without me!?” Ashley questioned, cocking her hip and folding her hands to appear more stern, though there was no real heat in her tone.

“They bet me five dollars you’d be gushing about their biceps—”

“You bitches—”

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

Elara pocketed her five dollars and snuck into her room. She didn't really care for the party, but

oddly enough it brought everyone together, except for Eden.

Before the girls started fighting for the bathroom, Elara showered and pondered on whether she would attend. With classes the next day in the afternoon, staying out late wouldn't be too hard. It might be good to experience a party for once. And just like that, Elara's mind was made up.

She tugged on a cute pair of underwear with her favorite bunny character print and searched through her closet for the rest of the outfit. There was a black tube top, a white button-down shirt, and a sweater her grandmother had knitted for her on her sixteenth birthday. Her options were limited, she might take Ashley up on her offer to go shopping.

“Cute panties!” Someone called out. Elara's heart skipped a beat. How could someone see her from the second floor? And she recognized that voice - it was Kai, so very boyish and cocky.

Panic seized her. Elara squealed, grabbing the knitted sweater and frantically covering herself, her cheeks burning with mortification.

“Look away, perv!” She yelled, her voice high-pitched with embarrassment.

Kai chuckled, the sound both teasing and, infuriatingly, a little bit charming. “You’re the real perv, changing your clothes with the windows wide open,” he smirked. “Although I’m not complaining about such a warm welcome to the neighborhood.”

Elara's hands trembled as she slammed the windows shut and marched to the edge of her bed. She sat there, her heart pounding an erratic rhythm against her chest. She couldn't believe that this had just happened, the sheer audacity of that boy…

“The black top looked cute!” Kai shouted from next door, his voice laced with amusement.

Elara screamed into her pillows, the muffled sound expressing a cocktail of rage, embarrassment, and a bizarre, unwanted flutter in her stomach.

This meant war!