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A/N: 15.10.2020
WOW, +1k views in just a day? The Homie gang still be strong.
Btw, I might be doing a live stream on Instagram this Saturday! I’ll confirm this tomorrow, and also give the time I’ll be on. If you guys want to stop by and say hi, or even chat with me, follow me @letsgohomehidee on Instagram 🙂 Can’t wait to see you xx
🌻🌻🌻
I gaped at him curiously, admiring his sharp jaw, chin, and high cheekbones. On each side of his nose were two midnight black eyes. He ran his hand through his tousled hair which allowed me to see his graceful thick brows. Oh, and his nice forehead. He had a nice forehead.
His arms fell and crossed over his chest. He was wearing a shirt that tightened around his muscles. I looked back towards his face, fixating his sharp lips that were still pulled in a scowl. I think he’d look even more handsome if he were smiling, but of course, I kept that thought to myself.
I realized that we had been staring at each in silence for a while and wondered if this was awkward for him. I decided to speak.
“Hello,” I said, greeting him with a smile and wave. “My name is Conan.”
“Where is the old fucker?”
I blinked. The books I’ve read told me that if one introduced themselves, normally their interlocutor would reply in the same manner. I believe that is what they called etiquette. My notes have never prepared me for an answer like his. So I tried again.
“Hello, my name is Conan.”
“That’s absolutely great. Now, where is Greg?”
“I don’t know. Where is he?”
I wasn’t trying to make a joke, I genuinely didn’t know where Greg went. The tall boy must have thought that I was mocking him, and narrowed his eyes into slits until he noticed my half-dried hair.
“You took a shower?”
I patted my head. “Yes.”
“Hot water runs in your place?” he asked, anger returning to his charcoal eyes. Before I could answer, he walked past me and headed to the bathroom.
I wanted to stop him, but then I remembered that he had a strong chest and rigid arms. I was built like a bean sprout; even the wind could knock me down. Perhaps it was best if I avoided engaging in a physical conflict with this boy. I could hear him turning the shower faucet which was followed by a yelp and a string of curse words. Seconds later, he stormed out with wet hands.
“You lied to me. The water is cold.”
“I never said it wasn’t,” I frowned.
“You said you took a shower.”
“A cold shower,” I said.
“You took a cold shower? What’s wrong with you?”
“A lot of things, I think. But the doctors say I’m getting better.”
He paused, looked at me from head to toe, and scrunched his brows as if he had just realized something crucial.
“Who are you again?”
“My name is Conan. I just moved in. What’s your name?”
“Wait, Gloria moved out?”
“That’s a very unique name!”
He looked like he wanted to punch me.
“So you have the keys to this place and everything?”
I nodded.
“Was Greg the one who gave you the keys?”
“Yes, but he left about fifteen minutes ago. Greg is a very nice man.”
“Greg is a damned liar,” he muttered, taking out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. He brought it to his lips and pulled one out, lighting the tip. His movement was quick and swift as if he’d done this a thousand times. I was about to tell him that I didn’t like the smell of cigarettes, but he cut me off.
“Did Greg tell you that he’d get the broken elevator fixed?” he asked, letting out a puff of smoke.
I nodded, concentrated on how beautiful his hands were. They were long and slim, almost feminine, which made quite a nice contrast compared to the rest of his body.
“Did he also tell you that he was going to fix the pipes?”
I nodded again.
“And did he tell you that the tape outlining a body downstairs was a Halloween decoration?” he snorted.
“He did.”
“He says that to all the newcomers. The hot water won’t be running any time soon and you can expect to walk up and down those musty stairs for as long as you live here. Oh, and you’re an idiot if you actually believe the tape downstairs is decoration.”
“I’m an idiot?” I asked curiously.
“Seems so,” he simply said, taking another long drag. He leaned his shoulder against the wall, his eyes locked on the burning tip as he inhaled. His gaze was so intimidating, you’d think that his eyes were the reason the fire burned. He looked as if he were deep in thought during those short few seconds, and I wondered what he was thinking as smoke filled his lungs. Something about him was captivating as if his eyes darkened at each drag. Then, they flickered towards me, and the illusion stopped.
“How long do you plan on living here?” he asked.
“Not very long,” I answered quietly.
“Good. The quicker you leave this crappy place, the better. As for Greg, I wouldn’t trust a word he says if I were you.”
“What about you? Can I trust the words you say to me?”
He paused. Then, a crooked smile grew on his face.
“If you’re smart, then no.”
“But you said I was an idiot.”
“And that’s what makes it tragic,” he said with a grin unlike any other. “I’m Parker by the way, your upstairs neighbor.”
He pointed up and I followed the direction, staring up at the ceiling, before looking back at him.
“Conan, right?” he said.
I nodded, happy that he remembered my name. I always thought it was nice whenever I heard someone else say my name. It was such a little thing, but it was the little things that made me happy. I’d sometimes wonder if my life was just an imagination if everything was just a dream, but then I’d hear someone say my name, and it reassured me that I did, indeed, exist. And I thought that was the nicest thing anyone could do for me.
“That’s me,” I smiled.
“Welcome to the crappiest building of this city.”
“Thank you.”
“How old are you? You don’t look old enough to live on your own.”
“Twenty one,” I told him. His brow shot up, and he openly studied me from head to toe again.
“Huh.”
“How old are you?”
“Guess,” he said with a playful smirk.
“Thirty?”
Parker choked on his own saliva, and then returned the scowl.
“I’m not an old man,” he snapped. “In fact, I’m younger than you.”
He placed his cigarette between his lips and raised two fingers and a fist.
“Twenty. I’m twenty,” he said.
Despite the scowl on his face, Parker seemed to be very sociable. I liked how he was very straightforward, there weren’t a lot of people like him. I was also grateful that he was leading the conversation because I never really knew what to say to strangers, but Parker kept the conversation going as if it was second nature to him.
“So you’re a college student? Which one do you go to?” Parker asked, finishing his cigarette.
“Bergson university.”
He cocked a brow. “Huh. I guess we’ll be seeing each other quite often then. What do you major in?”
“Philosophy.”
“Philosophy?” he snorted. “Who majors in philosophy?”
“Me.”
He rolled his eyes. “It was a rhetorical question.”
“Oh. Are you an English major?”
Parker looked even more exhausted than when he first walked in. That was another thing I noticed about him: the dark circles under his eyes. But he was so good looking that you could hardly notice them since you were so busy admiring everything else. Like his forehead.
“I major in bio-chem,” he said dismissively.
“Do you like bio-chem?”
“Asolutely hate it, but I’m good at it.”
“Why do you study it if you hate it?”
“Didn’t you hear the last part?”
“That you’re good at it?” I asked.
“Exactly. And it’ll get me a decent job after I graduate, and that’s all that matters.”
“I don’t think that’s all that matters.”
He raised his shoulders. “It is what it is.”
Parker walked past me and I guess that was an indication that he was leaving. I watched him head for the door and even though I was sad to see him leave, I waved at him. He noticed and furrowed his brows.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Smiling and waving like the penguins from Madagascar.”
“I read it in a book.”
“Read what in a book?”
“That smiling and waving helps make friends.”
Parker gave me The Look.
“You’re weird, you know that?” He didn’t say it in a mocking tone. It sounded more like he was stating a bio-chem fact.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he said harshly.
I looked for something else to say. All I could think of was, “Okay.”
“And stop waving, it’s already been a couple of seconds.”
“I’m waiting for you to wave back.”
I think I was making Parker uncomfortable because he looked at me as if I was an alien from outer space. I did have to admit that my social skills weren’t the best. I watched him walk away, but right when he was about to turn around the corner, he dismissively waved his hand over his shoulder. It was so brief, I almost didn’t see it.
“See you around, dandelion.”
Dandelion?
“Bye, Parker!” I exclaimed, watching him disappear up the staircase.
I smiled widely.
I think I just made my first friend.
🌻🌻🌻
A/N: Thoughts on Conan and Parker?
Don’t forget to leave a vote, loves 💕
Conan during this chapter: Parker’s forehead :000
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