Your New Neighbor

3

I hadn't seen or heard from Wilbur since Monday at the cafe.

Either he was sick or visiting someplace else.

It was Saturday now, and I decided to have a self-care night of sorts.

I started with taking a shower. Everything was quiet, except for the rushing water, until I heard a muffled, "Oh, I love Ace Race! Nothing gets me harder!"

...Guess he's back? But who the fuck is Ace Race? And why is he so horny over them?

...Why do I care? I hardly know this guy...

...

My shower went on with the narration of... whatever he was doing next door?

When I'd gotten dressed in some pajamas, I decided to paint my nails.

I'd had nail polish back at my parent's home, but they condemned me for wearing it. Saying that I was only trying to attract attention.

Hmm... which color?

My eyes landed on the black nail polish.

"You. You're coming with me" (Shrek reference).

Over the week, I purchased a rug and coffee table for the main room. They were both sitting in front of the sofa.

I sat on the rug and opened the polish bottle. I started painting my non-dominant hand first, which, despite not being allowed to paint my nails in the past, went well.

Then I started painting my dominant hand. The hand with the paint just couldn't stay still.

I set the brush onto my nail and slid it up — "BRING THE FUCKING SAND!" — onto my finger.

All over the top of it.

"Ranboo, where are you, mate?! Tommy!" Wilbur yelled.

Tommy?

"American? My friend Tommy would probably love you..."

Is it the same Tommy from before? And who the fuck is Ranboo?

Regardless... it is way too late for this shit.

I stood up and walked to the door, grabbing a napkin on my way to wipe the screwed-up nail polish.

A few steps down the hallway, and I was in front of his door.

"You guys need to hurry your asses up. We've only got 20 seconds left." I could hear, followed by another man's voice saying, "I'm lost — shoot — I'm on my way!"

Sounds American. How fun!

Wilbur's voice continued on. I knocked on his door a few times, and he cut his words off for a moment, then said, "Be there in a sec!" Then a quieter, "Get your asses through the portal while I get the door."

I heard footsteps approaching quickly, then the click of the door, then him. He was wearing his glasses this time.

"Oh... Y/N, the American."

"Wilbur, the loud neighbor..." I whispered.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. Could you quiet down a bit? It's ten at night and you're being quite loud."

His eyes drifted down to my finger that was wrapped in the napkin. "Oh, shit, yeah. I'll try to quiet down. Did you hurt yourself?"

"What? No. I was painting my nails, and your yelling startled me." I pulled my finger out of the napkin and showed him the black paint stuck to my skin.

"What are you doing in there, anyway? I heard you say something about an Ace Race earlier, and now, sand."

"Oh, it's... MCC."

"MCC?"

"Right, I wasn't expecting you to know what it is." He sighed and leaned against the door frame. "It's a... tournament of sorts. For a game. Minecraft. You know it?"

"Who doesn't? I've never played, but my friend, Ophelia, loves it a lot."

"Right. Good on 'em. Anyway, I gotta get back to it. I'll try to be much more quiet." He said.

"Alright, Wilbur. Have a good night."

"And the same to you."

He was much quieter. In fact, I didn't hear him again after that point.

...

The next day, I woke up to knocking on my door.

"Who the fuck visits this early?" It was noon.

I opened the door slowly. It was Wilbur. And he wasn't wearing his glasses this time.

He was holding something behind his back.

"Ah... Y/N, I-" He seemed to be having trouble with his words.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Good morning, Wilbur. May I help you?"

"I... I... uhm." He pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "Here."

"Mmm... is there a special occasion?" I asked, smelling the flowers.

"Ah... it's more of an apology gift?" He fidgeted with his hands, "But it's also, like, your one week anniversary of living here, so..."

"Apology?"

"For being loud last night." He glanced at my hand quickly. I'd already cleaned up the screwed polish.

"Oh... Wilbur... you didn't have to do that. I mean... I appreciate it! I really do... but I haven't ever done anything for you."

"That's not a problem. You have no obligation to get or do anything for me."

"But you got me these beautiful..."

"Camellias."

"Camellias. You got me these beautiful camellias and that bottle of wine I haven't even got the chance to try yet..."

"If you really want to pay me back that badly, then you can paint my nails sometime soon. Alright?"

I just stared at him.

Why is he so handsome?

"Alright." I agreed.

"Good. I'll see you around, then." He walked off to his apartment.

I gently shut the door and looked at the tag on the bouquet. 

White Camellias.

I found my phone and googled, 'White Camellia meaning.'

'Adoration

White camellias symbolize adoration and are given to someone well-liked.'

...Does he know flower language? Or am I just playing myself?

..........

910 words

12/4/21