Attached

1: Mundane

Lucas

I walked down the stairs; my footsteps echoed through the barren house. The very last of the boxes sat in the middle of our old living room.

Seeing the trunk of my car packed to its brim solidified the simple truth. It's over.

She left me for someone better.

I should've been mad, angry and even outraged but I've known for a long time that I wasn't the only one. The secret meetings that she didn't want to tell me about and the late nights at the office were a dead giveaway. I didn't do anything or say anything because I wanted things to stay the way they were. I liked my life the way it was, mundane and simple.

I lived my suburban dream. I had a loving wife; we lived in a nice house, planning to have a baby and we both had stable jobs.

But things aren't always as they seem from the outside.

I slammed the trunk shut.

The Mediterranean style townhouse came into view an hour later into my sullen trip. My gut churned as I parked my car beside the neon green Prius. Todd sprung up from his seat on the steps to greet me.

"Welcome to your new habitat!" Todd slapped me on the shoulder as soon as I got out of the car and gestured to his house. I've known Todd for many years, since middle school. He has always been a strange guy. He works as a network security director now, so it is hard to believe he is as much of a scatterbrain as he is. We stayed in touch throughout the years. In college we were roommates and he was even my best man at my wedding. After that, we drifted apart thanks to my lovely wife.

When I told him about the divorce he was as shocked as I was. Well...not really that shocked. He quipped that he saw it coming from a mile away. So, he offered that I stay with him until I get back on my feet.

"Thanks."

"I know what will cheer you up. Atari and Cheetos." An old school favourite of ours.

"Sorry, I think I'll pass for today. I need to unpack."

"I would offer to help but I really don't want to." He grimaced and sauntered away.

The boxes were stacked up in the empty guest room. One of the first things I grabbed was a photo album. It was filled with wedding pictures and engagement photos. Seeing how happy we were compared to now showed me just how much we have changed. Five years does a lot to a person.

Staying with Todd is going to be quite the adjustment.

After flipping mindlessly through the old memories I walked down the hall; a light emanated from a closet. I slowly opened it, not sure what to expect. Todd had various pet snakes and insects in his room, but he often misplaces them and warned me sternly about that when I agreed to move in. I'm not exactly scared of them, but I didn't exactly love snakes.

As I opened the closet two of his corn snakes came sailing out. I jumped backwards and tumbled down after letting out a girlish yelp.

"Todd! Did you lose any snakes?"

"Yes! Two today!" He yelled back from what sounded like the kitchen.

I wonder what the count was yesterday.

Good thing he always finds them. I think.

"They are up here! I found them."

"Thank you!"

Why did I agree to this again? Maybe because when I divorced Olivia, she took everything. Almost all the money I had and basically everything I owned except my car. Who needs a prenup when you just have shark of a lawyer take it all away with hidden clauses?

There was a knock at the door as soon as I got into the kitchen. Todd was juggling a bowl that looked as if it was filled with pasta, he had a spoon in his mouth and his other hand was holding onto a whisk.

"I'll get it." He nodded and continued his barrage on what was mac and cheese.

I opened the door to see a woman standing there. Her hair was tied back with a yellow bandanna and had various necklaces draped around her neck with a stack of bracelets on each wrist.

"Uh you're not Todd." I smiled.

"Thankfully not."

"Oh sorry. I'm Sage, his neighbour. Is Todd around?" I nodded.

"I'm Lucas. Todd is in the kitchen, come in." I opened the door wider for her. She turned to the kitchen but when she saw Todd she stopped in her tracks and a mischievous smile spread across her face. I should have asked Todd if I should let her in, I don't know what kind of exes he's had recently.

"Did you lose Odis...again?" He frowned, thought about it for a second and nodded. He pulled the spoon out of his mouth.

"I think so. Hamsters are bloody masterminds at escaping." He grunted throwing the spoon in the sink.

"You have a pet hamster and snakes?" He simply nodded. No explanation.

Hunger Games it is.

"I don't think you've met Odis. I forgot to tell you about him. Wait, where is he?" Sage shook her head, "Safe and sound. You know the agreement. You will get him back then." She grinned and chuckled.

"Wait, before you go Sage...Lucas, this is your new neighbour Sage, Sage this is Lucas my new house mate."

"We've met just now. New neighbour? Huh. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out to me to shake and then walked out of the door. Her long brown hair trailed behind her and the mischievous glint in her brown eyes spoke volumes. Todd's eyes trailed her as he leaned out of the kitchen whisking away.

I closed the door behind her.

"What was that all about?" He vehemently whisked the pasta, darting his eyes to the bowl.

"Huh?"

"The hamster hostage?"

"Odis? No he's okay, he semi-lives with her at this point. He always makes his way there. They get on well." He noted while concentrating on a suspect sauce mixture.

"And the agreement?"

"Oh that! Every time I lose Odis, or he escapes, and she finds him, I owe her before I get him back. That means buying her dinner and being her chauffer for a week." He grunted.

"So this happens a lot?"

"Often. Odis is smart." I wanted to suggest locks but that would seem to be something that spoiled their game.

"Do you know all of your neighbours in the cul-de-sac?" I took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Everybody that has found him. So kind of. But Sage and her roommates, Ana and Charlie, have been around the longest. Dinner is ready." He spooned the mac and cheese unto plates for us.

"Mac al a Todd is served!"

Maybe I won't miss the mundane...maybe.