The Disappearance of Valentina Moreno

Chapter 4 ~ Hey Neighbor

                It’s cold and dreary in the old basement of the apartment building, but the washing machines are banging about, filling the silence with their whir. I’m bundled up in a sweater as rain pelts the small rectangular windows where light seeps through from the street, and my thoughts wander.

The rest of the weekend with my father went great, yet there’s this nagging in the back of my mind about our family photos. We lost them in a fire not long after my mother took her life. It was caused by a night light in the bathroom. I blame myself for being too scared to pee in the dark. 

However, my father says it’s his fault. He says he’s the one who insisted on buying the mini lava lamp plug-in so we wouldn’t have to squint against the bright intensity of the ceiling light. 

I know he’s trying to carry the guilt, so I don’t have to.

But it’s there anyway—leaving grooves in my shoulders like an ill-fitting bra.

“Oh, hi.”

The voice pulls me away from daydreaming, and when I glance up from folding laundry, I find Lisa. She’s beautiful, even with smudged eye makeup from the night before. I’m terrible at guessing ethnicities and her long wavy bleached hair against her olive skin makes her even more ambiguous. But I think she might be Korean. Despite the weather, she’s wearing tiny shorts to show off her long legs, which belong at New York Fashion Week, strutting a runway. Her height dwarfs me as she sets her laundry basket on the washer beside mine. 

“I’m Lisa.” She smiles.

“Yeah, we’ve met before. I’m Valerie.”

“Oh, right, right.” She bobs her head. “You can blame late shifts at Casanova for my brain fog.”

“Casanova?”

“A nightclub in North Beach.”

“Oh. I don’t get out much.” Embarrassment sets my cheeks ablaze, so I duck my head and focus on folding. “What do you do there?” 

“Bartend and eat fire.”

“Eat fire?” My eyes flash back up.

“Yeah. It’s like a party trick but cooler. I light a torch and put out the flame with my mouth. I do other tricks, too, and it earns me great tips. You should check out the place sometime.”

“Yeah, sure.” I smile.

“No, really, you should come by tonight. I can get you in for free, and it’s a total blast. Like a carnival on acid.”

“Sounds like it would give me anxiety,” I laugh.

“Nah, you’ll love it.”

“Can I invite a friend?”

“Of course!” The washing machine squeaks as Lisa shuts the door with her hip and then dusts off her hands when it dances to life. “Well, I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Catch you in a bit.”

She doesn’t wait for a reply but instead spins to leave with her blond hair whipping behind her and disappears from the basement. As I return to folding laundry, there’s the echo of her greeting someone in the stairwell. A few seconds pass, and then I’m met with the presence of hot guy from 3B as he steps into the room. The machines are ticking, yet I don’t hear a sound because when he spots me, his smile is like a volcano exploding.