The mind and body

chapter 2

And so the next day was spent unpacking everything. Brian had woken up at 11AM as the result of him being out that late.

The hardest part was not the table, not installing the TV nor was it installing the washing machine. It was the giant closet that took up half of his bedroom wall. It's safe to say he has a lot of clothes, however part of it has built in drawers, so he wouldn't need a separate drawer.

Luckily, the fridge came with the house and there were also a few bookshelves the previous owner didn't need anymore.

And so in the blink of an eye, it was 17PM. Brian had to prepare for tomorrow. The principal of the school had sent him a mail which he himself had received from other psychology teachers. Since he joined in the middle of the year, he didn't know what was covered for which classes.

And so he went through it all, he mostly taught the science classes, meaning there wasn't much to catch up on. He was done after two hours. A loud crack was heard when he stretched his back, he'd been sitting in the same position for the past two hours.

Usually, Brian would go to bed early when he has nothing to do, he always wakes up tired but still believes one day after going to bed early he'll feel rested out.

He liked to sleep early, yes, but 19PM was early even for him. He decided he'd have to compress the cardboard boxes and throw them in the paper/ cardboard dumpster in the alley next to his apartment.

While walking down the stairs, he remembered a very peculiar thing. The blonde man. Yesterday, he thought he could be a teacher of some sorts because of the bag mainly. But it was Saturday. This got him thinking even more, was his analysis wrong? Or maybe...

Maybe he'd been so tired he overslept at the school he works at. Maybe that was why he was out that late. May-

And he was standing infront of the dumpster. While there were many boxes, it could all be fit into one big plastic bag after they've been folded.

On his way back, he remembered his last job, more specifically the reason he quit. He nearly started shaking just thinking about it. The whole reason he changed his work was to leave the old line of work behind.

The only thing it had in common was that it both involved psychology.

And so, lost in thought again, he found himself in the hallway, wandering towards his door. Standing in front of one, he was about to insert the key when it suddenly opened.

Both men, short and tall, brunette and blond, stared at eachother in confusion. One wondering who the other is while the other wonders which door he is standing in front of.

"Can I help you?" The blond man asked, surprisingly kind. Brian didn't think the man looked mean, no, he just looked too tired to even speak. The man even had a small smile adorning his face.

Now that Brian is seeing him up close, he must admit the man is quite handsome. He had a very sharp jawline, light blue eyes and a perfect nose.

"Ah no, I just moved in next door and I wasn't really looking where I was going, I thought this was my door" Brian didn't feel embarrassed though. He knew the blond wasn't thinking anything of it, he knew there was no point in being embarrassed. He knew exactly what a person like the tall man would think in this situation.

The blond man chuckled at this, extending a hand. "My name is James, nice to meet you" Brian put his hand in James', but before he could introduce himself, James continued "This lot has been for sale for a while now, an old lady used to live here, I heard she's staying at her son's house now because she couldn't take care of herself anymore.

"I see, I remember months before I loved in I was still searching for some apartments, this one was available back then too. My name is Brian." James gave Brian another small smile.

It was obvious that while James talks a lot, he's actually quite shy, as if he's scared it's going to be a very awkward conversation if he were to stop talking.

"Say Brian, would you like to come in for some tea or coffee? You must be tired after unpacking. I mean you don't have to and I mean it would be nice to have a friend around here right? Also do you like tea? Do I even have tea? I'm not sure, but I'm sure I have coffee-"

"Sure"

James blinked twice. "Oh..I mean yes come in!" He looks so lively yet so tired at the same time. Honestly, Brian found the way James talks endearing in a way.
It reminded him from a good friend he had in school.

Which he didn't like to think about at the same time, since he was the one that ruined that friendship...