My Neighbor's TV (Norminah)

Chapter 1

Another day has almost passed even though I didn't know what day it was or what month or year. Okay, maybe I could figure out the year at least. The month, it was probably still June or early July. I didn't know, didn't want to know. I spend most of my days at home, I don't have the desire nor the willpower to get off the couch and leave the house. And it's not any kind of antisocialism - if that word even exists - or boredom or just pure laziness as my mother likes to call "it".

The "it" is... Apathy. Some kind of soft depression and maybe just resignation to life and all the bullshit I didn't want to deal with anymore. I just didn't want to try, it will eventually pass, right? This dullness that has taken over everything will pass sooner or later. At least I hoped so.

As I was about to flop down on the couch, I heard the doorbell ring. I exhaled slowly trying to calm down my irritation, I was alone at home and had to get the door myself.

I opened the door to find myself in front of a... woman. Not just a woman, a stunning woman who looked fresh out of a magazine cover. She was wearing a v-neck tshirt and what looked like booty shorts that showed off her ass. Her smooth chocolate legs on display. I was a little stunned to talk for a few seconds and a bit self-conscious standing in front of her when I only had on a pair of loose shorts and a, sadly, stained tank top. Not to add my messy hair that was up in a ponytail and the zero makeup I had on, not that I usually wore much of it really. Before I could come up with something to say, she smiled and my heart stops- no, wait, scratch that. She just smiled. Her chubby cheeks turning her eyes to little slits, could this girl possibly get any cuter? "Uhm, hi. I'm your neighbor. I live next door, I don't think we've met yet?"

I tried to smile back and look as pleasant as I could but I don't think it came out right. I just couldn't master the million-watt smile no matter how much I tried and how many times I'd seen it performed before. And it wasn't like I had to fake being pleased in meeting her - hell, she seemed like a God sent creature. Why didn't I know I had a hot neighbor? She must have moved in the past few days and now that I knew I would gladly park myself in front of the front door and wait for her to pass by and smile at me and make my heart melt like it was about to do just - now.

"No, we haven't. I would have definitely remembered you otherwise, believe me."

What the-? I couldn't help it and I was just about to slap myself in the face, hard, as soon as that left my mouth and the smile on her face transformed itself in a weirded out expression. Ugh. "I'm Dinah by the way," I said and offered my hand which she promptly shook. Compared to mine, her hand was so delicate and soft and I found myself lingering in the touch a second too long. She was the one who broke the contact and smiled again. "It's nice to meet you, Dinah, I'm Normani, but you can call me Mani or Nori, although I prefer the former."

"Oh, okay. Mani, it is then. The pleasure is all mine." Hell, of course, it was all mine.

"I came to ask for help setting up my new TV but it seems like you're alone and I've just woken you up from a nap. I'm sorry."

God no. You don't have to be sorry. Even though it hurt a little bit, I mean - you thinking I was taking a nap and all, seeing as I wasn't actually. I seriously must look like shit right now. Why now and why in front of her? Earth swallow me now, please. Please.

"You don't have to apologize, I wasn't really... uhm, sleeping. And set up your TV? I can help if you want of course." I couldn't look at her in the eyes and was probably mumbling like I did when I got nervous. I just hoped she didn't notice or didn't mind or whatever.

"I was hoping to catch your parents or something, they live with you right?"

"Yeah, they do. They won't be home until tonight though."