White Lies ✓

2 - Bright Lights

For the second time this weekend, the harsh morning sunlight pulled you out of your slumber. In the daylight, the true dirtiness of your apartment was shown, and you knew you had your work cut out for you. You stretched out across the mattress, untangling your legs from the blanket. You stepped into your bathroom and pulled out your toiletry case, brushing your teeth. Gazing at yourself in the smudged mirror, you paid a little bit more attention to your appearance than usual. Living in a new city meant that there were a million new people you should make an effort to impress, not that you technically cared, but it could help you to make some new friends. Your wavy hair hung down to your shoulder blades and you pulled it back into a ponytail.  You pulled on a pair of old sweatpants you'd found folded in the top of a random box. If today was a cleaning day, you couldn't bother putting in too much effort. When you were finished, you stepped into the living room and grabbed your bag.

Shit, I've got to get a car.

Leaving the apartment, the slight shock of frigid air awoke your nerves as you walked outside. You glanced down at your phone. There was a message from your mom.

-Y/N

Don't think I won't fly to Virginia just to ground you. Missing you already!

-Mom

You sent back a quick 'I love you" before checking the GPS you'd pulled up on your phone. The closest pharmacy was a ten-minute walk and you could only hope that they stocked cleaning supplies. As you turned to start on your walk, you slammed right into a man with a book.

"Ow, Fuck!" You yelped as the stranger stepped down on your foot. The collision had caused you to drop your belongings, and his hands raced yours to pick up your phone.

"I'm sorry!" He said quickly. "Are you okay?" He passed you your phone and as your eyes met his, your heart dropped.

No.

No!

"Spencer?" You asked, snatching your phone away from him.

You watched his expression shift from apologetic to unkind as he realized you were the person he ran into. "Y/N," He shifted from foot to foot nervously. "What are you doing here?"

You pointed back towards your apartment building. "I just moved here, got a new job, trying to escape the damaging effects of living in Vegas, you know the deal."

"You live here?" He asked, glancing towards the building.

"Yep," You answered coldly. "I moved in yesterday."

"What are the odds..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

Weird.

"Okay well, I gotta run, see you around I guess."

Spencer waved as you stalked off towards the store. You felt your face growing warm with anger. What were the chances that the very man you'd worked so hard to escape was living in the same neighborhood as you? You frowned at the sidewalk as you waited for the light to turn.

Back in Las Vegas, Spencer had been the only person capable of matching you intellectually. You'd both skipped multiple grades in elementary school, landing the two of you in accelerated classes. But Spencer quickly passed you by, as his mother had contacts all throughout the academic community. He ended up graduating high school at twelve, leaving you to suffer through three more years. You'd spent a lot of time around him though, both of you frequently took extra courses at the local colleges and you were often thrown into extracurricular together. Every once and a while, you caught yourself wishing Diana Reid was your mom, maybe then you'd have the opportunity to beat Spencer.