| Fan Fiction |
by DTLCT
As if confused of her surrounding, the girl in the black and pink outfit turns to her companion after a quick scan of the lobby. “Charm, are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yea,” Her companion – Charm – answered. “I asked the Taxi driver already. We’ve been here last week, remember?”
“All these buildings look the same for some reason.” The girl in black and pink stops in front of the elevators, catching her breath. “When is your car ready?”
“Next weekend.”
The girl in black and pink makes a face at the thought. “Awww...That means we're going to have to take the Taxi for another week? I'm broke already.”
Charm smiles. “Don't worry. We can split it since we work at the same place.”
The elevator on the right opens so they get in with their luggage. Charm punches in 7 while the other girl leans against the wall, breathing in and out. Charm turns to her and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
The elevator door is about to close when a voice calls out, "Wait!"
Charm turns around in time to see a guy in mid-20s running towards the elevator. She steps forward and presses the “Open” button just in time and the guy hurries in, smiling.
“Thanks!” The guy blurted out with much gratitude after giving Charm a brief glance over.
Charm smiles back at him. “No problem.” She then steps back to where the other girl is while still having her eyes on the guy. “What floor are you going to?”
The guy finally turns around to look at the keypad. “Same as you girls.” He walks to the other side of the elevator to leave room for possible occupants.
Charm looks back at her companion, who's closing her eyes now. She puts a hand on the girl’s shoulder and whispers, “Mandy, can you still take it? We could stop and take the staircase.”
Mandy – the girl in black and pink – breaths in and out several times before opening her eyes. “It's okay. I can take it. I have to do it several more times before I'm used to it.”
Charm pats her shoulder and looks up to see if they reach their floor yet. The guy seems to notice Mandy for the first time and observes the two girls.
“Is she okay?” The guy asked when Charm looks his way.
“Yes, she'll be okay when we get out of the elevator,” Charm answered. She just knew this guy so she doesn't want to expose Mandy's situation yet.
The guy still keeps an eye on Mandy, who had closed her eyes again. “So, you girls just moved in today? Looks like we're going to be neighbors. Since 7th floor is just straight throughout the hallway, with only doors on the two sides to tell you it's a habitat.” He smiles as he says the last few words.
“We saw it before, during the visit last week,” Charm informed him.
“And you two decided to move in just like that?” The guy asked, surprised. “Do you know how risky that is? I guess you haven't met Old Lady Yeung yet or you would have reconsidered.”
Charm smiles at the words he used for the description. “You mean Ms. Yeung? I admit that we haven't met her yet. But this place seems nice and the price is reasonable enough.”
“Don't be fool by this place's friendly outlook. You'll find out later how weird it is.”
“Are trying to scare us away already?” Charm teased, smiling.
The guy puts his hands up in surrender at that time. “I'm just telling the truth.”
Charm shakes her head, smiling. She thought that this guy is very funny. It would be nice to have him for a neighbor. Even Mandy forgets her fear for a moment and manages to curve her lips into a smile.
The ding of the elevator brings them back to the situation at hand. Charm realizes that it's their level so she turns to Mandy.
“Are you ready?” Charm asked.
Mandy looks tense again but nods her head. The guy takes a step over to them when the door snaps open.
“Let me help you with your luggage,” The guy offered.
Before Charm and Mandy could say anything, the guy grabs Mandy's luggage handle with his right hand and gestures with his left hand for them to go first. Charm and Mandy step out of the elevator. Mandy is a step ahead since she wants to escape the box as soon as possible. She turns around to wait after she's a few inches from the elevator. Charm wheels her luggage out while the guy uses his left hand to hold onto the elevator door for her. The guy rounds up the end, wheeling Mandy's luggage out.
“Which apartment are you in?” The guy asked.
Charm fumbles in her top luggage pocket to find the address. “7B.”
The guy smiles. “Whoa! Then you girls are in luck. You're across from me.”
Charm smiles politely. “That's great then. Shall we go now?”
The guy turns towards the left side.
Mandy reaches out for her luggage. “I can wheel it now.”
The guy turns to look at her. “It's okay. I'm just helping a new neighbor.”
Mandy tugs on her luggage handle. “ It's very heavy. I don't want to burden you.”
The guy smiles. “Are you saying I'm not strong enough to lug it?”
“It's not that.”
“Just let him help for once,” Charm interfered, still holding onto her luggage handle.
Mandy turns towards Charm. “But...” She turns a shade of light pink at that time. “Okay.”
They resume on their way to the apartment, with the guy leading and the two girls follow from behind.
What happened was when Mandy turned toward Charm, her left hand had unintentionally brushed the guy's right hand, which was holding her luggage handle. She felt a bit uneasy so she didn't want to argue anymore – both because she didn't want to argue with their new neighbor, who was only trying to help and also because the uneasiness she felt, which she thought it was the side affect of riding the elevator.
“You know what's a shame?” The guy continued to talk in a cheerful, friendly voice.
“What?” Charm asked – who is walking side-by-side with him now.
“Even though you get to be across the hallway from us, you'll have to endure that crazy dude in 7A.”
“Are you making this up? I didn't know anyone is next to us.”
“That guy only comes out at night.”
Charm smiles. “Don't tell me he's a vampire.”
“Close enough. We think that he either commit thievery or is smuggling drugs.”
“Get out the here! If he’s involved in illegal activities, then how come no cops came to investigate yet? And how come you guys didn't report him if you know of those activities?”
The guy smiles, enjoying the tale he’s telling. “That guy is good. No clear evidence yet.”
Charm glances at the guy more carefully.
“What?”
“Don't tell me you're an undercover cop who was sent here to observe 7A's behavior.”
The guy flashes her a warm yet mischievous smile. “You have a creative mind. But no. I wish! So I could uncover the truth about that guy.” He stops walking at that time. “Here we are.”
Charm looks towards the door to see that the guy has stop right in front of her place but she was so absorbed in the conversation that she didn't realize it.“Thanks for helping us.”
“No problem. We're going to be neighbors now so you can skip the formalities.”
Charm smiles, reaching into her luggage side pocket to get her key out. The guy waits patiently until a small click sound could be heard, confirming that the door's open. He turns towards Mandy and hands her luggage back to her as she's walking up to them.
“Take care,” The guy said, tapping Mandy on her hand to make sure she's holding the handle.
Mandy snaps out of her trends and grabs hold of the luggage handle. At that time, Charm had pushed the door open already and was wheeling her luggage inside when she realized she forgot something so she set her luggage in a standing position. She turns around towards the door, seeing the guy is focusing on unlocking his door.
Charm steps back out to the hallway. “I forgot to ask your name.”
The guy has his door slightly open and is about to enter, but he turns around to face Charm again. “It's Kevin.”
“Nice to meet you, Kevin,” Charm said, extending out her hand. “I'm Charmaine.”
Kevin smiles and shakes her hand anyway. “I told you already. No formalities.”
Charmaine laughs. “I couldn't help it. It's part of my job.”
Kevin smiles, thinking he might know what she means. He scratches his head. “Well, I shouldn't keep you girls.”
“Oh yea, we have to unpack and settle in.”
“Talk to you girls later?”
“Yea.”
She turns to go inside her apartment but turns around again. Kevin has a hand on his door knob but still waits patiently for Charmaine to speak up.
“I'm so forgetful,” Charm said in an apologetic tone. “I forgot to introduce Mandy.” She turns around to her new apartment but couldn’t see Mandy anywhere.
Suddenly Mandy appears at their apartment door with a smile. “This place is just awesome!”
Kevin and Charmaine stare at her. A few minutes ago she was still freaked out and now she's all cheerful.
“This is Kevin, by the way,” Charmaine said to Mandy.
“Oh hi!” Mandy greeted Kevin with the same cheerful tone as before.
“Do I have to shake your hand too?” Kevin joked.
Mandy walks towards him. “If you want to.”
Kevin smiles. “No, it's okay.” He tightens the grip on his door knob. “I'll leave you girls alone for now.”
After Charmaine and Mandy say their temporary goodbyes to him, he disappears into his apartment. Charmaine and Mandy exchange a look before entering their own apartment also. The first day of their new life had just begun.
© Friday, April 6th, 2007
Re-posted: Friday, October 9th, 2009