Chapter Text
“Ha-ah..” MC sighed as she unloaded the last of her boxes from the moving truck. Wiping sweat from her brow, she looked up at the two-story apartment. Its façade was worn out but clean, old but cared for. Unlike the skyscraper apartments where she lived with her father, its short stature felt less cold, yet... Unlike the dorms where she was living until 4 months ago, it was certainly devoid of the roommates and friends she’s come to know and love: Anna, Kiki, and Willow
Suddenly, her phone began buzzing, “Hello?”
“MC! How’s it going? Have you gotten to your new place yet?” The voice has a mature, sisterly concern in it.
“Yeah, thanks for checking in, Anna, just got all the boxes out of the moving truck now,” MC replied, throwing a thumbs up to the driver before he quietly placed her desk down on the side walk, waved, and drove away. “How about you? Getting ready for tonight's seminar?”
“Ugh, yeah.. Don’t remind me…” MC listened to Anna rattle on about this semester’s invited lecturer, Mr. Reak, with her phone in between her cheek and shoulder, as she began carrying box after box up to apartment 2B. Anna regaled MC for the thousandth, and not last, time about how taking a Sunday afternoon seminar was a huge mistake.
“Anyway,” Anna concluded, “Once you get all your stuff in the door, let’s meet for lunch! The land lord is a friend of a friend, but I want to make sure everything is okay for you!” Thankfully, Anna did not add any comments about MC's father recently passing as a point of concern, and MC was grateful for it.
Setting the last box inside the apartment, MC hung up after agreeing to meet Anna at the university later with pictures. Turning around, MC stood outside her front door, hands on hip, looking over the second-floor railing back down at the side walk. All that was left to bring up was her desk. The apartment already had a usable bed and small dining table, so the desk was the only real piece of furniture she had to bring herself. It was solid wood, though, so it wouldn’t be easy. MC started down the steps, pondering her options, but ultimately regretted not asking the mover to help her carry it up before he left.
Glaring at the challenge, her foot had only just hit the last step as a motorcyclist pulled up into the space right in front of her desk, the engine left to idle. Oh, a neighbor maybe?
MC raced over in a half jog, “Hello, its nice to meet you!” she managed over the noise of the engine, “I’m MC, I just moved into 2B. Sorry about the desk, I’m just trying to figure out how to get it up there now.” MC smiled warmly and extended her hand. The motorcyclist faced her, helmet obscuring all expression but otherwise, didn’t move. Eventually, he turned off the bike and made to remove his helmet.
“MC?” The biker questioned, “Like, North Loveland high, class of 20XX MC?”
Seeing the man’s face, MC gasped. Out of instinct, her once extended hand moved to cover her mouth as her eyes widened in fear. Climbing off the bike was none other than her once high school class mate, Gavin. Gavin, the same guy she still freshly remembered getting into all sorts of trouble in school; be it extortion or one versus 10 fights, there was never a good rumor about him, and now here he was, smiling only a pace away. She was barely able to breath a sigh of relief when they graduated and, although they went to the same university, at least they were in different majors entirely.
Don’t tell me….The blood drained from MC’s face as Gavin continued, “I thought I recognized you. So, you’re the one moving in?” Pointing to her desk, “That yours? How the hell did you expect to carry that up by yourself?”
“Uh..well…” still shocked and having not come up with an answer to that herself yet, MC floundered.
“Well, what’re neighbors for, right?” Without waiting for a response, Gavin turned, grabbed the heavy desk with both hands, effortlessly lifted it clear off the cement, and was already on the stairs. “B huh? Guess I’ll be seeing you around a lot, I’m 2C, first from the steps.”
MC ambled up the flight behind him, “Uh.. oh! Thank you so much, sorry to bother you!” By the time MC reached Gavin, he was already standing in the middle of her living room looking over his shoulder, “So where do you want it?”
“Oh! Uhh,” stuttered MC standing just outside her flat for fear of being alone in the same room as him, “that corner under the window is fine…thank you…” Gavin walked over and arranged the desk in the corner, setting it down easily like one would a basket of laundry. Who would have thought, THAT Gavin was now standing in her living room arranging the furniture like an old friend?
He looked around the room, hand on the back of his neck, “Look like you’ve still got a ways to go with unpack- Oh!" Gavin walked over to the small table against the kitchen wall, pushing on it so that it wobbled. "I remember this table; landlady let me borrow it for a while; still uneven... I’d help but I gotta get back to the Academy… I’ll come by with some tools to fix it for you later!”
Gavin was already back at the front door, passing MC. “I can’t believe we’re gonna be neighbors now,” he smiled, putting his hand on MC’s shoulder, “Looking forward to it!”
And with that, Gavin walked into his apartment, left, hopped on his bike, and was off again.
“Oh…my…god!” Breathed MC, still hanging onto her door frame. Quickly locking up, MC started (VIP) power walking toward campus, fingers typing away, “ANNA! You will NOT believe who my next-door neighbor is, early lunch NOW!”