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It was a normal Sunday. The sky was blue and birds chirped in the air as a warm breeze floated through the suburbs on the outskirts of Merit. The weather was nice, with nothing disturbing the peaceful rows of housing. However this silence was quickly broken by the sound of an engine rumbling violently down the lane. Eli watches another small white van stop outside of the house next door to him. A miniature army of movers seems to stream forth from the vehicle, a mountain of cardboard boxes moved in a matter of seconds. This had been happening for the past week, the cycle of van after van, with seemingly endless amounts of furniture, plants and other paraphernalia being loaded into the building as if it were a bunker for the apocalypse. He had seen no signs of life, not a single movement from behind the dark curtains covering the windows- whoever his new neighbour was, they must be either incredibly rich, or a hoarder.
Eli spends the rest of his day imagining scenarios about the potential occupants of the house. Was it another rich couple? Some eccentric old person of important renown? Perhaps it would be someone he could befriend. The neighbouring house was of a fairly decent size, capable of holding a whole family, or a very wealthy loner. It was certainly much bigger than his own 2 bedroom house, and although he’d never seen the inside, he was sure it had to be something to behold, considering the high selling price. The previous occupants had sold the house months ago to a mysterious buyer- they were some rich philanthropists who decided to entertain the fancy of living in a “normal suburban household”. Needless to say, that little fancy didn't last very long. Allegedly they’d moved in some years prior to when Eli had bought his own house, but he’d hardly seen them during the 2 years he’d spent here so far. He couldn’t blame them for leaving so soon, suburban life wasn’t exactly the most fascinating thing in the world.
He had moved here purely for the convenient location, being as close to the main city of Merit as he could get without entertaining the prying eyes of general civilization. After graduating, he’d just wanted to settle down in a quiet neighbourhood, somewhere he could work in peace. Eli’s official job was ordering documents and medical records in one of the big hospitals in the city, it was the best he could get having only recently completed his degree in medical sciences, with no professional contacts or support. His unofficial job was far more interesting… but he’d yet to find anyone sufficiently invested in the subject so he preferred to keep his ‘researching’ as a hobby until he could gain the proper recognition. One of the movers shoots him a quizzical glance, an air of suspicion glazing his eyes. He figures he must have been staring out of the window for a little too long. He quickly draws his curtains and begins to organise the papers on his desk ready to take into work for the following day, making sure to slide a thin, extra folder of documents underneath a stack of thick medical textbooks and anatomy guides, where they wouldn’t be visible to prying eyes. I’ll make sure to come back to these later tonight , he thinks with excitement. Eli has always preferred his side project to the monotonous job of compiling papers day by day. Whilst he had always been fascinated by the inner workings of human anatomy, he was far more interested by the promise of the unnatural. Eli Ever was a hardcore EO fanatic.
He decides to quickly check his laptop and drags his chair out from under the desk. He settles down, the faint shouts of the movers struggling with a heavy object floating through his walls, causing him to again peek through the small gap in his curtains. He pauses, this time he could have sworn a pair of eyes had stared back at him from the opposing window, pale and watery blue. Eli’s hands idly drift to the cross tied around his neck and he closes his eyes, muttering a few indecipherable words before resuming his search.
It’s almost as if fate were taunting him with the vague representation of his new neighbour as his laptop suddenly pings to signal that he’s received an email. He scans the header and frowns. The words seem to yell at him in an aggressive bold lettering: Vale Corporation wishes to lodge a formal complaint. With slight hesitation, he decides to open it, but not before double checking his curtains are thoroughly closed out of a sense of lingering paranoia. He reads the email as follows:
Vale Corporation wishes to lodge a formal complaint
Dear Mr Cardale,
We are writing to regretfully inform you that you are being sued on account of a boundary infringement. It has come to our attention that your residence [28, Hunter Drive, Outer Merit ] has within its boundaries, several obstacles that intrude onto the land of our recently purchased property [26, Hunter Drive, Outer Merit].
The Vale Corporation formally apologises for any inconveniences caused by this matter. You are being sued for a total cost of $10000. If you have any complaints, please call XXXXXXXXXX.
We thank you for your time.
Eli shakes his head in disbelief, shocked. How is he being sued by his neighbours barely a week after they’ve moved in?! He finds it very hard to believe that this is really happening, and a deep frustration begins to creep up on him, nipping at the edges of his patience like a dog on a chain. Stay calm Eli, trust in God. He will help you through this. He grabs out his phone and considers calling the number they left on the email. He unlocks it and types in the numbers quickly with no hesitation- it’s certainly worth a try. The phone rings once, twice, again, until finally an actual person picks up on the other end.
“Hello there, you’ve reached a representative for the estate of Vale, how can I help you?”
Eli freezes, he knew the name in the email seemed oddly familiar for some reason. Vale. The famous authors who wrote those cheesy self help books. He almost regrets calling such a prominent establishment, but decides to persist. What else does he have to lose?
“Hi there. I’m calling to ask something about an email I’ve just received. It’s regarding… a boundary dispute? The Vale’s are threatening to sue.”
He can hear the woman on the other side pause, as if trying to compose the most acceptable answer, one that's the least likely to offend him.
“Mr...Cardale is it? Oh yes, I can see it here. Well, I’m terribly sorry but it says that we had your property inspected prior to our investment in Merit, however the findings just came back today. It seems the bushes at the back side of your house have grown over into our purchased property. My employers told me to take the appropriate measures, so I am just following our standard procedures for these sorts of matters.”
He wishes he could growl down the phone line, scream at the top of his lungs, do anything to express his actual feelings- politeness triumphs in the end.
“My bushes…couldn't I just trim them? This seems a bit excessive for such a small issue. Look, I can go and knock next door and sort this out myself, are the Vales at home?”
Eli’s temper flares up inside him, but he manages to restrain it. They are suing me over my fucking bushes? He thinks this is absolutely preposterous. The pettiness of the rich upper classes never ceases to amaze him. He has half a mind to storm over there right now and give them his opinion directly! Before he can act on his impulses however, the woman replies again, just as toneless and detached as before.
“Apologies Sir but the Vales don’t actually live on that property, they purchased it for their son. The lawsuit wasn’t issued by him. If you just pay the fine, we can have this all cleared up by this afternoon.”
He’s had enough, he won’t take any more of her meandering, polite bullshit.
“ No . I don’t think I will. Me and my bushes are fine just as they are, thank you.”
Eli forcefully clicks the disconnect button and sighs deeply as the voice fades out and he is left again in blissful silence. He’s decided to take matters into his own hands, there’s no way he will pay that fine, those rich bastards don’t deserve his hard earned money. He will do this the old fashioned way, with a little persuasion and negotiation. He adjusts the cross on his neck and grabs his glasses off his desk, smoothing down his messy hair as he makes his way to the front door. Eli crosses his yard at a casual pace, stopping to glare with disdain at his bushes at the far end before walking to greet his new neighbour.
---
Victor Vale had just moved into the neighbourhood this week. He’d been frequenting his new home over the past few days, adjusting various furniture items whilst unpacking at his own leisure. He hadn’t seen much of his neighbours but had spied one of them watching him curiously over a period of a few days.
As a result, he had gained an interest in the inhabitant of house 28, a young man around his age with a dark mess of brown hair and tan skin. His eyes were a shifting sort of hazel- Victor had only seen them once, this afternoon in fact. He had been staring out the window when their eyes locked through the glass. The other man had quickly drawn back his curtains, but that didn’t stop Victor from seeing a curiosity spark within his eyes. He found himself wondering about what the other man did, who he was. A quick search on his phone returned only a last name registered to the property: Cardale . Regardless, he seemed to be a solitary figure, since no one ever came to knock on his door, at least not beyond what he’d observed.
Victor was planning to introduce himself some time later that week, he thought perhaps a dinner would be appropriate, or would that be too forward? Victor had reflected upon this idea for a few days now- after all, he was rather good looking.
He prepares to settle himself onto the sofa, his shift at the hospital took longer than usual today and the new research was progressing at a snail's pace. Victor begins to casually flick through the pages of a newspaper that was cast aside onto a stack of cardboard boxes, when he hears an aggressive knocking coming from his front door.
---
Eli strides up to the neighbouring house 26 with perhaps more outward confidence than he actually feels. The building towers over him like a preening beast showing off its hoard of wealth. The sight of the front door fills him with renewed passion and he knocks heavily multiple times in a desperate fashion. He had been repeating what he’s going to say over and over again in his head on the walk here.
Hello, I’m Eliot Cardale, your neighbour. I am extremely pissed that you are suing me over some bushes, that’s certainly not very neighbourly of you. I would have offered to cut them back, but you didn’t even ask and you certainly don’t deserve my money.
Fuck you.
He had it all planned out like a well scripted play. Eli stands tall, preparing himself as the door opens.
A set of icy blue eyes stare back at him and all of the words instantly vanish within his head, gone like a puff of smoke. He’s stunned by the appearance of the man in the doorway. The stranger is tall with a lithe frame, wearing a black turtleneck that only further accentuates the harsh angles of his pale face. His hair is neatly pushed back, straw blond, and almost as light as his skin. Eli can’t stop staring at his eyes, a piercing blue, set like an intense sea upon the map of his face. He becomes suddenly aware of his staring and looks away shamefully as heat crawls its way up his skin. All thoughts of any aggressive yelling have completely melted away. Instead when he opens his mouth to speak all that comes out is:
“Uh Hi. I’m Eli.”
The man flashes an easy smile down at him, but Eli can sense a sharpness behind it, like a hidden blade. Part of his mind is screaming to run away now and just pay the stupid money.
“Ah, you must be my neighbour. The name’s Victor, Victor Vale.”
Victor seems to hesitate, glancing briefly behind him before continuing. He could almost swear the man looks conflicted as he continues.
“Do you want some soup?”
Any words Eli was going to use in retort dissolve on his tongue before he can think of them. He can’t seem to keep his focus under the intensity of Victor's gaze and he’s become acutely aware of the looming threat of a $10000 fine hanging over this particular interaction. His mind immediately thinks to answer no , but he is betrayed by his body, every fibre of which is yelling at him to follow this mysterious man into his house, if only to satiate his own curiosity.
“Sure!”
He hates how willing he sounds as he steps into the cool hall of his neighbours house. He has to stop in awe as the whole space comes into view. Victor's house is lush and open plan, a sectioned staircase leading to a second floor, with a large kitchen and living area on the bottom floor. He must have caught sight of Eli’s gawking as he counters with a remark.
“Nice place isn’t it? I hate my parents but sometimes, even I can’t deny the benefits of their work.”
Right , his parents. Eli is reminded of what he came here to do.
“Victor, about your parents I-”
Victor interrupts. “Could you hold on a minute? I just need to prepare the food. It’ll be done quickly, I swear.”
Eli can’t think of anything to say to that, so he decides it’s best to settle into one of the fancy chairs by the kitchen table and wait. He watches Victor work, admiring his skill as he cuts vegetables and adds various other ingredients into a low pot- he does have to admit it smells really good. For the second time that day, he finds himself shutting his eyes and praying. Please God help me through this.
Victor's cool voice slips through his concentration and he realises he’s being observed.
“So, I assume you’re religious?”
“Oh, um...”
He fidgets with the small cross between his fingers. “Yes. God watches over us all. He helps direct my focus in life.”
Eli winces, since when has he been so awkward at conversation? Everything about Vale seems to set him on edge, yet there’s a menacing twinkle behind his eyes that draws Eli in.
Victor sets two bowls of steaming hot soup on the table. He takes the seat right next to Eli and he secretly wonders if the other man is trying to mess with him. Is it that obvious he’s so flustered by his presence? He tries desperately to redirect the conversation between mouthfuls of soup, to draw his attention away from the movements of Victor's hands as they play idly with a silver spoon.
“I don’t mean to be rude but, I’m actually here about something rather serious.”
That seems to get Victor's full attention. He sits up straighter and turns to face Eli, delicate face set with a grim sort of calm. To Eli’s surprise, he actually sighs, weary.
“I know we’ve just met. But be honest with me Eli. What have my parents done?”
Eli’s eyes light up with a semblance of hope. So it wasn’t Victor's fault after all! Part of him was disappointed at the thought of having to create tension with his new neighbour so soon. The relief must be evident in his face because Victor also seems to relax a bit as they continue to eat. The soup is remarkably good, flavourful with just the right amount of sweetness.
After a good few mouthfuls of soup, Eli finally works up the nerve to continue. “I’m being sued.”
Victor laughs, the sound rich and lyrical. He soon abruptly stops when he realises Eli isn’t laughing with him.
“Wait. Are you being serious ? I thought you were joking! That’s a shitty move, even for them. Look, I can get this all sorted out by tomorrow, don’t worry.”
The genuine tone of concern in his voice assures Eli that he’s telling the truth. He lets go of all the tension and anger he’d been building up for the past couple hours and realises he would really like to get to know more about Victor, something beyond just his status as the son of a rich family.
“I can’t thank you enough. I was stressing all day about having to pay the fines. I’m glad we can put this incident behind us.”
Victor smiles lightly, but it’s strained in comparison to before. His eyes don’t quite match his expression.
“Eli I need you to know that I don’t have any say in what they do. Please trust me when I tell you, I’m not like them. ”
Eli stands up from his chair, looking directly at Victor. “I know.”
For the first time that evening, he sees Victor's gaze soften just a little bit. He stands up to meet Eli as they both bring their bowls over to the sink.
“I shouldn’t keep you. Thanks for stopping by Eli. Sorry again for causing you so much trouble.”
Eli can’t help but smile as he turns to head for the door. As he’s about to leave, he notices one of his anatomy textbooks lying discarded on top of a cardboard box.
“Hey, are you studying medicine, Victor?”
Victor's eyes light up at this. “Yes, I work as a researcher in one of the Merit hospitals. Why?”
Eli stifles his excitement, his insides feeling warm and fuzzy as he replies.
“What a coincidence! I also study medicine and work at one of the city hospitals. Although I’m still stuck with more of a desk job. Hey, would you-“
He stumbles on his words in a hurry to get them out before he leaves and regrets everything immediately.
“Would you like to come over for dinner sometime, at my place? I don’t think I can beat your soup though…or your house.”
A momentary look of surprise shoots across Victor's face before he quickly covers it up with a small chuckle.
“Yeah sure, I’d love to.”
Eli has to hurry out the door before the other man can catch his return expression.
---
Victor smiles as he watches his neighbour rush out the door. He'll need to have some stern words with his parents later, but it was probably worth it. He enjoyed the flustered look on Eli’s face as he agreed to dinner, it was satisfying to hold someone's attention so entirely. He had to admit he was intrigued by the duality that Eli presented. The polite, God fearing neighbour and the curious intellectual hidden away inside of him.
Victor had always loved a good challenge, and this one just happened to be named Eli Cardale.