Live without Warning

"Let me guess; you forgot your keys at work... again?"

I nodded, "Sorry if I woke you," I said to him sympathetically. "I guess you're not use to having your neighbors come knocking at your door at..." I bent over to look down at his watch, "four in the morning."

Jasper yawned and then shook his head, "Can't say I am. You are definitely the first neighbor to have lost or forgotten their key about five times within only a few months of living here."

I blushed, embarrassed; He must of thought I was a dumb little child, trying to make it out in the real world.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Jasper cut me off.

"Would you like to come in?" he offered, opening the door a bit more.

I stumbled a little on the spot I stood, "Oh..." No, I'm tired and I want to go to bed. "I was really hoping to get to bed. Usually I don't stay so long at work; I fell asleep on the..."

"on the sofa in the studio, I know; It's happened about twice, right?" he finished my sentence. At least he didn't seem mad or frustrated.

Again, embarrassed; I nodded my head slowly, "Well... yea."

He half smiled, "Don't worry about it; I have about eight extra keys to your place just in case this ever happened... again."

I smirked slightly after Jasper walked back into his house. I waited on his porch for him to come back. I glanced around my surroundings; it was a peaceful street; nothing bad could happen around here. It reminded me of an old village back in the days of Dracula, minus the blood-thirsty vampire.

"Here you go."

I jumped; even though I knew I was on my neighbors safe property that was also connected to mine, I still felt scared with just the thought of being out at four in the morning.

He laughed slightly, "Sorry to scare you, but it's scary when someone comes knocking at your door at night."

I smiled tiredly, "Yes, true. This is the last time, I promise." I took the key out of his hand and felt a relief, "Thank you so much. You're the best. Literally, the best."

He put up his hand, symbolizing me to stop, "It's okay. I enjoy your company and you're a good neighbor. Just go home and get some sleep; looks like you need some."

I smiled more, "Same goes for you, Jas. I'll see you some other time. Goodnight." I turned around and went down his porch steps.

"Goodnight," he called from behind before I heard his door close.

Once I got into my home, I felt that warm feeling in my heart, making me feel safe and calm once again.

***

Since when did it become a struggle just to go across the street and get some coffee? Last time I checked, I wasn't a magnet for trouble.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so, sorry!" said the man who was riding his bike with two six-packs of beer lying in his basket on the railing of his bike.

I looked down at the bottom of my red Charlie Brown Snoopy T-shirt and the top of my brand new white jeans; they were covered in mud. Why did I have to wear white pants today? Good thing I was wearing my Snoopy T-shirt that I never really cared about anyway, but why me?

"Is there anything I can do?" asked the man; he really didn't look too sorry. In fact, the way he was looking me up and down creeped the heck out of me.

I sighed, feeling fed up with the day, "No. Just... just leave, I'll take care of it myself." I started wiping the mud off my clothes with a few napkins that I got in Starbucks - the one across the street from my work. Oh yea, did I mention I was at work?

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his eyes piercing through my flesh; it was an eerie feeling.

"What are you going to do with your coffees, Miss?"

At first I didn't know he was talking to me; I'm not use to being referred to as just 'Miss' and I didn't like the way it sounded; it made me feel old.

"Oh, right, the coffees," I looked down at the sidewalk once I remembered I dropped them when the mud came splashing on me. Again, I sighed, "I'll just order some more."

He nodded. "Have a good day, Ma'am."

I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, "Ma'am?" but he was already peddling down the sidewalk once I had spoke.

I groaned. "Since when did adult bikers start riding on the sidewalk? Aren't they suppose to be on the road?" I mumbled to myself as I entered Starbucks again. This time the coffees had to be bought with the money out of my own pocket.

Once I walked in, I felt every single eyeball in the store look over at me in curiosity and excitement; since when does a girl covered in mud enter a Starbucks?

I quickly, without looking at anybody other than the server behind the counter, ordered the same order of coffees I ordered previously.

I put the money on the counter and didn't even bother with the change. "Thank you," and with that said, I left the store as fast I possibly could without making me seem even more insane.

I tried to get back to the studio as quickly as I could without looking at anybody who was walking on driving in cars.

"Scott, I have your coffee," I announced once I walked into the studio.

Scott was sitting on one of the sofas, talking on the phone and watching the television.

"No, everything will be ready. We still have the next four days until we have to worry about moving the equip - What happened to you?"

I looked at him and turned red; he was referring to me.

"I..."

"My sister walked in covered in mud..." he said to the person over the phone as he scrunched his nose.

There was a loud eruption of laughter that I could hear from the person on the other end of the phone.

I sighed silently to myself, trying to keep myself content, "Some biker guy ran over a puddle of mud right in front of me..." I said with no energy and a bit of a pout. "Want your coffee? I went to great lengths just to get it," I said the last part quietly to myself.

He grabbed the coffee from my hand, "Thanks," he said with a smirk.

"Hey! Is your sister hot?"

I looked up in alert at the phone with my eyes becoming wider and my body becoming stiffer.

There's that voice again - his voice again...

"Ew, I don't know! She isn't hot to me!" Scott wrinkled his nose.

"Yea, she's hot, isn't she?" the man on the other end said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Could it be...

"Shut up, Tre!"

Yep, it's him.

I blinked for a few seconds before walking over to my desk. When I sat down in my chair, I whispered to my self, "Fuck my life."