Not Worth Your Tears

The airport was packed and crowded, putting me on nerves edge. Finally after boarding and deporting the plane I was greeted with a blue pickup truck my dad had rented me for the week.

I pulled the pick up into the apartment parking lot. I wrinkled my nose at the crumbling bricks and rusting doorknobs as I walked up the stairs and into a small reception room. The young bubbly blond behind the counter looked up and smiled brightly, standing up to meet her. “Hello, I’m Annabelle. Are you Kaybree?” She asked, blinking her long lashes at me as she shook my hand vigorously.

I smiled stiffly at her, withdrew my hand and wiped the sweat off her hand onto my pants. “Yes.” I mumbled awkwardly. Annabelle smiled, her face brightening even more and she clapped her hands together.

“Perfect! Here's your key.” She set it in my outstretched hand.

"Okay, thanks." From my truck I grabbed the two bags that carried my toothbrushes, clothes and makeup and began my jog up to the fourth floor.

I opened my door with quite some trouble, but I finally pushed in the door and stared at what seemed to be the combination of my living room and kitchen. The floor was covered in a musty red carpet and dust bunnies clung to the treads. The walls were a dull gray, and I expected that previously they had been white. I stepped inside and flicked on the light switch to be welcomed with a wonderful flickering light before it broke and everything went black. I frowned and leaned against the door frame and sighed. “That’s just wonderful.” I mumbled, rubbing my temples with my fingers.

I set out to bring all my possessions up to my room and did so, after a few hours. By the time I had set everything in my room it was dark outside and I was alone in a black room for the night. Well, looks like this is my chance to go camping. I thought as I grabbed a thick blanket from a bag and dragged it out onto the deck. It was more or less a warm enough night that night, so I decided it wouldn’t hurt to spend the night outside.

I smiled and welcomed the warm breeze that tickled my skin as I curled against the railing, pulling the purple comforter I brought from home around me. I pulled the book Thirst by Christopher Pike, and my iPhone out of my bag and began to read, shining my iPhone's light onto the page.

"What's that you're reading?"

I jumped slightly, and whirled around to see a boy leaning on the railing of the deck beside mine. He was lanky and tall and had shaggy auburn hair, slightly lighter than my own. He smirked at me as he flicked the cigarette that was placed between his fingers. I watched the butts fall down into traffic and then looked back up at him.

I shot him a disgusted look as I watched the butts fade onto the pavement. I turned back to my book. "Thirst, volume three."

"Ah. Thirst One was good." He looked out into traffic and blew out smoke into the air. He ignored me for a few minutes and I snuck another glance at him. I watched at one by one, flaming balls of pollution and cancer fell down onto unsuspecting people below.

My mouth formed into a line in annoyance. I tried to ignore the urge by reading but I simply couldn't and said, loud enough for him to hear, "Smoking is bad for your lungs. And the environment." I said, turning from my book to stare at him.

He stared at me, and I stared back. He stood straight and showed his full height, his lips parting slightly in surprise. He slipped his thumb through his belt loop in his grey jeans and smiled gently. "You're right." He said, throwing the slim cigarette on the concrete deck and squished its light out with his heavy leather boots. "It was a bad habit anyway."

My eyes widened and I blushed as he came closer to me, squatting down beside me, a space of air and bars separating our faces by a foot. He smiled at me and I stared blankly at him, surprised. Did he really just do what I think he did? Who quits smoking just because someone says "It's bad for you"?"

"I'm Kyle. I live across the hall from you." Kyle said, smiling widely. His eyes were a shade darker than lime green with pieces of emerald green and black flecked through them, rimmed by thick black lashes. They smiled at me cheerily, and I felt them searching mine. It was as if they were trying to send me happy feelings, as if pulling all my emotions to the surface.

I looked away from him, pulling myself out of the trace and blushed. "Hi." I inched away from him and avoided his gaze. Better not to get involved with him. I had learned my lesson last time a guy this beautiful was nice to me. Just because I was trying to change and open up, didn't mean I had to include guys. The whole lot of them, they're such morons.

Kyle frowned and looked up at the sky. "You been outside long? Don't let the warm air fool 'ya, it gets chilly out here." He leaned against the brick wall, and slung his arm over his knee.

I pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and pulled the blanket around me tighter. "Maybe ten minutes...does it really get really cold? I was going to spend the night out here."

"Oh, did the smell get to you? I promise you'll get used to it." Laughed Kyle, smiling at me, again. Does he ever stop smiling?

"It's fine. My electricity just cut out, that's all." I kicked myself inwardly, frustrated by how much I had already told him about myself. Why'd I have to mention it cut out? I didn't, but for some reason I wanted him to look concerned for me, even just for a moment. What was I now? Some sort of attention hog?

His eyebrows pulled together and he frowned. "Hum. Well that's a problem, now isn't it? Mind if I take a look?" Kyle stood up and placed a hand on the railing I was laying my head on and looked down at me.

"S-sure." I mumbled, stumbling over my words as he set his hand on the railing. Kyle pushed off the railing and lifted his legs, jumping over both his railing and mine and landed beside me. He offered me his hand, but I ignored it, standing up on my own.

I followed Kyle through the screen door, past the living room, and down the hallway, to a small door set in the middle of the hall. He yanked it open to reveal a dark storage closet and a rusted fuse box. He looked down at me over his shoulder, his hair tickling my face, and squinted his eyes to try and see me. "You have a flashlight?"

I peeked out from behind him and looked in, trying to fit in the narrow hallway. "No."

Kyle huffed and flipped his hair out of his eyes as he leaned in, clutching onto the door for balance. "Ah, here’s one. Of course they'd set one right on top out of here. How like them." He snorted and pulled out the flashlight and hit it against his hand.

"Isn't that helpful?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess so." Kyle set the flashlight in his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows as he played with wires. "It's just that they know the electricity cuts out real bad 'round here. So it's like in smite they set one on top of here, because they know you'll need it. It's ironic really." He mumbled, his voice carrying a lisp caused by the yellow metal flashlight in between his teeth. He pulled it out and looked at me smiling and laughed, "You know what I mean?" I blushed as his nose nearly touched mine, and shivered. Holy crap, he's hot. I thought, feeling my heart beat faster.

The lights flickered a dull orange light, and then finally it came on, and stayed on. Kyle smiled and wiped what I assumed to be grease from the fuse box, off on his pants and smiled up at the lights in victory.

"Thanks. I can pay you for it, if you want."I said, walking out into the living room. I ran my hand over the walls and smiled inwardly. "Whenever I get a job."

"Free of charge, neighbor." Kyle laughed and ran his hand through his hand through his hair. "It should be good, but if something happens again, just come knock on the door." He smiled at me and walked over to the deck doors and set his hand on the handle. "Yeah, it's a fix-er-up-er. Good thing we're aloud to do whatever to it, as long as we pay rent. It may not be much," He opened the door and stepped outside, looking at me, "but its home."

I smiled and let myself crack a small smile at him. "Home." I nodded, patting the wall.

"See you, um...it was nice meeting you." Kyle said, waving at me as he began to close the door.

"Kaybree." I mumbled, stopping him short.

"Pardon?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I blushed and looked down at the floor, embarrassed. "Kaybree. That's my name."

Kyle smiled and tilted his head at me. "Nice to meet you Kaybree." He shut the door and I sighed in relief. Happily, I began unpacking my few belongings. I dragged my blanket and bag inside and set it up against the wall. I air into the air mattress and laid down, exhausted.

I had no real food, no job, no phone and no knowledge of where anything was. All I had was me, my books, a few clothes, a rented car, and an empty, rundown apartment. And I loved it.