Are You Just Bad News?
Chapter One
I hauled the huge box up off the floor and looked at the stairs I now had to conquer.
Alone.
Kinda like the rest of my life, I thought.
I gave a great sigh and began on my nice little journey up said stairs, the contents of the box shaking slightly inside. I could feel the pains in my back start, but I ignored it and kept going.
I wasn’t going to give up. This was something I had to do by myself, sadly. There was no other way this stuff was getting up these steps, and it was all the junk I just had to bring from home. Stupid shit I couldn’t part with, stuffed animals, CDs, billions of notebooks full of art, and tons of photo albums.
God, I needed to have a garage sale.
I continued to take the stairs one at a time, careful not to trip and land face-first in my box of crap. I thought back to my new home, apartment 408 in Evergreen Gardens.
Evergreen Gardens, with too many stairs. Evergreen Gardens, with the front door that barely worked and cobwebs in what seemed to be every corner. Evergreen Gardens, which only happened to be a 10-15 minute drive from my new school.
And it was cheap. The two reasons I’d rented this stupid place.
It obviously wasn’t for the scenery.
Still lost in my thoughts, I treaded on the step in front of me the wrong way. I felt my balance topple and I leaned backwards.
But instead of coming back first with the bottom of the stairwell, I landed in someone’s arms.
“Whoa! Well hello,” the person said, voice smooth and light. I turned to look at the person, horrified that I’d come in close contact with them in the first place.
As soon as my eyes landed on his, I noted the brightness the dark color held. My capturer had a chiseled, masculine face, skin flawless from any blemishes. Clad in a kind smile and dark brown hair, with eyes a light, honey color, he smiled at me gently.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah,” I muttered, still struggling to hold the box. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s fine,” he said, shrugging. He set me upright and steadied me. “Need any help with that?”
“Oh no, not at-”
“Nonsense,” the stranger said, grabbing the box from me. “Let me help.”
And just like that he was in front of me, carrying the box I struggled to hold up to the floor of my apartment. Now that he was in my peripheral vision, I got a good look at him.
“Which way are we going?” The stranger then proceeded to ask.
“Uh, 408,” I muttered, following him up the steps. He nodded and walked down the hall towards my apartment, where the door glinted with the numbers 408 on the front in gold lettering.
The door across the hall from my own opened, and a tall figure stepped out from behind it. With shoulder length, light brown hair, his eyes danced from the guy to me.
With an eyebrow raised, he said, “Hey Mike?”
The guy I presumed to be ‘Mike’ looked over at him as he stood in front of my door, “Yeah?”
I jumped in front of him and went to unlock the door, feeling the stare of the guy at the door burning into my back.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh, helping…” He looked to me for help.
“Leah,” I said for him, giving him a small smile as I unlocked it and tossed it, holding it open for him to put the box in.
“Helping Leah,” he explained to the guy across the hall. “Where do you want it?”
“Want what?” I asked, confusion evident in my voice. I heard the guy across the hall snicker.
“The box. Where do you want the box?”
“Oh!” I exclaimed. “The box. Yeah, put it in the study. Here, lemme show you it…”
I walked further into my two-bedroom apartment, showing him the room beside the bathroom, which sat between that one and my own. It was filled with wrapped furniture, my computer, and an empty bookshelf.
I saw said stranger drop it down in the middle of the room, and some of his loose hairs fell in front of his face. When he stood back up, he curled some of it behind his ear and walked out of the room, coming to face me.
“Do you need anymore help?” He asked sweetly, smiling down at me. Now that I realized it, he was much taller than me, but then again, who isn’t?
Shaking my head, I said, “No, that was the last heavy box. Everything else is pretty simple - I can get it. Thanks…?”
“Mike,” he said, smiling down at me. “Sorry, I should’ve told you that straight off the bat.”
“It’s okay Mike,” I replied back, shaking his outstretched hand. “I’m Leah, but I already said that, haha.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be reminded,” he said, grinning. “Welcome to the building, Leah.” And then he exited my dingy apartment as quickly as he came.
Alone.
Kinda like the rest of my life, I thought.
I gave a great sigh and began on my nice little journey up said stairs, the contents of the box shaking slightly inside. I could feel the pains in my back start, but I ignored it and kept going.
I wasn’t going to give up. This was something I had to do by myself, sadly. There was no other way this stuff was getting up these steps, and it was all the junk I just had to bring from home. Stupid shit I couldn’t part with, stuffed animals, CDs, billions of notebooks full of art, and tons of photo albums.
God, I needed to have a garage sale.
I continued to take the stairs one at a time, careful not to trip and land face-first in my box of crap. I thought back to my new home, apartment 408 in Evergreen Gardens.
Evergreen Gardens, with too many stairs. Evergreen Gardens, with the front door that barely worked and cobwebs in what seemed to be every corner. Evergreen Gardens, which only happened to be a 10-15 minute drive from my new school.
And it was cheap. The two reasons I’d rented this stupid place.
It obviously wasn’t for the scenery.
Still lost in my thoughts, I treaded on the step in front of me the wrong way. I felt my balance topple and I leaned backwards.
But instead of coming back first with the bottom of the stairwell, I landed in someone’s arms.
“Whoa! Well hello,” the person said, voice smooth and light. I turned to look at the person, horrified that I’d come in close contact with them in the first place.
As soon as my eyes landed on his, I noted the brightness the dark color held. My capturer had a chiseled, masculine face, skin flawless from any blemishes. Clad in a kind smile and dark brown hair, with eyes a light, honey color, he smiled at me gently.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah,” I muttered, still struggling to hold the box. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s fine,” he said, shrugging. He set me upright and steadied me. “Need any help with that?”
“Oh no, not at-”
“Nonsense,” the stranger said, grabbing the box from me. “Let me help.”
And just like that he was in front of me, carrying the box I struggled to hold up to the floor of my apartment. Now that he was in my peripheral vision, I got a good look at him.
“Which way are we going?” The stranger then proceeded to ask.
“Uh, 408,” I muttered, following him up the steps. He nodded and walked down the hall towards my apartment, where the door glinted with the numbers 408 on the front in gold lettering.
The door across the hall from my own opened, and a tall figure stepped out from behind it. With shoulder length, light brown hair, his eyes danced from the guy to me.
With an eyebrow raised, he said, “Hey Mike?”
The guy I presumed to be ‘Mike’ looked over at him as he stood in front of my door, “Yeah?”
I jumped in front of him and went to unlock the door, feeling the stare of the guy at the door burning into my back.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh, helping…” He looked to me for help.
“Leah,” I said for him, giving him a small smile as I unlocked it and tossed it, holding it open for him to put the box in.
“Helping Leah,” he explained to the guy across the hall. “Where do you want it?”
“Want what?” I asked, confusion evident in my voice. I heard the guy across the hall snicker.
“The box. Where do you want the box?”
“Oh!” I exclaimed. “The box. Yeah, put it in the study. Here, lemme show you it…”
I walked further into my two-bedroom apartment, showing him the room beside the bathroom, which sat between that one and my own. It was filled with wrapped furniture, my computer, and an empty bookshelf.
I saw said stranger drop it down in the middle of the room, and some of his loose hairs fell in front of his face. When he stood back up, he curled some of it behind his ear and walked out of the room, coming to face me.
“Do you need anymore help?” He asked sweetly, smiling down at me. Now that I realized it, he was much taller than me, but then again, who isn’t?
Shaking my head, I said, “No, that was the last heavy box. Everything else is pretty simple - I can get it. Thanks…?”
“Mike,” he said, smiling down at me. “Sorry, I should’ve told you that straight off the bat.”
“It’s okay Mike,” I replied back, shaking his outstretched hand. “I’m Leah, but I already said that, haha.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be reminded,” he said, grinning. “Welcome to the building, Leah.” And then he exited my dingy apartment as quickly as he came.
♠ ♠ ♠
I hope you/other people like the intro.<3