Balconey

I am that girl. The one smitten with her next-door-neighbor. I am also the dorky girl. And it just so happens that my next-door-neighbor was not.

 Tall and lithe, I was built like a long-distance runner. My large, clear-framed glasses took up a lot of my face. I had deep blue and purple hair and an attitude the size of Russia. And an awkwardness the same size. 

 My neighbor was a football player, dark hair and the clearest green eyes you ever seen. He was maybe an inch or so shorter than me, a fact that made me blush. Unhappily, too.

 And yet I was completely in love with him ever since he first came here, ten years ago when we were both children. We used to play together, but now that we reached high school, we've drifted to just a casual handwave every now and then.

 Which was why quarantine was a blessing.

 Our houses were built pretty similarly. Three stories, with a balconey attatched to the top. Naturally I got the balconey room, because regardless of how cool the balconey was, the room itself wasn't exactly huge. It was perfect for me, but not for my parents.

 He had a balconey room as well, a fact I loved especially since it was close to mine.

 Quarantine forced us to stay indoors and by the fourth week, I was going insane. I couldn't sleep because I wasn't tired. Why would you be tired after a day of doing absolutely nothing?

 Which is how I found myself going out to the balconey in the middle of the night and curling up on the cool marble floor. The moon was a brilliant silver above me, stars twinking. The night was cool so I draped a blanket over me.

 "Um, Hannah?"

 I jumped up, freaking out. "Nathan?"

 He grinned, a flash of teeth in the darkness. How cow, I hadn't even heard him. He stood across from me, on his own balconey.

 "So I'm not the only one awake at this time anymore," he said, his melodic voice making me shiver.

 "Nope. Quarantine's a bitch," I replied, laughing softly.

 "Well, you got that right." He paused for a moment and I could see the curve of his neck in the liquid moonlight. "How are you?"

 "You mean other than sick of this virus?" I pretended to think. "Hmm. Well. I guess I'd say pretty good. Finished my show, Criminal Minds. You?"

 "Wait, wait." His hands waved at me as he shook his head. "You watch Criminal Minds, too?"

 "Oh, my gods, yes!" I said excitedly. "You do?"

 "Ever since I found out about it." Nathan let out a throaty, yet quiet laugh. "I love Jennifer Jeroe. She's so hot."

 I bit my lip, knowing full well that I was the direct opposite of JJ. Dark haired, not as smart, tall, and dark-eyed. Just reverse everything I was and you had JJ.

 "I don't know," I mused, hiding my sadness. "Reid's the hot one on the team."

 "Ew." I could practically feel him wrinkle his nose. "Reid always looks like he's on drugs. Besides, he's a green bean. No muscles at ALL."

 "I like that," I said playfully. "So hot."

 Nathan laughed again. "Whatever."

 We chatted more and more until the sun peeked over the horizon and my mother yelled at me to wake up. I smiled as I left, my mood a lot chipper than yesterday. The sad thing was that no one noticed. My father was too busy working and my mother was painting another portrait of her cat which would end up selling for millions of dollars. It's a cat, for gods' sake. But whatever.

 That night I came back again, hoping to find him there. I'd taken a five-hour nap earlier so I was prepared to stay up all night again.

 An hour passed. Midnight came. I was ready to give up when out he stepped in all his masculine glory. Tonight the moon was bigger so I could see more of him. He wore pajama pants and a dark blue shirt that was all rumpled.

 "Hey," he said, surprised. "I didn't think you'd be out here."

 "Yeah, I didn't think you'd be out here either," I lied smoothly.

 Nathan looked uncomfortable for a second and I began to sweat, worried. 

 "Should I go?" I finally asked, the last thing I wanted to do. 

 "No!" he blurted. "Um, please don't. Gah, I'm sorry, it's just . . .my parents are fighting again and I actually . . .well, ok, I wasn't completely honest a minute ago. I didn't EXPECT you out here, but I WANTED you to be. Does that sound crazy?"

 "No," I said softly, wanting to put my arms around him. Then I shook my head. Whoa, girl. A little soon, don't cha think?

 "You're a really good listener," he said, as if that explained it all. I guess it did, kinda.

 "Why do your parents fight?" I asked.

 "My dad drinks," he said miserably. "Mom's amazing. She could have a billionaire for a husband, but instead she chose him. She loves him, I guess, but he treats her like shit. I'm sick of it."

 "Oh."

 "Do your parents fight?"

 I hesitated. "Well. In order to fight, they'd have to notice someone other than themselves first. So, no." 

 Nathan looked shocked for a moment. "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry."

 I shrugged. "I get away wit lots of stuff."

 A poor, sad comment, but what else could I say? That it hurt? That I cried sometimes at night when only the crickets were awake? That even if I was SOBBING MY HEART OUT and everyone was awake, they still wouldn't notice me?

 Needless to say, that night was very much the same as last night. Except better, because we weren't bantering over a TV show we both liked, we were talking about deeper things. Nathan's parents, my parents, life. How sucky it all was.

 The next morning sucked. As did the next one and the next one and the next one. But the nights were magical and full of mystery. We never touched, always staying on our own balconeys because of the Coronavirus. But I wanted to kiss him. Oh, yes I did.

 One month and five nights later, quarantine ended. Everyone was out and about and I was frantic that day, terrified I'd lose my quarantine buddy. And I did.

 When I waited up that night, no one came. I stayed up till my mother called for me. Disappointment rained heavily on me.

 The next night was the same, except this time I only stayed up till three. Then I went to bed, still feeling the crushing disappointment.

 A week later of not going out there, I had a nightmare. It was only mildly disturbing, my parents as aliens and not knowing who I was, but it was enough to wake me up and not want to go back to sleep. I stumbled out to the balconey, tired and forgetting that this place had once had a special meaning for me.

 I slumped in a chair.

 "Hannah?"

 I jumped up, suddenly awake. There was Nathan, outlined in silver. His eyes seemed to burn straight through me. I tugged at my short camisole and tiny shorts.

 "Um, hey, Nathan. Didn't expect to see you here." My tone was slightly cold.

 "Goddammit, I'm sorry, Hannah. I got drunk on the first and second nights! My friend let my sleep over! But I've been here every night since, waiting for you!" Nathan ran his hands through his hair.

 "Yeah, OK." I turned away.

 "Wait! Hannah!"

 I turned back around. "What."

 "Wait here. One second." He dashed back through his door and I thought I saw a dim shape flash between his house and mine. Eyes widening, I flew downstairs, whipping open the front door.

 Nathan darted forward, pressing his warm lips on mine. I gasped, knotting my fingers in his hair. The sounds of the crickets intensified and the night air seemed even warmer.

 He finally pulled away, his lips rosy. "I had to do that. But only after quarantine."

 In response, I pulled him in once more.

 And that was how I fell in love with my next-door-neighbor and survived quarantine.