Totally Cliche Nightmare

Chapter 3

I'd just come home from my classes, beat and a little grumpy from all the assignments I had to work on. Tackling the groceries I bought on my way home plus my books, I struggled a little to put in the pass code and when I finally got in, I shut the door with my leg in relieve.

Taking off my shoes and arranging them orderly with my feet, I headed out of the little passageway and into the living room, noticing that Beryl wasn't back yet. If she was, I would've been hearing her playing music while dancing around the house, or her clothes would lay strewn across everywhere.

Just as I was about to head into the kitchen, I saw a movement in the corner of my eyes and my heart was beating so bad against my chest in fear as I spun around to the passageway leading to the rooms.

Both of us jumped at the same time.

I dropped my grocery bags and books as I stared wide eyed at the strange tall male in joggers and a grey t-shirt, his damp hair a shocking silver.

"W-Who the f**k are you!?" I screamed, my heart flying against my chest as I stepped backwards and wondering what I could use to defend myself.

His shocked face morphed into a confused one, then into an accusing gaze. "I should be asking you that, who are you?"

I looked around and out of panic of having an identified stranger in the house, I just screamed. So loud.

Silver hair stepped towards me determinedly and in a frenzied fear, I ran around the couch. "DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR ME!"

"Stop screaming, the f**k!" He shouted back, still coming at me and in defense, I reached for a throw pillow and lunged it at him, increasing the distance between us.

"WHO IN HELL ARE YOU!?"

Soon a breathless Beryl ran in and bent over a while to catch her breath and without looking up, she spoke. "N-Noah you i***t, f**k you!"

"Nice to see you again too." Silver boy who now has a name replied then looked at me again. So Beryl knows him. Is he her boyfriend or something?

"You should've told me you were coming!" Beryl removed her shoes and lunged it at him, he dodged it easily.

"I did."

She threw her other shoe at him, he dodged it again. "Like 30 minutes ago! When you were already in my house, you i***t. Now you scared Roxie!"

"Who's she by the way?" Noah asked, looking genuinely curious as he tilted his head at me, his gaze made me uncomfortable, like I was some sort of strange discovery under a scientist's microscope. Nervous, I looked away to Beryl, feeling slightly embarrassed for my earlier reaction.

"I'll go cook something now." I told her as I went ahead to pack the things that fell on the floor, getting irked to see some eggs I bought cracked.

"I'm sorry my brother startled you so much, Roxie." Beryl apologized and I whipped my head so fast. Her brother, the one in a boy band? Wait. I looked at him again, then at Beryl, then at Noah again. The resemblance was there but not too obvious to be honest.

"Yeah, I'm much prettier than him." Beryl smirked and Noah scoffed.

"You're not too talkative, are you?" Noah looked down at me. "Earlier, you were so loud." He commented them turned to Beryl. "You still haven't told me who she is. A house keeper?"

"She lives with me." Beryl said simply and as I quietly cleared the mess on the floor, I watched the interaction between the siblings, communicating something with their eyes. Beryl finally spoke. "No. My housemate."

"I thought dad told you to stay alone?" Noah said and Beryl huffed.

"Since when do I do what he says? And it was getting boring alone anyways." She muttered as I got up to dispose the ruined eggs. "What are you doing here anyway?"

I didn't hear the rest of their conversations as I tuned myself out, feeling really uncomfortable. I don't remember being in the same enclosed space with a male specie except my brother who closely acknowledges me. It's very uncomfortable.

After whipping up a quick dinner, I announced to Beryl and took my share, zooming into my room and locking it. Beryl and Noah were in the living room talking in hushed whispers.

When I finished my dinner, I worked on some assignments on my laptop and what felt like few minutes later, I woke up to a knock on my door and my face kissing my laptop's keyboards. Painful keyboard prints evidence I've been asleep a while.

"Roxie, it's me." Beryl announced softly. "You up?"

I groggily fixed my reading glasses which had slanted and stood tiredly. "Yeah, a minute."

Opening the door, I saw Beryl holding a box of pizza, "We left some for you."

Taking the box, I blinked. "Oh thanks."

"Can I come in?" Beryl asked, looking a little fidgety as she played with her fingers, her big eyes looked to me and I nodded in confusion. She stepped in and went to sit on my bed with a bounce. I cringed a little.

Throwing glances at her as I went to drop the pizza box on my desk, "Anything wrong?"

"Um..." She looked to me with a little smile. "Actually, um... my brother is in a bit of a fix and wants to stay here a while. Is that okay with you?"

I blinked. Once. Twice.

What?

I was totally not okay with that. Living in the same space with a male who isn't my brother. Oh no sister. However this was technically her house and she can do whatever she wants. I find it really sweet that she asked for my opinion despite that. I mean, I can't make her chase her own brother away because of my stupid wariness and disgust of males.

So I said the only thing that was right with a smile. "Sure. You didn't have to ask me."

-

My alarm for the next day was set earlier than usual and by 4:00am, I was up.

I swept the whole house except Beryl and Noah's rooms which took about 30 minutes, dusted every furniture while absentmindedly thinking about how I didn't FaceTime mum and Ron last night because I was too beat.

By the time I was making pancake batter, I heard Noah's room door open and I tensed as his footsteps got closer to the kitchen. When he entered, I pretended he wasn't there and was more focused on not getting egg shells into my batter.

"Good morning, baby banshee." He acknowledged me, heading to the fridge and I snapped my head up at the name, watching him take a bottle of water.

"What did you just call me?" I narrowed my eyes at him and his gaze was on me as he drank directly from the bottle of water. I felt uncomfortable as I made a note to self to never touch any bottled water in the fridge anymore.

He still didn't reply me as he screwed the bottle shut and walked towards the counter, across me, to place it there. I subconsciously willed my body to move back.

"What are you making?" He asked, sitting on the high chair opposite me on the other side and folding his arms atop the surface.

"I asked what you called me."

"Why? Did you really not hear it or you hate the nickname?" His smile was annoying and I realized I didn't have time to deal with him as I put my attention back on mixing the batter. "Ay, look at her being all serious."

"Please leave me alone." I frowned without looking at him, wishing he would go away or that Beryl would wake up, whichever. Sadly, the latter wish was impossible as Beryl slept in like a bear. Hmm.. Bearyl.

"Hey, baby banshee,"

"Do not make that name a thing." I glared at him but he totally ignored me and went on talking.

"Ever heard of Gangstars?"

I frowned at him wondering what he was asking me. "What?"

"Gangstars..." He repeated, not doing anything to stop my confusion.

"Uh... People who participate in illegal and dangerous business?" I frowned. What. Was he in a criminal gang?

He let out a soft laugh, partially covering his face with his hands. "Yeah that name is f*****g embarrassing and we've been made fun of a lot but we have to deal with it."

"What are you even talking about?" I asked, confused at the involuntary one-sided conversation we were having here.

He observed me for a while and I got uncomfortable and went back to my batter.

"You really don't know?"

"I don't understand what strange conversation you're trying to have here," I replied, satisfied at the texture of the batter now. "And I'm really not interested, so please go away."

Noah laughed and stood, sliding the bottle of water across the counter and so very close to knocking down my bowl of batter.

"Hey!"

"That's good then." He said and I, still confused, frowned a little at him as he exited the kitchen.

Not sure what just happened, I went on making the pancakes and in about 40 minutes, I was done with everything, cleaning and all, gratefully uninterrupted.

In a while, I was ready for school and snuck out without Beryl. She always offered to drive me to school but she always woke up late, and took even more time to prepare. Waiting for her would make me miss at least two of my classes.

What Noah was asking me earlier this morning kept bugging me in the subway ride to school, so I whipped my phone out and inputed "gangsters". It brought out the definition and I stared at it for a while before it hit me.

Of course! He's in a band. Maybe that's the name of their band. It does sound weird though and if the internet doesn't have anything on them, maybe they weren't that famous.

I scrolled down a little before I saw an article with the headline: Gangstars not Gangsters, a Korean Boy Group Taking The World by  Storm.

Oh.

I honestly haven't heard of them, no shocker, so I wouldn't be so sure of the "taking the world by storm" part.

Not actually interested in anything about this topic, I exited the browser and put my phone back in my bag.

Already can't deal with singular boys, won't get myself into knowing a group filled with boys.

No ma'am, just no, I'm staying away from the male specie.

However as I got closer to my stop and even as I attended my classes, the initial feeling that staying in Beryl's house would turn really bad one day never left me. And it just kept getting worse.