The girl next door

Chapter 2 - Heather

About an hour later we actually managed to haul up all the boxes and even my suitcases and now sit together on the couch. Fortunately, we brought the furniture here a few days earlier with a removal company and had it assembled, so that the few pieces of furniture I have are already there.

"Would you make me a cup of coffee, darling?" my grandmother asks after some time in which we only had a little small talk. Fortunately, the kitchen is already ready, so I get up and go into the room.

There I stand next to the machine and switch on the process. "Grandma asks and I open the fridge to see if we have anything like this. But this one is completely empty. But what did I expect? After all, I haven't been to the supermarket yet and hardly anyone will have gone shopping for me. The fact that I took coffee with me from home is a miracle when you consider how much I have planned.

"I'm sorry, I don't have anything like that," I explain to her: "I'd have to go shopping first." I take the coffee cup and bring it to her. "You could ask your new neighbors," she suggests with a smile, and I immediately realize that the milk is just an excuse to send me over.

I bite my lip. This could be my chance to get to know the people here in the house. After all, I don't know if I'll ever get another opportunity like this. Besides, I don't want to live in a house again with people with whom I haven't at least exchanged a word.

On the other hand, I'm usually uncomfortable with such things. That's not because I don't have self-confidence, but rather because I'm afraid of giving the wrong impression of myself. I'm not really good at giving a good first impression of myself.

My grandmother raises her eyebrows expectantly, as if she knew what I was thinking about right now: "Don't be like that, Heather. They won't rip your head off if you ask for milk." With a loud sigh I give in and make my way to the door: "All right, but only because it's you".

With a heavy heart I enter the hallway and hesitantly walk towards the door opposite. Before I knock, I inspect the doorbell shield first. The name 'Dixon' is written on it in boring black letters.

Since Dixon sounds like the surname of an old lady to me, I quickly put my concerns aside and press the bell button without hesitation, but with a slightly beating heart. The thought shoots through my head that the occupant behind the door may not be there or may not be disturbed.

But before I can make a retreat, I can hear footsteps on the other side and the next second I am opened. Instinctively I put on my good girl smile and look at the person standing in the door frame.

It's a blonde man, maybe two or three years older than myself. When he opens the door, his facial expression is rather questioning, but when he sees me, a slight smile creeps on his lips and I feel him start to look at me.

"What can I do for the lady," he asks charmingly and my excitement fades away. "I wanted to ask if I could borrow some condensed milk", I recite my request and use the following seconds of silence to look into his eyes, which seem to have about the same blue colour as my own.

"I have to ask the landlord for a moment," he winking mischievously at me and then turns around to shout into the apartment: "Swing your ass here and bring some condensed milk." I watch him a little stunned as I thought it was his apartment. Although I've seen someone else here before, since the guy standing in front of me has opened the door, I took it for granted that he lives here.

A few seconds later, exactly the man appears in my field of vision whom I was able to catch a glimpse of a few hours ago. "You could have gone and fetched her, too. After all, you usually just help yourself to my fridge", with these words he presses the condensed milk into his friend's hand and wants to disappear again. The blonde, however, stops the dark-haired man and nods in my direction: "Don't you want to greet your new neighbour?

Instantly I feel myself getting a little warm. The owner of the apartment just nods to me to greet me and then frees himself from the grip of his friend to disappear again.

"I really have to apologize for Sebastian", the blonde guy scratches his back a little embarrassed: "He's not having a good day today." I nod, but there's nothing I can do to stop my eyebrows from moving upwards in doubt. "I'm Aiden, by the way," he introduces himself and then holds the food out to me, which is why I'm here at all.

"Heather", with a friendly smile I reach for the product: "I think I'll go over again." He nods understandingly and I turn to leave, but before I arrive at my front door, I turn around once more: "Thank you for your help and the milk. He grins and then turns around to close the door again.

I knock on my own door and wait for Grandma to open it for me. I notice that Aiden is really friendly. You can't say that about Sebastian, as it seems so far. Why can't I live next to Aiden? Surely we would understand each other well. But with Sebastian it will probably be nothing more.