New (untitled) story

[njbohemian]

So here's the new story I'm working on that I've debated whether to post or not. Hope you guys enjoy it. The 1st part's kind of short, but oh well.
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Part 1

"I'm going."
"All right. Seeya later," he replied, staring at his sheet music.
"No. I'm going going."

He looked up and noticed that she had a still expression on her face.

"You got to be kidding me!" He exclaimed, getting up and rushing over to her as she inched closer to the door.
"I'm sorry. I can't be in this relationship any longer with you," she said, walking towards the door.
"Look. Whatever it is, we can work it out! Just don't do this, Ann. Don't make it worse than it already is."

She looked at him and replied, "I'm sorry."

His eyes started to slightly water as she opened the door and entered the hallway and closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in confusion and silence.

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

What happened!!!!! Why did she leave?? Keep going don't stop!

I LOVE it!

[yakketyyak]

aahhh, you know we love reading your words.....you must finish what you started....If you write it, we will read it....

[njbohemian]

Part 2 (weeks later)

Lucy watched as the snow fell from the grey skies, blanketing the streets and everything in it's path. There was no way that she was heading out to class during a blizzard. She looked at all of her belongings, all scattered around the wooden floor like a pile of stale leaves from a tree. She had been meaning to clean the place up, but she didn't know where to start.

As soon as she sat down on the floor, she heard someone play music from down the hall. She headed out and followed the music, which sounded like it was coming from a keyboard. She peered around a corner and saw a guy tinkering with a guitar, writing notes down and staring down at the paper.

Suddenly, someone yelled "Heads up!"
She looked and ducked when a golfball nearly hit her in the head. She glared at the golf-playing neighbor, who mumbled something as he headed back inside his apartment. She picked up the golfball and looked around, hoping that no one saw what had happened.

"No one saw anything. It's okay," The guy said, getting up from his seat.
"Thank god. That would've been embarrasing." As she walked away, she heard him ask,
"What were you doing out here anyway?"
She looked back at him and said, "I heard music. I didn't know where it was coming from, so I thought I'd investigate."
"You were snooping."
"No. Snooping is a strong word. I didn't know where it was coming from."

He got up and walked over to her, after sitting in the chair for hours.

"You're new here, aren't you?" He asked.
"Yeah, pretty much. I moved in a few weeks ago."

He raised his eyes and replied, "Really? I haven't seen you around the halls or anything..."
"Yeah. I've been in and out. Mostly getting some stuff out of storage so..."

They both nodded their heads as her sentence trailed off.

"Well, I think we should introduce ourselves, since we're neighbors and all."
"I'm Lucy, then," she said, holding her hand out.
"Cool. Name's Marty."
She nodded her head and looked down as they shook hands.
"You look nervous. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just...I've never struck out on my own before."
"It takes getting used to. I know how you feel."
"Thanks."

As she walked away, he called her name.
She turned around and faced him.
"If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to knock on my door or something."
She nodded her head and stepped inside her apartment, sighing.

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

Golf playing neighbors!

Love the story! You do great work!

[chk]

oh my.
awaiting next installment......................

[njbohemian]

Part 3

Lucy awoke to a shaky start. It wasn't another dream, but she felt cold. She looked at her clock, hoping that it wasn't 3am. She looked and saw that it was already 12 in the afternoon, which looked different because of the dark window shades.

She unveiled her windows for the day and saw that it was still snowing outside, but not as bad as yesterday. She decided to turn the air conditioning on since she was freezing. After pressing numerous buttons, she had no luck. The lights didn't even work as well. The power was out.

"Fine. I'll go for a walk. I don't care how cold it is," she thought, searching for her black peacoat. As she headed outside, a strong, cold wind blew into her face, but it didn't stop her from walking. Five minutes into the walk, she headed back inside. As she walked up the stairs, she suddenly lost her balance and tripped onto the floor, not realizing that there was a patch of ice. She got up slowly and decided to watch each step she took, without tripping again.

"You okay?" someone asked.

She looked up and saw her neighbor standing right in front of her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just tripped. It's okay," she said, wincing as she walked.
"You sure?"
Before she could say anything, she tripped and fell face first onto the floor. She heard someone rush over to her and help her up.
"This isn't your day, is it?" He asked.
"Guess not," Lucy said, leaning into the wall.
"Why were you outside, anyway?"
"I needed to take a walk."

He stared at her and asked, "In the cold?"
She shrugged and followed him to the door.

He unlocked the door of his apartment, throwing his jacket onto the floor.

"You can hang around here for a while, if you want."
"No, I couldn't. You're busy..."
"Nah, don't be stupid. I could use a little company. Come on in."

She sighed for a second and entered his warm apartment, standing in shock. She looked around the room and noticed every little detail of the room-one wall had numerous shows plastered onto the wall, while the other had posters of numerous bands and concerts.

She walked over to her neighbor, who was holding an icepack in one hand.

"What's that for?" She asked.
"Your cheek. I think you bruised it."
She looked at him as he handed it to her.
"You do this for all your neighbors?" She asked, placing the icepack on her face.
"Not really. Most of them would look at me like I'm weird or something. They just keep to themselves... just like me."
"I've never met anyone who's always so concerned about other people. Normally most people wouldn't care and just look the other way."
"Well, I'm not most people."

She laughed slightly and walked over to the guitar.
"You play?" He asked her.
"No. I mean, I used to, but I gave up after a while."
"Why's that?"
"I didn't have any patience."
He laughed and said, "I doubt that. You probably just didn't have enough concentration."
"I concentrate. Just not musically, that is."
"Oh. What do you concentrate on then?"
"Well...writing for one thing."

"You write?"
"Not professionally. I'm just freelancing at the moment."
"Cool. Maybe I'll come across some of your stuff one day."

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

Keep going!!! Can't wait to find out what happens!!!

[njbohemian]

Part 4

"He sounds like a nice guy," Marie said, sitting on Lucy's couch. Marie and Lucy had been friends since college, and had already helped each other move into different apartments over the course of the month.
"Yeah. He's not bad," Lucy replied, heading over to join her.
"Does he have any brothers?"
"Marie!"
"What?! It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?"
"But it's only been a few months since I've been here, and I don't know much about him."

Marie sighed and said,"If I were you, I'd ask him out."
"Why?"
"So that you could get to know him better."
"I'm not asking my neighbor out on a date!"

"Come on, Luce. You're a nice girl. You only get one chance in life with a guy like him..."
"And MY answer for you is no. N-O no!"

Suddenly, Marie grabbed Lucy's hand and headed over to his door.

"Marie, this is stupid. So stupid that..."

Suddenly, his door started to open. Instead of seeing her neighbor, a girl walked out of his apartment with a stern look on her face, walking out the door with some belongings and not much else. After she left, Lucy and Marie went in and found Marty sitting on the couch, holding his head in his hands.

"You okay?" Lucy asked, slowly walking over to him.
He sat there motionless, not facing the two.
"Marty. Are you okay?" She asked again, patting his shoulder.
"Get out," he muttered.
"What?"
He turned and yelled, "Just get the hell out!! All right?!"

Lucy backed away and slowly closed the door, still in shock from his outburst.

"Guess I was wrong," Marie whispered, leaning against the wall.
"I've never seen him like this before. I wonder what set him off?"
"Maybe that girl left him for some other shithead."

The door started to open again, and the two girls ran back inside Lucy's apartment, slowly closing the door. He looked at her door, shook his head and walked down the stairs.

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

Uh oh Marty's mad....hope everything works out!!!!!

[njbohemian]

Part 5

The next night, Lucy heard a knock on her door. She looked through the keyhole and saw her neighbor, waiting in silence. She opened it and muttered, "Hi."

"Hey. How are you?" Marty asked.
"Not bad."
"I uh...just wanted to apologize about yesterday. I was really going through a hard time."
She slowly nodded her head.
"I didn't mean to yell at you."
"I know. Well, thanks for the apology..."
As she was about to close the door, he asked her to wait.

"I was going to go down to this small diner around the corner and...I don't really feel like eating alone."
"You need my company again?"
"If you want. I mean, it's not a big deal."
She looked at him and said, "Give me ten minutes."
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Minutes later

"So what happened? If you don't mind me asking, that is," Lucy asked, taking a sip of water.
"Ann and I had been seeing each other for four years. We had a lot in common both musically and artistically. We used to have so much in common but...I don't know what happened. We just grew apart. I was focused more on my work and she needed space. But she was my life. Used to be anyway."

"I don't want to be rude, but is she the girl who stormed out of your apartment yesterday?" She asked.
"Yeah. We fought again over something stupid, and then she returned her apartment key. That's when I lost it."
Lucy nodded her head and looked at Marty. She could tell that he was taking the break-up rather hard, and that he needed support.
"I'm really sorry that you're going through this. I wish I could do something to help," Lucy replied.
"Thanks. But it's not necessary."
"I hate to see you acting like this is the end of the world. Because it's not. There's plenty of other people out there who would love to be around you."

He looked up and slightly smiled at her, as if he heard it all before.
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"Thanks for inviting me to dinner, by the way. It was great," Lucy said, as the two headed back to the apartment.
"Well, thanks for joining me. I really appreciated it."
"Yeah well...it was the least I could do, you know? I'm always the good samaritan."
After a brief silence, she said,"I've never been in a serious relationship, to tell you the truth," she said.
"Really? Why not?"
"I can never understand guys. I mean, I understand you, but the guys i used to date were intrested in models."
"No, they weren't."
"Uh...yeah they were. Those guys were nothing but jerks."
"Well, most guys are. But the way I see it, I'm sure there are tons of guys who are willing to go out with a girl like you."
"Yeah, right."
"It's true! You have a good personality, and that shouldn't go to waste. Don't ever give your hopes up."

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

Love it!!!!!!!! I give it 2 thumbs up! (would give more but that's all I have on my hand)

[njbohemian]

Part 6

"He actually said this to you?" Marie asked one night while standing outside of a club.
"Yeah, he did. It's not like he was going to brush the situation aside," Lucy said.
"Well, he is right. You do have a good personality. You just need to use it more often."
"What are you, repeating him now?"
"No, not really. I just know that you do. You only get one chance," Marie said as they headed inside the club.

Hours later, the music inside grew louder as it pulsated and vibrated from the huge speakers. Strobes of light flashed in front of the numerous people who danced wildly to the beat.

"Isn't this awesome?" Marie asked loudly.
"What?!" Lucy yelled over the music.
"This is great!!"
"Huh?!"

They both looked at each other and laughed as each song changed. Marie walked over to the bar to grab a drink while Lucy watched everyone dance. After three hours, she got fed up with the club scene and walked over to the bar to find Marie. When she caught up to her, Marie was already sandwiched next to a bunch of guys who weren't even her type.

"Hey! I want you to me Landon and Barret. They model for Ralph Lauren."
"Hey. Um, sorry I can't stay, but I'm gonna head back."
"Already? Come on! This place is starting to get hot!"
"You enjoy the nightlife. I'm heading back," Lucy said, walking out of the club.

As she headed inside the building, two people were sitting on the steps, staring at her as she entered the elevator.

"Must be the outfit," Lucy said, looking at her black top and dark blue jeans.
She was about to enter her apartment until someone opened the door. She stopped short and turned to her neighbor.

"Late night?" He asked.
"I guess you could say that. What time is it?"
"About 2 in the morning."
"Oh. I figured that everyone in the building would be out cold by now."
"Not me. I'm still working," Marty said.
"Mind if I join you?"
He nodded his head as he walked back inside.

"So how've you been?" Lucy asked, sitting on the couch.
"Okay. I've been bored out of my mind for the most part, but this guitar keeps me busy. How about you?"
"The same. My friend thought it would be great head over to a club for some fun but..."
"You weren't into it."
"Clubbing isn't really for me. For Marie, maybe... but not me."
He smiled.
"I mean, you should have seen her at a bar sandwiched in between two guys that aren't even her type or my type. It was weird."
"Strange things happen in bars. Why I don't know, but they do."

She laughed quietly and looked around the room.
"Don't you ever keep a clock in here?"
"The only clock i have is in the bedroom. I'll go check for you."
"Thanks." Before she could get an answer, she started to get drowsy. She suddenly felt herself fall onto something soft and rested her body for the night.

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

[njbohemian]

Part 7

When Lucy came to the next morning, she was sprawled out on the couch with a blanket draped over her shoulders. She sat up, looked around and realized that this wasn't her own apartment. She then realized that she accidentally fell asleep on her neighbor's couch.

"Morning."
She turned and faced Marty, who was still sitting in front of the coffee table.
"Um...hi. Morning. Sorry you had to find me in this...um..."
"It's a great couch, huh?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is. Um, if you'll excuse me...."

She started to run over to the door when he asked, "Why are you running off?"
"Look, this is really embarrasing for me right now! I accidentally slept on your couch and I should have been in my own apartment."

"Look, it's not a big deal. You were more exausted than I was last night, so you have nothing to worry about." She was just about to open the door when he asked ,"Can I suggest something?"

Lucy nodded.

"Skip the party scene and do what you feel like doing."
"I was just about to do that. That and go back to sleep again. Not here, though. Anyway, thanks for...that. I gotta go."
She opened the door and ran down the hall.
"When you're not tired, why don't you join me for a walk sometime?" he asked.
"Okay. When?"
"How about today at 3?"

Lucy raised one thumb up in the air and closed the door. She wasn't able to sleep for hours.

(To be continued...)

[grumpypirate]

Lucky Girl! Fell asleep on Marty's couch!

[yakketyyak]

I love the story so far, nj, but I am confused...I know who Lucy is, I know who Marie is, I know who Ann is...but who is Jocelyn that is mentioned in part 5 and 7?

[njbohemian]

yakketyyak said:

but who is Jocelyn that is mentioned in part 5 and 7?

I meant for it to be Lucy. Ooops. Sorry about that.

[yakketyyak]

njbohemian said:

I meant for it to be Lucy. Ooops. Sorry about that.

nj, no need to apologize....I just thought I missed something! Ok, I am impatiently waiting to find out what happens to Lucy and Marty next.....

[njbohemian]

Part 8

They walked through the park in silence, not knowing what to say or where to start. The leaves fell like feathers onto the dark pavement, making it somewhat slippery for those who walked.

"So..." Lucy started to say.
"So...what?" Marty asked, looking at her.
"I'm just trying to figure out how to start this conversation," she said, walking slowly with him.
"It's hard, I know."
They were silent again. They stayed silent for a good twenty minutes, observing the ecologic aspects of the park, watching the leaves fall and letting bikers and other joggers pass by them without an "excuse me".
"That's Chicago for ya," Lucy said. They both looked at each other and silently laughed.

"So what brings you to the city? Anything of intrest?" he asked, sitting on a cold bench.
"I needed to get away from everything."
"Everything meaning...."
"My family, my home, everything. They drove me nuts."
"What did they drive you nuts about?"
"You know, they bugged me about finding a career after college or working at my father's law firm. The usual stuff. I'm glad I got out of their way."
He nodded his head.
"What was your major then?"
"English lit."
"Wow. You want to write then, I'm assuming?"
"I'm not sure about that yet. I mean, I love all things literature, but..."


"Lucy! Hey," Marie yelled out, walking over to her.
"Hey Marie," Lucy said, not getting up from her seat.
"You really missed out last night. Those guys threw a party at their apartment and didn't stop until 7am. It was wild!"
Lucy nodded her head and looked over at Marty, who was sitting in silence.
"Have you guys hooked up yet?" Marie whispered in Lucy's ear.
"Marty, this is Marie, one of my friends," Lucy said, pulling Marie next to her.
"Yeah, I think I've seen her before. How are you?"
"Great. I was just wondering, if you and Lucy..."
"Good bye, Marie! I'll call you tonight!" Lucy exclaimed, shoveing her away.
"All right all right, I'm going."

After Marie left, Lucy sat down, sighed and said, "Sorry."
"What was that all about?" He asked.
"What?"
"What she was going to ask me."
"Nothing. It was nothing."
"She was about to ask me something about you and I."
Lucy rolled her eyes, contemplated what to say and rolled her eyes again.
"She thinks that we're dating," Lucy said, smacking herself on the forehead after spilling the beans.
"What? Where did that come from?"
"I don't know. She saw that we were neighbors and thought that..."
"We would hook up."
"Yeah. Don't even ask."

Silence surrounded them once again as they sat for another twenty minutes.
"It's okay to say it."
"What?"
"That you like me."
"You won't be embarrased?"
"No, I'd be flattered."

She started to get up and walk away until he grabbed her hand.
"You're not going til you say it."
"I don't know..."
"C'mon! Don't make me..."
"I like you, okay?! I like you!"
"Then I like you too."
She stared at him in shock as he smiled at her.

(To be continued...)