Neighbors

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Vashti lived at the Enchanting Escape since she turned eighteen, nine years ago... when her parents left her to care for her siblings herself she was forced to allow them to all move into her apartment because the house was solved seven ways to help Vashti support her younger siblings. It would have been eight if Tristan had stuck around. Vashti's thought about her sisters, Elise and Talia, who both left to get their own apartment at the age of nineteen, six years ago. They both worked hard to help Vashti support, their two younger brothers and sisters. Then her younger brother Joshua got a job at the age of seventeen, moving out six years ago. The next to leave the house was Martin and Selena, who just moved out when they were eighteen a year ago. All her siblings would pitch in here and there to help Vashti pay the bills for their younger brother, the deal being once he moved out they would go their separate ways and pay no more. Vashti still has her younger brother here in her apartment, his name being Michael, he is only fifteen years old. Vashti would leave the house to go visit her other siblings who loved to sit around and chat so long as they could avoid paying bills. Vashti was laying on the couch, reading one of her all time favorites. The thoughts were still in her mind as she thought of her youngest brother, hoping he was doing okay in school, seeing as he was the last one to leave the nest. Vashti sighed as she closed her book and set it down on the coffee table, sometimes a girl had to get out and just enjoy the outside world and until Michael comes home from school she'd do just that.

Vashti grabbed her cell phone and placed it in her front pocket, than her wallet which she placed in her back pocket, and last but not least she grabbed her keys off the counter, the keys to her car and apartment were together to help her from forgetting one or the other. Slowly she walked towards her front door and opened it, looking outside to see how the weather was before she closed it again. The breeze was nice but she liked the sun much better, proving the weather to be to cold for her. She went to the closest and grabbed a jacket out and put it on, making sure to zip it in the front before she once again walked to the front door and took a step outside. She closed the door behind her, making sure it was locked before she looked around to see if any of her neighbors were out and about. Slowly she made her way down the steps towards her car, not planning on leaving the lot, just planning on staying outside till somebody came up and spoke to her. More thoughts swirled in her mind, making her wonder what had become of her older brother Tristan, before she stuck the key in her car door, opening it very slowly so that she could get inside. She wasn't leaving, just waiting for something interesting to happen. After a few minutes of nothing happening she allowed a small sigh to escape between her lips before she stood back up and closed her car door. Slowly making her way back towards the steps, back to her front door to go back inside, the plan to meet one of her neighbors had failed... or had it....

[Ethan "Ian" Matthew]

Exhausted. Simply exhausted. Ethan couldn’t wait to get back to his home, his little townhouse that he shared with his roommate. He hoped she didn’t have someone over. He wanted no party. He didn’t want to meet whatever fella she was leading on at that time. He just wanted to go home and crawl in his bed. The sun was still out, it was obviously not late. But, to Ethan it was. For… Ethan Matthew had not even slept a wink for the past twenty-four hours. It was a curse. The curse of his job and new promotion. It meant training and more training.

Ethan was a nurse. He was a nurse in the Emergency Room, it required on-call hours and sometimes he was there for a while due to a shortage of hands. Plus, he was training for his new position as a nurse practitioner. It was more work, for sure… But, he felt he could do it. He didn’t want to leave to go study something more advanced. He simply wanted to stay at home.

Ethan was glad to be close to his home. He thought he could hear his bed calling him by name. His bed was a siren… Hs bed was his mistress. He loved his bed. He was looking forward to collapsing under the covers and waking up hours and hours later.

He walked through the parking lot, as he got a ride with someone and walked from their home to his home. It only involved jumping a fence. But, that jump saved a great deal of time. ”Hello.” he greeted the person he walked past, ready to enter his own residence. He blinked and turned back, wondering who that person was. He suddenly remembered. ”Oh right, you! Hey. How are you?” he spoke once he recognized her.

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"Hello." Vashti had greeted back as she walked passed the male. Vashti was about to walk up the steps when somebody called from behind her. She placed her foot back on the ground to look back at the male who had first greeted her. She knew him from somewhere and by judging his chose of location he was either a neighbor, or visiting one of her neighbors. He asked how she was, she couldn't refuse to answer even though she was trying to figure out his name. "I'm good, how about yourself?" She asked as she slowly walked over to have a chat with him. This was what she wanted, somebody she could just talk with, even if it was only for a few minutes. It wouldn't be long before her youngest brother would be home so she wanted to make the best of what she would end up getting. Then the memory hit her in the back of her mind, making her wish she could slap herself in the face for forgetting his name. He was a neighbor of hers and his roommate... hopefully a sister because they didn't act like a couple in her mind. She was known to have her siblings in her small apartment for some time too, so everybody knew her as the older sister. "How are things going for you? I hear you had a party the other night..." She had missed that party, for reasons she didn't care to think up in her mind that very moment. "You got a promotion right?" She asked, hoping she was guessing correctly because she had forgotten the answer. Vashti moved herself towards the wall so that she could lean against it, waiting for him to say or do something.

[Ethan "Ian" Matthew]

Ethan yawned. He couldn’t help but to start a contagious chain that he hoped would not spread. If someone else around him yawned it’d make him yawn more and make him even more tired. He liked the idea of a distraction. He’d stay outside for a few moments to talk to his neighbor. His neighbor was sweet enough. She didn’t lodge a noise complaint against him and his party. Well, it really wasn’t his fault. It was a surprise party for him. He was lucky his roommate didn’t break out into song more often, honestly.

He hoped to stay awake as long as he could, because honestly he knew inside he’d turn on his laptop, stare at a blank screen and fall asleep before he could even catch up on the latest episode of a television show called The 100 he had been finding amusingly intense lately. Last thing he needed to be reminded of how far behind on Game of Thrones he was. He kept his soft smile and nodded his head at Vashti. ”Yeah. I didn’t expect it. Damn roommate thinks she can surprise me.” Ethan shook his head. He didn’t like surprises and at the same time he did. He was contradictory like that.

”Yeah. Actually, yeah. Amusingly, my roommate and everyone else apparently found out I got a promotion before me. I seriously thought it was a month late April Fools joke, until I got to work the other day and called into an administrator’s office and told I need to take more training and my application was approved. Funnily… I don’t remember submitting an application.” Something he’d blame his roommate for.

Another yawn escaped the lips of Ethan. ”What up? How’ve you been?” he asked as he rolled his shoulders to cause a small cracking sound to be heard.

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Vashti noticed that he hadn't answered her question back but didn't really care, it was just something a person would say to continue a conversation, clearly this one wasn't worth keeping. Him yawning made her feeling like she was possibly boring until she noticed his face and how tired his eyes appeared. Well at least I know that I'm not boring... or the only reason for him yawning... She decided in her head as she waited for him to answer her next question. Well nobody ever expects a party... She thinks to herself nodding her head in agreement with him. "If you didn't expect her to throw you a party, how are you then not surprised?" She asked friendly, trying to prove that he must have been somewhat surprised if he hadn't been expecting a party.... or at least that he what he had just finished saying. "So... about your roommate?" She quickly asked as he finished saying he didn't remember filling out an application to become promoted. "Is she your sister?" She had in her mind the roommate was his sister... but then again it could be his girl friend... she didn't desire to be rude... but didn't believe them to be a couple. Then he asked her once more 'What's up? How've you been?' He must be really tired to not have remembered that I had already answered him.... She decided to answer again, this time with different words. "Nothing really, I've just been taking care of my youngest brother..." Some of her neighbors have known her since she moved in, so they'd know about her family and how she had to raise them till they got jobs and moved out... but Michael was so young... still in school, he'd be with her for the next few years till he finished school and got a job of his own... lucky for her she had siblings helping her pay because well that was the deal when she opted to take care of them when they were younger.

[Ethan "Ian" Matthew]

Ethan did not mean to be rude to his neighbor, Vashti. He was just exhausted and tired. Yes, the sun was still out. Yes, it was still daylight and people should be wide awake. But, Ethan had worked long hours and he was exhausted. He wanted to go home and strip down to his boxers and collapse on his bed. ”Well. I was surprisingly surprised.” Ethan gave a soft laugh. He didn’t like surprise parties, but, he usually enjoyed himself at them. It was kind of a hard contradiction for him to explain. He just hated being caught off guard. He didn’t think anyone liked being caught off guard.

”Nah. That’s not my sister.” Ethan smirked. He had two siblings himself, both were at least ten years older than him. ”Nah. I think she’s my best friend.” he gave another soft laugh. He hadn’t yawned. He supposed that was good. Was it bad to think about not yawning? If it were, he was screwed. ”Sister lives in New York.” he spoke, probably giving too much information. His brother even left the small town to go to the closest city with his wife. Ethan just stayed home, in the small town. It was home to him. He always liked it here.

”What up with the little brother? The tyke that I see about sometimes?” Ethan asked. He rolled his shoulders. He blinked, trying to think and remember a story. He knew some things, but, he was out so much because of how much time he spent at the hospital. His free time was usually with Sebastian or something in his life. He hardly had any for himself.

”Oh… Is he the teenager?” he asked again. ”Seb mentioned it to me a while ago. Sorry. I must be a horrible neighbor. Please feel free to bang on my door if a heart attack or something happens.” Ethan gave a soft laugh that was stiffled by a yawn returning.

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Vashti smiled at his comment, glad that he admitted to being surprised seeing as he didn't expect to have a party int he first place. Then he mentioned that his roommate wasn't his sister but claimed he believed her to be a friend. Vashti listened trying to not think about him sleeping in the same apartment as the opposite sex when they weren't related one way or another. "Oh I see." She answered trying to not sound bothered by it, truth be told she was somewhat. Then he mentioned how his sister lives in New York and she listened thinking about her own siblings who lived by themselves now. Then he asked about her younger brother, Michael and she smiled at him, seeing as her brother was a brat sometimes. "He is just attending school right now." She paused to allow Ethan to ask his question before nodding her head, "Yeah he is a teenager..." Perhaps that is the reason why I find him to be a pain in the butt at times.... She decided in her head as she friendly smiled at Ethan again. Then she heard him say something about being a horrible neighbor and she shook her head slightly in understanding. "Nah I understand you worked real late at the hospital... I know somewhat of the feeling." She had been staying late at the clinic the last few days helping animals... but because she liked them a bunch, but she wasn't on call like he was, which would be a whole lot harder for her because she is still taking care of her last sibling.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind if I know your home... I'd hate to bother your roommate to find out you were at work or something." She really wouldn't want to bang on his door anyway, he goes through so much at work and she didn't want to put on the extra weight for him to carry. "So any interesting stories from the hospital lately?" Even though it was bad to think of some injuries as funny, most of the time when a person came int it was their own fault for why they were there in the first place.... it was always because they weren't playing it safe one way or another.... "Sorry I suppose I should be taking things more seriously..." She paused before adding, "But truth be told... most of the time when a person goes to the hospital it's their own fault for not being more cautious." She was trying to justify her comment but it didn't seem to be working... or maybe his mind was just on something else...

[Ethan "Ian" Matthew]

”Yeah… She’s an alright roommate honestly. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes.” he gave a soft laugh. He was fighting the yawning again. He needed to stay awake. His next shift was in the morning and he didn’t need to be all sleepy. He hated being sleepy at work. It made his work harder. He wasn’t sloppy with his work, but, being sleepy meant if he slipped up once, even with a question… He’d be on paperwork duty for the day filling out charts all day or measuring things or doing any type of scut work.

”Oh school. Glad I’m done with that.” he flashed a soft smile again. He was actually glad. He didn’t like high school very much. It wasn’t easy for him when he was caught kissing Sebastian as a teenager. It was a small town after all. He felt better in larger cities, but, this small town had always been his home. He liked it there. His life was there, in the small town he grew up in. ”If Seb answers, tell him it’s an emergency. He’d tell me it’s for me, not telling me why when he crawls back into bed, when he stays over.” he spoke, adding something on.

”Actually yeah. The other day we had a male that was in a hunting accident. Let’s just say he tried to stick a branch in the wrong hole to retrieve the bullet.” Ethan flashed a smirk. ”You’re Vashti, right? Sorry… I’m trying to learn names. Ian is my name.” He couldn’t help but to yawn again as he spoke softly, ”Stupidity keeps me in a job. I work in the Emergency Room.”

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Vashti nods her head in agreement, even though she doesn't know his roommate all that well she had to assume she was an alright roommate else Ethan wouldn't still be with her. It looked like he was tired after all, based off of the amount of yawning he had been doing. She allowed a small yawn to escape between her lips, looked like the chain of yawning was about to begin. Then he mentioned school and she nods her head again, having been done with it herself... college was much harder than high school but she pulled through and now had a job as a Veterinary. "Will do." She answers back when Ethan told her if Sebastian answers tell him it's an emergency. She knew that was Ethan's boy friend, or somebody he had kissed a few years ago... it was big news after all. Then she asked about interesting stories to hear him claim he had a good one to share for her. She was thinking to herself. Oh really... But as he finished speaking he had proven it to be interesting indeed. "It sucks to be him..." She comments before allowing a small smile to cross her lips. "Yes I'm Vashti." Her name was really unique... hard to remember, she didn't blame him for asking her. "Oh you prefer Ian over Ethan?" She asked... thinking for a second she had figured out his name wrong... but she was also convincing herself she had heard him wrong and he had in fact said Ethan as his name. "I understand." Though it was easier for her to remember names... seeing as she worked with animals all day and make it a habit to just remember instead of just forgetting after they leave.

[Ethan "Ian" Matthew]

”Yes. Absolutely, I always prefer Ian over Ethan. Always have. Not sure why.” Ethan gave a smile. The reason was because he had an uncle named Ethan and he hated it as a toddler being confused with his uncle. So, those things changed over time. As he grew older he dumped the name and kept his nickname. On almost everything he wrote Ian. On his identification it read Ethan. He was tired of explaining why when he wasn’t entirely sure why he went by a different naming convention than that was normal for his name. Ethan’s didn’t often go by Ian.

He gulped. He was actually glad she figured it out. It didn’t annoy him when he was called Ethan. He cringed sometimes, but, he was just so used to Ian that, that name became second nature to him. ”Had a dog as a kid. I should really think about getting another honestly. Does your clinic offer animals?” he grinned.

He shook his head. ”Man. I wish the dogs would be allowed in the emergency room. They can go to the overnight rooms and cheer up patients. But, what about us in the emergency room? It’s not easy dealing with trauma constantly.” he gulped. But, it was what he signed on for. As a trauma nurse, and a nurse practitioner he made quite a bit more than most did at that hospital. Most nurses weren’t willing to work at the whim of a call, or work in the high stress environment there was. The most competitive job of his hospital was the maternity ward. Trauma was the least competitive, Ian always got it when there was a chance to claim a new position. ”Trauma has it’s benefits.” he yawned, extremely tired.

”I wonder where the heck, Sebastian is.” he gulped. ”Haven’t seen my boyfriend in a while.”

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Vashti nods her head, "I'll call you Ian then." She didn't want to make him uncomfortable around her just because he chose a different name for himself, something she would have to get used to doing herself. She shifted against the wall, leaning her shoulder against it instead of her back. "I love animals, though we don't offer dogs at our clinic... we do work with homeless animals and you could adopt from there." She pauses as she thinks of what to say, "What type of dog are you looking into getting?" She questions him before adding, "I love all animals but my favorite are tiny dogs." Puppies of course but the adult dog being small was what she meant. "Maybe someday they will allow it... once they find the benefit over the distraction." She didn't mean to point it out, but animals weren't meant in emergency rooms... not with the risk so high, at any moment, a patient could die if an animal was the distraction. Ethan yawned again and Vashti allows a small smile to cross her lips again, she was about to ask him if she should leave him alone so that he could rest but he asks his own comment. "I'm sure he is somewhere around here." She tries to comfort him as she pulls her phone out to check the time. Michael would be home soon and she had to be ready for his arrival. "Have you tried calling him on the phone?" She asks, now knowing that Ethan was into the same sex over the opposite, which made some sense when it came to him living with the girl now.