One thought on “01.18.15 – 01.21.15: Distance (Call It Anything But Love): /”
When Maria walked angrily out her front door with two big bags of garbage to throw out and to get the mail, she never expected to come across such a familiar face.
Dressed in a pair of baggy, dark red salwar pants also known as harem pants – without the crazy designs – here and a tight black top.
With her hair up in a messy bun and without her glasses, the figure standing opposite her couldn’t even recognize her until she opened her mouth.
“What are you doing here?” She couldn’t help blurting out.
John, Maria’s friend from school, was here, in her neighborhood. Well, he was more than just her friend from school. They’ve been together – in friendship terms – for three and a half years. They were close, but not enough to hang out anywhere outside of school and certainly not enough to bump into each other outside, and if such a thing were to happen, well, then they just gave each other a small greeting and went their respective ways and stayed there.
“I could ask you the same thing.” He countered back then.
Maria stared him down, then blew a piece of hair away from her eyes before answering, “This is my neighborhood; I have every right to be here.”
She stalked past him without waiting to hear his answer and dumped the heavy bags in her hands in the trash, before looping out the mail key from around her finger.
“Why are you here?” Maria asked, without looking at him.
His presence was making it hard for her to concentrate though. John being here was like seeing your teacher at the supermarket; feeling like they were calculating and judging every move you made, what you bought, who you were with.
The key took three tries to get in the lock and click open the mailbox. There was a magazine on top, which Maria took one, short fleeting glance at before scoffing and stuffing back into the box, and three envelopes, which earned a hard sigh.
“What are you showing so much attitude for? It’s not like you own the place and no one else is allowed, except for her highness.” John added.
Maria bit down on her lip and pretended to be checking out the mail in her hands. She slammed the mailbox closed and ripped the key out of the hole. Her eyes stung, but she ignored the feeling and John as she brushed past him.
“Wait,” He called. She stopped, she didn’t know WHY, but she did. She didn’t turn around though, for fear that John might see something he wasn’t supposed to on her face. “I’m spending the break with my cousin and his girlfriend lives here, so he brought me over to introduce her. ‘Cause there’s shit going down at his place, so he’s gonna be living with his girl for a couple of days.”
“Good for you.” Maria muttered under her breathe. She started walking, then realized something. “Wait,” She spun around to face him. “Who’s his girlfriend?”
There was one specific girl that came to Maria’s mind at the mention of that, and that was the new girl that had just moved in across the hall from her who was always being nice to Maria and chatting up with her about her amazing Mexican boyfriend.
“I don’t know. I just got here. My cousin dropped me off to go park the car.”
It had to be a simple coincidence and nothing more than that.
“Well,” Maria lowered her eyes. “I’ve gotta go. Gotta lotta work.”
She turned around, gripping the envelopes in her hands and walked down the path leading to her little knock-off apartment.
♡~♡
John watched her go and couldn’t help feeling as if something was off with her. Maybe it was his sudden appearance there that made her act the way she did. But, then again, she had been acting pretty strange at school too.
He noticed something then and walked over to the mailbox. Maria hadn’t shut it right and there was something sticking out of it. He knew reading someone else’s mail was considered illegal and whatever, but he had noticed Maria take it out and look at it before putting it back in the mailbox.
That was weird. If she didn’t want it, then why not just throw it out in the garbage can right next to it?
John looked around before pinching a corner with his fingers and pulling it out. It tumbled out into his hands and it only made John even more suspicious of Maria.
But, before he could think too deeply about it, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder and a familiar voice in his ear.
“Whoa, cuz, I didn’t know you rolled that way, but okaaaay, who am I to judge?”
John turned around and saw his older cousin, Fernando, standing behind him. His pierced lips sported a lazy grin as he checked out the magazine in his hands.
“Ah, nah, someone just left this and I just picked it up.” Well, it wasn’t a complete lie.
“Uh huh sure,” Fernando took a step back and faced the path that led to his girlfriend’s house. “Anyway, we got better things to do.”
John didn’t know why he did it, but he did; as Fernando started walking, he zipped open his bag and placed the magazine in it. He had no idea what he was going to do with, but he didn’t want to just leave it there either.
♡~♡
Maria was busy scrubbing her ugly brown floors with rubber gloves on that were way too big for her tiny hands. The sponge in her hands was practically falling apart and her arms felt like dead weight.
Her mom was in the bathroom cleaning the bathtub before and was now taking a shower in it, and since Maria came home so early, she had been put to the task of fixing up the rest of the house. It was a small place, but there was a hell of a lot of shit in it.
But, Maria didn’t mind it so much; she got to take out all her anger on the dirt in the house and mangling the sponge with it all was as close as she was going to get to releasing her burdens.
Suddenly, there was a knock at her door and she didn’t know what to think. No one ever visited them and the guests that were supposed to be coming over during the break weren’t due till tomorrow night.
She huffed and pushed herself off the floor. She didn’t even have to tug to get the gloves to come off; they were so loose, her fingers had wrinkled up with all the water that had gone through to them.
The knocking persisted as she tried to locate her glasses. Walking out of the house and facing John without them wasn’t something she had meant to do; without her glasses, she looked more vulnerable and she hated that.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” She muttered to herself.
She unlocked the door and opened it up to find herself staring back at John himself. In all her hurry, she had even forgotten to look through the peephole and see who it was first.
John found himself once again taking in Maria’s appearance as if he didn’t see her everyday. She was panting, he face was pale, there were dust bunnies in her hair and what looked like foam or soap smeared across her forehead. He could smell cleaning products all over her and had to fight the urge to wrinkle his nose at the chemicals.
“What now?” She asked, sounding exasperated.
John tried not to get angry, but couldn’t help shoving the magazine in her face instead of simply handing it to her.
“You forgot this.” He said simply.
Maria’s eyes widened when she saw it and something pinged in her heart.
“I don’t need it,” She took it from his hands and tossed it on the kitchen table that was right next to the door. John found that a bit weird, but then remembered how Maria was always complaining about how small her house was. “But, thanks, anyway.”
Maria turned and got ready to close the door on his face. John noticed her tight top had raised up a little and a flash of her bare skin was sticking out.
“Wait, why?” John wondered. “You’re gonna need a dress and this magazine’s got some very nice suggestions.”
John involuntarily raked his eyes over Maria’s body, but quickly moved his eyes away before she could notice. It didn’t matter that Maria was like a little sister to him, he was still a guy, after all.
Maria looked down, then peered up at him through her eyelashes. “I’m not going.” She said softly.
“What?!” John couldn’t believe that. “Why not?”
Maria shrugged. “I just…it’s just not worth it anymore.”
“Maria, is someone at the door?!” Maria’s mom called out, but in a language John couldn’t understand.
“No one!” Maria turned and yelled back. “They knocked on the wrong door. As usual.” She murmured the last part.
Those few seconds were all John needed to flick his eyes to the dining table next to the door and notice a stack of bills and he immediately understood her dilemma. He didn’t bother asking her anymore questions about it and just turned away from it.
Maria got ready to close the door on John, when she suddenly remembered something.
“Wait,” She paused slightly. “How did you know I lived here?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Anica was telling me and my cuz what an “amazing” next door neighbor named Maria she had. And I just…couldn’t stop myself from coming over and saying hi.” He smirked at her.
Maria eyes widened and she gaped at him. “No, no, no, that can’t be possibly!”
“Is there something wrong with me being your next door neighbor for a week and a half?”
“Yesss.” She hissed back. “There is everything wrong with that!”
“Look, your attitude-” John started to say, but was caught off by the sound of a loud squeak coming from the bathroom.
“Shit!” Maria cursed under her breathe. “You have to go – now! Bye!” She shut the door quickly.
“Wha-?!” John couldn’t believe she had just done that.
What the hell was so wrong with her standing there and talking to a friend? It’s not like she was doing anything wrong. Her reaction was just…so stupid. Like she was seriously embarrassed to be seen talking to him or something. John hated that it affected him so much. He scoffed and turned around, heading back to Anica’s place.
On the other side of the door, Maria groaned and leaned against the door. She hated that she had to do that to him.
“If only you were what’s wrong with you being my next door neighbor for a week and a half.” She whispered to herself. “If only.”
Maria knew he would’ve been mad and he had every right to be, but there was a very good reason as to why she acted the way she did. He’d find out soon enough why she did what she did and the thought of that made her sick to her stomach and too weak to continue being angry enough to scrub the floor with all her rage.
Why did he always have to affect her in some way or another?
saphirexstonez 
When Maria walked angrily out her front door with two big bags of garbage to throw out and to get the mail, she never expected to come across such a familiar face.
Dressed in a pair of baggy, dark red salwar pants also known as harem pants – without the crazy designs – here and a tight black top.
With her hair up in a messy bun and without her glasses, the figure standing opposite her couldn’t even recognize her until she opened her mouth.
“What are you doing here?” She couldn’t help blurting out.
John, Maria’s friend from school, was here, in her neighborhood. Well, he was more than just her friend from school. They’ve been together – in friendship terms – for three and a half years. They were close, but not enough to hang out anywhere outside of school and certainly not enough to bump into each other outside, and if such a thing were to happen, well, then they just gave each other a small greeting and went their respective ways and stayed there.
“I could ask you the same thing.” He countered back then.
Maria stared him down, then blew a piece of hair away from her eyes before answering, “This is my neighborhood; I have every right to be here.”
She stalked past him without waiting to hear his answer and dumped the heavy bags in her hands in the trash, before looping out the mail key from around her finger.
“Why are you here?” Maria asked, without looking at him.
His presence was making it hard for her to concentrate though. John being here was like seeing your teacher at the supermarket; feeling like they were calculating and judging every move you made, what you bought, who you were with.
The key took three tries to get in the lock and click open the mailbox. There was a magazine on top, which Maria took one, short fleeting glance at before scoffing and stuffing back into the box, and three envelopes, which earned a hard sigh.
“What are you showing so much attitude for? It’s not like you own the place and no one else is allowed, except for her highness.” John added.
Maria bit down on her lip and pretended to be checking out the mail in her hands. She slammed the mailbox closed and ripped the key out of the hole. Her eyes stung, but she ignored the feeling and John as she brushed past him.
“Wait,” He called. She stopped, she didn’t know WHY, but she did. She didn’t turn around though, for fear that John might see something he wasn’t supposed to on her face. “I’m spending the break with my cousin and his girlfriend lives here, so he brought me over to introduce her. ‘Cause there’s shit going down at his place, so he’s gonna be living with his girl for a couple of days.”
“Good for you.” Maria muttered under her breathe. She started walking, then realized something. “Wait,” She spun around to face him. “Who’s his girlfriend?”
There was one specific girl that came to Maria’s mind at the mention of that, and that was the new girl that had just moved in across the hall from her who was always being nice to Maria and chatting up with her about her amazing Mexican boyfriend.
“I don’t know. I just got here. My cousin dropped me off to go park the car.”
It had to be a simple coincidence and nothing more than that.
“Well,” Maria lowered her eyes. “I’ve gotta go. Gotta lotta work.”
She turned around, gripping the envelopes in her hands and walked down the path leading to her little knock-off apartment.
♡~♡
John watched her go and couldn’t help feeling as if something was off with her. Maybe it was his sudden appearance there that made her act the way she did. But, then again, she had been acting pretty strange at school too.
He noticed something then and walked over to the mailbox. Maria hadn’t shut it right and there was something sticking out of it. He knew reading someone else’s mail was considered illegal and whatever, but he had noticed Maria take it out and look at it before putting it back in the mailbox.
That was weird. If she didn’t want it, then why not just throw it out in the garbage can right next to it?
John looked around before pinching a corner with his fingers and pulling it out. It tumbled out into his hands and it only made John even more suspicious of Maria.
But, before he could think too deeply about it, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder and a familiar voice in his ear.
“Whoa, cuz, I didn’t know you rolled that way, but okaaaay, who am I to judge?”
John turned around and saw his older cousin, Fernando, standing behind him. His pierced lips sported a lazy grin as he checked out the magazine in his hands.
“Ah, nah, someone just left this and I just picked it up.” Well, it wasn’t a complete lie.
“Uh huh sure,” Fernando took a step back and faced the path that led to his girlfriend’s house. “Anyway, we got better things to do.”
John didn’t know why he did it, but he did; as Fernando started walking, he zipped open his bag and placed the magazine in it. He had no idea what he was going to do with, but he didn’t want to just leave it there either.
♡~♡
Maria was busy scrubbing her ugly brown floors with rubber gloves on that were way too big for her tiny hands. The sponge in her hands was practically falling apart and her arms felt like dead weight.
Her mom was in the bathroom cleaning the bathtub before and was now taking a shower in it, and since Maria came home so early, she had been put to the task of fixing up the rest of the house. It was a small place, but there was a hell of a lot of shit in it.
But, Maria didn’t mind it so much; she got to take out all her anger on the dirt in the house and mangling the sponge with it all was as close as she was going to get to releasing her burdens.
Suddenly, there was a knock at her door and she didn’t know what to think. No one ever visited them and the guests that were supposed to be coming over during the break weren’t due till tomorrow night.
She huffed and pushed herself off the floor. She didn’t even have to tug to get the gloves to come off; they were so loose, her fingers had wrinkled up with all the water that had gone through to them.
The knocking persisted as she tried to locate her glasses. Walking out of the house and facing John without them wasn’t something she had meant to do; without her glasses, she looked more vulnerable and she hated that.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” She muttered to herself.
She unlocked the door and opened it up to find herself staring back at John himself. In all her hurry, she had even forgotten to look through the peephole and see who it was first.
John found himself once again taking in Maria’s appearance as if he didn’t see her everyday. She was panting, he face was pale, there were dust bunnies in her hair and what looked like foam or soap smeared across her forehead. He could smell cleaning products all over her and had to fight the urge to wrinkle his nose at the chemicals.
“What now?” She asked, sounding exasperated.
John tried not to get angry, but couldn’t help shoving the magazine in her face instead of simply handing it to her.
“You forgot this.” He said simply.
Maria’s eyes widened when she saw it and something pinged in her heart.
“I don’t need it,” She took it from his hands and tossed it on the kitchen table that was right next to the door. John found that a bit weird, but then remembered how Maria was always complaining about how small her house was. “But, thanks, anyway.”
Maria turned and got ready to close the door on his face. John noticed her tight top had raised up a little and a flash of her bare skin was sticking out.
“Wait, why?” John wondered. “You’re gonna need a dress and this magazine’s got some very nice suggestions.”
John involuntarily raked his eyes over Maria’s body, but quickly moved his eyes away before she could notice. It didn’t matter that Maria was like a little sister to him, he was still a guy, after all.
Maria looked down, then peered up at him through her eyelashes. “I’m not going.” She said softly.
“What?!” John couldn’t believe that. “Why not?”
Maria shrugged. “I just…it’s just not worth it anymore.”
“Maria, is someone at the door?!” Maria’s mom called out, but in a language John couldn’t understand.
“No one!” Maria turned and yelled back. “They knocked on the wrong door. As usual.” She murmured the last part.
Those few seconds were all John needed to flick his eyes to the dining table next to the door and notice a stack of bills and he immediately understood her dilemma. He didn’t bother asking her anymore questions about it and just turned away from it.
Maria got ready to close the door on John, when she suddenly remembered something.
“Wait,” She paused slightly. “How did you know I lived here?” She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Anica was telling me and my cuz what an “amazing” next door neighbor named Maria she had. And I just…couldn’t stop myself from coming over and saying hi.” He smirked at her.
Maria eyes widened and she gaped at him. “No, no, no, that can’t be possibly!”
“Is there something wrong with me being your next door neighbor for a week and a half?”
“Yesss.” She hissed back. “There is everything wrong with that!”
“Look, your attitude-” John started to say, but was caught off by the sound of a loud squeak coming from the bathroom.
“Shit!” Maria cursed under her breathe. “You have to go – now! Bye!” She shut the door quickly.
“Wha-?!” John couldn’t believe she had just done that.
What the hell was so wrong with her standing there and talking to a friend? It’s not like she was doing anything wrong. Her reaction was just…so stupid. Like she was seriously embarrassed to be seen talking to him or something. John hated that it affected him so much. He scoffed and turned around, heading back to Anica’s place.
On the other side of the door, Maria groaned and leaned against the door. She hated that she had to do that to him.
“If only you were what’s wrong with you being my next door neighbor for a week and a half.” She whispered to herself. “If only.”
Maria knew he would’ve been mad and he had every right to be, but there was a very good reason as to why she acted the way she did. He’d find out soon enough why she did what she did and the thought of that made her sick to her stomach and too weak to continue being angry enough to scrub the floor with all her rage.
Why did he always have to affect her in some way or another?