The Walls Between Us

Von Gabriel Costa

Otis naively believed that after going through some rough experiences in high school, he would be able to keep his emotions under control and never do anything rash again.
But his plans, as usual, come crashing down. And all it takes is one look into the blue eyes of his neighbor who lives on the other side of his dorm room wall. A wall so thin that Otis becomes a reluctant listener to Conard's wild pastime activities. Until one day, after their absurd first meeting, Otis realizes that he simply cannot get his neighbor out of his head. But then, at the most unfortunate of moments, his past comes knocking on the door and gets in the way of their happiness.
This is a touching story about how a thin wall can turn out to be so much thicker than it seemed at first glance.

• Sprache: Deutsch
• Herausgeber: АСТ
• Erscheinungsdatum: 5. März 2024
• ISBN: 9785171670818

Buchvorschau

Gabriel Costa

The walls between us

Copyright © 2023 Gabriel Costa

* * *

I dedicate this book to all those who, like me, dream of sincere and gratuitous love.

Chapter 1. The night everything fell into place

«You’ve got to be kidding me!»

Otis turned to his other side, clasping his hands over his ears, but it offered no relief. As hadn’t done the pillow he had placed over his head, the blasting music in his ears, the desperate prayers, and even tears. He kicked his legs frantically, as if in the throes of a psychotic episode, but then abruptly stopped, flinging the comforter off and sending the pillow flying across the room.

He yanked the earphones out of his ears, rising from the bed and pacing back and forth. Thankfully, there was no one to witness his torment. Another couple of weeks of such rigorous nightly training, and he might just be ready to join the Olympics rowing team.

Otis paused by the window, staring at the dark sky, then glanced at the alarm clock on his desk–3:00 a.m. Otis ran his hands through his hair, pressed his lips together, and took a deep breath before glaring at the hateful wall.

Two months ago, Otis embarked on his journey toward a bachelor’s degree in computer science at a prestigious university in Paris. His professors held high hopes for his future. If not a job at the Defense Ministry, then surely lucrative positions with a great salary and a growing demand for his expertise. Encouraged by his professors’ respect, Otis committed to daily, diligent study. He carefully considered majors: Quantum Information, Bioinformatics, and Modeling. Modeling intrigued him, as did Bioinformatics, but it also demanded a biology background he lacked. And in general, Quantum Information just sounded way cooler than the other two.

Securing the scholarship hadn’t been easy, but without it, Otis knew his options would have been limited to a mediocre college and a dead-end job. His mom, no matter how willing, couldn’t help him, and his father had walked out on him, showing no intention in providing any support. The only person Otis could rely on was himself. Thankfully, his efforts paid off, and now both him, and his best and only friend, Goss, who was majoring in Economics, had successfully made it in. The fact that the two of them were pursuing entirely different fields of study didn’t appear to disrupt their friendship. On his first day of college, Otis had vowed to take his studies seriously – to attend all the lectures and seminars, do all his homework, and give it his all. But the universe clearly hated him.

And you know what? He hated it right back.

Otis was a firm believer in karma. He considered himself a kind and empathetic person, with his own quirks, but never a bully. It was just his luck that his neighbor was a first-class idiot. It took him nearly the entire month of September to sort out all the paperwork and secure his dorm accommodations. Finally, after jumping through countless hoops, he stepped into his own private room, feeling overjoyed. But his elation was short-lived.

Otis had never expected the dorm to be a paradise, but he certainly didn’t anticipate it turning into a nightmare. First and foremost, the building had a persistent issue with the main door – despite dozens of attempts to fix it. Every student received a password to enter the lock, and most of the time, it worked seamlessly. However, once in every hundred attempts, instead of opening the door, it triggered the entire building’s alarm system, filling the neighborhood with blaring sirens. And first responders would arrive within five minutes. Sometimes, out of fear of setting off the alarm, Otis would wait outside the dorm for someone else to open the door, and then sneak in behind them.

Another problem was the absence of an elevator. To reach his tiny room on the third floor, he had to climb a seemingly endless flight of stairs. He considered himself lucky not to have been assigned to the fifth floor. Goss, however, always insisted that Otis was exaggerating and that climbing to the third floor was no big deal. Yet, Otis’s most significant problem turned out to be living on the other side of an all-too-thin wall.

And every night, this problem would bring a girl over for a wild sexcapade. Truth be told, it wasn’t the neighbor who was making all the noise. He mostly stayed quiet, only letting out a few low and heavy breaths here and there. But the girls – it seemed like it was a new one every night – would all scream without fail at the top of their lungs, just like they do in cheap porn. Loud, lewd, and completely nonsensical.

The thinness of the walls wasn’t helping Otis’s misery, either. Seriously, why even bother building walls at all? Might as well just hang a curtain and be done with it.

«Yes! Harder! Don’t stop!» came the screams from behind the wall, along with the banging of the headboard.

«Yes! Knock her out already!» Otis yelled.

«Don’t stop! More!»

«Oh, come on!» he exclaimed, exasperated. «Make her shut up already!»

He had to be in class by eight in the morning. In just five measly hours. A squeak not unlike a pig’s came from behind the wall, and Otis growled in frustration. He ran up to the wall, balled his right hand into a fist, and started pounding on it with all his might.

«If you don’t gag her right now, I swear I’ll rob a freakin’ firearm store and give you two a taste of ‘The Shining’!» Otis screamed. «It’s 3:00 a.m., dude! Let me sleep!»

The yelling and banging of the headboard paused for a few seconds, then came a mocking laugh, and the noises resumed. Otis glanced out of the window at the dark sky, just like he often did whenever he felt lost or wanted to escape. And he had done a fair share of escaping in his life – from a big mean girl in kindergarten to those idiotic classmates of his in high school.

Otis’s room was on the third floor – definitely not high enough to kill himself by jumping out, and he sure as heck didn’t want to end up disabled because of his stupid neighbor and his uncontrollably high libido. He plopped back onto his bed and covered his ears. Now, it made sense why he had managed to get this room so relatively easy. Silly Otis, once he got through the paperwork hell and got his own room, he actually believed the worst part was behind him. How could he have known that fighting for that room was going to be a terrible mistake?

«What did I do to deserve this sequel to the battle of Jericho,» he muttered, glaring at the wall. «Ah, you’re still there.»

* * *

In the auditorium, designed like one of those Greek amphitheaters, someone let out an irritated sigh.

«Mr. Revial, you asleep?» the professor asked with a slight American accent.

Otis blinked slowly, holding back a yawn as he opened his eyes and looked up to see his math professor. The man, who couldn’t be much older than forty, was glaring at him, and Otis was trying to figure out what the heck was happening. The classroom was silent. Professor Malcolm’s patience seemed to have reached its limit, and he let out a heavy sigh, rolling his eyes, and ran his hand through his dark hair, streaked with gray.

«Why are you sleeping in my class?» he asked, squinting his eyes. «Do you think I’m thrilled to be standing here at 9 a.m., repeating the same thing year after year? Well, it’s my job, and your job is to listen and comprehend what you’re being taught. So, I’ll ask you again, why are you sleeping in my class, Mr. Revial?»

«I’m not sleeping.»

Professor Malcolm’s face froze. Otis couldn’t tell if it was anger or surprise, but either way, he didn’t blame his professor. His response probably sounded pretty weird given the circumstances. But then again, he couldn’t exactly explain to Professor Malcolm that he had one noisy neighbor who had spent the whole night attacking a defenseless maiden. Not with a knife, mind you, but still attacking. Otherwise, why would anyone scream like that during sex? Otis himself was still a virgin, and he definitely wouldn’t be making all that ruckus during his first time.

«Man, you were snoring,» a guy to the right of Otis said with a faint, indistinguishable accent.

«I don’t snore,» Otis replied automatically, his cheeks turning bright red. Another second of this embarrassment, and steam would start coming out of his ears. He felt lightheaded, like he might throw up.

«Yes, you do,» the entire classroom chimed in together.

Horrified, Otis pulled his hood as low over his face as it would go. He’d barely been here two months, and now he had to go and embarrass himself by falling asleep in Further Maths? And why did he have to sit in the first row? All the Computer Science first-year students were in this class. There were still twenty minutes left until the end of the class, but all he wanted to do was get out of there immediately. Unfortunately, he was stuck in the middle of a long row, and the only way out would be to jump over the desk and push the professor out of the way. «Run!» his mind kept screaming, but he didn’t want to make an even bigger fool of himself. So, he looked up at his professor, an apologetic expression on his face.

«I’m sorry. If you want, I can leave the classroom right now,» he whispered.

«No need, Mr. Revial. As long as you promise not to snore louder than I speak, you’re good to stay,» Professor Malcolm replied.

Otis felt red splotches forming all over his skin. Did he really snore so bad? Maybe he should just withdraw his application and run away from this mess before it was too late.

«And take your hood off,» Professor Malcolm added, getting back to the lecture. «Anyway, we were talking about the chaos theory…»

«Thanks. Again, I’m really sorry,» Otis whispered, pulling off his hood and looking at his notebook. Great! He had drooled all over his notes. Straight to the garbage the notebook goes. Even the topic of the lecture had been ruined beyond readability.

«Great,» Otis muttered under his breath. «I’m definitely going to fail math. I was actually considering Quantum Information as my major… and Professor Malcolm is the best in that field.»

«You’re not going to fail math,» the guy to his right whispered. Otis turned around and saw a young man with dark hair. The stranger went on, «Professor Malcolm is a nice man. My brother graduated a few years ago and told me quite a bit about him. By the time exams roll around, he won’t even remember your name.» Otis stayed quiet, and the dark-haired stranger suddenly smiled. «Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m James, an exchange student from the U.S. France is a pretty cool country, and Paris is a beautiful city.»

«What I wouldn’t give to run away from here,» Otis mumbled, tucking his head in embarrassment. It felt like everyone was staring at him. Then, it dawned on him that he hadn’t introduced himself in return. While the professor was writing on the blackboard, Otis turned to James and extended his hand. «I’m Otis Revial.»

«Nice to meet you,» James replied.

For the remaining fifteen minutes, Otis had nothing to do but stare at the blackboard. His notebook was ruined, and it was too late to flee.

As he left the classroom, Professor Malcolm’s gaze lingered on him for a moment. Otis quickly averted his eyes and, trying to blend into the crowd, hurried out of the classroom. He didn’t stop until he found himself on the far side of the building. He needed some time alone to gather his thoughts and regain his composure.

That’s when he realized he had completely forgotten where his next class was taking place. All he could remember was that it was a seminar in Further Maths, taught by Professor Malcolm’s assistant, Emma, who had asymmetrical bangs. He pulled out his phone and checked his schedule. Just his luck, he had to walk all the way back to get there. It was the last thing he needed for his already crumbling reputation – to be late for class.

«I need to prove myself, at least during the seminar,» he muttered to himself, and started making his way in the direction of his next class.

* * *

The bell rang, and Otis jumped in his seat. The keyboard, which was intended for the awake students to print out solutions, clattered onto the table, accompanied by snickers from behind. He tried to discern the reason for the laughter. He had just settled in front of his computer to tackle some math problems, but in the blink of an eye, the class was already over. Leaning closer to his darkened monitor, Otis caught a glimpse of his reflection. Even through his bleary eyes, he could make out a keyboard imprint on his left cheek. Oh no! He had dozed off again! And this time, no one bothered to wake him up.

He buried his face in his hands. He was definitely on the fast track to getting expelled. And yet, with how tired he was, all he wanted was to lay his head on a pillow and sleep until graduation. Otis let out a groan.

«Monsieur Revial,» he heard Emma’s calm voice. «Professor Malcolm asked us not to disturb you if you fall asleep, but you’ll need to either fix this keyboard or replace it. Please have it sorted within the week,» Emma said, pointing at the oddly angled keyboard, and then returned to her desk.

Otis looked down at his table. Fixing the keyboard didn’t seem very likely. It was soaked because he hadn’t properly closed his water bottle and knocked it over while sleeping. He unplugged the keyboard, wrapped its wire around it, imagining a meeting he’d orchestrate between the keyboard and his annoying neighbor’s face. Perhaps even a typing lesson for his nose. Or better yet, he’d bash the keyboard against the wall while screaming at the top of his lungs.

He got up from his seat. After this class, he had a free period, which meant he could go back to the dorm and take a guilt-free nap. The only problem was that if he fell asleep now, nothing would wake him up. Not the alarm, not his phone, not even a nuclear bomb. His own personal «alarm clock» was probably sleeping too, gathering strength for the upcoming round of his loud night-time adventures. Somebody tapped him on the shoulder, and Otis shuddered. He turned around and saw James.

«I’m sorry, man. She said not to wake you,» James explained gingerly, and when Otis made a miserable face in response, he added, «But hey, you didn’t snore this time.»

«Yay!» Smirking, Otis made a sarcastic celebratory gesture.

«What are you doing during the break?» James asked as they both left the classroom. «I’m gonna grab something to eat. I won’t survive on my breakfast till the end of the day,» he explained, adding with a smile, «It’s nice that we’re in the same class.»

«Let’s go. I didn’t even get a chance to have breakfast,» Otis said, and they headed toward the cafeteria. «My high school friend is also studying here, but he’s majoring in Economics, so I barely see him anymore. I mean, I was so busy with all the paperwork that I didn’t have the energy to get into college life. I don’t even know most people’s names.»

«Now I see why we haven’t spoken before.»

They didn’t say anything else for the rest of the way to the cafeteria. Even though they had only known each other for less than two hours, Otis had a feeling that they were going to become good friends.

The cafeteria was pure chaos. Otis thought this kind of nonsense was supposed to stay in high school, but it was like a wild party in there. He realized he’d only been here a few times, probably when most students were in class. But now, it was a different story – people were yelling, grabbing each other’s food, and throwing it around. Whoever was in charge of this place clearly didn’t care. Otis made a face. It seemed like that expression might become permanent. James also let out a sigh.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting in line, they finally managed to grab their lunch and found a lucky table by the window, giving them a view of the whole room. The small light blue table could only seat four people, and Otis, true to his nature, intentionally chose a seat with his back to the entrance, secluding himself from the pandemonium.

«If I pass out now, please don’t wake me. I don’t want to drool during Economics as well,» Otis said, poking at his mashed potatoes with a fork but not really eating. He wasn’t hungry, but he also didn’t want to replace his snoring with a growling empty belly. «Have you met a lot of people yet?» he asked James. «How do you find Paris? Is it tough being a foreigner here?»

«A little, yeah. No one would speak English with me,» James replied, biting into his chicken cutlet. Compared to Otis, he was buzzing with energy. If only he could lend some of that energy to Otis, who at this rate wouldn’t be surprised to find himself asleep with his face in his mashed potatoes.

«I started learning French when I was four,» James continued. «So, it’s not that big a deal, but I’m just so tired of making all these sounds.»

Otis knew exactly what sounds James was talking about, but he was too tired to dwell on it right now.

«Sorry, I don’t speak English. Not my thing,» he said instead, waving his hand weakly. «I just can’t bear it anymore. If my neighbor goes at it again tonight, I will die.»

«Goes at what again?»

«He turned his room into some kind of brothel. We don’t have a music department here, do we? But I swear all these girls are yelling and screaming like they’re in a freaking opera. The last one? Squealing like a pig.» As Otis talked about the very bane of his existence, he became more and more energized. He shifted around in his chair, and James leaned in closer. «I kicked the wall, I begged, I cried. But nothing works. The girls keep coming and screaming every night.»

«Did you try talking to him?»

Otis didn’t expect such a sensible question to be posed. Not at all.

«How do you imagine I go about it?» he asked, exasperated. «Barge in on them and strike up a conversation? I don’t even know what he looks like. He sleeps it off in the morning, and I go to class. He must be a senior, or how else does he have mornings off?» Fueled by anger, Otis finally started eating. Thankfully, the fork wasn’t easily bent. «I can’t believe I ruined the keyboard. So embarrassing.»

«Still got the letter R on your cheek, man,» James said, fighting back a laugh.

«How will I survive it here for the next four years?»

«You should try talking to him. Maybe you can reason with him,» James suggested, finishing his food. «Or find a pretty girl and start a competition. Maybe time it when he’s asleep?»

«That would be tricky,» Otis mumbled, looking down.

«Well, if you don’t want to bring anyone over…» James thought for a second. «You could pretend. Put on some porn and jump on the bed. Who doesn’t like jumping on beds? Especially for a good cause.»

«I’m gay,» Otis said. «Plus, my bed might actually break.»

«Ah, I see. That complicates things. I wouldn’t know from experience, since I’m into girls, but I never heard of guys screaming that loud during sex. But hey, maybe you’ll find someone here? We’ve got around three hundred people in this place,» James reasoned. «At least 10 % are queer, so that’s like thirty people. Half of them might be girls, so let’s say fifteen gay guys. One of them is you. So, fourteen. Seriously, you can’t find anyone here to give your neighbor a taste of his own medicine?»

«But I don’t want to do what he does. New partner every night? No, thanks. And it’s not cool to use someone just to get back at him,» Otis replied with a gentle smile. «I’m a romantic at heart. I want to find someone for the long haul.»

«I’m not saying you should find a new guy every day. I’m suggesting you get into a relationship. Who cares what the reason is,» James clarified, leaning back in his chair. «Just look around,» he said, gesturing with his hand. «What are you afraid of? It’s not illegal to check people out.»

«I just don’t like the idea,» Otis said, making a face. Even though James’s suggestion didn’t resonate with him, he still turned around. His mom always said that college years were the best time of one’s life. A carefree time of confidence, freedom, and happiness. Otis glanced around the cafeteria.

Everyone here was so different. He spotted three guys with dreadlocks, a metalhead, a dude with pink hair, and a girl with a shaved head. Some people were wearing three hoodies (in this heat!), and others rocked see-through tops. The students were laughing, yelling, and goofing around as they lined up for lunch. Otis didn’t have that kind of energy – the easy energy to get into the swing of it all. Maybe it was due to the sleepless nights, but he felt like the reason went much deeper than that.

Trying to shake those thoughts out of his mind, he took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. Among all the smells, the scent of cigarettes stood out the most, and Otis realized that he really wanted a smoke. He inhaled even deeper, trying to catch more of that nicotine smell. He glanced around to find its source. What a crazy idea to think that he could find anyone in the midst of this chaos. James sat quietly, giving Otis the space to search around.

Suddenly, one particular student caught Otis’s attention. This guy had a posture so bad, he looked like a living question mark. He wore a hoodie with the Disney logo, black skinny jeans, and several bracelets on his wrists, one of them featuring Hello Kitty. The stranger gave up on the lunch line like many others and left with an empty tray, looking around as if searching for someone. His belt dangled loosely on his thigh, and Otis couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous of his long, muscular legs. Otis himself was on the shorter side. With a bored expression on his face, the tall stranger turned and looked in Otis’s direction. Otis quickly ducked down and slid under the table, earning a laugh from James. Luckily, the stranger didn’t seem to notice him, perhaps thanks to the strategically placed column. So, the total number of new friends Otis made that day rose up to two: the first being James, and the second the sturdy round architectural support.

Yet, peeking from under the table, Otis managed to get a good look at the stranger. And he found himself unable to tear his gaze away from those blue eyes; he really shouldn’t have listened to James’s silly suggestion to look for a potential mate. «It’s rude to stare,» he scolded himself internally, but it didn’t help. There was something about that face – the sharp features, the nose, lips, and the golden skin, topped with tousled short blond hair… Any sleepiness he had been feeling before was now gone. Suddenly Otis found himself holding his breath – realized that he had been holding it ever since he looked away from the stranger’s eyes and then down to his lips. He searched desperately for any flaws in the stranger’s face, but there seemed to be none. The world around him quieted down, and the light seemed to soften. All he could hear were the thumps of his own heartbeat. He felt lightheaded, overwhelmed by emotions. It was in that moment that the stranger turned and walked out of the cafeteria. Only when the door closed behind him, was Otis able to take a breath, and the earth started spinning again.

«Oh, someone’s in love!» James teased.

«Oh, shut up,» Otis replied, still grinning as he stared at the closed cafeteria door.

* * *

Otis trudged back home like a tired seal, bumping into people along the way. But no one seemed to mind; they probably felt sorry for the dark circles under his eyes and his pale face. What should have been a quick ten-minute journey to his dorm dragged on for a grueling half hour. And the climb up the stairs to his room threatened to cost him his life.

As he approached his floor, shouting and a loud thud echoed from the hallway. Within seconds, a visibly distraught girl appeared on the staircase. Tears streamed down her face, and mascara was smeared across her cheeks as she hurried past Otis, clutching her coat and shoes tightly to her chest. As she disappeared around the turn of the staircase, Otis heard a familiar snicker. Suddenly, Otis was filled with energy, and the last few steps didn’t feel so daunting anymore. Burning with determination, he leapt up the stairs in one big jump and arrived at his neighbor’s door in no time. But to his dismay, the door was already closed, and he didn’t even catch a glimpse of the idiot. Dammit!

He raised his hand, prepared to start banging on the door, but seconds passed, and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Suddenly, all his rage was gone. What would he say to this guy, anyway? ‘Stop having sex!’? ‘Go do it somewhere else’? Otis let his hand drop to his side, as he stared at the smooth brown surface of the door. Well, if the girl had just run out of here, maybe that meant tonight would be quieter. Otis glanced in the direction of the showers and touched his greasy hair. Concluding that it would have to wait until tomorrow, he headed into his room.

He closed the door behind him, kicked off his shoes, stripped off his T-shirt, unbuckled his belt, and let his jeans drop to the floor. He stepped out of them and flopped onto his bed. It was only six in the evening, but he didn’t care. Barely a second later, he was snoring loudly. Well, that could be considered a type of revenge.

* * *

«Faster! Don’t stop!»

Otis’s eyes shot open, and he jolted violently, as if a grenade had gone off next to him. In the process, he tumbled off the bed, landing painfully on his butt. He groaned and peered out the window. Dead of night. He couldn’t see his alarm clock from where he was sitting on the floor. He glanced at the wall. Again. The bed squeaking, the headboard slamming, the moans, the pleas not to stop. Otis would gladly sell his soul to the Devil to make it all stop. Why were the walls so paper-thin? Maybe he should soundproof his room – cover the walls with foam and cardboard? Nah, better idea: wrap his neighbor in cardboard and toss him into the nearest trash bin, along with his noisy girlfriend. Otis stood up, checking the time; it was only 1:00 a.m. His neighbor had started early tonight.

«Why so early? Why not at three in the morning?» Otis screamed, slamming his fist into the wall, his face turning red with rage. «Can’t you at least let me get used to your schedule? When will these horseback riding sessions stop? Why do they all keep rushing you, huh?» A nasty laugh echoed from behind the wall, and Otis was ready to break through it. «You find it funny, you moron?»

All movement in the neighboring room halted, and all Otis could hear was laughter. They were laughing at him. His face grew even redder. Inside, he felt like he was about to erupt like a volcano, releasing all his pain and anger. But on the outside, he probably looked ridiculous – messy dark hair, boxer briefs with a tiny dog print, and socks with flowers. He wasn’t a menacing rottweiler; he was more of a frisky poodle.

As Otis was contemplating how the heck he was going to survive living next to this idiot, the said idiot went right back to action. Otis narrowed his eyes and decided to wait. Even if it took all night, he would catch the right moment and talk to this insufferable moron, but not with the girl present. Thankfully, based on his observations, none of them ever stayed the night.

«I’m a shark on the hunt,» he whispered to himself. «I’m a shark ready for an attack.»

While he waited, he started swaying from side to side, trying his best not to align his movements with the rhythm coming from the next room. Because when that happened, Otis felt as though he was right there with them, and it was a gross feeling. Suddenly, his phone lit up, notifying him of an incoming message. Otis got up and grabbed his phone from the desk. It was a message from James on Facebook.

«Asleep?» the message read.

They had added each other before saying goodbye.

«What do you think?» Otis hit Send and flopped back onto his bed. The nightmarish symphony from behind the wall continued. While waiting for James’s reply, he decided to check out his new friend’s page. He found out that James played guitar and was a talented singer. Why the heck was he studying programming? James also had a girlfriend, but from what Otis could tell, she was back across the ocean.

«Since you’re awake at 1:00 a.m. I take it your neighbor is having a party again,» James replied.

«It sounds less like a party, more like a tiger ripping a fawn apart,» Otis typed quickly. And after a short consideration, he sent another message with a question he was curious about.

«What are you doing here? I mean, why programming? Why not pursue something related to music? You’re one hell of a good singer.»

«Better than the girl?»

Otis rolled his eyes. He brought the phone right up to the wall and started an audio recording. The response from James came immediately.

«Jesus. Maybe you should interfere? It doesn’t even sound like sex. I think I saw something similar in The Silence of the Lambs. He’s eating her alive. That’s the only explanation.»

«And it’s been one long-ass meal,» Otis replied and quickly typed out a new message. «Actually, I think I’m gonna wait for the moment she leaves and then go in for a talk. If he’s a jock, I’ll just find another place to live. If he’s a wimp, I’ll give him a good scare.»

«Wow, you’re really brave!» James replied, adding a laughing emoji.

Otis leaned against the wall but quickly pulled away – closer proximity only made it worse. And damn his tiny room for having nowhere to escape from the loud thuds.

«This guy is seriously messed up. If I were him, I’d get my brain checked, and also test for STDs,» James’s new message read.

«At this rate, I might have to check my brain too.» Otis nervously raised his eyebrows and smiled as he typed the rest of his message, «Why aren’t you asleep? We start second period tomorrow, right?»

«I got inspired. Was working on a song,» James replied.

Otis’s eyes widened in surprise, and even the noises from behind the wall seemed to fade away. «Can I hear it?»

«Sure, once it’s finished. I’m not shy about this kind of stuff.»

«Cool. What’s the song called?» Otis asked, thinking about his own past experiences – with dance classes and the violin. Oh, the violin… His phone vibrated again, bringing him back to the present.

«Are you kidding? Coming up with a song title is the toughest part. At least for me. It’s like, I’ve got the music, got the lyrics, and then the title is like slapping a label on it. Can you easily name your own life if someone asked you to? Not so easy.»

Otis read James’s profound response in silence; he definitely saw James’s point, but he didn’t have much time to dwell on it as his thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud of a closing door.

«Showtime! The orgy’s over!» Otis informed James and looked down at his hands. He needed to figure out what to say to his annoying neighbor, or else they’d just end up yelling at each other, and that wouldn’t solve anything.

«Congrats!»

«Otis?»

«Have you left