Freshman Fantasies by Bay Nathan

Author:Bay, Nathan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bay Cove Press
Published: 2021-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

SWEET RELEASE

Midnight.

I didn't need to check my phone to know what time it was. The event happened like clockwork. At the same time, four nights in a row, a depressing song called "All By Myself" began seeping through my bedroom wall from the apartment next door. Incidentally, I'd only lived in my apartment four nights. I didn't know if this torturous ritual would haunt me forever, or if it was just temporary.

The singer, Celine Dion, was someone I vaguely knew about. I wasn't familiar with the song. It was older than my eighteen years. But all I had to do was hold my phone to the air and ask Siri what song was playing, and it was easily identified. That's how clearly I could hear it in my apartment.

My neighbor was obviously very upset and wanted everyone around them to know it. I'd tried knocking on the walls, but it had no effect. The song played over and over on repeat for hours on end.

Exhaustion would finally take over sometime during the night, and I'd drift off. I was lucky if I got in five hours of decent sleep before I had to get up for class.

On this night, I'd decided that I was tired of being tired. Enough was enough. After the first thirty minutes of hearing the song on its never-ending loop, I stomped out of my bed in just my boxers and a tank top. My polite midwestern sensibilities went to the wind. I didn't care about being presentable.

I barreled into the hallway, turned to my left, and proceeded to knock on the door of my neighbor. The cheap plywood felt like it might crack against my hand.

There was no response, so I knocked even harder.

The music stopped.

Blissful silence, at last.

I heard shuffling as my neighbor examined me through the peephole. The door opened slightly, and the figure of a guy who looked like he was around my age peered out at me.

"Yeah?" he said, dabbing his nose with a crumpled tissue.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," I growled. "Can you turn that down? Or better yet, put in some headphones."

"Oh, sorry." His eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks were slick with tears. "I'll turn it down."

My heart sank at the pitiful sight. The dude was clearly upset about something. He didn't even seem to register that the volume of his music was disturbing others.

"Everything alright over here?" I asked.

He nodded quickly. Too quickly. It suddenly dawned on me that the music might be covering up some type of abusive situation.

I whispered, "Are you alone over here?"

"Uh-huh." He let out a withering sigh. "I'm all by myself."

"Okay, well, um, I'm sorry for whatever you're going through. It's just that I have class in the morning, so I really need to get to sleep."

He nodded solemnly. "I understand."

"Thank you," I said. "Good night."

I'd already turned to go back to my apartment when he said, "My boyfriend broke up with me."

I bristled at the unsolicited information. Why was

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