3. Like a Good Neighbor.

After what felt like a century of waiting, I am now in my Corolla on my way to my little house. I have everything crammed to the roof in the back and I silently pray that no cops are out until I can make it home. I would surely catch a ticket. There are even bags in the front floorboard below Creature. I side eye him to be sure he's not into the groceries.

I might as well have skipped to the door after we pull in and step out. I do not dare take Creature off his leash until he's familiar with the place and will not run off. I tie him to the porch railing as I begin to pack in all of our bags and set them in the living room floor for now. We need seating, badly. There's no living room furniture. They left a washer and dryer, a refrigerator, and the oven. The dishwasher is a built in so it remains as well a nice little nook style table. I'm glad at least to not have to shell out on the major appliances, that hit would have broken me up.

Once I am finished packing things in, I decide to go back into the town for cleaning supplies, and small furniture. I hit every flea market or consignment store in sight. I managed to find several small end tables, some of which I'll use as nightstands and a collapsible bookshelf. I end up having to have then hold my items while I come up on a plan to get them home. I'm now the proud owner of a small pull behind trailer and a hitch. I stash what I can in the trunk and backseat too, allowing myself room for a little futon and a full size mattress which I have absolute hell loading.

Satisfied for now, and pleased with how little I spent, I speed home. Home. Man, that just keeps sounding better. The windows are fully down due to how unseasonably warm it is and I playful swerve the car when nobody's coming to annoy Creature.

I pull past the driveway and try to back in, only jackknifing the little pull behind trailer a thousand times. I groan and mutter curses. I do not need to screw this thing up! In a few days I'm taking it back to get a refund when I no longer need it. Ugh. Finally! Do a little dance! We successfully made it closer to the porch. This will greatly help me to unload everything.

With Creature safely shut into one of the bedrooms, I begin to pack the end tables inside. They are light, so it's not much effort. The collapsible bookshelf and the tiny little hanging shelves are nothing. The futon is somewhat annoying because of the awkward oblong box. The mattress though. This will be fun just trying to get it onto the porch.

I get it up several times, only for it to flop the other way and unsteady me. Up and down. Up and down. Damn it! I get it up onto the porch after battling it for several minutes. I wedge it to stay upright and lean against the railing to rest. I glare at it as I try to think up and idea to help me. Even if I get it into the house, I have to go up those narrow stairs to my room. Shit. An unexpected shadows falls over me from behind and I scream.

"Hey! You gonna fight with that all day?" I clutch my chest as my heart thuds.

"You got to warn someone you're back there. I could've died!" I scold. He reaches a wide palm out and shoves it flat below my collar bone.

"Feels like you're alive." I shove his giant paw away.

"How long were you there and why? Quite a way from your house."

"Your yard looks like shit and I doubt you have a mower. I was going to mow."

"Where's your mower?" I interrogate.

"At my goddamn house! I didn't bring it until I knew-nevermind." He snarls and stomps off. What the Hell. No wonder the previous owners moved. I bite my tongue.

"I'm sorry. Jesus Christ dude." I pity your wife, should you be fortunate enough to have magically acquired one. Jerk.

"Move. Give me that damn mattress." He huffs. He grabs the mattress up with ease as he situates it. "Now I'm going to hold the top and walk to the back of it. You hold it where I was. I'll walk backwards. All you do is hold it steady and guide me, I'll have most the weight." I'm nervous, but nod. I needed help getting it upstairs anyways.

He begins walking slowly, and holding up my end I follow him. I'm prepared to guide him, but he flows through the house with ease. To my shock, he goes right through the house and up towards the stairs. I say nothing yet, but goosebumps cross my arms. I hold him up a bit on the stairs, our height difference combined with him on the higher stair messes with my ability to lift and walk up. He snorts and shoves the mattress at me, near knocking me back.

"Making sure you were still back there. Come on." I shake my head, realizing that was probably his idea of playing with me. After his outburst on the porch, I just take it and roll. Get this thing in the room and get his ass out my house.

"My room is-"

"I know." I subconsciously stop and he peers around the mattress at me. T

"There's two upstairs rooms, not hard to guess." We continue forward into the bedroom. I gesture to the center of a wide wall and he helps me maneuver it in place. "No boxsprings?"

"No sir. I was barely able to haul the mattress." I laugh nervously. I am dying for him to leave. I feel small and uncomfortable standing in a bedroom with my strange hateful neighbor. Discussing beds of all things. I can feel my cheeks stinging hot with embarrassment.

"I have a truck if you'd like me to haul it." I gape at him.

"Well...um...you already helped me with this." I gesture to the mattress in the floor. "And even offered to mow. I don't want to take advantage of your nature. I would definitely pay you, provide gas too." He stares at me, in thought. I lighten the mood. "Its the least I can do, I know how you hate neighbors." I walk out to the hall hoping he'll follow.

"You aren't wrong, but I'd hate for you to run away so soon." He calls out after me. I am agitated at his slow emerging. Come on dude damn. He emerges lazily and follows me back down.

"I'll be mowing in about an hour."

"Thanks! Just let me know how much I owe!" He finally leaves and I open the windows to air the house and begin the tasks of scrubbing all appliances and surfaces. I still have to assemble the futon and put bags of belongings away. It's going to be a long day. As I begin my chores and can't help but be suspicious. Has he been in this house before? He seemed to know it like the back of his hand.