While Tristan was trying to put some distance between himself and Caleb, Tibur was facing a similiar problem with his persistent neighbor. Since he'd been given the staggering 6000 Modeshi Dollar price tag to replace the door, he'd been fielding constant calls from Michael. 

"Did you get the estimate I sent via email? I wanted to be sure I got the address right." "I can talk you through the Phoenicia bylaws if it helps? Here, let me read them to you." Tibur didn't care about the details, he just wanted to know what the payment plan would be so he could find a way to make the money he owed.

Despite his pleas for clarity, Michael kept delaying any definitive kind of answer. 

"We can discuss it in person" he'd said on the phone that morning, "I have a guest tonight, but could you come over tomorrow?" 

With the terrace door broken, the intrusive sounds were likely to be even louder than before. Tibur had always been worried that if he wore earplugs he'd sleep through his alarm; but he'd rather sleep and wake up late, than not sleep at all. 

"Fine" he said, "Tomorrow." 

Tristan had already informed him that he would need to delay his return to work a little longer, and so it was Millie that was first to hear the news of Tibur's 'incident'.

"Not his door!" she cried, "Wow Tiger, I didn't know you had it in you!"

Tibur slumped in his chair in the break room on the verge of tears. 

"But if it's only a pane of glass" said Millie, "It can't be more than a couple hundred to replace, right?" 

Tibur shook his head. 

"I'll probably still be paying it back when I'm sixty..." 

Millie's eyes grew wider. "Over a thousand..?" she asked incredulously. 

"Try six" said Tibur.

Disbelief aside, there was no disputing the quotes that Michael had received from the building's assigned contractor. 

"Imagine living in a place where you accidentally break something and it costs 6000 MD to replace it... I can't even guess what kind of deposit they pay. That's my rent for a whole year."

"I guess it costs a lot of money to be rich" said Millie, "Even if you make enough to afford a nice place, it doesn't stop costing you a fortune." 

As much as she would have liked to help him, she was in no better a situation than he was; between them there was not a chance in hell that they could raise the funds.

"Now hear me out..." she began. 

"No" said Tibur, catching on to her train of thought, "I'm not asking Tristan to loan it to me. Besides, I'm pretty sure it's his husband that holds the purse-strings." 

Even if they had no problem with it, even if they were the closest friends in the world, Tibur was not about to ask someone else for the money. It was his problem, and his responsibility. He'd been independent for too long; asking for help was not something he felt comfortable with. 

"I'm meeting the guy tomorrow after work... then I'll find out just how quickly he wants to be repaid. After that... well I guess I need to start looking for a second job... maybe a third if I can manage it."

"It's such bullshit" said Millie, "It's not like you threw something at his window for no reason. If he wasn't so loud every night, it never would have happened. Surely there's some legal recourse you can take? Like, you shouldn't have to pay because of the psychological damage he inflicted? Why not find yourself a lawyer to settle things?" 

Tibur sighed. 

"By the time I've paid for legal fees, I'll probably be close to the repair costs. At least this way it has a definite end. Once it's paid for, the whole ordeal will be over." 

Millie pursed her lips. 

"What?" asked Tibur, "I pay and it's done. What more is there to worry about?" 

"Well... he could charge interest" she pointed out, "It's not like you're going to pay it off quickly. You might be stuck owing him for years. What about finding yourself that rich girlfriend? Surely it'd be better to pay back someone you know. There are too many variables when a stranger is involved. Aren't you meeting him tomorrow? What if he'd delaying things so he can draw up a contract of debt..?"

"Then I'd sign it" said Tibur. 

He was in a difficult position. Ideally he would ask Mr Melik for extra shifts and over-time; but he didn't want to run the risk of making Tristan's job redundant. So what if he had a rich husband today? Tomorrow he could find himself struggling to make ends meet, and then where would he be without a job? Tibur had packed boxes at a factory part-time when he was saving up for college, he'd even helped with hauling furniture up and down stairs; there was bound to be something he could do for a little extra cash. 

"I'll find myself a rich girlfriend when you do" countered Tibur, "Until then, I'll take care of things on my own."

That night, Tibur listened to music through his headphones as he studied in his room, transitioning to his earplugs before he went to bed. He wasn't sure if Michael had become more conscious of his volume since the door was broken, but there was very little noise coming from the apartment across the way. 

The lackluster performance from the female guest was a little underwhelming. Tibur couldn't help but wonder if she'd been turned off seeing the tatty newspaper taped across the broken window. Maybe it was just Michael's apparent wealth that had made all those women scream so loudly...

The following evening when they met, it continued to play on his mind. 

"I hope my coming hasn't disrupted any plans" said Tibur as he was let into Michael's apartment, "I know you usually have company over."

"And what are you?" asked Michael, "If not company?"

"I meant the other kind" Tibur clarified, "female company." 

Michael smiled wryly. "We all deserve a night off from that every now and then, don't you think?" he said, "I'm not without my limits. I'm sure even a student such as yourself needs time to recharge." 

When Tibur nodded awkwardly, Michael should have left it at that. And yet he felt compelled to dig a little. 

"I mean, are you dating anyone..?" he asked. 

Tibur's eyebrows were raised at the unexpected question. "I'm a student with a job, of course I don't have time to date" he told him frankly.

"At all?" Michael continued, curious how this young student shaped up in comparison, "What about something more casual? I guess you're on the apps." 

Tibur sat up straight, his hands clasped neatly in front of him on the kitchen island. 

"Not everyone takes sex so casually" he said in earnest, "It's not like it's a necessity to get laid."

"I wholeheartedly disagree" said Michael, "It's absolutely necessary. Especially for a man in his prime!" 

Tibur chose to ignore him. 

"Shall we talk about the payment plan?" he said, trying to steer the conversation to the topic at hand. 

"As a late bloomer myself" said Michael, "I cannot stress enough how important it is to get out there and sow your oats. If I'd have been half as attractive as you at your age, I would've taken advantage much sooner."

"I don't like to take advantage" said Tibur, "I prefer to play fair. In relationships, and in life. To that end, how do you propose I pay for the damages? I hope in that sense you won't try to 'take advantage'."

"Oh..." said Michael, "Is it not girls you're into..?" 

Tibur's quiet calm was starting to fray at the edges. 

"What gave you that idea?" he asked. 

"Well... your friends are gay, right? You could be too. There's no judgement! I just think that if it's a sexuality crisis that's holding you back, then the sooner you admit who you are, the sooner you can get out there and meet someone."

"Must every man sleep around to prove his worth?" asked Tibur, "Is that the sole reason for our existence? I don't count my worth by the notches on my bed post."

"I'm just surprised is all" said Michael, "That you're not seeing anyone." 

Tibur was kind of skinny, but his looks were... charming. His large, dark, intelligent eyes were captivating, and his features were oddly comforting. There was a sense of familiarity, despite their never having met before the paperweight came crashing into his world. Maybe that was why he'd become so gratingly outspoken to a relative stranger. 

"You've had a girlfriend before though, right? Or a boyfriend? Like I said, no judgement here!" 

Tibur got up to leave.

"It's a simple enough question" Michael protested, blocking his path and not knowing when to back down; "I mean... you've done it, at least... haven't you?" 

Tibur's cheeks were burning, and the air was closing in. He had held it in as long as was humanly possible. 

"Why do you care?! Why would you possibly care about that? I am here to discuss the 6000 MD for the broken door. I am not here to answer to your deeply personal line of questioning! So what if I haven't had sex? Why is it so important that you know?!"

Michael wasn't sure. Why was he so interested? He wouldn't usually be so persistent. 

"I'm sorry..." he told him, embarrassed by the flash of genuine rage he'd elicited. 

It was just like those times when he was training to be a pilot... when he was the only one among his peers that didn't have an anecdote to share about his sexual exploits. 

"Really. I'm sorry... I got carried away with myself. I put it down to lack of sleep last night."

"If you weren't so wrapped up in your pursuit of fucking every woman on this island, then maybe both you and I could finally get a good night's sleep! Did it ever occur to you why I felt the need to hurl something at your apartment? That I couldn't stand another night of sleep deprivation, having to listen to the screams from your open fucking window! It's not just those poor women you don't seem to give a shit about; it's every fucking person that is forced to listen to you!"

Tibur's rant had the desired effect. Michael was beginning to understand exactly what kind of opinion Tibur had of him. 

"Again..." said Michael, "I'm sorry."

Closing his eyes and taking a breath, Tibur regained his composure. 

"How much, and when do I need to pay it by? That is all the information I need from you. The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can have this mess dealt with and go our separate ways."

"It's almost as if you've forgotten that you're the one at fault here" said Michael, suddenly agitated by Tibur's continuing coldness. "I apologized, didn't I? For asking questions about your non-existent sex life. And yet you're acting like I'm some scumbag you can't wait to see the back of! What? Was my apology not to your liking? If I decide I didn't like the one you gave for my door, can I change my mind and inform the school about it? The police perhaps?" 

He was going too far and yet he couldn't stop.

There was a sudden fear that shook Tibur's large and intelligent eyes to the edge of desperation. 

"What are you saying..?" he asked, his voice grown smaller, "If I don't accept your apology you're going to file a legal complaint against me..? My potential expulsion hinges on whether or not I'm nice to you?" 

Everything had become a mess. It was only that Michael didn't like the hateful way that Tibur had looked at him. He hadn't meant half of what he'd said, and yet his pride would not allow him to admit it.

"That's right. So be nice... You want to clear your debt with me? Easy. My maid is going on maternity leave, you can cover her until she comes back, or until the money's been repaid; whichever comes first."

The look that Tibur gave him betrayed the thought that ran through his mind.

"No" said Michael, "The baby isn't mine."