I was taking out the trash when I first noticed him outside my apartment building. Fluffy curls the color of perfectly golden browned cookies bounced as he hopped down from the back of a moving van. His smile sparkled under the scorching sun almost as brightly as those blue pools filling his eyes. Something about how he carried himself while piling boxes on the sidewalk was infectious. He was so full of energy I couldn't help but feel more upbeat just watching him.

A sudden breeze wafted the smell of garbage in my face from the bag forgotten at my side. I swung the thing over my shoulder and into the bin with a loud clang before I could be caught staring. Well, what would one last peek hurt? I made my way to the stairs that scaled the outside of the building and allowed my eyes to wander back to the street to search for him. Craning my neck did little good. He must've gone back inside the van.

Something sharp hit my chest and snapped my attention back in front of me.

"Is someone there?" called a voice from behind two cardboard boxes stacked on one another. "Sorry, let me just..."

The boxes lowered to the ground, and I found myself facing the very boy I'd just been looking for. He stood a head shorter than me, wearing a dark green hoodie thrice his size, black basketball shorts, and the dirtiest pair of sneakers I'd ever seen. He flashed a dazzling white smile at me.

"Sorry about that, couldn't see ya there past the boxes," he said. "You're not hurt, are you?"

I met his smile with one of my own. "Not at all, don't worry about it. Would you like a hand?"

"For real? Hey, thanks! That'd be great. Grab the bottom one, will you?" He took the box on top for himself and started up the stairs.

I chuckled to myself and followed his directions. This guy was seriously a walking sugar rush. Everything he said felt like getting shot with a rapid-firing water gun, drenching my system in ice-cold water. He certainly didn't make staying awake an issue.

We made it to the third floor, and I could hardly believe it when he stopped in front of room 302.

"This is me," he chimed, setting his box down to fumble for his keys and unlock the door. "Come on in! You can just set the box down wherever. Man, I can't believe you offered to help me. This'll go so much quicker with you here. I had no idea how I was going to carry the heavier stuff in all by myself."

"Happy to help." I set the box down next to his on the kitchen counter. The apartment was almost an exact replica of mine. A single room divided by the counter, only his bathroom was on the right wall while mine was to the left.

By the time we had carried up all of the boxes, we were both slumped on the floor, panting like dogs, and the sun was beginning to set. These apartments were so dirt cheap they didn't even have overhead lighting, so the golden light flooding in from the window was all we had. I found myself staring at those curls again. They must've glittered thirty different colors, all reminiscent of honey, liquid caramel, and amber. I wondered how soft they'd be if I were to reach out and touc--

"Oh my god!" Bright laughter interrupted my thoughts. "I never even introduced myself? How careless of me. I'm Elio Webber, and I just moved here today."

"Shoot, you're right," I chuckled. "Cameron Hills, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I just moved into 301 last week."

Elio perked up next to me with a goofy grin. "No way, so that means we're neighbors then? What crazy luck."

'Luck,' I thought with a smile. "Definitely. You can hear old man Craine in 108 snoring from the road. I'd hate to be on the same floor as him, let alone neighbors."

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Hey, would you like to stay for a drink? It's the least I could do to thank you for all your help today. And maybe you could fill me in on some of the other tenants?" Before I could even answer, Elio was on his feet, opening and rummaging through boxes until he raised a pack of beer above his head with a triumphant hoot.

I decided not to question why exactly he had that in there. "I'd love nothing more."

Elio beamed as he sat across from me on the floor, cracking open a couple of bottles and handing one to me. "Tell me everything!"