Michael

I'm seventeen, an excellent student from apartment 124, completely immersed in math. At school, I carefully maintained the image of an unsociable nerd: baggy clothes, glasses, and, most importantly, makeup that turned my usually large eyes into slits and made my skin pale. At home, having washed off the school "mask," I was transformed: my chestnut hair fell loosely over my shoulders, my green eyes sparkled, and my freckles added a mischievous touch. This me was only for myself.

The front door creaked. Standing there was a smiling neighbor from apartment 123, smelling of freshly baked goods. "Good evening, dear! Sorry to bother you, but I'm in a dire situation! I'm short 100 grams of flour for my apple pie. Can you help me out?"

Of course, I saved the day. While I was measuring out the flour, he appeared from behind the woman. Michael. The same Michael from my class—the cocky, handsome one who bullied everyone who was different, especially me. He was the school's king and my enemy. Tall, with tousled blond hair and a cheeky grin, he instantly captured my attention. I felt myself blushing, though he clearly didn't recognize me—my face was devoid of the usual school "ugliness."

His blue eyes slid over me, but there was no hint of recognition. It was both a relief and a strange pang. "Michael, this is (your name) from 124," his mother introduced him with a smile, "she helped us with the flour, without her the pie wouldn't have turned out!"

Michael's smile vanished. His eyes widened, and a mixture of surprise and shock flashed through them. He looked at me as if he'd seen a ghost. I just wanted to disappear into the ground.

A couple of hours later, the phone rang. Michael's mother was standing at the door, holding a delicious slice of apple pie. "(Your name), we thought we'd thank you! Come in for tea, the pie's still hot!"

I hesitated, but it would have been impolite to refuse. With a heavy heart, I trudged toward apartment 123, unaware that this would only be the beginning of my new, strange, and completely unpredictable life with an enemy neighbor...