Learning from the neighbors (closed)

[DeathsKnight]

Dan Stevens

Dan was sitting at his small kitchen table, coffee at his left elbow and book on mechanical structures in his right hand as he slowly chewed on the toast in his left hand. He knew that elsewhere most of his peers was either busy waking up, or still slumbered the slumber of alcohol induced sleep. It was Saturday and there was no real need for anybody to be in a rush, the earliest classes started around noon and Dan had two classes.

Of course due to his increased shyness and introvertism he was labelled as a nerd, it suited him just fine. He found that his own company was the better company and that he could do so much more of the things he liked with all the free time he had when not having to pander to "friends"s needs. He finished the toast, his coffee and six pages of his study guide at the same time, he felt good about himself, he already had a gym session in, he had studied a few pages and had breakfast. That called for an hour of Call of Duty.

As he settled in front of his computer, he noticed that the house which faced his bedroom window had some activity, well that was interesting, since he had moved in here, the house had been empty. He shrugged it off and clicked the icon to start the game.

 

[Erica88]

Had Dan paid any more attention to the world outside of his house, he would have known that two people had moved in the house next door a couple of weeks ago at the start of a new school year. Cassandra or Cassie as most people called her and her mother Karen. Karen was a teacher at the university Dan went to and with her 40 years she was still the wet dream of most students. Full breasts, blond hairs and a way with words that made most guys blush.

In appearance the 18 year old Cassie was rather similar. A nice C cup, long blonde hairs and blue eyes that guys could drown in, but she was rather shy and preferred to keep some distance from boys. They had moved here after a scandal back up north, where Karen had been caught fooling around with one of her students. It had resulted in her getting fired and getting divorced, so now they were here. Ready for a new start.


Annoyed Cassie sat down in front of her house. She had just arrived home, only to find the door locked. Most likely her mother was doing some groceries, or worse she might be at the university to get some affairs in order. So there was no saying when she would return. Cassie played with the idea of just waiting here, not comfortable to bother her neighbours but eventually she had to use the bathroom and walked up the house next door.

She hesitated for a few minutes and then shyly rang the bell. Part of her was ready to flee, but she really had to pee. She was dressed in her school uniform and hoped the person opening the door wouldn't be some pervert.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Dan was busy camping, the art of online snipers, or just gamers who like to snipe in general, already he had a good head count and the other gamers was being cautious now that they knew that he was there. Occasionally he moved positions and then somebody got lucky, artillery strike right on his position. He chuckled to himself as the replies of joy came on screen, he checked his watch, it was time anyway to get going on the project he was working on, just as he signed off, the doorbell rang.

For a long moment he stood there, the sound of his doorbell was a strange one, it was something that he hadn't heard in...like forever. He tilted his head and slowly made his way from his room, down the corridor and into the rather spacious living room. Sure enough a figure stood in front of the door, he could make it out through the small frosted glass panes on the door. Now who could it be? He didn't order anything, nobody ever came around and that suited him just fine. He still carried a small frown as he unlocked the door and opened it...and he could literally feel his jaw drop.

Of course he didn't stand there like some gaping fool, but he did feel a certain slackness in muscles usually not slack, it took a few moments for him to gather some semblance of his mind, "Uhm...yes? Can...can I help you?"

 

[Erica88]

Cassie looked at him with a blush, not looking at his eyes but at his chin instead. Something most guys about her loved as it gave them the freedom to stare at her cleavage without her noticing."Hi.. I eh... I am Cassandra... eh... I live next door..." She started nervously, not used at making conversation or asking for help. "My mom isn't home and I can't go inside... can I eh... wait here for a bit?"

She wasn't ready just yet to tell him she had to use the bathroom, but hoped he would let her come inside. Things would have been so much easier if a woman had opened the door.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Dan stared at her face and hair, noticing that she didn't really look up at him, come to think about it, she seemed almost shyer than he was. He raised a hand and absently scratched his cheek, "Uhm...well ok...since we're neighbors and such."

Why haven't he ever seen her before? OK he knew that people had moved in, but that was practically as far as it went with his knowledge, the neighbors at the other side and the back was groups of students who rented the houses together. It was only then that he realized that he was barring the door, he felt like slapping himself as he quickly stepped aside.

"Uh come in...take a seat..." He closed the door behind her, but didn't lock it,"I uhm only have coffee and Pepsi." Damn this was hard, how did the other people usually act? Oh yes! "Please have a seat, do you want something to drink?" Socially awkward to begin with, it increased even more now that a pretty female had taken a step into his house.

It was only then that it struck him that there was only a two-seat sofa, a coffee table, a rug and the huge mahogany table which housed a few of his projects and the wall-mounted television, up until now it was all he needed and suddenly there was another person, leaving him with no seat at all if she sat down. Luckily he had two chairs in the kitchen, should he sit with her? Or could he just go on with his assignment? He was so lost in his inner turmoil that he didn't hear her reply to his question, his eyes fixed on the floor half-way to the rug.

 

[Erica88]

Cassie gave him a nervous look as the guy didn't react to her answer at all. She wasn't sure if she should repeat herself or wait longer and squirmed a bit from her nerves... and from the need to use the bathroom. She hadn't moved to take a seat yet.

"C... could I use... the bathroom while you get the pepsi?" She then asked him, hoping to deal with two problems at once. As the words came out of her mouth, her eyes went from his chin to his chest. She really was shy.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Bathroom? Oh yes! Why did he feel like a stupid fool all of a sudden? Like he did not even understand English? He shook his head to clear his thoughts, "Sure, just uhm follow me." He turned and headed down the hallway, he motioned to the door opposite his room, "In there, I'll get the Pepsi."

He didn't want to stick around and perhaps even look like some kind of perv, he retreated to his kitchen and got out two bottles of Pepsi. He paused, glasses? ice? What the hell was wrong with him? He decided that she had to be around his own age, she would drink out of the bottle, if she wanted a glass and ice that could be provided.

Carrying the bottles in one hand, picking up one of the chairs, he went back to the living room, he placed her bottle on the coaster close to the sofa, then he placed the chair next to the coffee table and opened his own bottle, waiting for the return of the brain-numbing occurrence whom was at that moment in his bathroom.

 

[Erica88]

Perhaps she shouldn't have asked for the pepsi, Cassie realized when she was in the bathroom. Now she was kind of forced to stay with him and find things to talk about. Perhaps it would have been better if she had just left after using the bathroom, but it was too late for that now.

As she washed her hands she looked in the mirror and wished she wasn't dressed in the school uniform. Her C cup was so clearly present and the skirt was shorter than she was comfortable with, but it was what the new school had given her. Of course her mother dressed even more revealing... skirts that showed almost all of her legs and tops that risked even exposing her nipples. Cassie and Karen were so very different.

She left the bathroom and found him in the livingroom. "Th..ank you..." She said as she saw the bottle of pepsi and sat down next to it. At the same time it was a thank you for being allowed to use the bathroom.

 

[DeathsKnight]

She came into the room and again Dan's mind shut down, he met her thanks with a soft, "You're welcome" come what may, at least nobody could say that Dan didn't have at least a semblance of manners. He stared at the coffee table as she sat and realized that it only contained Electronic and IT books, no magazine in sight...come to think about it...he didn't own a magazine or comics, all of it was electronic, the only books he had, was those that came with his studies.

"Uhm...I forgot to introduce myself a bit earlier. Sorry. I'm Dan."

 

[Erica88]

She smiled a bit at his introduction, but hadn't really noticed he hadn't told her his name yet. "I am Cassandra." she told him again and then slowly took a sip of her drink. When she put the bottle down again she followed his gaze to the coffee table. "Oh, you are interested in electronics?" A stupid question of course, but the only she could think of.

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Uh good to meet you too." Her question was a bit of a surprise to him, then he noticed that she was looking at the table as well. "Uhm yes...I am studying to be an Electronic Engineer, focusing on computing and from there I'll see what market there is." Wow, he actually said that all without a stutter, he motioned to the big table with his projects on it.

"That is basically what I make in my free time, it's got nothing to do with my studies, I just do it to keep my mind busy."

 

[Erica88]

Cassie nodded at his words and then checked out the projects. "What is all of this?" She asked him, but did sound interesting. "Sorry, I don't know much about electronics myself. The only knowledge I have about how devices work is which buttons to press, but when it gets more complicated than that... no. And I should find a good place to get my laptop fixed."

She didn't sound as shy as before, until she had finished her sentences and blushed. She had to sound very silly and making a fool out of herself.

 

[DeathsKnight]

She actually wanted to know about his projects? For a while he sat there, staring at her. Was it another set-up? Would somebody suddenly come in through the door with a camera and laugh at him? He could feel a sudden onset of a panic attack, "Robotics." He surprised himself by uttering the words. "I am testing how electronic compunents can improve robotics. So far I have figured out how to make a hand and with limited programming it can actually move like a human hand."

He got up and picked up the almost skeletal hand, "This is a play thing, you buy it at toy stores, but..." He turned it to show the various wires, microboards and motors, "I don't need hydrolics to make it move. This is just a basic idea, but I don't have the enginering for hydraulics down quite yet." He placed the hand down and pointed at a tower, "When I tested this, a whole block of people went balistic, I wanted to see if I could transform AM frequencies to FM frequencies...uhm instead when I switched it on there was more a blackout of any signal for a whole block. It's a work in progress..." He trailed off, "I'm probably boring you." He took his seat once more, "What is wrong with your laptop?"

 

[Erica88]

Cassie nodded as he started to explain, it absolutely was no subject she knew a lot about and she feared that any comment she would make on it would make him laugh. Still there of course was some relation to the study she had started which was biology. "I think I will just stick to normal human bodies, understanding why muscles do what they do is complicated enough for me." She gave him a weak smile.

"Well, I am not exactly sure. I was spending some time online when my browser said my flash needed an update. After that my browser had several extra... things and all those annoying things popped up. And by now just nothing happens when I press the button to go online. And I very much need my laptop for my study, it is not like I have a real human body laying around I can experiment on." She blushed scarlet as the joke she tried to make didn't sound as funny as she thought.

 

[DeathsKnight]

When she started talking computer, his attention shifted from the coffee table to her face, she looked even prettier when she blushed, it made her look almost radiant, "Sounds like a virus, Trojan or perhaps a replicating malware. Usually malware isn't that bad, but lately people havve been adding extensions to make it a virus as well. Not sure why people are so malicious." He paused, realized that she was looking at him and dropped his gaze back to the table. He took a drink from the Pepsi bottle.

"I uhm don't want to sound like a forward, but if you want I uhm I could have a look at it for you." He recalled her joke about dead bodies, "I uh believe that would save you to find a uhm cadaver to study on?" He gave a slight smile and glanced up at her and back down at the table, so strange that the moment that he wasn't talking about what he knew well, his akwardness returned full force. "I uhm I take it that you like Biology?"

 

[Erica88]

Again Cassie just nodded as he started to give his view on things. She knew a bit about viruses, just not the computer kind. She smiled when he offered to take a look at her computer. "Oh that would be great, I am sure we could work out what it would cost me. And yes, I just started to study biology at the university here and we use several computer programs to look at certain parts of the human and animal body, so I really can't miss my computer too long."

She had no real trouble speaking when she knew what to say, but every time she stopped talking she blushed instantly, hoping she didn't sound silly or weird.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Dan

"That sounds interesting, I uhm don't really have a price to make...uhm I'm not going to replace parts only scan the hard drive and run a diagnostic check, from there it's as easy as one two three to fix any bad sectors, repack data if needed and from there it should be good as new." He scratched at his cheek again, "If you want, I could perhaps install a little anti-virus program that I've written? It doesn't need much resources, so you'd hardly know that it's there. It should keep you free from any unwanted viruses."

It was only after he had stopped speaking, that he realized what he'd said, what if she took it the wrong way? Like perhaps that he was trying to give her something to try and blackmail her later on? He took a sip of his Pepsi, realized that it was the last and that it was almost time for him to get back to his books...now what?

 

[Erica88]

"Oh that would be great... Thank you. Maybe.. eh... you can come... eh.. after dinner? She suggested already blushing as the words came out of her mouth. "I mean, if you don't have something else..."

She finished her pepsi too and was sure her mom would be home or soon would come home so she planned to leave after Dan had reacted to her suggestion

 

[DeathsKnight]

After dinner...leave his house to go to somebody else's? No, that is red light if there ever was one. "Uhm no offense meant, but all my stuff is here and I might need to use my PC to scan your laptop. If it's not too much of a hassle could you perhaps bring it over? I will return it as soon as I'm done." Again, leaving his home, but if he's to be the brunt of a joke then, it will be less of an impact since he would expect it AND will be able to beat a hasty tactical withdrawal if needed.

He noticed through the blinds a car pulling up in the driveway next door, perfect timing, "I think your mother just came home."

 

[Erica88]

Cassie thought on that and then nodded. Perhaps it was very stupid to hand her laptop to someone she had never seen before, but he was doing her a favour and if she would have her laptop working again, that would be great.

"Ok... shall I bring it by around 7?" She suggested

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Seven! Yes yes that should be good." He jumped to his feet, it was the right thing to do wasn't it? To open the door for a leaving guest? He did just that, opened the door for her, "I...it was good meeting you Cassandra." He stepped back to allow her free access to the door and also to be out of reach, should she decide to pat his arm or something.

After she had left, he closed and locked the door, breathing a sigh of relief. That's over, now to get some work into the old noggin', a laptop to fix and tonight it is movie night, he had a list of unwatched movies that he could pick from. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked backhis room.

 

[Erica88]

Cassie was happy to be home again and her mom didn't seem curious at all about where she had been, too focused on preparing her lesson for Monday. "After dinner I have a meeting with the dean and some other teachers about the year ahead of us." Karen informed her daughter and soon changed into something even more revealing than what she wore for her classes.

Cassie wasn't too surprised with her mom's outfit, her mother had always dressed far more revealing than she would herself. It was an early supper and not long after her mom left it became 7 PM. And then it became 7.15, and it was already 7.30 when Cassie finally left her home and once again rang the door bell next door. This time with her laptop with her.

With the issues her internet was giving her, she hadn't had the chance to delete her browsing history and not all of it were things innocent girls were supposed to watch. But right now her browsing history was the last of her concerns as she nervously waited for Dan to open the door.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He had finished a chapter and was busy rewarding himself with a nice cold Pepsi when the doorbell rang. For a moment or two he wondered who it could be. Then he remembered Cassandra and her laptop, already his mind started stuttering and he could feel another onset of silence. He walked to the door, unlocked it and opened the door. If she had looked hot in school uniform, she looked ravishing right then and once again Dan's jaw dropped, without the comical open-mouth stare.

"Uhm...hey...uh yeah, hey. Is that the patient?" He held out his hands for the laptop, taking note of the model and make as she handed it to him. She didn't seem to budge and he looked at her for a few moments, "Uhm you want to wait for the laptop?

 

[Erica88]

Compared to her mother Cassie was dressed rather innocent... at least so she thought herself. Dressed in a skirt that was longer but a bit more tight than her school uniform and a top that offered some cleavage while at the same time revealing a bit of her stomach. "Yes.. this is my laptop." She said as she handed it to him, wondering if he would think she would bring the wrong laptop. She wasn't really sure what to do or say until he spoke again.

"Eh... I better go home again... you bring it to me when it is ready?" She said, not sure how long something like that would take and she hadn't locked the door of her house.

 

[DeathsKnight]

She didn't blush, good sign or bad sign? Well she didn't run away nor try to seduce him, the last one would have been the worst as that would mean she was under orders. "OK I'll bring it over, shouldn't take too long. Uhm see you like...later then?" After making goodbyes, Dan took the laptop to his room, luckily he had a universal power pack and plugged it in to the laptop to provide power.

He tried to switch on the laptop and it froze after the POST ran through, that of course meant one thing. OS troubles. He hotlinked the laptop to his PC and after a wave of notifications about the detected virusses, he started the scan. He picked up his handbook and went on studying, checking the progress every half an hour. When that was done, he scanned for registry problems, fixed OS' boot up files and tested the laptop. This time the laptop switched on completely. After two scans, he was satisfied that no data had been corrupted, he installed the anti-virus and set it to run.

When possible malicious sites came up during the scan, he had a look. None of them seemed like any place Cassandra would be hanging out, so it must have been one of the vurusses who had done that. He deleted the cookies and finished up with the laptop, he was impressed that she had such a powerful laptop for just studying, but then again, most people could just buy the most expensive and believe it to be the best.

Tucking the fixed laptop under one arm, he headed next door and rang the doorbell, he felt very self-concious and realized that he had not even fixed his hair...oh well done' done and he wasn't going to fidget.