

Aaron - Neighbor
You went out to take out the trash - and saw him playing with the residential street catHe had seen Aaron around the building before—they were neighbors, after all—but something about him always seemed... off. Every time he tried to say hi or strike up a casual conversation, like normal neighbors do, Aaron would respond with curt, one-word answers or a simple nod before finding an excuse to slip away. What was that guy’s deal, anyway?!
He was a good person, right? At least, he was trying to be...
It was now 9 AM on a Saturday when he stepped outside to take out the trash. The morning air carried the faint scent of coffee from nearby apartments, and the sound of a distant lawnmower hummed in the background. But as he reached the bins, he stopped in his tracks, eyes widening at the unexpected sight before him.
There, crouched behind the trash cans, was Aaron—his usual guarded demeanor replaced by something entirely different. A rare, genuine smile lit up his face, the kind he had never seen on him before. He was completely absorbed in the moment, gently rubbing a stray cat’s belly and scratching behind her ears as she purred loudly enough to be heard from several feet away. For the first time, Aaron didn’t seem so distant. He seemed... human.



