You moved into the tower, argued with the youngest brother before breakfast, and got added to a group chat by the other two. Neirin has questions. Garbhan thinks it is the funniest thing all semester. Neither of them is good at leaving things alone.
Monday, 7:18 P.M. Brantwood Tower, Manhattan. Garbhan was lying upside down on the living-room sofa when Eibhear's phone buzzed for the sixth time in less than a minute. "Bro," Garbhan said, looking over the back of the couch. "Why do you keep checking your phone like somebody owes you money?" Eibhear didn't look up. "Mind your business." Neirin glanced over from the kitchen island. "It's the person from this morning, isn't it?" Eibhear's head snapped up. "What person?" "The one who told you off." Garbhan sat up so quickly that a cushion hit the floor. "WAIT. The new neighbor?" "Why the fuck are you both obsessed with this?" "Because," Garbhan said, grinning, "you came home and complained about your coffee for fifteen minutes." "I was complaining about the collision." "You were complaining about getting humbled." Neirin opened his mouth to add something, but the group chat notification interrupted him. THE BUILDING MENACES Garbhan: Everybody say hi to the new neighbor. New student, new neighbor, and apparently the only person on campus with the balls to argue with Eibhear before breakfast. Eibhear: I'm removing you from this group. Garbhan: You literally can't. Noor made you an admin because you're the only one who knows the password. Neirin: Genuine question. Did he actually apologize, or did he send one of those messages where he says sorry and then immediately becomes an asshole again? Eibhear: Neirin, I'm going to break your fucking laptop. Neirin: That's not an answer. Garbhan was laughing so hard he had to put his phone down. "I'm telling you, this is the best thing that's happened all month." Eibhear leaned back against the counter, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "You two are acting like I've never argued with somebody before." "Not somebody who lives in our building," Neirin replied. That made Eibhear pause. Garbhan noticed immediately. "Oh, my God." "Don't." "She lives here. She goes to our school. She is in our group chat." "Garbhan." "You are going to see her everywhere." "GARBHAN." Neirin's mouth curved into a slow grin. "That's rough, little brother." Eibhear gave them both the finger and walked toward the kitchen to get another drink. His phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, then frowned slightly. Neirin caught the expression. "What?" "Nothing." Garbhan appeared at his shoulder. "Let me see." "Get the fuck away from me." The twins immediately started fighting over the phone while Noor called from the hallway, "If either of you breaks something, you're paying for it yourselves." The penthouse descended into its usual chaos. And somewhere in the same building, you had just been introduced to two men who considered minding their own business an optional activity. Two minutes later your own phone lit up, and the last message in the chat was from the one called Neirin, sent to you and nobody else: "You have met one of us. Come up and meet the other two before my brother decides what to think about you."
You moved into the tower, argued with the youngest brother before breakfast, and got added to a group chat by the other two. Neirin has questions. Garbhan thinks it is the funniest thing all semester. Neither of them is good at leaving things alone.
Monday, 7:18 P.M. Brantwood Tower, Manhattan. Garbhan was lying upside down on the living-room sofa when Eibhear's phone buzzed for the sixth time in less than a minute. "Bro," Garbhan said, looking over the back of the couch. "Why do you keep checking your phone like somebody owes you money?" Eibhear didn't look up. "Mind your business." Neirin glanced over from the kitchen island. "It's the person from this morning, isn't it?" Eibhear's head snapped up. "What person?" "The one who told you off." Garbhan sat up so quickly that a cushion hit the floor. "WAIT. The new neighbor?" "Why the fuck are you both obsessed with this?" "Because," Garbhan said, grinning, "you came home and complained about your coffee for fifteen minutes." "I was complaining about the collision." "You were complaining about getting humbled." Neirin opened his mouth to add something, but the group chat notification interrupted him. THE BUILDING MENACES Garbhan: Everybody say hi to the new neighbor. New student, new neighbor, and apparently the only person on campus with the balls to argue with Eibhear before breakfast. Eibhear: I'm removing you from this group. Garbhan: You literally can't. Noor made you an admin because you're the only one who knows the password. Neirin: Genuine question. Did he actually apologize, or did he send one of those messages where he says sorry and then immediately becomes an asshole again? Eibhear: Neirin, I'm going to break your fucking laptop. Neirin: That's not an answer. Garbhan was laughing so hard he had to put his phone down. "I'm telling you, this is the best thing that's happened all month." Eibhear leaned back against the counter, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "You two are acting like I've never argued with somebody before." "Not somebody who lives in our building," Neirin replied. That made Eibhear pause. Garbhan noticed immediately. "Oh, my God." "Don't." "She lives here. She goes to our school. She is in our group chat." "Garbhan." "You are going to see her everywhere." "GARBHAN." Neirin's mouth curved into a slow grin. "That's rough, little brother." Eibhear gave them both the finger and walked toward the kitchen to get another drink. His phone buzzed again. He glanced at the screen, then frowned slightly. Neirin caught the expression. "What?" "Nothing." Garbhan appeared at his shoulder. "Let me see." "Get the fuck away from me." The twins immediately started fighting over the phone while Noor called from the hallway, "If either of you breaks something, you're paying for it yourselves." The penthouse descended into its usual chaos. And somewhere in the same building, you had just been introduced to two men who considered minding their own business an optional activity. Two minutes later your own phone lit up, and the last message in the chat was from the one called Neirin, sent to you and nobody else: "You have met one of us. Come up and meet the other two before my brother decides what to think about you."
