Los Angeles smells like overpriced coffee, ocean breeze, and chaos. And apparently, now it smells like me.
I had one suitcase, one backpack, and zero knowledge of what I'd gotten myself into. My new apartment? A tiny place in a building full of… well, let's just say characters.
I was lugging my luggage up the stairs (because of course the elevator was "out of order"), when a loud thud and yelling hit the hallway.
"CASH! STOP THROWING THE TOASTER!"
I froze.
Across from my door, a whirlwind of energy bounced around like it had a personal vendetta against calmness. Cash Baker. Arms full of… bread? No, a literal toaster. Trailing behind him, Maverick, the older brother, looked simultaneously done with life and ready to murder his younger sibling.
I nearly dropped my suitcase.
"Uh… hi?" I said, waving awkwardly.
Cash spun around, eyes lighting up like he'd discovered a rare Pokémon. "New neighbor!"
"I'm Cash. This is Maverick. And that toaster? Totally normal. Don't ask."
Maverick gave me a side-eye that could cut glass. "I told him not to do that."
Cash winked. "Ignore him. He's grumpy until he gets coffee… and sometimes even after that."
I laughed nervously, trying not to trip over my own feet.
"I'm Cypriana," I said, setting down my suitcase. "Just moved in across the hall."
"YES!" Cash shouted, clapping his hands like I was a celebrity. "Perfect timing. We were just… testing the building's fire alarm. Totally normal."
"We are not testing the fire alarm," Maverick muttered under his breath.
I could already tell: living here would be like adopting two kittens… if the kittens were 6'2" and capable of setting fire to an entire apartment.
Before I could process that thought, Cash had zoomed past me with the toaster like it was a javelin, and Maverick muttering darkly about "insurance fraud" and "why do I even bother?"
I sighed, realizing two things:
My life was about to be way too interesting.
I should probably invest in a fire extinguisher… or at least a helmet.
A knock at my door made me jump.
"Delivery?" I muttered, expecting mail. Instead, I found a girl with neon pink hair, holding a stack of mail and a grin like she'd just hacked the Matrix.
"Hey! I'm Paige," she said. "Welcome to the building. You're gonna love it. Or survive it. Same thing."
Behind her, a girl with a meticulously neat ponytail peeked out. "Kate Marie," she said. "If you need… sanity… I'm your person."
I blinked. "Sanity? Already out the window."
Paige giggled. "Exactly. You're going to fit right in."
Just then, a loud crash echoed down the hall. I flinched, and Paige's eyes lit up like a cartoon character spotting fireworks.
"That's Cash," she said with a grin. "He does that a lot."
"And that's Maverick, his older brother and designated chaos control," Kate Marie added dryly.
Curiosity got the better of me. I peeked down the hall. Cash had somehow climbed onto a chair to reach the smoke detector while Maverick was balancing precariously on the couch, holding a broom like a sword.
"What are you doing?!" Maverick yelled.
"Testing the fire alarm!" Cash shouted back, grinning like this was a fun science experiment.
I nearly laughed aloud, but caught myself. First impressions matter, and somehow I doubted "laughing at their chaos" counted.
By the time I finally opened my apartment door, I was exhausted from watching my neighbors' "science experiment." And yet… I felt this weird, adrenaline-filled buzz. LA wasn't just a city—it was chaos incarnate. And somehow, I was in the middle of it.
I barely had time to unpack before Cash banged on my door again.
"Cypriana! Emergency meeting!"
"What…?"
"TikTok emergency! You're officially drafted!"
I blinked. "Drafted?"
"Yes. You're the newest member of the chaos squad. Step one: watch us try not to burn the hallway down."
Before I could protest, Cash had grabbed my hand and dragged me into the hallway.
"Meet Mychael," he said, pointing to a tall, chill-looking guy with a camera hanging around his neck.
"Hi," Mychael said calmly. "Cash said you moved in. Welcome to the building."
"Thanks," I muttered. "I… think I'm going to need a map."
"Or a helmet," Paige muttered from the side.
Mychael smirked. "Or both."
Cash immediately launched into an explanation:
"We need a viral TikTok. Something insane. Maybe dancing, maybe chaos, maybe—"
"Or a fire," Maverick muttered.
"Maybe everything," Cash said, grinning.
I blinked. "I… don't even know your family. Or… friends… or…"
"Doesn't matter," Cash said. "Step one: chaos. Step two: content. Step three: fame. Step four: profit!"
Maverick groaned. "Step five: apologize to the neighbors."
I almost laughed out loud. Almost.
Next thing I knew, Cash was teaching me a dance while Maverick was filming with Mychael, Paige was live-streaming, and Kate Marie was rolling her eyes so hard I thought she'd need an X-ray.
I stumbled. Tripped. Nearly kicked the toaster. Somehow survived. And yes… somehow, this was fun.
By the end of the day, I had:
Almost been hit by a rogue toaster.
Learned the difference between Cash's chaos and Maverick's controlled chaos.
Met Paige, Kate, and a growing number of people I wasn't ready to deal with.
Seen the start of my life as the "new girl who lives across from legends."
And somehow… I was already laughing.
Maybe, just maybe, this chaotic city — with its too-loud neighbors, viral videos, and smoke alarm disasters — could be home.