The morning sun poured into my tiny LA apartment, highlighting the fact that my suitcase was still mostly closed and my life was about to get… chaotic.
My phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand, nearly falling off as I reached for it.
"New girl alert. Meet the rest of the squad. ASAP."
It was Paige. Lovely. Apparently, surviving life in this building required instant social networking skills.
I threw on a hoodie, shoved my hair into a messy bun, and grabbed my backpack. Mental prep complete — or at least, as complete as it would ever be.
Downstairs in the lobby, Paige was already pacing like a neon tornado.
"Good! You came!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing on her sneakers. "Meet Harper and Cailee. Best friends, gossip queens, chaos enthusiasts. Basically, your unofficial welcome committee."
Before I could respond, the door swung open and in walked Harper Zilmer — perfectly put-together, clipboard and notebook in hand, scanning the room like she was judging the universe one person at a time.
"And this must be the new girl," she said, voice sharp but curious. "I'm Harper. You'll want to sit on my side of the chaos spectrum if you want to survive here."
I blinked. "Side… of chaos?"
Harper smirked. "Exactly. You're either a passive observer or an active instigator. Choose wisely."
Before I could choose, a whirlwind barreled into the lobby: Cailee Kennedy. Loud, energetic, practically vibrating with meme energy. She stopped abruptly, stared at me, and grinned.
"OMG. You're the new girl? I knew Paige was exaggerating, but wow… you're real!"
I blinked again. "Thanks… I think?"
Cailee spun dramatically. "We're gonna have so much fun. Or survive. Whatever. Same difference."
Paige clutched my arm. "See? Instant friends. Welcome to the chaos squad."
Harper rolled her eyes. "Instant chaos, maybe. Friends are negotiable."
The lobby suddenly erupted as Cash Baker appeared from nowhere, skateboard in hand, trying to multitask filming a TikTok while holding a half-eaten bagel.
"New recruit!" he shouted, spotting me. "Yes! You're here! This is perfect timing!"
Maverick followed, arms crossed, looking like he was trying to restrain both Cash and himself. "Perfect timing to regret moving in," he muttered.
Cash ignored him. "Cypriana! You're going to star in our first building-wide TikTok challenge!"
I froze. "Star? Uh… I'm not—"
"Doesn't matter!" Cash shouted. "Step one: chaos. Step two: content. Step three: fame. Step four: profit!"
Maverick groaned. "Step five: apologize to the neighbors before they file a restraining order."
I blinked, trying not to look terrified. Somehow, these people were my neighbors. And apparently, my new co-stars.
Paige, Harper, and Cailee quickly jumped in to explain the "building social order."
Paige, bouncing on her toes: "First rule: chaos is mandatory."Harper, notebook poised: "Second rule: know who flirts with whom. Always know. Information is power."Cailee, practically vibrating: "Third rule: memes! Memes are survival tools. Document EVERYTHING."
I felt like I had accidentally joined a secret club I didn't even audition for.
Then the chaos truly began.
Cash attempted a jump on the stairs with his skateboard, clearly underestimating both physics and common sense. Maverick dove to stop him, pulling the railing down in the process. Paige squealed, Harper frantically scribbled notes, and Cailee cheered like it was a sports event.
I hid behind the elevator doors, trying not to laugh. Somehow, they made destruction look like a sport.
"You're laughing!" Harper accused. "I take notes on reactions, and you're laughing!"
"I… I didn't—"
"Lying is survival 101," Harper said, smirking. "You'll learn."
Cailee clapped me on the back. "Don't worry! You're officially chaos-approved. Welcome to the team!"
Once we finally survived the hallway gymnastics, Paige dragged us to my apartment to properly "brief" me.
"Welcome package!" she announced, dumping a bag of snacks, glitter pens, and a notebook in my lap.
"Snacks?" I said.
"Snacks," Paige confirmed. "Essential for long-term survival."
"Glitter pens?"
"Chaos marking. Important."
I raised an eyebrow. "Chaos marking?"
"Exactly," Harper said. "You will need it for schematics, notes, and documenting pranks. Trust me, it's very important."
Cailee started unpacking her own emergency bag of props: fake mustaches, phone tripod, confetti bombs. "Never leave home without these."
At this point, I wasn't sure whether I had moved into an apartment or a teen production studio for disaster content, but either way… I was in.
Just as I was trying to breathe, Cash and Maverick banged on my door.
"Ready for round one?" Cash shouted.
I groaned. "Round one of what?"
"TikTok chaos!" Cash explained. "Maverick films, Paige and Cailee cheer, Harper keeps score, and you… survive."
I blinked. "I… survive?"
"Yes!" Cash said. "You'll do great. Probably. Maybe. Definitely."
Maverick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Or she'll regret every life choice that led her here."
And then we were off.
Cash attempted a "banana flip" in the hallway. Failed spectacularly. Banana stuck to the wall.
Maverick filmed, muttering under his breath about life choices.
Paige narrated the entire scene like it was a nature documentary.
Cailee threw confetti at random intervals.
Harper meticulously wrote down "chaos level: 9/10 — warning: unstable human present."
I… tried not to trip, and mostly failed.
By the end of the "TikTok training session," my hoodie smelled vaguely like toast, my hair had glitter in it, and I was officially part of the "Building Chaos Squad."
That night, I sat on my bed, exhausted but laughing. My new friends—Paige, Harper, and Cailee—were already texting memes of the day's chaos, and Cash and Maverick had somehow filmed a "behind-the-scenes" montage.
Somehow… this chaotic, loud, slightly terrifying building felt like it could be home.
And maybe, just maybe… surviving Cash and Maverick's antics could be fun.