LOS ANGELES—Even after two months of being next door neighbors, local apartment tenants Paul Bryson and Ariel Higgins have only communicated via eye contact through Higgins’ window. “The first time I caught her eye, I was walking down the hall with some laundry. I looked through her window because windows are transparent, you know,” said Bryson, reminiscing about their eyes’ first encounter. “I didn’t think anyone would be there when I looked in,” he revealed, “but there she was, sitting on her couch looking back at me.”
Higgins recalled the initial event a bit differently, describing it as an “awkward mistake” in which she only looked up to see what was temporarily blocking the light from the window. However, this same mistake kept happening out of reflex. “One time I tried to purposely keep my head down when he walked by, but it’s like I am literally incapable of not looking up when something is outside of my window,” Higgins shared. “Honestly, I am pretty sure he waited outside the window until I eventually cracked and looked up,” she added. In Higgins’ words, “It wouldn’t be so weird if maybe he waved to me or did something that normal neighbors would do, but he just… stares.”
Bryson took her continued eye contact through the window as an invitation to maintain this behavior. “At this point, it seems rude to just walk by without looking inside. She would probably think something was wrong,” remarked Bryson. He continued, “But at the same time, we definitely don’t know each other at all, so it would be creepy for me to wave, or even smile, you know?”
At press time, Ariel Higgins was seen perusing the curtain section of the local Target.