This Is How I Won a Prank War My Neighbor and I Had Going for the past Year
It started off innocently enough. Selene parked her car in the wrong parking spot, fueling a prank war with Paul, the real owner of the parking spot. As the months went by, the pair continued their prank war, but Selen started to wonder about the future of these seemingly innocent practical jokes. She took matters into her own hands and asked Paul out for dinner, under the guise of someone else. Will it be the ultimate prank or something more?
It all began with a parking mishap. It was just one innocent mistake that spiraled into a year-long prank war with my neighbor, Paul.
An apartment building parking lot | Source: Unsplash
One evening, I accidentally parked in Paul’s parking spot in our apartment building’s lot. It was late, I was exhausted, and I just wanted to crawl into bed.
I didn’t think much of it until the next morning when I was on my way to the office. There, on my car, on an empty takeaway cup, a note was scrawled in messy handwriting.
A woman sleeping in bed | Source: Pexels
Thanks for ruining my day.
“Oh, crap,” I said to myself when I sat in the car. I needed to make amends.
A woman sitting in a car | Source: Pexels
The following morning, I left a warm cup of coffee on Paul’s car roof with a note that read:
Sorry for the mix-up. I hope this makes up for it.
A person holding a cup of coffee | Source: Pexels
If you’re wondering, Paul and I didn’t know each other. We just lived in the same apartment block and knew everyone’s names and door numbers.
A few days later, I found a bill from a car-washing service under my windshield wiper. It seemed that Paul didn’t notice the coffee that I left and spilled it all over his car when he drove off.
A car in a car wash | Source: Pexels
I refused to pay the bill, and thus, the little war began.
“I think that you and this mysterious Paul are either going to fall in love or end up despising each other,” my friend Daphne said at work.
A smiling woman holding a folder | Source: Pexels
“Probably the latter,” I said. “It was all fine until he gave me a bill.”
“Selene,” she said knowingly, “I’m telling you, this is just the beginning.”
The next day, I left my work phone number on his car.
Call me regarding the payment.
A piece of paper on a car | Source: Midjourney
Paul called me later that evening.
“Really? You thought that leaving coffee on the roof of a car was a good idea?” he asked, going straight into it.
“How was I supposed to know that you’d drive off without looking? Besides, it was a peace offering!”
A man using a phone | Source: Unsplash
“More like a disaster,” he said. “It was all over my window. Pay the car wash bill, please.”
“I’m not paying for it,” I said, hanging up.
After that, the pranks escalated quickly.
Spilled coffee in the air | Source: Pexels
“I told you,” Daphne said when she came home with me one evening. “It’s going to get more intense. You need to listen to me. Trust me on this, you and this guy are going to get under each other’s skin.”
“I don’t know about that, Daph,” I said, dishing out the curry we had bought for dinner.
Bowls of curry and rice | Source: Unsplash
“But you’re having fun?” she asked, tearing into a piece of bread.
“I am!” I said. “Mainly because it’s nothing serious.”
Flatbread on a board | Source: Pexels
One day, I found my car doors wrapped in plastic wrap.
The next week, I retaliated by covering Paul’s car in sticky notes, each one asking him to fix his parking.
A person tearing through plastic wrap | Source: Pexels
“If it rains tonight,” Paul said, immediately calling me after seeing the sticky notes, “you’ll have a mushy mess of paper to clean up.”
“I think you’ll figure it out for yourself,” I said, hiding behind my curtain.
A car covered in sticky notes | Source: Midjourney
I had to admit, I was attracted to him. I didn’t know if Paul knew who I was, but it was easier for me to watch him from my apartment. I had gotten used to watching him wash his car.
It turned out that it was comforting. There was a sense of intimacy that we had built up.
A person hiding behind blinds | Source: Unsplash
After months of back-and-forth pranks, ranging from balloons tied onto car handles and window wipers, to fake parking tickets, I decided that it was time to end the war.
“But you need a grand finale,” Daphne said as we sat in our office, trying to work through month-end reports.
A woman using a laptop | Source: Pexels
“Like what?” I asked, typing away at my keyboard.
“You’re into him, right?” she asked, sipping her coffee.
“I think so,” I said. “But I don’t know much about him.”
A woman drinking coffee | Source: Pexels
“Then get to know him,” my friend pressed on. “There’s something there; if not, this would have ended a long time ago.”
“Fine,” I said. “But you write the note. He knows my handwriting now.”
We intended to write a note from a secret admirer.
A person writing a note | Source: Pexels
“She can just be someone from your apartment,” Daphne said. “And it’s not like you and Paul have even interacted in person, Selene. To be honest, I don’t know how you’ve managed to stay anonymous for so long.”
“It’s the thrill of it,” I said.
A smiling woman | Source: Unsplash
Early the next morning, I left the note that Daphne had written on Paul’s car.
Hey, I saw you leaving your car and couldn’t help but notice how handsome you are. Let’s have dinner?
I added my personal number that he wouldn’t recognize at the bottom.
A folded piece of paper | Source: Midjourney
To my surprise, Paul called me later that morning.
“Selene, you’ll never guess what happened!” he said excitedly. “Some woman left me a note on my car.”
“Really?” I asked, feigning surprise. “What did it say?”
A woman on the phone | Source: Pexels
“She said that I was handsome and she wanted to have dinner. She left her number, too. So, I’m going to text her and go.”
Paul took the bait and texted me. We set up a date, and I, still pretending to be someone else, agreed to meet him at a local restaurant.
A table at a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
I was already seated, suddenly nervous. We had been at this for so long; what if everything blew up in my face?
What if I was living in a romantic comedy and Paul actually couldn’t stand me?
Almost ready to leave, Paul walked into the restaurant.
A man in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Hey, you’re here! You look familiar,” he said. “But I suppose I have seen you around the building.”
He spoke quickly, as though he was just as nervous.
“I’m sure that’s exactly it,” I said, smiling.
A smiling man | Source: Pexels
“Your voice reminds me of my neighbor, Selene. I’m sure you’ve seen us pranking each other recently,” he chuckled, his eyes glazing over as if lost in a memory.
“What’s that been like?” I asked.
A smiling woman at a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Well, Daphne,” he said, as I had introduced myself over text, “it’s been hilarious. It’s been the best few months of my life.”
“It sounds like she’s grown on you,” I said, smiling.
“She’s feisty, all right,” he said, ordering himself a whiskey.
A man holding a glass of whiskey | Source: Pexels
The rest of the evening went by smoothly, but the more Paul spoke, the more I found myself genuinely enjoying his company. He was charming, funny, and surprisingly sweet.
By the time our meals arrived, I couldn’t keep the truth from him any longer.
Plates of food at a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Paul,” I said, picking up my cocktail, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What’s that?” he asked, looking me in the eye.
“I haven’t been very honest about this date,” I said slowly. “I’m Selene.”
A cocktail on a table | Source: Pexels
Paul’s jaw dropped.
“Wait, really?” he asked. “Why did you want to meet like this?”
“I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “Call it insecurity? Daphne is my best friend; I asked her to write the note, and I used her name. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have deceived you.”
A shocked man | Source: Pexels
“No, no,” he said, a large smile forming on his face. “I’ve never had this much fun with anyone. I’m glad we got to meet. Finally.”
The rest of the evening went much smoother, knowing that we had something in common. It was something to bond over. And more than that, there was chemistry between us. It wasn’t just me.
“I’m glad we did this,” Paul said as we went our separate ways in the parking lot. “It needed to happen.”
An empty parking lot | Source: Pexels
“And now, we’re here,” I said, taking his hand, suddenly feeling brave.
I don’t know where our relationship will go or what it will become, but I do know that I’ve taken the first step toward something.
What would you have done?
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
MILLIONAIRE’S CRUEL JOKE ABOUT POOR MOM GOES VIRAL—UNTIL PILOT STEPS IN
A rich man was unhappy when a mother with three kids was seated next to him in business class. Louis Newman, the millionaire, complained loudly and criticized the stewardess for letting her sit there.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the stewardess said calmly, showing him the tickets. “These seats are assigned to Mrs. Debbie Brown and her children, and we can’t change them. Please cooperate with us.”
Despite the stewardess’s explanation, Louis continued to grumble about the situation. But things took an unexpected turn when the pilot made a special announcement as they were about to land. The announcement highlighted Mrs. Brown’s story and praised her for her strength and dedication. After hearing this, Louis’s complaints vanished, and he had a new perspective on the situation.
Louis Newman, a wealthy businessman, was upset when a mother with three kids was seated next to him in business class. He complained loudly that the children would make too much noise and ruin his important meeting with foreign investors.
The stewardess explained that Mrs. Debbie Brown and her children had paid for those seats and had the right to be there. Debbie offered to move if other passengers would swap seats, but the stewardess insisted that she stay where she was.
Louis was annoyed and thought it was unfair that he had to sit next to someone he felt didn’t belong in business class. He put in his AirPods to avoid talking to Debbie and turned away as she helped her children buckle into their seats.
Once the flight took off, Debbie’s children were excited and began happily chatting about their first business class experience. “Mom! Look, we’re finally flying!” her daughter Stacey exclaimed with joy.
Some passengers on the plane smiled at Stacey’s excitement, but Louis Newman looked displeased. He asked Debbie if she could make her children be quiet because he was joining an important meeting from the flight and didn’t want any disruptions.
Debbie asked her children to stay quiet, and Louis’s meeting continued for most of the flight. During his call, Debbie noticed he frequently mentioned fabrics and had a handbook with designs, which made her realize he was a businessman in the clothing industry.
After his meeting, Debbie approached Louis and asked, “Can I ask you something?”
Louis, feeling pleased with how his meeting went, agreed. “Sure, go ahead.”
“I saw your handbook with fabric samples. Do you work in the clothing industry?”
“Yes,” Louis replied. “I own a clothing company in New York. We just closed a big deal with a top designing company.”
Debbie shared that she ran a small boutique in Texas, which had been started by her in-laws in New York and had recently expanded. She complimented his designs, but Louis responded with sarcasm. “Thanks, but our designs are way beyond what a local boutique offers. We work with top designers and just secured a million-dollar deal. A boutique like yours wouldn’t understand.”
Debbie felt embarrassed but tried to stay calm. “I understand. It must be very important to you.”
Louis, still smirking, said, “You’re here in business class, but you don’t seem like you belong here. Maybe next time you should fly economy and stick to people who run boutiques like you.”
Debbie’s patience was running out. “Sir, I know it’s my first time flying business class and I had some trouble with the check-in, but don’t you think you’re being a bit rude? My husband is on this flight with us, and…”
Before Debbie could finish speaking, the intercom announced their arrival at JFK. But Captain Tyler Brown had more to say.
“I want to thank all the passengers, especially my wife, Debbie Brown. Debbie, your support means the world to me,” the pilot began. Louis’s face turned red with embarrassment as he realized Debbie’s husband was the pilot.
“This is my first time flying a business class flight, and I was nervous. Thanks to my wife, who reassured me and joined me on this flight despite her own fear of flying. Today is my first day back at work after a long period of unemployment. We’ve faced many challenges, but Debbie has always stayed strong. Today is also the anniversary of when we first met, which I think she may have forgotten. So, I want to propose to her again. DEBBIE, I LOVE YOU!”
Tyler left the pilot’s cabin, got down on one knee, and proposed to Debbie with a ring. “Will you spend the rest of your life with me again, Mrs. Debbie Brown?”
The passengers watched in awe as Debbie, teary-eyed, said yes. The plane erupted in applause. Louis, meanwhile, stood stunned and embarrassed.
Before leaving the plane, Debbie approached Louis and said, “A person like you, who only cares about money, would never understand the value of having a loving family. My husband and I live simply, but we are very proud of it!”
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