When Michelle moved in, she refused to follow one simple rule: bring your key. Instead, she pounded on my window at all hours, demanding to be let in. After countless sleepless nights, the other tenants and I came up with a plan to give her a taste of her own medicine.
I’ve always been a stickler for rules. Call me boring, but there’s something comforting about knowing where you stand. That’s why I loved living in our little apartment block on Maple Street.
A woman and her dog | Source: Midjourney
We had one golden rule: after 8 p.m., you always carry your key. Simple, right? Well, it was until Hurricane Michelle blew into our lives.
The day Michelle moved in, I should’ve known trouble was brewing. I was collecting my mail when she strutted up the path, wild red hair flying, and enormous sunglasses perched on her nose despite the cloudy day.
“Hey, new neighbors!” she called out, voice loud enough to wake the dead. “I’m Michelle! Who’s gonna help me with these boxes?”
A woman waving | Source: Midjourney
I exchanged glances with Matt from 2B. He shrugged, and we both headed out to lend a hand. As we lugged boxes up the stairs, Michelle chattered away.
“This place is so cute! It’s like, totally retro. I can’t wait to spice things up around here!” She winked at Matt, who nearly dropped a box labeled “PARTY SUPPLIES.”
“Yeah, well,” I puffed, struggling with what felt like a crate of bricks, “we like it quiet around here. Especially after 8.”
Michelle laughed, a sound like tinkling glass.
A laughing woman | Source: Midjourney
“Oh honey, the night’s just getting started at 8!” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You’ll see, I’ll breathe some life into this place.”
I should’ve taken that as the warning it was.
For the first week, things were okay. Sure, Michelle’s music was a bit loud, and yeah, she had a habit of clattering up and down the stairs at all hours. But it wasn’t until the second Friday night that the real trouble started.
A woman in her home | Source: Midjourney
It was just past midnight when the first thump-thump-thump echoed through my apartment. My dog, Biscuit, lifted his head with a whine. I tried to ignore it, burying my face in my pillow. But then came the buzzing. It was incessant, like an angry hornet.
Groaning, I stumbled to the intercom. “Hello?”
“Heeeeey!” Michelle’s voice, slightly slurred, crackled through the speaker. “It’s me! I forgot my key. Can you let me in?”
An intercom entry phone | Source: Pexels
I sighed, pressing the button to unlock the main door. My apartment was on the ground level so I opened my door to remind her about the key rule.
“Oh my god, you’re a lifesaver!” Michelle gushed, her breath reeking of tequila. “I was gonna be stuck out there all night!”
“Michelle,” I started, trying to keep my voice level, “remember the rule about always carrying your key after 8?”
She waved a hand dismissively. “Pffft, rules are made to be broken, right? Besides, you’re right here! It’s no problem for you to let me in.”
A laughing woman | Source: Midjourney
“Well, actually…”
But there was no point in saying anything more. Michelle had already clattered up the stairs and disappeared, leaving me standing in the foyer, fuming.
I wish I could say that was a one-time thing. But over the next few weeks, it became a nightly occurrence.
Sometimes she’d bang on windows, other times she’d ring every buzzer in the building until someone let her in.
A woman in front of a staircase | Source: Pexels
It didn’t matter if it was 10 p.m. or 3 a.m. — Michelle seemed to operate in her own time zone.
One particularly frustrating night, I was jolted awake by a rhythmic tapping on my bedroom window. Groaning, I glanced at my alarm clock: 2:37 a.m.
“Adrienne! Adrieeeeenne! Wake up, sleepyhead!”
That was the last straw for Biscuit, who ran over to the window and started yapping. I stumbled out of bed. Pulling back the curtain, I was met with Michelle’s grinning face, illuminated by the streetlight.
A woman at a window | Source: Pexels
“Michelle!” I hissed, sliding the window open. “What are you doing?”
She giggled, the sound grating on my already frayed nerves. “I forgot my key, Addy. Be a pal and buzz me in? I’ve been tapping at your window for ages already.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. “Michelle, this has got to stop. You can’t keep doing this. What if I hadn’t been home?”
She shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the whole situation. “Then I would’ve buzzed Matt. Or Tiffany. Someone’s always home, right?”
A woman talking to someone | Source: Midjourney
The whole building was at its wit’s end. One day, Tiffany from 3A cornered me in the laundry room, dark circles under her eyes.
“Adrienne, we’ve got to do something about Michelle. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep in weeks!”
I nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion myself. “I know, Tiff. I’ve tried talking to her, but she just laughs it off.”
A woman in a laundry room | Source: Pexels
Matt joined us, his usually neat hair a mess. “I called the landlord,” he said, voice low. “Guess what? Michelle’s his niece. He said, and I quote, ‘She’s just having a bit of fun. You all need to lighten up.’”
“Lighten up?” Tiffany hissed. “I’ll show him ‘lighten up’ when I fall asleep at work and get fired!”
That’s when Riley from 4C spoke up. I hadn’t even noticed her lurking by the dryers.
“You know,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eye, “if Michelle won’t listen to reason, maybe we need to speak her language.”
A woman in a laundry room | Source: Pexels
We all leaned in closer as Riley outlined her plan. It was petty, sure. Childish, even. But after weeks of sleepless nights and Michelle’s careless laughter ringing in our ears, it felt like sweet justice.
The next night, we put our plan into action.
Michelle stumbled home around 1 a.m., and as usual, she started banging on windows and buzzing apartments. Someone let her in, as usual, and I listened as she breezed upstairs.
We struck an hour later.
A woman glancing over her shoulder | Source: Midjourney
I went outside and kept buzzing her apartment for a full ten minutes. Eventually, her voice crackled over the speaker.
“Who is this, and what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Hey, Michelle! It’s me, Adrienne. I took Biscuit out and forgot my key. Be a pal and buzz me in?”
“Are you serious? It’s 1 a.m.!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, but I always do it for you, so what’s the problem?”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
I heard her mutter something, but she let me in. I quickly texted Tiffany and rushed upstairs for the next part. I arrived at Michelle’s floor just as a series of sharp knocks echoed down the hall.
“Michelle? Michelle? Are you home?” Tiffany called out as she knocked on the door.
“Tiff? What are you doing?” Michelle groaned.
“Oh, I just wanted to check if somebody had let you in. Good night!”
A woman knocking on a door | Source: Pexels
I leaned against the wall, stifling my giggles. But we weren’t done. Over the next few days, we kept up our campaign. If Michelle forgot her key, we made sure she couldn’t sleep. It was petty, yes, but it felt so good.
By day five, Michelle was a wreck. Her hair was a tangled mess, her designer clothes rumpled, and dark circles ringed her bloodshot eyes. As she trudged up the stairs, I almost felt bad. Almost.
A tired-looking woman | Source: Pexels
“Please,” she croaked, her voice hoarse from yelling, “can you guys stop this? I get it, okay? Just stop waking me up every night!”
Tiffany, who’d come out to watch the show, couldn’t resist a jab. “Oh, so you do understand how annoying it is. Funny, you didn’t seem to care when you were doing it to us.”
Michelle’s lower lip trembled, and for a moment, I thought she might cry. But then she squared her shoulders. “Fine. I’m sorry, alright? I’ll start bringing my key. Just… please let me sleep.”
A woman glancing to one side | Source: Pexels
We all exchanged glances. It wasn’t a grand apology, but it was something. Slowly, we nodded.
“Okay, Michelle,” I said, trying to keep the triumph out of my voice. “We’ll stop. But remember—”
“Yeah, yeah,” she grumbled, fishing in her purse. “Always carry my key after 8. I got it.”
The next evening, I tensed as I heard Michelle’s distinctive clatter on the stairs. But to my surprise, there was no banging, no buzzing. Just the soft click of a key in a lock.
Keys in a door | Source: Pexels
I couldn’t help but smile to myself. “Funny,” I murmured, settling back on my couch, “how peace always comes when everyone finally starts playing by the rules.”
Biscuit wagged his tail in agreement, and I scratched behind his ears. Our little apartment block was back to normal — or as normal as it could be with Hurricane Michelle living upstairs. But hey, at least now she had the key to fitting in.
How These 5 Female Stars Look in Unedited Close-up Photos as We All Age Differently
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is known for her radiant beauty and flawless skin in photo shoots and Instagram posts. With the help of skilled makeup artists and photographers, her skin appears perfectly smooth.
In these photos, her eyes are bright, and her features are sharply defined. All one can see is her glow and youthfulness, further emphasizing the artificiality of the edited image.
These highly edited photos often erase any signs of aging, leaving her looking perpetually youthful. For instance, the perfect lighting in Lopez’s picture enhances her appearance, further contributing to the illusion of agelessness.
In unedited close-ups, Jennifer Lopez’s skin shows a more natural texture. You can see the lines under her eyes and face, revealing the authentic signs of aging.
While she still looks stunning, fine lines and the natural sheen of her skin are visible, particularly under the eyes, which may exhibit signs of age-related tiredness.
Additionally, under poor lighting conditions, her complexion can appear uneven. This doesn’t diminish her beauty but rather highlights the normalcy of aging, even for a superstar.
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston has been a beauty icon since her “Friends” days. In her Instagram photos, her skin looks flawless, with any signs of aging, such as fine lines or blemishes, expertly edited out.
Her hair always looks perfectly styled, making her face shape appear flawless. Her makeup enhances her classic features without any flaws, highlighting her beauty in a polished and elegant manner.
Her hair always looks perfectly styled, making her face shape appear flawless. Her makeup enhances her classic features without any flaws, highlighting her beauty in a polished and elegant manner.
Some of Aniston’s pictures make it seem like she hasn’t aged a day since her “Friends” era. She has very beautiful eyes that continue to captivate, contributing to her timeless appeal.
When captured in unedited close-ups, Aniston’s natural beauty shines through, albeit with some visible signs of aging, such as pores and lines on her forehead.
Her skin texture is more pronounced, with fine lines around her lips and eyes becoming noticeable. These photos illustrate that, even with an excellent skincare routine, aging is unavoidable.
Unlike the edited pictures, her skin’s glow is more subdued, and the sparkle in her eyes, while still present, is not shining as brightly, hinting at the gentle passage of time.
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani is renowned for her ageless appearance on Instagram. Edited photos often show her with porcelain-like skin, vivid makeup, and strikingly bright features, giving an almost doll-like perfection.
Her signature red lips, perfectly contoured face, and immaculate hairstyle are hallmarks of her high-definition makeup and skilled photo editing.
These photos often maintain Stefani’s image of perpetual youth and chic elegance. Moreover, photoshoots have a way of making her eyes and skin glow with youthfulness.
In unedited photos, Stefani’s skin reveals more texture, and the signs of aging become evident. Fine lines and wrinkles around her eyes and mouth are visible.
The less-than-perfect lighting accentuates the natural imperfections, showing a stark contrast to her edited photos, and highlighting the reality of her aging skin.
Additionally, as much as her complexion shows the gentle signs of aging, her skin retains a luminous quality. This showcases a perfect blend seen in those getting older but with great skincare routines.
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton’s public image is synonymous with glamour. Her Instagram photos are meticulously edited to maintain her youthful appearance, with smooth skin.
Her vibrant makeup, and perfect hair, reinforce her status as a timeless icon. Parton’s signature blonde hair always looks perfectly styled, and her chiseled face is free of any imperfections.
In addition, her lips are full and vibrant with lipstick. Her eyes are made to look intriguing, and her nose and cheeks are flawlessly contoured. These edits and expert makeup techniques ensure she always appears stunning.
However, unedited close-ups of Parton reveal a more natural look, with visible wrinkles and skin texture that come with age around her eyes and on her cheeks.
Still, in certain areas, the makeup seems to have been applied with a heavy hand, creating a mask-like effect on her face and giving her a cakey finish.
Furthermore, Parton’s nose, once delicate, now bears subtle creases, while the surplus of makeup dims the radiance that once emanated naturally from her skin.
Demi Moore
Demi Moore is often seen in her Instagram photos with flawless, glowing skin, enhanced by makeup and editing that minimize any signs of aging.’
Her features are sharp, and her complexion appears almost otherworldly perfect. Her face is expertly contoured with makeup and is smooth with no signs of wrinkles.
Moore’s long black hair complements her appearance, adding to her overall allure. The glow of her skin is magnificent, creating an image of timeless beauty that captivates her audience.
In unedited photos, Demi Moore’s skin shows more natural characteristics, including wrinkles on the sides of her eyes when she smiles.
She also exhibits fine lines and a realistic skin texture on her face. The radiance seen in her edited pictures is less evident, revealing a paler complexion.
These unretouched images highlight the tightness and age in her skin, reminding us that even Hollywood stars are not immune to the passage of time, yet they continue to exude beauty and grace.
Aging is an inevitable journey that we all experience differently, and the unedited photos of celebrities like Lopez, Aniston, Stefani, Parton, and Moore serve as a powerful reminder of this truth.
This comparison between edited and unedited photos also emphasizes the importance of appreciating natural beauty and understanding that everyone, even the most glamorous stars, undergoes the aging process.
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