Chapter 1
Behind my eyes, the morning rays shine through my eyelids. Knowing it's time to wake up, I grudgingly open my eyes to find the breeze blowing through the window. Moving the curtains slowly as if in a dance. I groan rolling over, closing my eyes not fully ready to wake up. The breeze sends a chill in the room causing me to bury my head even more into my pillow whilst pulling my covers over my head to keep me warm. The sound of the early risers won't let me sleep. I can hear their cars and shouting. That's what I get for living in Brooklyn, New York.
I am not a morning person. I hate waking up early. I only do it because I have to. I have chores to finish. And adulting to do. Adulting sucks. Why did I have to grow up and deal with the stresses and worries a lonely adult has to deal with? At least I have my co-workers. They are my only friends and I do spend some time with them outside of work. Mostly I love the solitude. The quietness that comes with living alone. I love reading in my library. I made it myself. Turning the extra room into my favorite room in the entire house.
Now, I have to actually get up. It's Sunday. Meaning I have to clean the house and go grocery shopping. First, I need caffeine. I slowly sit up and let the covers slide off of me. I rub my eyes trying to get rid of the sleepiness. Shivering, I wrap my arms around myself. It doesn't help I only sleep in a baggy ass shirt. Getting out on the right side I easily latch the window closed. Finally, the chill is settling to something bearable.
Walking to the beautifully painted dresser with pastel colors, I open the light pink drawer on the top right. Grabbing a pair of light blue and dark blue striped fuzzy socks. I sit on the corner of my bed and put them on. So much better now that I don't have freezing feet. Walking along the hardwood floors can be tedious in the mornings and at night too. Getting up from the corner of my bed, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. A girl with messy light brown hair and a tired looking face with dull pale green eyes staring back at me.
Great. I look like a zombie. Oh well. That's what I get for staying up late reading last night. I had to get to the end of it.
Not a coincidence, but my shirt matches my socks. Yay! A lot of my clothes are blue and it's a great color. Especially pastel blue. I love it! Making my way to the bedroom door, I grab the book I was reading last night. I see my computer underneath the book and decide to take both. Not knowing if I'm in a reading mood, a watching something mood, or a Wattpad mood. Making my way out of the room, I walk down the somewhat elegant spiral staircase and make my way into the kitchen.
Setting my book and computer down, I open the fridge to find eggs and the freezer to find frozen hashbrowns. I get two pans out and start heating them with a bit of olive oil. While those are heating, I boil some hot water in my light purple electric kettle. I crack the eggs in a little bowl and mix it up with some pieces of breakfast sausages, onions, and tomatoes. I add a bit of seasoning and pour it into the hot pan. The hashbrowns get added to the second pan. Once the food is almost fully cooked, the water is done. I grab my favorite mug of all time. Winnie the Pooh characters are all wrapping around all of the outside. Grabbing a black tea bag, I also grab the honey to add. I make sure the hashbrowns are seasoned and plate the scrambled eggs with them.
Once I reach the table I decide to watch some YouTube. The time is 9:00 am. Why did I have to wake up so early? Oh yeah. I got to get shit done today. Putting on some Kitchen Nightmares helps the mornings be not so boring. Once breakfast is finished, I leave the dishes in the sink so I can start getting ready for the day.
Back upstairs, in the bathroom, my face routine is important. Use toner and eye cream. Leaving it at that because I feel I'm not in the mood for makeup today. Too tired to deal with perfecting my eyeliner. In my room, I'm having a dilemma about what clothes I want to wear today. It's spring in April and that means the weather ranges from 40℃ to 60℃. I take out a pair of black tights from my periwinkle drawer, second to the top drawer on the left. From the closet, I pull out a high-waisted light purple-black plaid skirt, a black long-sleeved turtle neck, and a lilac cardigan. I put them all on and I love the look. Deciding on my black velvet-heeled boots completes the look I grab my black tote bag and pack the essentials I need for going out. Chargers, computer, books, wallet, and keys.
Walking out the front door, I lock it and turn around to find a stranger sitting on the bench across the street reading a book. He looks cute with wavy black hair, glasses——he's gone. He disappeared in the blink of an eye. How? The taxi cab passed me, but I don't understand what I just saw. He was there one second and gone the next. Maybe I am losing my mind. I need to be less of an insomniac. I shake my head trying not to question what just occurred. It was as if it was something out of a movie. A person is there one minute and the next they're gone.
My phone starts buzzing and I take it out of my jacket pocket. I see it's my friend Bella. "Hello?"
"Hello?! That's all you have to say to me? Did you forget what day it is?"
I sigh "Maybe. What's today?"
"Check the date" Bella comments.
I see it's the 13th. "Why did nobody say anything? You guys know how bad I am at keeping track of dates.
"Sorry, Riddle. Just get to my place as soon as you can ok?"
"I'll be there within thirty minutes, but you're taking me grocery shopping later." I hang up and start my trek over to my friend's place. I can't believe I forgot about today. A tradition we've been doing since I changed shifts in the Social House Cafe. A day every month we get together and catch up on each other's lives. I never had anything against working in the cafe but being on the early morning shift took a toll on me.
My insomnia was worse and I barely sleep as it is. The pills on my nightstand mostly work and I get maybe 3 to 6 hours a night. 6 is if I'm lucky. Working with Bella and Hadrian was what got me through a lot. Without them, I would have not made it through at all. Now I do the afternoon shift. It's so much better for me mentally. I get to sleep in later and have more time to do what I love. Reading and writing.
The walk to Bella's apartment is somewhat not exciting. The streets I've walked multiple times have stayed the same. Same Victorian-styled buildings. The same lone trees grow in the sidewalk cutouts. The same metal or wood benches. Sadly to get there faster and on time, I can't take a detour and stop at the cafe to get more caffeine inside me. To make it seem like it's not so boring I put my AirPods in and play my favorite playlist. It also helps and keeps me grounded and not let my mind wander too far into my imagination so that I don't lose focus on where I'm going.
The brown-bricked building comes into view. A simple design for an old building. I'm at the back of the building and don't feel like using the front entrance, so I use the fire escape stairs to go up to the third floor. I rarely use the front door and this is my favorite way of coming in. Trekking my way up I notice the window to Bella's is open. I easily climb inside set my bag on the coffee table and lay down on the sofa. It's a nice dark grey color. Easily matching Bella's color palette of darker and neutral colors.
Hadrian and Bella are already in the kitchen making coffee for themselves and a chai latte for me. I've always been quite good at sneaking around. Hadrian's wearing a black long-sleeved sweater with black jeans. Bella is wearing a dark green long-sleeved shirt with blue jeans. Quietly I walk up to them, grabbing the chai, I say "Thanks".
"AHHH!"
Laughing I begin to help them clean up. Bella got her latte spilled all over her shirt and the counter. Poor Hadrian spilled his plain black coffee onto the floor.
"Damn it, Mara! Jasmine will kill me when she finds out I ruined another one of my shirts" Bella lectures.
"Calm down Bells. I'll pay for the next one promise!" I say whilst laughing. Muttering to herself she mumbles about me getting payback as she opens her bedroom door.
Hadrian and I get the floor and counter all cleaned up. I even make both of them new coffees knowing how they are when their coffee is taken away from them. I happened to choose two of the most protective people I know when it comes to their caffeine.
These two have become my best friends. I never did well with making friends in school. My anxiety would get the best of me and I would barely speak to anyone. It didn't help that my mom barely spoke or paid attention to me. I had to work hard and get myself through high school. Once I graduated, I moved away from my hometown and never looked back. Fast forward three years later and here I am.
Bella comes back into the room with a light grey long-sleeved shirt on and looking less wet. "Here, I made you coffee," I say as a peace offering.
She says "Thanks" as she grabs the mug from my hand.
Hadrian's already sitting down on the couch on his phone. While moving to sit down, I take off my shoes and sit in the left corner of the couch near him. He grabs a pillow, puts it in my lap, and then lays his head on top of it. I thread my fingers through his hair while I drink my chai.
"Mmm always so freaking good here" I exclaim.
"You always like it here," Hadrian says quietly.
Bella's sitting in her chair. A dark pink loveseat with a little table next to it for drinks. She sits with her legs bent leaving room for the other side. No one else sits in that chair ever. We all know that's Bella's and Jasmine's seat. They always sit there either together or alone. A cute couple if you ask me. They make me want to have a relationship like theirs. Also, I want one like Hadrian, and William's. They're all just so adorable! Especially with how loving they are.
Bella asks "Are Chris and William not joining us today?"
"Chris has work to do. Maybe he'll come later. William should be here around 12. He just left our place."
"Ok, and Jazz should be arriving in a little bit. She's running late like always."