18 - h.s

sixteen

Sophia Elliot

I pulled up outside my house and sighed, switching the engine off and throwing my head back against the headrest. 

Worst day ever.

I opened my eyes and grabbed my keys, phone and backpack, opening the door, stepping out and throwing my bag over my shoulder. I looked over to the window to see the light on in the living room and immediately knew my mom and dad were home. 

I sighed and closed my car door, my phone clutched in the same hand and I raised my eyebrows in shock at what I thought was Harry's name flash up on my screen. No, not possible. I don't even have his number, which I thought was weird considering he said to text him earlier, when it isn't even possible. I took a double take at my phone and of course it wasn't real, my mind was playing tricks on me. Again.

He's really beginning to live in my head rent free lately and I fucking hated it.

I sighed and locked my car on the driveway and walked over to my door to hear my dog barking from the other side, making me smile and finally forget about Harry for the first fucking time today, thank God. 

I pushed the door open as my legs and feet were attacked by my tiny dog who ran up to me and ambushed my feet, chewing at my laces on my boots and the hem of my jeans. I rolled my eyes and smiled, putting my phone in my back pocket and closing the front door, dropping my bag simultaneously with my other hand. 

I smiled and reached down to pick up Toby, giving my shoes and hem of my jeans a break from being chewed up as Toby's attention shifted to my face as I was covered in licks all over my face as his form of welcome home, which I incredibly appreciated after the day I've had. 

I shook my head as Harry began to creep into my thoughts again, but I really just wanted a night free from it for the rest of my day. 

I've reached my limit for Harry today.

I kept Toby in my arms as I walked into the kitchen to see my mom preparing something for dinner and my dad sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by papers and probably doing something for work. I sighed and placed Toby down on the floor as he ran outside, barking at something and I rolled my eyes and decided to sit on one of the counters on the other side of the room from my parents, flicking my eyes between them to see if they'd acknowledge me, Not being particularly surprised when they didn't. 

"Hey Mom." I smiled, hoping she'd look up at me and smile back, signifying that her silent treatment was over, but I was met with a cold stare back at me and she shifted her eyes back down to whatever she was doing, the room still silent apart from the odd shuffling of papers from my Dad, and shuffling around of my Mom as she cooked.

 I sighed and looked over to my dad who still shifted around papers on the table and also not paying attention. "Dad?" I asked, hopeful that he'd respond but he didn't even look up from the table nor did I even get a grunt in response like I sometimes would if I were lucky.

I jumped down from the counter and sighed, calling Toby over who ran back inside and followed my very closely, almost running to keep up with me from how small he was. I smiled as he struggled to get up the stairs, again because he was so small and I picked him up, carrying him all the way back up to the top of the stairs and into my room.

 I held him in my arms as he began to get quite comfortable as he nuzzled into me and was beginning to fall asleep as I held him tightly. I held my hand out, almost ready to slam the door in anger and frustration but i managed to keep myself from actually doing it because I knew it would make things worse for me. I huffed and just closed it gently, Toby still sleeping in my arms as I looked down and smiled warmly at the sight. He is the only good thing I like about living in this fucking house and the thing I look forward to coming home to.

I gently placed Toby in his bed, being extremely careful not to wake him and I just walked over and huffed, throwing myself onto my back and stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking of everything yet nothing. 

The soft snores emitting from Toby in the corner of the room dissipated into the rest of the room, it slowly being filled with the noise that I adored so much and creating a soft noise in the background.

I let out a shaky breath and pulled the pillow over my face again and let out a muffled groan, trying not to let it escalate into a scream which I so desperately wanted to let out. I felt a soft nuzzling feeling next to my arm as I pulled the pillow away and felt Toby begin to lick my salty face as some tears began to fall that with the help of the pillow I didn't even realise were falling. I smiled as I threw the pillow gently across my bed and turned to face Toby, who didn't let up from licking my tears away. I like to think that it's because he doesn't want me to feel like this but the rational part of my brain was telling me he was just licking my tears away to taste the salt which I found pretty weird but that's dogs for you, I guess.

I heard a notification from my phone and furrowed my eyebrows, moving away from Toby who tried to jump up to follow my face. I grabbed him and placed him in my lap to keep him close to me still and pulled my phone from my pocket, it then hitting me that I've been lying on it this whole time. I inspected it and it seemed fine as I let out a small breath of relief.

That relief didn't last long as my breath hitched as I looked at the text that flashed up on my screen.