Never Bend

Chapter 10 : A new ME

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New day,
New beginning.
I can do it!
You can too.
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In the kitchen, I opened all the doors and drawers. I smiled as I finally found the essentials for a beautiful morning.

Happily, I brewed my coffee and watched the pot fill, smelling the intoxicating aroma.

A movement behind me caught my eye and made me take a deep breath, knowing that a battle was about to begin. Gathering my courage, I exhaled.

"Hum, good morning, Tom. Um... Did you sleep well? I mean, not too tired from your party last night?" I tried, but the words got stuck in my head for a second. How could I establish communication?

"Yeah, all good. How about you and your night of isolation?" He said, walking past me, already grabbing cups from a cupboard.

I crossed my arms, his grin freezing my body. Everything was already wrong from what I had imagined. I took the cups from the counter and went to the coffee machine.

"Fantastic! I. Well. I made a list of things I want to go over with you." I exhaled, feeling my lungs cry out for release. "Here's your coffee," I added, pushing the steaming cup forward. "Do you want something sweet?" I added in a sweet voice, hoping to make things easier.

He didn't answer and looked at me purposefully. Our eyes locked, and I realized that my free hand was involuntarily reaching for a free strand of hair on my head. I let it go, aware of the nervous tic I had given away.

"Right. So, since this place is now also my place, I have to feel at home here." Opening the drawers, I couldn't find the spoons.

He remained quiet, suspicion slightly covered his eyebrows. They arched, his chin contracted for a second, then he closed his eyes concealing his emotions.
"Open the drawer next to the refrigerator,"

I nodded.
"I am well aware we started our relationship weirdly. But we need to get along. Let's make rules. Let's make this bearable for both of us." With the spoon in my hand, I looked for the sweetener.

He moved, getting close to me as I played dumbly with my hands and handed the sugar.

Never let your enemy know how scared you are, bullies strive for that. A memory of a past encounter in the girl's bathroom flash in my mind. I wasn't popular at school and I saddly got unwanted attention due to my asthma attack. Involuntarily, my mind recalled those sad days.

"Since you spend so much of your time in the library, why don't you do my homework to keep you busy?" Sana's eyes were dead serious and for the first time, I held her gaze. "Like you said, it's my time and not yours," I turned away from her stoned look. That day, I held my head high facing my bully and the fact that my brother was quite popular helped, too.

Today was no different. This was my life, and I wasn't gonna let him dictate my life. Tom rolled his right shoulder, pressing his fingers around his aching muscles while going back to his seat.

"what you ask is a waste of time. We go to college, we buy food there and we go to the restaurant for supper. There is no need at all. I even have a cleaning team. I settled everything, then why bother?" He snorted.

I lifted my hands in the air.

"Hell no. I can't live like this. All pampered." Words kept disappearing in my head disaprouving what I just said.  "Normal people don't get served." I see myself taking care of my family, all my actions were made out of love and this life he was offering was just not what I needed. "I need to take care of my needs." Then it hit me, I always took care of others, but who did that for me?