Tinsley woke up with a groan, her whole body aching as if she had run a marathon in her sleep. That's how most of her nights left her feeling. It was a rare occasion for her to wake up and feel fully rested and energized. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light, and she turned her head to glance at the glowing numbers on her digital clock: 6:40 am.
She had woken up on her own. Her alarm clock wasn't set to go off for another five minutes. So she lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling of her still-dark bedroom, her mind replaying the events of the past three days on a maddening loop. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Reaching up, she felt the bump on her forehead. It had definitely shrunk, but it was still there, and she didn't need a mirror to confirm that it was likely still visible too. The bump throbbed, but less intensely than yesterday. The lightheadedness had finally subsided around midday yesterday, but a pounding headache persisted, appearing briefly, disappearing, and then resurfacing a few hours later.
When the alarm finally went off five minutes later, Tinsley was quick to turn it off. She swung herself out of bed, allowing the blankets to fall off her body. Her knees popped in protest as she took her first steps of the day. Trudging like a zombie into the kitchen of her mediocre two-bedroom apartment, she grabbed a Nature Valley granola bar and a banana and made herself comfortable on one of the three stools that sat at the kitchen counter overhang. This would have to do for her breakfast. She was too physically exhausted to cook, and she had to preserve whatever strength she had left in her body for her work shift.
Unfortunately, today was the day that she had to return to work, and she was not looking forward to it. But it's the only way she'd be able to pay her half of this month's rent. She didn't have any more paid time off, and she sure as hell couldn't afford to just not go in.
After scarfing down her food, Tinsley returned to her bedroom, peeling off her pajamas and tossing them into the ever-growing pile of dirty clothes in the corner. She was avoiding doing the laundry. It was one of her least favorite things to do.
Shuffling into her bathroom, Tinsley winced as she flicked the light switch on, the harsh fluorescent light illuminating her worn reflection. She looked as rough as she felt, that's for sure. Her skin was paler than usual, her veins more prominent. The dark circles under her eyes were getting worse as each day passed, she wasn't sure how much longer the concealer would be able to hide them. She was running out of concealer too.
With a resigned sigh, she dragged her eyes away from the mirror. She needed to shower and get dressed, not analyze the ways life was taking a toll on her body. She mindlessly cranked the shower on.
Thirty minutes and a burning hot shower later, Tinsley reluctantly got dressed in her work uniform, consisting of black pants and a black t-shirt with a collar that always made her neck itch. She took the public bus to work, she needed to save money in any way that she could, even if it meant enduring a little bit of discomfort. The bus stop was a block away from her workplace, so she used the walk to mentally prepare herself for a day of forcing a fake smile onto her face and engaging in social interactions.
Swinging the heavy glass door open, Tinsley entered the empty coffee shop, the bell chiming softly. They had only just opened 15 minutes ago, so she wasn't expecting customers just yet. Her manager and the owner of the coffee shop, Amanda, a small lean woman in her mid-thirties, smiled at her from behind the counter, "Hey Tinsley! Ready for work today?"
Tinsley responded with a grim smile as she walked behind the counter, slipping her work bag off her shoulder, "As ready as I'm going to get."
Amanda laughed, "I get it. Let's hope for a good day though."
Tinsley hummed and shot Amanda as warm a smile as she could muster, as she took her apron out of her bag, pulled it over her head, and then tied the strings behind her back with practiced ease. She clipped her silver name tag to her shirt, just above her right breast, and moved to her register. Her fingers tapped the screen, bringing it to life as she clocked in and tidied up the counter.
The bell over the door chimed, and Tinsley looked up, expecting to see the first customer of the day. Instead, what she saw was her best friend, Alana, strutting into the shop. Seeing Alana made her feel a bit more optimistic about her day, but she was a bit confused. Why was Alana here? She didn't recall seeing her scheduled for a shift today.
Alana's eyes locked onto Tinsley, spotting her standing behind the counter. The happy smile on Alana's face was short-lived as it transformed into a frown. Alana's eyes narrowed at Tinsley, assessing her. What was Alana looking for? Did she have something on her apron? She looked down at herself, and then back up, just in time to observe the exact moment Alana pinpointed what was different.
"Oh fuck." Tinsley mumbled under her breath, bracing herself as Alana opened her mouth and shrieked, "Tinsley?! What the hell happened to your head?"
Well. She'd been having this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something these past two days. Now she knew what she had forgotten to do.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Heyyyy guys here is another chapter!! Don't forget to vote and comment!
Love - A
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