luck | harrison osterfield au

17. june

I never had problems with sleeping. Always been the one to fall asleep anywhere I got the chance to close my eyes even if it was only for a few seconds. Driving to the studio. I fell asleep. Waiting for our call before show. I fell asleep. Sitting at an award show. Well, I did not fall asleep during those yet I had moments where my reputation was at risk thanks to sleep. Maybe it was my messed up sleeping schedule. Maybe it was the fact that I only allowed myself to go to sleep when I could barely keep my eyes open anymore and maybe it was just simply my love for sleep. Anyway I always found a way to fall asleep.

On the other hand, when I had to face a difficult problem or a stressful situation the following day I was sleeping as if someone was poking me with a needle every few hours forcing me to wake up and check the time if I did not by any chance sleep in. This exact routine repeated each time I was in desperate need of sleep to conquer future day challenges and each time I woke up more exhausted than when I went to sleep and it was not different today.

I woke up with sore eyes and heavy eyelids. It was the third time this night. I reached for my phone hoping it would finally be time to get up. 4:35 am. One more hour of sleep to go. As I closed my eyes I heard my alarm go off beside me in an instant. I turned it off with a swift move wishing I could sleep for five more hours. It took me at least ten minutes to collect myself and a full on negotiation with my limbs to get them to navigate myself towards the bathroom. Afterwards, I tried to get myself to look more presentable. I failed horribly. No amount of products could make me look as if I slept peacefully throughout the whole night.

A car came to pick me up. I was already standing on the pavement before our house waiting for it to come. Veronica made me breakfast and put it in the lunchbox with Anna and Elsa from Frozen on it (I was not entirely sure where she got it from). It made me feel like a proper first grader waiting for the school bus to come. She made my favourite sandwich with her homemade fish spread in it. My stomach growled. As I was getting into the car I did not know if I was more hungry than sleepy or the other way around.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Harrison said in a low husky voice with an excitement which could not be found in his facial features. He looked tired and weary. I reckoned I did not look any better. I threw an annoyed look at him and mumbled 'Good morning' under my breath. There was something else in his voice and face as well that I could not decode and when he hugged me as a welcome it was not his usual warm and squeezy type of hug rather than just a quick side hug. We sat there in silence. Neither of us said a thing. I looked over at the blonde figure beside me. He was looking out of the window with his arms crossed. I traced his features with my eyes and could not help but stare at him for a little while longer that would be considered healthy. Separate expectations from feelings. I heard Dr. Tara's voice in my head. Easier said than done when I already had seen us on a date in my imagination. I forced myself to look away from him and closed my eyes for a brief second and the next thing I knew was that I did not open them.

"Kate," I felt somebody gently rubbing my shoulder, "we are here." Harrison's voice felt closer this time and when I woke up I found myself leaning against his shoulder. I quickly straighten up my pose. A rush of blood filled my head leaving me with a nauseous feeling. So I was more tired than I was hungry. My belly protested with a cacophony of a series of inhuman sounds.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" His eyes were set on me with a calm smile on his face.

"You looked too cute to be woken up." I shook my head in disbelief but could not help and smile at the same time. We both got out of the car and made our way towards the gigantic building. "And these pictures sure were worth the cramped feeling in my shoulder." He showed me his phone screen with a picture of me. I had my mouth opened wide with a double chin forming right underneath it. I stared at it in awe before I could form any reaction that would not consist of creams.