amsterdam ( central cee )

4

My tea's piping hot. My robe is tightly bound around my body and my fluffy slippers are tickling my toes. I haven't felt this happy all week. With the blunt stuck between my lips, I open the door to the balcony, and somehow I'm smiling.  The rain had stopped when the sun began rising, leaving the sun to reflect on the thick dew droplets on the balcony railing. This is my favorite time of day.

It's cold when the air hits me but I don't mind.

I sit down on the wonky chair and cross my legs. I spark up the blunt and moan when the first drag hits. I fall into a stare, watching as the streets of Shepherds Bush woke up. I'm halfway through a blunt when the balcony beside me rumbles, I try not to look but the person standing on it taps on the railing for my attention.

"Hey Hannah," Alexia smiles cheekily, her eyelids still vibrantly gold from what I assume was her night out.

I force a smile. "Yo."

"Enjoyin' all the fun without me aren't, ya?" She nods toward the blunt.

I shrug.

"I'll be in front of your door in two seconds, hold on."

She disappears into her house and I sigh, wondering what I'm getting myself into. Two minutes later my doorbell rings. I sigh and walk back into the house to open the front door. She smiles when I do so, tightening the robe around her waist. Her leggings peek out from beneath and sink into fluffy bunny slippers.

"Looks like you had a fun night." I smile and she does the same after rudely letting herself in.

"Tell me about it." We walk through the living room for the balcony where she drags a chair to sit beside me, the metal scraping against the cement and that scratches an annoying part of my brain.

"Ooh girl you live nice," She says rudely taking a look at my messy apartment.

"Thanks," I spark up the blunt again and take a deep breath. After the first puff, I blow the smoke and hand her the blunt. She laughs and takes a deep breath.

"Where do you work at?"

I raise a brow, confused by her question. "I work at a bakery and a pub for night shifts."

"Really? And you can afford this apartment. Damn girl, I needed to know about that bakery back in the day."

She takes another drag but I don't mind. I could already feel myself float and my eyes get heavy.

I laugh breathlessly and that laugh soon stumbles in a short giggle-fit. "It ain't the bakery lemme tell you that. Those bitches pay me 11pounds an hour there's no way I could pay that..."

Alexia looks up with drowsy eyes. She begins to grin. "So what is?"

"Huh?"

"Paying this apartment? 'S it feet pics? Sugar daddy? Only fans?"

If I wouldn't be high of my fucking brains right now I'd get offended, but I'm in the clouds. We both giggle and I shake my head. My giggle is fake though. I hate it when people make baseless claims.

"Why you laughing?" She looks a bit serious now. "Most of the girls here do."

I shake my head.

"Just rich parents," I say, leaning back on the uncomfortable garden chairs.

It's quiet while Alexia finishes the blunt. London begins to brighten up, the sun rising and the cars racing.

"A rich kid, you say," Alexia talks like she barely believes me. "I wish I had one of those..."