Lovely: An original story by Charlie Harrington

Chapter 1

I looked at the clock on my dashboard and sighed. The road seemed like it stretched on for hours. I look over at my boyfriend, Jake. He's slumped over, his head on the window. Guess the four hour drive tuckered him out, too. I thought. I see the place up ahead. After a moment of driving, the road becomes a large garage. It was packed full of people. I nudge Jake until he wakes up.

"We're here, love." I say. He looks at me, and then sticks out his tongue. I elbow him in the arm. We both laugh. We had been dating for around ten months at the time, and had finally saved up enough money to afford a small apartment. Sure, it was four hours away from our families in Norwalk, Connecticut, but it was worth it. The apartment we were renting was small, but would suffice to our everyday needs.

"Okay, I'll get the boxes from the trunk, can you get our suitcases?" Jake asked as he opened the door of my 2018 Honda Civic. I nodded, and hopped out of the car. I open the door to the back, and pull out our suitcases.

"Oy, dumbass," I say, looking at my idiot boyfriend. "You can't carry four boxes at once, you're gonna drop them all. Gimmie." I reach out and snatch one of the boxes from him.

"I'm so lucky to have such a caring boyfriend," Jake says, exaggerating on the caring part.

"Keep up the attitude and you're not gonna have a boyfriend." I say with a menacing grin. Jake looks at me with a face of horror. We both burst out laughing. 

"Okay, enough jokes. I'm tired. Let's go inside and find our new apartment!" He says. We walk to the door, and check in with the receptionist. Hand in hand, we walk up the seven flights of stairs to reach our apartment. I open the door, and we see our new apartment.

"Oh my god, this place looks gr- like a dump." Jake says. I look around.

"For once in your pathetic life, you're right," I say, looking at him. "This is not what I was expecting." I stare at our "new" apartment. There's peeling wallpaper, a leak in the roof, and a random couch in the middle of the kitchen.

"Now that I think about it, I'd rather move back in with Ellis and Demi." Jake mumbles.

"You're not moving back in with your brother and sister, dummy. Well make it work, we always do." I say, trying to motivate him. We place down the boxes and suitcases, and make our way to the bedroom.

The bedroom was probably the nicest room of them all. The wallpaper was still pelling, but there was a clean mattress for the two of us to sleep on.

"I found the box with the pillows and comforter, Lane!" Jake calls from the kitchen/den.

"Okay, bring em' in here!" I yell from the bedroom. I look at the doorway as Jake enters, carrying two pillows, a comforter, and a bedspread.

"Your materials, good sir." He said in a British accent. I laugh as I take the sheet from his hands.

"Thank you, my love." I say, blowing him a kiss.

I plop down on the bar stool at the kitchen island. I don't know why, but I just hate making beds. It's always so awkward trying to get the covers on right. I shake my head from the thoughts about my recent struggle just as Jake walks into the room. He looks at me with a smile before walking over and sitting on my lap.

I clench my teeth as Jake smiles at me and runs his left hand up my back. He seductively kissed me before leaning in so his mouth was up to my ear.

"I think we should order Chinese Food." He says with a grin.

"I fucking hate you." I grumble as I pull my phone out of my pocket to dial the chinese place's number.