Midnight Blues

𝐗𝐈𝐕. Like I Used To

𝕹𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖆𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖙𝖗𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝕴 𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖙𝖔...

          A week cruised by, the summer heat fading right along with the days. In just a month, the summer would be a thing of the past. Angel hoped that would be the only thing, but she also didn't want to get her hopes too high. What was done, had been done and all that was left to do was to move on.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you so much, Angel!" Alissa exclaimed through the mic of Angel's phone, an ear-to-ear grin heard through her words. The tired young woman squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing at her temples as her mother's loud voice projected into the room around her.

"Thank you, ma-"

"Ha-ppy Birthday to ya, Ha-ppy Birthday to ya, HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYYYYYY, Happyyy-'' Alissa sings into her phone cheerfully, hoping that Angel would soon get in the spirit.

"Ma... ma... MA!" Angel stops her mother from further damaging her ears on the most important day of her adult life, and the line goes silent. The Birthday Girl sighs at the thought that she just killed her mother's mood, and tries to patch up her possible mishap.

"Thank you, mom." She answers lowly, her sleep-ridden rasp displaying a little of how she felt this morning. She wasn't sad or upset per se, but her heart was a little sore at the moment.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I thought you would be in a better mood. It's your birthday, Annie. You're turning 21!" Angel couldn't help but smile at Alissa's encouragement, glancing to her open closet at the outfit she had set out for the day.

"Yeah, you're right. I'mma get up." Angel puts Alissa on speaker and sits up in bed, stretching her arms toward the ceiling of her room. Quickly, she gets out of bed and pulls her covers up neatly, before going into the bathroom to begin her morning routine.

"So what did you have planned for the day?" Eager to hear about what her young daughter wanted to do for her birthday, Alissa waited on the phone for her answer, only hearing the sound of the toilet flushing instead. Before Angel could properly answer her, her phone was beeping with the interception of another call.

"Hold on. Talia's calling."

"Oh, you can merge her!" As Angel absentmindedly answers Talia's call for her to join their conversation, she almost instantly regrets it.

"One time for the birthday bitchhh! Two times for the birthday bitchhhhh! Three times for the birthday bitchhhh! Fuck it up if it's ya birthday bitchhhh!" Angel covers her face in embarrassment, only for Alissa to scream 'ayeee' as the song continues to play and Talia turns it off hearing the familiar voice, that she is sure is not Angel's.

"Tali, my mom's on the phone." Angel stated, hearing Talia's sorry excuse for a whisper 'Oh shit' and then, she greeted her best friend's mom properly.

"Hey, Ms. Alissa." The older woman only laughs at the whole ordeal and asks the question that's begging at her lips.

"Well, what do you have planned, Annie?" Looking at herself in the mirror, Angel uses her freshly washed hands to floss her teeth between sentences and answers Alissa quickly.

"Uhh, maybe just a little shopping spree. Probably eat later." As she finishes up her flossing, Talia blows raspberries in the background, unimpressed by this underwhelming birthday itinerary.