SCYTHE

7.𝑴𝒚 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔

When my boss came and saw that the bar was almost empty, he decided to close it sooner because it would save electricity. And I was more than happy to get out of that shit hole.

Madeline suddenly looked in a better mood, and as we walked to her apartment, which is very close to my bar, we started to talk about random stuff.

Maybe making a friend wasn't so difficult after all.

We entered her apartment and crashed down onto her dark red leather couch, which I deeply envied.

I still had to get my clothes and necessities, but that could wait until tomorrow. I called my grandma, and she was in shock when I said I was staying over at my friend's house.

She knows I have no friends. Well, now I have one. It's too early to call it a friendship, but I just can't help but feel overjoyed.

"I'll go make us something to eat, and meanwhile, you can jump into the shower. Down the hall to the left." She informed me and headed to the kitchen.

In a few minutes, I could hear the kettle slowly reaching the boiling point. Then I smelled the sweet, fruity scent in the air as the boiling water was poured into a cup with a fruit tea bag.

I shook off my trance, hurried down the hall, and turned left. I stripped off my sweaty shirt and long black skirt and hopped into the shower.

Then I realized that I had no towel or other clothes for me to change into. I stopped the shower and yelled, "Uhm, could you tell me where some spare towels are?"

I heard no answer, just her footsteps getting closer until she opened the door. I covered my breasts with my hands, even though she couldn't see anything. It was a reflex.

"Here are my clothes, which you can borrow, and a towel," Madeline said quietly, leaving the bathroom immediately.

Even though it was my first time coming into her apartment, I didn't feel uncomfortable, but sometimes I get an uncertain feeling from her. When her mood changes suddenly, so does mine. I'm impacted by the vibe that she gives off, and I have no idea if that's a good thing or not.

I dried myself and put on a large-sized gray T-shirt with white shorts. I walked into the living room and saw her sitting on the couch, eating meat pasta. On the round black table next to a cup of tea was my portion of the meal.

She stopped eating as she looked at me. "Sorry, I don't sleep in sweatpants. I hope you feel comfortable in shorts. It's quite hot here, so you shouldn't be cold." A faint smirk appeared on her lips but quickly went away.

I shook my head with a half smile and took a seat next to her, cross-legged. I took the plate full of tasty-looking pasta and dove in with a fork. I was immediately amazed by the delicious aroma that wafted up from the plate, and as I scooped up a forkful of pasta, my tongue was met with a pleasant and creamy texture. She wasn't kidding when she said I'd love her food.

I glanced at her, and her face was full of worry. Madeline wasn't feeling as comfortable as she did back in the bar. I noticed her mood changing more often. I mean, I know little about her, and there's a lot to discover if she will let me.

As she said, she is in the same shoes as me. We're both clueless about how female friendships work, and it's okay to make mistakes and feel slightly off, right?

"Thank you again for inviting me. I appreciate your gesture. But if you feel uncomfortable because we don't know each other so well, I could leave right now." I asserted when there was complete silence, and I placed the empty plate on the table.

She looked up to meet my eyes, and I noticed how her features softened. She giggled as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

A loud exhale escaped her lips. "I apologize for acting so weird. I don't feel uncomfortable one bit. It's just that I feel so alone in this apartment, and I invited you here for my own misery too. I feel guilty, if I'm honest with you." She confessed.