MALUM

Chapter 3

The loud sound of a phone alarm could be heard echoing through the old bedroom, accompanied by the buzzing sound of vibration against the wooden side table beside the bed. From under the thick grey, padded comforter that spread across the bed, a small, frail arm reached out blindly, grabbing the phone, effectively silencing it entirely. Throwing the blankets off her upper body, she begrudgingly sat upwards with tired eyes, seeing the dimly lit room around her. The two large old windows in her bedroom revealed a grimly lit morning beyond its glass panes. Dark, looming storm clouds filled the morning sky with an eerie darkness, almost as if they would start dumping pounds of snow on the city below at any given moment. Being a cold January morning, it was nothing surprising, especially for a state like Minnesota, known for its long and bitter winters. Rubbing her tired eyes, she looked at her phone to see her missed notifications. Nothing. The time listed above says "7:02 am". She had made plans that morning with her friend Delilah, hence the alarm, but already regretted the committed hangout for which she volunteered. She could have easily slept another four hours without a second thought.

Standing up, the gloomy cloud-ridden light pouring through the old, aged glass dimly bounced off the wooden floor and danced lazily around the room. Next to her bed was a fuzzy textured black rug that needed to be replaced. She had bought it years prior when she first moved in and was keen on keeping it as long as it served its purpose. Unlocking her bedroom door and leaving to the old dark hallway she found herself in the night prior, she walked to the bathroom to perform her daily morning routine. Once she had fully relieved her bladder, she began brushing her teeth as soft-styled music played on her phone. Playing something simple and quick, she played the first thing that came up on her music app on her phone. It was an older song but a timeless classic. A tune many had heard before, but nothing oversaturated. The tune was none other than the late but great Paula Anderson's "Wild With Me." A song that, in most circumstances, Ava would only sometimes listen to. But had a catchy tune to it.

"I've seen your smile.
I've seen your eyes.
I've seen your style.
Not like other guys.
I'm your lock, and you're my key,
so come on, baby, and get wild with me!"

The catchy song bounced off the old ceramic walls of the old bathroom as Ava turned on her shower to warm the water. The pipes in the building were so old that when she would first turn the water on, a faint smell of iron could be found fuming through the air. Ava not only couldn't stand the scent, but she almost thought that maybe she was sensitive to it. Others who lived there probably smelled the same smell when they turned their water on, but to her, it was the most vile smell in the world. Sure enough, as the water began to heat up and steam, she could smell that foul smell. It was almost making her want to vomit in the toilet next to her. Steam started rising as the water flowed from the shower head and into the drain, creating a pure symphony of noises as the drain and pipes swallowed the water. Getting into the shower, the pure ecstasy of the warmth alone was indescribably just how nice it felt. Especially how cold her apartment was. As old as the building was, it had baseboard heating in most rooms. It was old and basic but something welcomed for the cold Minnesota nights. The only problem was that the units were from the early seventies if they were older. It worked in the sense that warmth did indeed come from each unit as intended. The argument to be made, however, was just how much heat was being pumped out. Being a small but thicker-set girl, Ava always felt cold and uncomfortable. Especially living in a state like Minnesota. It wasn't her first choice, her first choice being California somewhere on a warm beach, but it was the option she had gone with, seeing as it was the first college that had offered her a scholarship and room and board. But that would all change for her two years after she had moved, effectively changing her life forever.

Getting out of the shower, she dried off, only to be met with the enemy she had faced last night. That time was completely unintentional. It was the mirror and her reflection. Her chestnut brown hair was wet and dark, hanging down as water droplets would form and drip by the hundreds. However, her outlook didn't change from the night prior. If anything, seeing herself naked and soaked made her feel even worse. Self-consciousness was a complete understatement, and she hated the girl who stared at her in the mirror. Any mirror, for that matter. As she stared, she could feel that utter disgust swell in her stomach and make its way up her throat. In her eyes, she looked fat. Plain. Boring. Nothing about herself seemed beautiful or even unique in the slightest. Even thinking about it, tears started to swell as she looked away and walked about the steam-filled bathroom, towel in hand. She returned to her bedroom; she tightly
wrapped the one towel around her hair and tightly twisted it enough to squeeze the remaining moisture into the towel. Drying her hair, putting the most essential makeup on, and deciding on an outfit for the day, she decided she was going more for comfort than anything else. She threw on a baggy Champion black hoodie with black leggings. Black, her favorite color, had been seventy percent of what she wore. If not more. Not only did she wear dark clothing, she had the apartment decor to match. Most of the rugs, towels, hand towels, hell, even the curtains, were all black. That is what she preferred. It was something that most of her friends all gave her shit for, especially with clothing choices or lack thereof. But it was a hill that Ava would die on. She wasn't exactly packed on emo, but any inch closer and should be. Ava tipped-toed that line for the longest time, almost making a game out of it. It was who she was as a person. As she got ready, she could hear a knock on the door. It was Delilah. She had been early yet again. This frustrated Ava a bit, seeing as Delilah always would show up early, but it wasn't anything detrimental. Walking out to the main area towards the main door, she unlocked all three ancient locks and opened the front door to see young Delilah with a shit-eating grin.