Time

Chapter 1

*Beep* The sound of an angry alarm blasted through my ears - like it had two times earlier this same morning. I could hear my mum rushing around downstairs while shouting for me to stand up for school; "Emily, I've told you three times already... GET UP!" Her weak exclaims could be faintly heard over the persistent beeping. "Ugh.." I groaned while trying to force my tired eyes to open. I rolled out of my comfortable bed and slid on my fluffy grey slippers as I began to walk to the bathroom. While rubbing my eyes, I blindly reached for my toothbrush and paste and started to brush my glistening pearly white teeth. As I finally finished scrubbing my eyes, I abruptly opened them wide: getting hurt by my slow adaptation to the bright lights that flooded my bathroom. Its glimmering heavenly presence gave the room a euphoric ambience; the enclosed space felt almost like an oasis. With each blink I took, the bright flares pierced my retinas - waking me up fully.

I spat the foamy toothpaste into the sink and looked down at the drain as the water washed it away. Cupping my hands, I splashed water on my face and turned off the archaic faucet, wincing at its high-pitched scream. "Emily, I said get up!" My mother's voice called out, repeating the same irksome statement she did every morning. "I'm already up!" I responded, leaving the bathroom and heading downstairs.

As I descended the soft and plush carpeted steps, my eyes finally landed on my mum. Her hair was a tangled mess of dirty blonde, flowing down her back in waves, almost grazing the rim of her blue work scrubs. I could tell from the look on her face that she was disappointed in me again. "Why aren't you dressed yet?" she asked in a cast-down tone while turning around to face me. I stood there, still in my black top and plaid pyjama bottoms, trying to come up with an excuse that would satisfy her, however, I knew that there probably wasn't a good enough one and that I had already used all the excuses I could think of. "Well..." I trailed off, searching for the right words. "Well? The only thing you have to say for yourself right now - is well?" she sighed, her voice filled with exasperation. "Just...go upstairs and get dressed, your breakfast will be on the table for when you're done." She said, her tone final and authoritative.

I led myself back up the steps and into my room.

To the left was my proud walk-in closet, showing off all of its contents to anyone who walked by. I rummaged through my clothes, trying to find something suitable for school. Should I wear my black ripped jeans? No, not feeling it. A plaid skirt? Not in the mood for that either. Ah, the only option left after my picky criticism was a pair of black leggings that could be matched with a baggy blue hoodie. I got changed quickly and rushed downstairs for a second time, licking my lips in anticipation of my long-awaited breakfast.

As I stepped into the kitchen, a tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air, the steam rising from the mug was a clear indication that the coffee was still piping hot. I couldn't resist the temptation and poured myself a cup, taking in the rich fragrance of the roasted beans that sat on a plate shared with sausage, egg, bacon and bread. As I sat down at the table, I mindlessly flipped through my phone, scrolling through social media.

*Ding* A notification appeared across the top of my phone, snapping me out of my TepTok scanning trance. I thoughtlessly pressed the white bubble out of reflex: letting it lead me to WhatsUp (a messaging software).

Mum - 7:34 AM

"Did you like your breakfast? Sorry, I had to leave without saying goodbye. I was called into work."

You - 7:35 AM

"Yeah, it's nice. And no worries about you having to leave, I know work has been hectic lately."