The devil's smile

Sharp eyes

The embrace of my bed feels warm and comforting. I sleep in peace, far from the world around me. Dreams have always been my escape of problems. There I could let my imagination wander freely more than ever. Floating is an unexplainable feeling and so is the feeling of having to face reality. Vibrations, I feel vibrations on my bed as I slowly wake up, my eyes fluttering open slightly. My body turns to its side, not paying too much attention to my surroundings. With a loud thud, my eyes dart open. I look down and see my phone on the floor moving.

"Ugh... what is it again?" I mumble to myself quietly, stretching out my pale body. I reach out for my phone, its screen illuminating my face, making the bags under my eyes more noticeable. I check who the message is from, groaning when I read who the sender is. June, my best friend.

"Get up, lazy, I'm outside your house."
I roll my eyes at the message and check the time. Its 5 am.

"this girl will be the death of me." I mutter to myself, sitting up slowly. If an early bird could be a person, it would be her. Since she lives right next door, each day before school she shows up to my place to get ready together. In some way, I have to thank her for keeping me organized. I slowly rise from my bed, the sleepiness not fully leaving my body. I make my way to the bathroom, turning on the shower and waiting for the water to become hot. As I step into the shower and the water cascades down my skin, I feel the knots and tension from my muscles begin to loosen.

I finish showering and walk out to my bedroom, wrapping a towel around my body. Slowly, I rise from my bed, soon making my way back to the bathroom, turning on the shower and waiting for the water to become hot. As I step into it and the warmth cascades down my skin, I feel the knots and tension from my muscles begin to loosen. The only thing I can do is think. Think about nothing and everything. My mind easily wanders, jumping from thoughts to thoughts.

Soon, I finish showering and walk out to my bedroom, wrapping a towel around my body. My wardrobe stares back at me, mocking me with its lack of fashion. I've always been interested in fashion but I've never had the money for it, clearly. After some contemplating, I settle for a plain black v neck and joggers. I dress quickly, brushing my teeth and taming my messy bed hair into a somewhat neat look. I slip on a hoodie and my black converse sneakers just to grab my phone and keys, heading out of my room. As I walk down the stairs, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the quiet house, my parents' door is still closed. They're probably still asleep.
I slowly open the front door and step outside, the cool early morning air hitting my face.

"Jesus... it's cold."
I shiver slightly, making June laugh her ass off.

"Oh come on, drama queen." She jokes as soon as she sees me, a playful smirk on her face. I just roll my eyes. "You're here too early, you could've let me sleep more." I say, locking the front door behind me before walking towards my best friend. The neighborhood around us is toned down, the world still asleep. she wraps her arms around my shoulders and chuckles*

"late ain't in my vocabulary, so you better get used to it"

"Oh, great." I say sarcastically, a small smile forming on my lips. I start walking down the porch steps, a slight shiver running down my spine as a chilled breeze brushes against my skin.

As we walk, I notice a hint of odd emotion in her expression. My eyes soften slightly. "June?..."

She turns her head to look at me. Her usual joyful expression replaced by a neutral one as her eyes study mine. "What is it, Ria?" She asks with a small smile, trying to mask the obvious.

"What's up? You're clearly affected by something."

June looks down, her playful and cheerful expression faltering for a split second. For a moment, she stops walking and lets out a deep sigh. "It's.... stupid." She mutters, her voice quieter than usual.