Roommates

Author's Note - Not an Update

Hey, lovelies!

I'll probably delete this when I have another update, but for now I have an overwhelming feeling that I need to share this. Something. Whatever this is.

I am not sure what I want to say here, so bear with me while I pour my heart and soul out onto this page. Just know, I've been sobbing tears of joy behind the scenes lately. I've been so blessed!

I am so grateful for all of your support and all of your kind comments and uplifting messages. You are all such dedicated friends to encourage my work and I am very, very grateful for all of you!

This story came to mind almost 10 years ago, when I was around 15 years old. I was exploring grief, my sexuality, my mental health, and trying to find my way in this difficult world. I built these characters from pieces of myself and I will never not see myself in Evangeline, Aurora, and Trey. Other characters come from influential people in my life (for better or worse) and these storylines all stem from my own life. This story means everything to me.

That being said, I want to thank each and every one of you. Your unwavering support for my writing is support for my own growth and healing. I've been through hell and back, according to my therapist, and since putting this story out there, I have made leaps and bounds in terms of accepting what has happened to me and finding out what I can do about it as I grow older and wiser. Since my first post, I have developed so much as a person and I have changed for the better.

Writing is a cathartic act for me. When I write these characters, I am giving them qualities that I dream to possess and as I write their stories, I find myself wondering what I could have done differently or what I should begin doing to kickstart a better future. This story has skyrocketed my mental wellness. Seeing these characters rise from the ashes proves to me that even on my worst days, I can become something.

I don't have an update for today, at least not yet, but I just have to say that I am forever, infinitely grateful for your time and support. Your votes and comments push me to continue creating content and your kind words rewrite harmful narratives I've been exposed to in my life.

Every day, I wake up and I write. I write until my fingers are cramping and I am seeing double from staring at a screen. It is my escape to a better world that I can create and control. Writing is so much more than a hobby to me, and your love and support only makes me enjoy this process more. Your encouragement keeps Roommates going. Without the overwhelming kindness I have been shown, drafts of this story would never have come to light. I never would have shared this piece of myself with the world.

I am so grateful that I have and I am so thankful for all of you!

Thank you!

With all my love,

Chey

.

Bonus!

For those of you who have stuck with me this far, here is a draft that I wrote back in February that didn't make the cut but deserves some love and recognition.

.

Admiring the locket secured against Evangeline's chest, Aurora took in the gold heart with an infinity loop carved out of it. She had never noticed Evangeline wearing jewelry before. Aurora's gaze lingered on the locket, wondering about the significance it held and the stories it might contain.

"Your necklace is beautiful," Aurora said, setting down her fork to signal that she was done eating. She couldn't imagine taking another bite.

Evangeline cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. She snickered to reflect the question. "You're looking at my boobs aren't you?"

"What— no!"

"You are!" Evangeline laughed. She rolled her head back, grateful for the attention— she'd worn this floral top on purpose. When she returned upright, she bit her lip and shrugged. "You can look. I don't bite."

Aurora burned, hiding her face behind her hands. "I was not."

Looking down at her own cleavage, Evangeline shimmied. She was impressed by her own figure. "If it makes you feel any better. I was looking at yours."

"What?"

"I'm kidding." Evangeline rolled her eyes. Savouring the mental image of Aurora's chest in her black dress, she sighed. "Mostly."

"Your necklace," Aurora reminded firmly, clearing the blush from her cheeks. "Where did you get it?"

Evangeline was less prepared for a deeper discussion than titties, but she cleared her voice anyway and tried her best to explain. It took a few attempts to start the flow of words, biting back another snarky remark. "My mom gave me her locket the day she died. She quite literally handed it to me at the dinner table, and then... she was... gone. It's one piece of her that I couldn't part with."

"I've never noticed it before."

"Trey got me a new chain for it." Evangeline felt the metal between her fingers, trying to find peace with the time she went without having her mother's locket close. "Chloe broke the original one during a fight a few months ago. I have had it on my nightstand ever since, but I much rather keep it with me. Call it childish, or whatever, but every girl needs her mother."

"I have a pair of earrings my mom gave me that I keep to remember her by," Aurora offered. "I guess part of me doesn't want to accept that she is a callous woman."

Evangeline huffed, trying to find humor in their shared grief. "Mothers can be like that." She lowered her head. "My mom was a great person, she was just... sick. My parents were sick and there was nothing that I could do to change their choices. I just have to keep them close to my heart even though they're gone."

Aurora nodded patiently, listening intently. She wanted to know more about the locket but sensed Evangeline's hesitation. After the day they had endured, Aurora thought it best to let the notion go. She didn't want to overwhelm Evangeline.

"Well, it is beautiful."

"Thank you," Evangeline said. She eyed Aurora's chest, searching for a necklace that didn't exist.

Aurora caught her leering eyes. She tossed a pea from her plate at Evangeline. "Quit it!"

"You're blessed! What do you want from me?" Crying out was doing her no favours. "I'm just a girl!"

.

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into my drafts!