𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚗

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Imogen Halstead (age 15)
Word Count: 1649

Imogen's POV

       I'm so incredibly bored. In fact, I'm that bored, I'm doing my homework the day I got it. This is the level of boredom I have reached. My dads at work, and my uncle is having a date night with Natalie so I can't go an pester him.

      At times like this, I really wish I wasn't an only child. But then again... my dad wouldn't give me all the attention if I had a sibling. Never mind...

       Sitting at the kitchen table, a sudden knock brings me out of thought, and I find myself walking over to the sound. My eyebrows now furrowed, I reach up onto my toes to see who it is. A man cladded in a blue jumpsuit stands behind the door, a toolbox in his left hand and a black cap sitting nicely on his head. Slowly opening the door, the crack merely a few inches, I look up at the man. He smiles, "hello?" I enquire.  He nods, "hi, I'm here to service the fire alarms" he beams brightly. I tilt my head slightly, "oh uh... usually firehouse 51 does that" I shrug.

       He nods, "they do indeed, but with the outbreak of wild fires this summer, they're not offering that service until fall. Hence the reason I'm here today" he adds, his smile never faltering. Looking over my shoulder, a weird feeling rushes over me, "uhm, have you got proof? Maybe like ID or something?" I turn to face him again. The man chuckles, "you're a smart girl, and of course I do. Here you go kid" he hands me over his official looking work badge. I stare at it for a few seconds before handing it back over, "okay... uh, I guess you know where they are?" I open the door a bit more to let the man inside.

       "Yes, thank you. This won't take long at all" he looks around, and I offer him a small smile. I watch as he walks away before he stands in the hallway and pulls out a small stool. After seeing him check one fire alarm, I sigh in content, knowing he's only here to do his job. Therefore, I return to my homework to try and get it finished before my dad gets home.

...

       "Alright miss, I'll be out of your hair now. Have yourself a nice evening" the man almost gives me a heart attack. At one point I almost forgot he was here due to him being so quiet. I stand up and follow him to the door, "you too, and thanks" I watch as he gets back into his truck. With a heavy sigh, I turn around and head back into the kitchen to make some food. It's been a long day...

...

        "Hey dad" I poke my head around the wall as my dad walks through the front door. He smiles, "hey kiddo" he walks over to give me a tight squeeze. It's past midnight, but it's not a school night, so my dad doesn't really mind. He smiles and kisses my cheek before joining me in the kitchen. He sighs heavily and runs a hand over his face as he grabs a slice of pizza from the fridge. My dad had me when he was young, his rules are basically none existent... other than always be kind and stay out of trouble.

        "Oh, uh... this guy checked our fire alarms earlier. Said that firehouse 51 was busy with wild fires so he did it instead" I shrug, sitting down at the table with my oodie over my legs. My dad almost chokes on his food and I can only frown in confusion, "he came in? You let him in?" He turns to face me fully as his face turns more than serious. I nod slowly, "yeah? He showed me his ID, it seemed legit. What- am I in trouble?" I slowly sit up straight. My dad ignores my question before he grabs his phone and immediately brings it up to his ear. Disappearing from sight, he leaves me in a pit of confusion.

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⏰ Last updated: Oct 02 ⏰

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