The Immortal Beast

Chapter 7

The sunlight streamed through my window, its soft warmth a stark contrast to the blaring sound of my iPhone alarm. I groaned, fighting the urge to throw my phone across the room. Who in their right mind would want to leave their bed when it's so warm and cozy? I finally rolled my eyes and gave in, tossing off the covers and swinging my legs out of bed.

Stumbling to my closet, I stared blankly at my clothes, unsure of what to wear. After a minute of groggy indecision, I finally settled on my favorite black ripped jeans, the ones embroidered with roses all the way down the legs. I grabbed a black lace tank top and threw on my trusty leather jacket over it. I capped the look off with my black heeled combat boots, feeling a little more like myself with every piece.

Checking the time on my phone, I realized I had just a few minutes left before I needed to head out the door. I hurried over to my vanity, put on a quick layer of makeup, and tossed my schoolwork into my backpack. Just as I reached the kitchen, I saw my mom sipping her coffee, her eyes flicking back and forth between her mug and the morning news on the TV.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?" she asked, turning her attention away from the news with a warm smile.

"Like a rock. How about you, Momma?" I replied, making a beeline for the coffee pot and pouring myself a cup.

She chuckled as I added ice to mine, turning it into iced coffee. "Sometimes I regret letting you start drinking coffee so young. Look at you now, already addicted."

I smirked, raising an eyebrow. "The pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?"

She let out a laugh. "Touché! You're right—I guess I can't complain when I drink coffee like it's going out of style. This habit of yours is all me."

"Exactly! But I only started drinking coffee like a year ago," I pointed out, taking a sip. "One cup a day hardly makes me an addict."

"Fine, fine. I'll admit defeat. We both have a coffee problem." She grinned, finishing her cup. "But we both need to get going before we're late. Have a good day, make good choices, and please—try to stay out of any more fights, alright?" She leaned over, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

I downed the rest of my coffee, rinsed the mug, and slung my bag over my shoulder, following her outside. She got into her car and waved as she drove off. I took a breath, bracing myself for the day, and started down the street toward Morgan's.

To my surprise, Morgan was waiting for me outside, practically bouncing with excitement.

"Look at you, Miss Thing! You're the perfect Roza!" she squealed, clasping her hands together like a proud mom.

"Oh, please," I laughed, rolling my eyes as she twirled in her own outfit, an eclectic mix of colors and layers that only she could pull off. "You're the real fashion icon here. And 'Roza'?" I added, raising an eyebrow.

"Roza! You know, from that vampire book series we both secretly read? The badass girl who takes no crap from anyone and still manages to look killer."

"Yeah, that sounds familiar." I grinned, nudging her playfully as we walked. "But let's get moving. I don't want Sam getting pissy about us taking forever."

Morgan launched into another rant about Roza from one of her countless book series, her excitement palpable. I'll admit, I've read a few of them too—mostly just so she'd have someone to gush to. Some of the books are decent, even enjoyable, but others? Let's just say they're so cringeworthy, I feel my organs curling up inside me with every over-the-top romance line.

We finally reached Sam's house, which was conveniently right across the street from the school. I sighed, glancing at the time. "Text her, Morgan," I said. "You know she never checks the clock."