Beyond the Sun

26

Annie's apartment sucked. She always hated it. It was small, it was poky, it was basically designed for a student, which she hadn't been for years. She was saving money for a new place, but admittedly she had been saving money for years. Both Rebecca and Robert had offered to help her with a deposit, even Simon had, yet Annie refused. She didn't want to be in debt to them for the sake of a better place to live.

Her apartment may have been her least favourite out of all her years of travelling from town to city, and around and about again, but it suited her well. There was only one of her, and she didn't have many possessions. Most of her possessions were still in storage back in Smallville, sadly boxed up in her former room, and in the garage space Robert rented out.

The kitchen and living room were basically in one, while a small corridor led off to one bedroom and a bathroom which she could basically stand in the middle of and touch each wall beside her. Seriously, this apartment was ridiculous. How it even got made was beyond her because structurally, sure it was safe, but as a living space it was simply ridiculous.

Sitting at the kitchen counter eating, unashamedly enough, left over Chinese, Annie looked at the email which had appeared within her work account. She sat with a fork full of noodles sitting in her cheeks like some sort of hamster, as she stared wide eyed at the message. Chewing and swallowing, she leaned closer and read the information present. It was basically saying how anyone could apply for the position which was on offer. An application form was attached to the email that had to be filled in and sent off within a week. Each applicant which was accepted would then go on further to have an interview with Doctor Hamilton himself. By the end of the month, one lucky person would get contacted and low and behold: they'd be his new research assistant or technician, or whatever the title of it was, Annie couldn't remember.

Reaching over she picked up the phone and dialled in the number she'd learned off by heart. After a few rings, it was picked up, "Hello?"

"Yeah hi, my name's Susanna Low, I'm calling on behalf of the plumbing problem which is occurring in your basement."

"Hello, Annie. How are you doing, honey?"

"Hi, mum, I'm good...just...I wanted your advice on something." Annie said while drumming her fingers quietly on her keyboard. When in doubt, motherly advice couldn't hurt. And really, Rebecca would likely back her no matter what she intended to do with her life, she had so far.

Rebecca went silent over the other end and Annie wasn't sure if she was still there. "You've met someone-" Rebecca's hesitant voice sounded troubled, well, it was a mix between troubled and possible excitement. It wasn't that she didn't support the whole 'waiting for Clark' thing Annie was going through, endlessly, but Rebecca did believe that Annie couldn't wait around forever. Her daughter was smart, bright, had the tendency to be a bit too much, but she meant well. Of course she'd say this, Annie was her child, but Rebecca believed she deserved someone who was actually there.

"Well, I meet a lot of people. But there's a slim chance I'm going to meet someone who could quite possibly change my life, and I wanted to know if it was worth it."

"Work...you're on about work." Of course she should've known this, Annie wouldn't be surprised if her mother didn't just hit herself childishly on the forehead.

"Well, duh. I ain't got time for that lovey dovey crap right now, mum." Annie said shortly while shooting a glare to the side. Picking up her glass she listened to her mother go on about how she should really settle down with someone, and that she shouldn't be so work focussed, though she was proud of her truth be told, Annie zoned out.

"Go on then, who and what is happening?" Rebecca asked after she'd had her little ramble. She couldn't help it, her daughter was now nearing the age of thirty-three, she'd be thirty-three in a month, she lived in a ridiculously small flat, focussed all her attention on work, had zero social life, was single and had been for years, and seemed to be in a constant state of what younger Annie would've called 'meh'.