Specks

Chapter One: Us Millennials

The cold wooden floor kisses the soles of my feet as I wrap my throw blanket around my body. I sit freezing and cursing myself for leaving the fan on all night.

This is what I can't stand about New Orleans' weather; it's so bipolar. A soft, tiny paw steps on my toe and I hear whimpering. Looking down, I see Rose wagging her tail as she pants in excitement.

"Hey," I coo as I remove my arm from the comfortable warmth of the blanket in order to lightly stroke her white and chestnut head.

My phone's alarm begins to ring causing for Rose to snap her head to the top of my nightstand. I shut my eyes and groan at the annoying sound tapping the screen in order to shut it off. Puffing out air, I stare down at Rose and see her wag her tail again. A smile stretches across my face as I gaze at the Cocker Spaniel. This pooch has helped me through those long nights of cuddling and constant crying. My phone chimes signaling a text.

Nicole: Morning. Thanks for declining my call. Pick me up for 7:30. Donuts and coffee are on me.

I slide into a pair of slippers and grudgingly proceed to my bathroom. Rose starts growling and I feel tugging on my blanket. Turning around, I see her chewing on it.

"Cut it out."

My attempt to gently snatch the blanket from her mouth failed. I go to pick her up, but she scurries under my bed dragging the blanket along with her. 

Walking out of the bathroom, I see Rose's head poking from under the bed. She stares at me with literal puppy eyes and I bend down calling her over to me. She keeps her head low as she climbs from under the bed. I give her head a quick peck and grab my backpack and car keys.

As I'm walking down the stairs, I slip on something but regain my balance by using the handrail. The culprit is a white sock with a black Nike logo.

"Michael!" I shout frustrated as this is the second time this has happened.

The door to the room next to mine swings open. He appears at the top of the stairs brushing his teeth as toothpaste begins to foam around his mouth. I ball up the sock and pitch it at him.

"Thanks sis," he says as toothpaste flies from his mouth. A drop lands on my forehead and cheek.

"No problem," I mutter while wiping the contamination from my face.

"Dad was called into work twenty minutes ago, so he's not here."

I shoot him a thumbs up and continue down the stairs and reach the front door. Texting Nicole that I'm on my way, I hop into my car and put the key in the ignition. As soon as I pull up to her house, she's standing on her front door step with a huge Chesire the Cat grin plastered on her face. She skips towards my car and I pop the trunk so that she can store her backpack there along with my stuff. Next thing I know, she's sliding into the passenger seat. Her overwhelming aroma leads to a shooting pain in my cranium.

"Nicole, did you bathe in perfume this morning?" I ask rubbing my temples. Too much perfume causes for me to have an instant headache, especially the cheap kind.

Completely ignoring my question, she says, "Why aren't you excited? It's the last day of senior year, Rocky! Your mood is starting to put me in one. A bad one. A sullen, gloomy, dreadful-"

"I get it, I get it." I start up the car again and pull off into the street.

"Maybe this coffee and donut will, I don't know, brighten your morning since seeing my gorgeous face didn't do the trick."

* * *

The screeching of chairs and shuffling of feet caused for my eyes to fly open. I slowly sit up and rub my neck. I blink a few times in order to rid my blurry vision.