Unconditionally (Currently Rewritting)

Chapter 16

The cold wind stirred, lifting a few desolate leavesbin the process, making them dance wildly in a miniature tornado. I felt the pin prick of goosebumps rising on my arms as I looked at the place I was to call home.

It was a regular urban home. There was no front yard; just pavement. It looked dirty and run down. The apartment complex in front of me was every bit as unappealing as the neighbourhood's reputation was known to be. I was surprised. I'd always imagined Danny to be the type of person to live on the outskirts of Sydney. I'd imagined him to live in a huge white house with grass as green as the greenest meadow. I'd imagined his parents to have a double garage with a Mercedes Benz parked in one and an Aston Martin parked in the other.

I could not have been anymore wrong.

Danny was just a regular guy living in a working class environment.

Rubbing my arms, I shrugged my shoulder, adjusting the duffle bag to a better position, and headed toward Danny who was holding the door open, waiting patiently for me.

Warmth enveloped me as soon as I stepped inside the complex. Giving me a reassuring smile, Danny led the way up two flights of stairs. The hallway we came out onto looked dark. The was a light at the end of the hall, but it was flickering, reminding me of a scary movie. The walls were grey and had cracks all throughout them.

As we walked further down the eerie hallway I heard creaks in the filthy floor underneath my feet. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I hurried to catch up to Danny. I didn't fancy falling to my death at the age of eighteen. I still had a life to live!

"You alright, Gabs?" Danny asked, oblivious to the creepy hallway.

I nodded my head quickly, trying to reassure him I wasn't terrified for my life. He didn't seem to notice my eyes were as wide as saucers or the fact that I kept jumping at every sound I heard.

He opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. He didn't even bother to wait for me; just walked straight in and down the lemon hallway. I followed, closing the door on my way through.

His apartment was nothing like the building. It was warm and inviting. The walls were a lemon yellow with tiny patterns swirling around in a paler yellow. The floor was a beautifully fluffy umber carpet, which made my feet itch to feel it under their soles. And as I moved closer to the sound of voices I saw their loungeroom.

Basic. Cheap. Secondhand. Cluttered.

But strangely it felt like a home.

"Hey, mum," Danny started as soon as he saw me. He was currently perching on the edge of their worn out three seater sofa, his mother next to him watching TV. "My friend from work has no where to stay so I said she could stay with us."

His mother didn't even look away from the TV. She just sat there, unmoving. I wasn't even sure she'd heard Danny speak.

I could only see the back of her greyed head of hair but I knew her eyes were glued intently on the TV screen.

Danny waved me over. I cautiously moved closer, clutching my duffle bag for support due to my beating heart. I was scared out of my wits - what if his mother wouldn't let me stay?!

"Uh, hi," I said nervously when I was standing in front of his mother.

She slowly moved her brown eyes from the TV and I was taken aback by how angry they were. His mother didn't seem like a nasty person by nature. She seemed more... fragile with her greyed hair that was tied into a tight chignon and her scabbed face. It wasn't actual scabs, more like scars taking over her round face.

"First of all don't stand in front of the TV." I looked behind me and saw I was in fact standing in the direct line of the television so I moved out of the way quickly, nearly falling over a random box of knick knacks on the way.