Irreplaceable.

Chapter 1.

I woke up groaning and clutching my stomach from the pain.

I hate cramps.

Absolutely hate them.

Stupid periods thinking they can appear out of no wear and cause women pain.

I sluggishly lift the heavy duvet off my body and sit up too fast feeling dizzy and discombobulated for a few short seconds and then return to normal. I groan when I walk down the hallway for breakfast to find my dad making croissants with ham and cheese. 

"Morning dad." I grumble and take a seat at the bench. I hide my face in my hands and groan once again. I hear my dad chuckle to himself.

"I see you're happy and alive this morning Zara." I lift my head slightly so my eyes peep over my hands and playfully glare at him.

"You better make the best croissants." I try to be intimidating but with my hair looking like a birds nest and eye make up smeared over my face, I don't look like a threat. Dad just grins mischievously and continues his work in silence. My dad and I have always gotten along. Always bantering with each other and watching football matches in our jerseys in front of the television with mindless yelling at the players. The relationship I have with my mother is slightly different. We enjoy each others company more when neither of us are talking. It's a comfortable relationship though. I'm more of the sort that's kept to themselves. Ever since I was a child, I would play with my dolls alone but then would refuse to go on a swing set without a friend. 

I guess my looks have taken after my dad as well. We both have black hair, mine going to my shoulders, his more like buzz cut which mum and I both pick on him for. We are both tall and have a small chin, dad having stubble on his.

The only thing we can relate me to mum is our eyes. They are a hazely brown that have little flecks in them. 

I had zoned out of reality for a few short moments as my father woke me from my trance, placing a delicious smelling ham and cheese croissant in front of me.

"Thank you!" I say shoving the food in my mouth. Eating some of his food, he tells me that mum had already left for work. Dad works from home most days doing accounting or what not. Mum works for some business company that I don't really know about. 

"I've got to do some shopping at the grocery store." I call walking past my dad's study after getting changed. I hear his voice call through the door saying something about picking up cheese. I grab my purse and keys and pat the back pocket of my jeans to double check my phone is there. On the way to Sainsbury's, my favourite song Fluorescent Adolescent by The Arctic Monkeys plays on the radio so I turn it up full blast.

I pull up into a parking lot and quickly dash into the store, getting the same cheese we usually get and two cartons of milk. I suddenly get a monthly craving for celery and peanut butter. I walk past the fresh fruit isle picking up a few sticks of celery. Reminding myself that I need a few more sanitary items, I head directly to the health care sections a pick my prefered brands of tampons and pads. I get a sort of embarrassment when buying these things. Even at the age of 19, I still beg my mother to get them for me. Taking the items to the self serve check out, avoiding any human contact, I pay for my shopping and place them in a bag. Shoving my receipt into my purse, I make my way to my car. Not paying attention at all to my surrounding but keeping my eyes locked on my shoes, of course I bump into something. I look up to see that I've crashed into an elderly lady. 

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. Are you alright?!" I give a quickly look over the woman to make sure I haven't hurt her. Instead of getting the forgiveness I had hoped, she sends me a glare and huffs leaving me feeling a guilty. I hear a chuckle behind me but choose to ignore it. Looking down, I see my bag has split open and everything has fallen onto the floor. I groan inwardly and trek back to get another bag to put my groceries in. When I arrive at the mess I have made again, I find a boy picking up my items and do a little jog over there. 

"I-um, t-thank you." I take the pad from his hands, not making eye contact with him. I force the items in the bag, leaving one milk carton out and power walk back to my car. 

"No problem!" the boy calls out to me. "See you at the pool on Tuesday…Well maybe not this week" 

My head whips around to find the unfamiliar boy smiling back at me.