complicated

chapter 1

"I'm home!" I called out as I stepped inside my apartment, kicking off my shoes and tearing off my waitress's apron in one swift motion. My arrival wasn't met with an exact response, just a sort of moan from the room at the end of the hall. 

I sighed. Not this again.

I shuffled to the room, my feet aching like they always did after an evening shift. The pain was intensified today, because I had to pick up a double. Even with all the extra shifts, we were cutting it really close on rent this month. Chelsea hadn't been going into work much lately, so I was the main source of income for now.

I stepped into the room and was greeted with the familiar sight of a huge lump in the middle of the bed, surrounded with multiple candy bar wrappers and empty packs of Oreos. I swept some of them off the covers and on to the growing pile of trash on the floor, then threw myself face down on to the lump. It groaned.

"Good evening sleepyhead!" I yelled, which was greeted by another sort-of moaning noise.

"Go away, Erin." Chelsea mumbled from under the blankets, shifting slightly.

"It speaks!" I gasped in mock surprise, rolling over and pulling the blankets off her head, then immediately regretting. Chelsea was a mess, as usual. My once put-together friend was now constantly unkempt. Her blonde hair stuck straight up in the back, and the eyeliner and mascara from her most recent shift at the diner, which happened to be 4 days ago, was smeared under her clear green eyes. Also, she smelled. Like really bad.

As soon as the light hit her she yelped, flinching back into the bed. After regaining her sight, she proceeded to smack me a couple times in the arm. 

"Sorry, sorry. I just figured it would be pretty unhealthy for you to not see the sun for an entire week in a row." I said, rolling my eyes. She raised her arm to smack me again, but decided against it and let her arm fall back to the bed.

"How was work?" she asked as I stretched my arms above my head, my spine seeming to click back into place.

"Not as awful as it usually is. There was only 3 drunks to put up with and they all left without too big of a hassle. Oh, and a huge family party came in and they adored me, so I got a 35% tip." I said, pulling my wad of tips from my back pocket and waving them around in her face. She cracked a fleeting smile, and I gave myself a mental pat on the back. Getting a smile from her was hard lately.

"What are you planning on doing with all that money?" she asked. I looked up at her slyly. 

"Weellll, most of it is going towards our rent, because you've only worked 3 shifts in the past 3 weeks." I looked at her pointedly, and she avoided my gaze. "However, I was thinking that maybe I could spare some and we could go out toni-"

"No. No way. I want to stay in tonight" Chelsea interrupted me. I sighed, so sick of this almost nightly routine.

"Come on, Chels. You can't lay in this bed for the rest of your life. It's almost been a month. I know you really loved him and probably will for a while, but the only way to get over Matt is to go out and hook up with another guy. Or multiple guys. Maybe at the same time." I tell her, smirking.

"That's what you do, Erin. I'm not slutty like you, I prefer actual relationships." I put one hand over my heart, pretending to be offended. I couldn't even argue, that is exactly what I do nearly every night I go out. That's where me and Chelsea were complete opposites. She likes the long term boyfriends, the ones who take her out on dates and meet her parents and buy her expensive presents every other week for one occasion or another. She was convinced Matt was the one. Just when she thought he might propose, he did the opposite and ended for a girl that was similar to me. She hasn't left her bed more than a handful of times since.

"Come on, Try my style for one night, and if it doesn't work for you then I won't ever ask you to leave your bed again." she looked up at me, considering. "You don't even have to actually hook up with a guy. Just get a few drinks in you and have some fun. And for god sakes, take a shower. You smell like shit."

She smiled one of her rare smiles again, a bit wider this time. "Fine, just one night."