Inescapable Game of Tag

Not Ready

Sophie

I hate mornings. I hate evenings. I hate nights. Really, I just was never pleased, was I?

It had been three days, and I still hadn't filled up my apartment. Not that I had anything, but some sort of bed or mattress would have been nice. Hell, even a pillow or blanket. Staying lying down on the carpeted floor for about three days, it wasn't a nice experience.

Even on the inside, the stench of rain penetrated my senses. Disgusted, I sat up, wiping at my face, my hair falling over it in stringy heaps.

The very little food I had wasn't even set up yet, either. Just crumbled up in one box. Let's see, I got some cereal. Bottled water. Ramen. Crackers. More ramen. Guess I'm having milkless cereal.

Sitting atop of my counter, I dug into the box, cursing at every piece of cereal that spilled. People were beginning to wake up. The dumpster truck, the birds. Maybe even that couple next door.

Before leaving for my morning walk, I made sure to lock all the doors and windows. There wasn't much space in that crummy apartment for me to get moving, I've always hated being in one spot. Still, I hated being outside. Back when I lived with my parents, we got a treadmill to keep me occupied without being in the dangers of the openness. In my dorm, there was one in the gym. Now, there's nothing. Crummy, crummy.

It took an hour for me to find my way back to the complex. I turned back around as soon as it became clear that too many people were walking up. I was unlocking my door when the one at the end of the open hall opened as well.

I tried going into my apartment before they saw me, but it was too late. Quinton spotted me as soon as he turned the corner, trash bag in hand. My shoulders tensed.

"Oh, nice seeing you again, Sophia!" I ignored the name. "What were you doing out this early?"

Only slightly, I turned towards him. "Just a morning walk." I glanced at the trash bag. "Well, you missed the garbage truck."

His jaw falls a bit. "Did I?"

"Yeah, left about an hour ago."

With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his forehead. "And I was telling Tamia that I didn't have to throw it last night, that I'd make it in the morning. That old guy is gonna give me the dirty eye again." Finally, he turned, "Wish me luck."

I offered a small wave, "Good luck." And waited. As soon as he took steps down the stairs, I turned around and hastily unlocked the door. When I stepped in the desolate living room, I tightly closed the door, locking it. With an uneasy breath, I took a peek out the window. He was gone.

Going back to the kitchen, I noticed the home phone lighting up with new messages. I know there was a call from my parents last night, but I hadn't bothered to answer or hear the message. These two were new.

The first one, Mom, "It's really annoying, how you avoid answering. Listen, Sophie, your Aunt Edna is really persistent that you have dinner with us this month. You keep skipping and it annoys, or, well, worries us. Just call if you need anything."

The second one, Lauren, "Hey, Sophie, sweetie. Have you got everything settled in your new place? George and I were wondering; you never really caught up to tell us. Again, just remember that we're more than happy to come over and help you move your stuff in if you're not done yet. Talk to you - Oh, yeah, visitations were canceled. Well, I'm sure they'd message you, too. Still. They say he's fine, just some sessions... Anyway, we'd like to help out and catch up, so call us back. Take care."

The third one, the behavioral hospital, "Hello, Sophie Clark. Just letting you know that visitations for Blake Pedersen are to be canceled for today. He's taking many assessments this week, and we're trying to fill them in today. We think he's ready for the high maintenance now. We'll let you know if they'll be canceled tomorrow as well. Thank you for your understanding."