Its a..

The morning

Essena's POV

I'm doing alright most of the time. In fact, yesterday, I was doing real well. Today, maybe not. The glare of sunrise through the crimson colored blinds agitated my eyesight. Squinting my eyes together from the overwhelming, scorching, sunlight, I propped myself up. My hands sunk deep into lavender sheets, soaking up the comfort of their silky material. 

I was still processing what happened. I went from being groped in Jake's car to waking up in Max's apartment. In his bed. His very comfortable bed. I rolled myself out of bed, and fell right back down from the spinning in my head. Flashbacks played through my head, contrasting the first night I spent with Max, to the night I spent stretching alone here across the entity of his sheets. I threw my head back down on the pillow. 

This whole ordeal was completely out of character for me. I was definitely not a party, bar-hopping girl. Especially not the drinking type, with the gastric sensitivities I have. More flashbacks began playing in my head. This morning, ugh. Why did I need to knock down Max's alarm clock? All he wanted to do was run away from me. The moment I opened my eyes he was out the door. 

Sighing, I shut my eyes tight hoping to wake up to an awful dream. Just inhale, exhale, I told myself. I opened my eyes back up and was still staring at the cream walls of Max's apartment. Sighing, I propped myself slowly out of his bed. I searched for a clock, and to my dismay, remembered I ruined it. Grabbing my bag from the floor, I pulled out my cellphone.

I got a text from my parents. More specifically, my mom. 

Essena. Got a text you weren't at school today? Did you forget to wake up? Not happy, call me.

I'd need to answer that quickly and carefully.. I scrolled through to see another text. This time it was from my best friend from San Francisco, Jessica. 

I covered for you last night, but you never told me about this morning. Thankfully, I know you. I don't know where you are, but I wanna know what's going on. I'm worried. x

I let out a sigh of relief. Not knowing how late i'd be out, I told my parents I'd be visiting my best friend back in San Francisco, now that I had my car back. I was so happy she agreed to cover for me last night, and this morning. I don't know what would have happened otherwise.

First, I proceeded to answer my mom. Yeah mom we were up watching Netflix all night, I couldn't manage to wake up. Sorry, it won't happen again.

Then, I picked up my phone and wasted no time to dial Jessica's number. 

"Oh god, there you are" I heard Jessica whisper through the other line

"Why are you whispering? I thought you start school late on Wednesdays.."

"Oh, I'm in study hall. Hold on-" Jessica explained, with an underlying tone hinting that she couldn't talk. Moments of silence later, she changed her tone to a regular one.

"So what's up? Where the hell were you?" Jessica inquired.

"Well, that's the thing. I need you to come get me, I'll explain everything when I see you," 

Jessica chuckled and asked me about my whereabouts.

"Funny story actually. My teacher's apartment." I exclaimed.

"YOUR WHAT?!" Jessica screamed through the other end.

I couldn't help but snicker, which seemed to make her breathing speed up to an irritated pace.

"I'm coming right now. You have a lot of explaining to do." She curtly told me and hung up. 

I had at least an hour until she would be here. I got up and looked around Max's apartment a bit. Unlike me, he already managed to unpack his boxes. The only sign I saw of them were a few empty boxes stacked against the kitchen counter. It was a cute, little, place, I thought to myself while brushing my feet against his grey carpet. I propped myself down on the main attraction of his living room - a big, brown, couch. Looking across the room, I saw a television on a chest of drawers. Adjacent to the chest stood shelves of picture frames.

 I looked up and saw pictures of Max. Pictures of his college graduate degree in English Literature, a picture with an older man (maybe his grandfather I presume), with some friends at a bar, and a family picture. He looked like a spitting image of his mother, I thought to myself. I brushed my hand against the frames, and shelves, and drawers. Everything was so clean and impeccable. I couldn't place my finger on a speck of dust. 

I inhaled in a deep breath, and smelled a fresh smell of cinnamon. Diverting my eyes to the corner, I saw a Cinnamon scented candle on the dark, wooden, table in front of the television set. I propped my throbbing head down in a position to lie down on his couch, and felt a big lump of something under me. Pulling it out from under me, I found it was a green, fleece, blanket. I whiffed its scent, and it smelled of Max. His smell. His houses smell. It was all just too much, the way I succumbed to his Aroma in seconds. 

Lying down in an aromatic sense of Ecstasy, I jumped up when I heard my phone ring. I took a swift look at the caller ID and saw Jessica's name on it. I quickly made my way out of his apartment to meet her downstairs. Before closing the door on my way out, I took one last look into his apartment. I sure hope this isn't the last time i'll be here.