The reoccurring and terribly annoying ring of Lily's automated alarm clock broke her seemingly peaceful slumber. The world in her bloodshot eyes blurred and careened side to side. She groaned unhappily as she turned her phone over and tapped the Stop button. Lily released a sigh and rolled her eyes before lifting her soft comforter decorated with white and pale yellow striped patterns. A small flinch flew across her face when her feet hit the cool wooden floor.
Everything was calm for a moment when suddenly the tapping and clinging of nails gliding and flinging up the stairs and hallways rang around the house. A rush of slobber and fur crashed into Lily's room. The dog stopped abruptly in front of Lily, and she giggled lovingly.
"Hey Tom-Tom!" she cooed, her groggy attitude dissipating.
Tom-Tom responded with an unusual growl which caused Lily's eyebrows to furrow in confusion.
"What's that for?"
Another growl.
Lily folded her arms and watched as Tom-Toms fur lifted and his tail wagged violently.
Why was he acting so strange?
Lily quietly stood and walked around her once playful dog, his eyes following her every movement.
-
Tom-Tom sat on Lily's messy bed and still groaned periodically the whole time Lily dressed and packed for school. As Lily examined herself in front of her mirror, she wondered what had gotten into that dog.
Her hand fell into her bleached and dyed hair. It's an unnatural white colour. White Flame to be exact, since that's what it said on the package. That was one of the few things Lily regretted from how she had changed her appearance. The hair and those dermal piercings that only lasted a week before they started to come out. Her wispy locks made her feel artificial. She missed when her hair had been dark brown and healthy.
Her outfit today seemed off and almost predictive. She wore a black turtle-necked tank top with one sunflower in the middle of the shirt, a black, pleated, short skirt, fish-netted leggings, and high-heeled, bulky, black boots.
Lily knew that a lot of people disapproved of her choice of clothing. She once sat on the bus wearing an outfit much like the one she modelled then. She sat beside an elderly woman and the woman did not react well. The woman called someone on her phone and started gossiping about Lily. She called her many names among hooligan, delinquent, goth, and one term of which Lily would rather not repeat. Her mother never really liked her choices either, but she swallowed her opinions and supported Lily as much as she could.
Lily sighed, fixed her cartilage earring, tugged a piece of hair, and grabbed her bag before walking downstairs. Tom-Tom slowly followed behind her. A lion hunting its prey.
Lily checked her phone while taking an apple from the fruit basket.
8:12.
A ping of nerves began to sprout in Lily's stomach. She always got pretty bad anxiety in the morning. She couldn't explain it but it got so bad that she felt almost sick, on the edge of throwing up. Lily placed the apple back in the basket, not being able to stomach anything.
Another sigh escaped her lips and a gurgle escaped from Tom-Tom. Lily turned to Tom-Tom and raised her eyebrows.
"You're one weird pouch."
Lily lifted up her backpack after slipping on one of her leather jackets and walked out the door.
-
