A life in the Dark

C h a p t e r T w e n t y O n e

T h u r s d a y 3 1 s t O c t o b e r
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"Hey!" Keira greeted me as she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck as I stood there on the doorstep sheepishly.

"Happy birthday," I said, holding out the large, decorated paper bag for her to take. "How was Sunday?"

"Yeah, pretty good, I guess." She looked up from the bag to roll her eyes before meeting my eyes. "Thing is, I've been friends with them for so long it kinda just feels... I don't know... Average? And every time we hang out...well, it's just all seeming so similar now. You know?"

"Err..." I stuttered, knowing it's not entirely a rhetorical question, since usually you would reply with a small "yeah", except to this? Honestly I have no freaking clue because I currently have no friends-well, no, I have a grand total of two friends at this exact moment in time.

"Oh, yeah, I guess not," Keira snapped me out of my thoughts. "Anyway, do you want to come in? We can go drop your stuff off in my room." She held the door open as I waddled through with my sleeping bag in one hand and a rather large bag of general necessaries for the night into a large carpeted corridor with school and family photos hung up along the pebble grey walls. "Mum, Dad, Lettice is here!" Keira called out as she shut the door with a soft click!

"Hey, Lettice," a female voice replied from a room at the end of the hallway, which I followed my host into; it was a kitchen, where a well-built woman leaning over the sink, scrubbing at a dirty plate and a man sat reading today's newspaper at the wooden table opposite the door.

He looked up and gave us a warm smile "welcome, we've heard so much about you."

I felt a slight blush reach my cheeks. "All good, I hope."

"Of course," he chuckled, tugging slightly at his beard.

"We're gonna go upstairs," Keira interrupted. "Where is Luke?"

"Oh he popped out to the shop before you were awake," the brunette answered, drying her hands with a towel. "He should be back soon."

Keira nodded before dragging me out and up the stairs across the corridor. She led me up a second flight and I found myself in a bedroom with a slanted ceiling with double-glazed windows and a chandelier-looking light in the centre. The walls were a pale buttercup and the bedsheets a deep auburn that matched the door to the en suite bathroom that was all minimalist with shades of grey only; I stood there like a fish, gasping as I took in everything. Next to the bed was a wooden bedside table with a stack of books and a lamp and a digital alarm clock that read nine-o'-seven, since id had to come early so mum could open up the shop, especially since it's Halloween today. In the corner beside me, parallel to the railings barricading us from the stairs was a gigantic desk with an office chair and bookshelves neatly tucked underneath it; on the wall across from the bed, which was decorated with a patchwork quilt and many throw pillows, was a TV with an Xbox and wii underneath, the controllers in a fabric box next to it with their wires wrapped around them.

"It's not normally this tidy," Keira added. "Mum made me clear up yesterday."

I didn't reply, mesmerised by the room. It's the sort of room I'd kill for. "I'm so jealous," I finally breathed. "You lucky bitch."

She laughed, placing the bag I'd given her at the foot of her bed, then stepping closer to take my bags off of me to put on the wooden floor, which had handwoven rugs strewn across it. "Come on, let's find something to do."