It's currently 8 in the morning and I'm just now leaving the hospital. The graveyard shift is absolutely slaughtering me but I need the money. After piling into my beat up Honda accord, and slamming my head into the steering wheel a couple times for good measure, I start the long journey home.
I walk into my studio apartment to be greeted by an aggravated bark from Wolf, my husky. Hastily filling his bowl, I simultaneously strip so I can hop in the shower before I fall asleep on my feet. However, I knew it was time for bed when I choked on the shower water.
Five hours later...
[ Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. You're snoring. It's hurting my ears. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Now. Wake up now please.]
This mantra is what revives me from my exhaustion-induced coma. I sit up with a groan. My stomach groans back. I'm starving. I check my petty savings jar. 15 dollars. Just enough for a double cheeseburger with bacon and a strawberry shake including a tip.
I look at Wolf. He's staring at me. I look back at him. He looks back at me. I sigh.
"Thanks for waking me up. I needed food."
[WE needed food. Don't be selfish.] he scoffs through mindlink.
We roll our eyes at one another and I head to my closet.
I decide on a red tank top with a pair of faded, ripped black jeans and my red converse. I throw my hair up into a bun and as an afterthought, I slip my arms into Rose's old leather jacket. I miss her everyday. Just looking at the floral pattern on the sleeves causes her laugh to echo in my thoughts.
Shaking my depression away like I had leaves in my hair, I nudge Wolf and we make our way to the car in search of greasy validation. Lorde's Homemade Dynamite began playing on the radio as soon as I turned the car on.
An accurate representation of what I wish I could do in my everyday life. The absolute chaos of it all is lovely and gives me a warm feeling, makes me miss home. Yet there is still order because one cannot live without the other.
I pull up to the cafe, struggling to keep it together. The whole lack of sleep debacle is really catching up with me. I almost passed at out a red light that took too long and now sitting here waiting for a parking space has me contemplating why I even left the house in the first place.
[Let's go, I'm hungry and this is the only place that allows pets] I hear Wolf complain per usual, because everything has to be about him. It's his way or the highway and if you disagree or yell he gets mad.
"Alright let's go, you drama queen" I state as I get out the car and open the door for him. We walk inside and head towards our normal table, Wolf quite a bit ahead of me. As I approach the table this girl comes barreling into me causing us to end up as a heap on the floor.
"Here you go," she says handing the teal-headed girl a black and white sweatshirt in an exasperated tone. The girl helps her up before taking the sweatshirt and saying, "Thank you so much, I'll be right back." She then disappears into the bathroom to change. She then turns towards me on the ground and helps me up.
"I am so sorry I should have been paying more attention to what I was doing." She apologizes out of breath still recovering from that fall.
"It's fine. I completely understand. i haven't been on top of things either. Lack of sleep does that to you." I reply trying to make her feel better
"Let me repay you, I will buy you lunch. I am Taesen by the way." She says sticking her hand out for me to shake
"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that. Really, it's no big deal at all. But nice to meet you
Taesen i am Catalina, or Cat for short." I tell her walking over to Wolf.
"Please let me do this for you" she begs and at that point, I cave in because at least i'm saving money.
"Alright, alright I'll let you buy me lunch." I tell her with a small smile.
[What about me, you self-absorbed cretin] Wolf whines at me.
"I will buy you food you little bugger, calm down." I respond back with anger in my voice
"Oh no I'll buy this cutie something too, it's no big deal" Taesen throws in before asking
"What do you want?"
"I'll have a double cheeseburger with bacon and a strawberry shake please, and Wolf will eat anything." I tell her politely, she then smiles before walking the counter to place her order with Maia.
YOU ARE READING
The Children Of Thornhallow
FantasyThis story follows the lives of 5 young girls. The unlikeliest of friends whose futures have been set in stone for centuries. They were destined for greatness and unspeakable power in exchange for guiding the natural and unnatural down a path of ord...
