Random Stories

Exhausted - 6

Here's another random story :p
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MILD CURSING
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UNEDITED
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I sighed as I unlocked the door to the apartment. Today had been an exhausting day handling my students. So-and-so had misplaces their flash drive containing their story. So-and-so wasn't doing the peer-edits. So-and-so didn't finish their work before class and had to stay after school with me to finish it. It was a long day and I still had more papers to grade.
I opened the door to see the state of the apartment-dirty laundry and trash still littered the floor, empty can covered the coffee table, dirty dishes flooded the kitchen sink; and the infamous Michael Vincent Jones was on the couch playing whatever he was playing and had yet to move his lazy ass.
"Sup," he said without taking his eyes off the screen.
"I see you didn't clean the place like I asked you to," I said, taking off my shoes with a frown. "I ask you to do one little thing for me on your day off while I'm at work and you didn't even pick up a single thing. You made an even bigger mess than what was there before I left this morning."
"Well, I was streaming with Jeremy so I didn't have time-" he started but I didn't let him finish.
"'Didn't have time'? Are you fucking kidding me, Jones? Jesus! One thing! One. Thing. I do so much around this place. All I asked you to do was one thing and you couldn't even do it! I was hoping to get home and just finish grading these papers so I could possibly get some decent sleep for once but now I have to clean before I can even think about doing anything else! What are you even doing here? Why do you live with me? Do you just need a personal maid?" I yelled angrily at him as I ran a hand through my hair. "You know what? I'm going to my room. Don't bother me. I have too much work to do."
I stomped off angrily down the hall. Locking the door to my room, I plopped down my bag and the large stack of papers onto my desk before grabbing clean comfortable clothes. I walked over to the bathroom connected to my room and took a quick shower. I dried myself off and changed, throwing my dirty clothes in the hamper before sitting down at my desk with the papers in front of me. Grabbing my colorful felt pens, I started grading my students' work.
Grading papers was long and tedious work but there was one part that I was really excited for. Besides being an English teacher, I was a creative writing teacher for one of my classes and it was the best part of my day. I loved being able to read the creative works of my students. Of course, there were things they needed to work on but their stories were always impressive to me. They always found ways to reinvent themselves in each piece.
A gentle knock reached my ears in the middle of one of the papers. I ignored it and continued until the knock came again, this time, louder.
"What do you want, prick?" I yelled, not bothering to waste energy getting up from my desk.
"Can we talk?" Michael called from the other side of the door.
"We already are," I said back.
"Babe, you know what I mean," he said.
"Really? That's funny because I thought the same thing when I asked you to clean the place," I shot back.
"Open the door."
"Why should I?"
"Babe, open the door," he said, this time more forcefully.
"Clean the place. Then get back to me," I said, continuing to grade. When I didn't get a response, I grabbed my phone and started to play music aloud.
A knock came to my door again a few songs later, causing me to jump in my seat.
"What?"
"Open the door." I sighed as I stood from my seat and unlocked the door. As soon as I opened the door, I was embraced in a tight hug.
"Michael, what the fuck?" I asked, surprised from the sudden contact. He mumbled something I couldn't hear.
"What?"
"I'm here because I want to be here," he said, a tint coming to his cheeks as he continued, "with you."
"What do you mean?"
"God, are you that clueless?" He said. "I'm here because I love you and I want to be around you."
"You sure do have a funny way of showing it," I shot a glare at him.
"Look, I'm sorry about it. I know how stressed you are from working and I'm sorry I didn't help. I'm sorry," he said.
"Michael, I asked you to clean for a reason. I was hoping that I could get home and finish grading quickly so we could spend time together. With both of us working, especially me, there's rarely a time where we both are free," I said.
"Babe, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that," he said.
"Michael, that's the thing. Are you even thinking about our relationship? Us? Because it really feels like you aren't," I said with a sigh.
"Babe, you know I am-"
"But you aren't! I've been the one putting in all the effort! I've been the one taking care of you and trying to make it work for you!" I shouted at him. I took a deep breath, giving him the chance to say something—anything, before continuing. "I really don't want it to be this way. With us both busy with our jobs, me especially as a teacher, we don't have time to do anything together. And when I try to make time, you never put in your end. It's always been me trying. I'm tired of this, Michael."
He stayed silent with his head bowed.
"Please just say something."
Silence followed. I had given him too many chances. It was time to close the door on this relationship.
"Michael, I love you. I have for a long time, but all of this?" He raised his eyes to meet mine. Those brown eyes that I had fallen in love with.
Don't make this harder for me, Michael
"I-I think this needs to stop."
Silence followed.
And then he left.
Closing the door, I sighed.
"This is goodbye"
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AHHHHH
Can I just say this is long but wtf is happening lolol I had planned for a completely different ending but y'know this is way worse
-AK