The Assistant Who Fell | Asa Butterfield

Chapter 3 - No Numbers

Chapter 3

I woke up and sensed the bright light that came out of the closed blinds. I guessed that it was around six past, but checked the clock anyway. It read 6:16 am.

I slumped on my bed deeper and took my phone out. Normally, I would have a Wattpad reading session before my alarm clock rings, and that was what I was doing right now. I opened up to resume a book I've been reading for the last couple of days. My feelings swirled with different kind of emotions for the last forty minutes, and I felt tingly when the character on the book finally realised that she was falling for her partner.

My phone rang loudly when the time ticked 6:50 am. I sighed dreamily as my mind wandered into a Wattpad wonderland. I wonder if Wattpad guys are real in our world, and if they are, I'm so taking them home.

I quickly took a ten minutes shower without my hair getting wet and went inside my bedroom. Both of my parents and sister left, because they went to the city earlier than me. My parents were working and my sister went to a private school. I was the only one who studied locally.

I washed the dirty dish and cup that I used on the sink before drying them. I still remembered when mum used to be the housewife and I didn't have to worry about spotless house before leaving or clearing the table after eating. She only did that on the weekend, when we have a family time.

I closed all the windows in the house and double checked to make sure. I fumbled the keys on the front door's keyhole twice before I head out.

It was a two minute walk to the bus stop, where other students from my school would be hanging out. I enjoyed the fresh breeze that swept on my face and blew my ponytail along with them. Spring mornings were always good.

I stopped walking and stood next to a bus stop pole. I never hang out with any of the students here, probably because none of them were in my age group. They were all equivalent to year nines, elevens and twelves. I looked around awkwardly and tried to be as occupied as I could. I wished I could play with my phone, but mum warned me about people who can steal phones out in the open. As a loyal daughter, I obeyed her warning and stuffed my phone deep down my pocket.

I saw the bus came to a corner and we all huddled down to the stop pole. I slid my tag card out, along with everyone. The bus opened the double doors and one by one, we tagged our cards that charged us fifty cents per ride.

When we arrived at school, I quickly walked inside the school building and tried to avoid the sun's heating glare. It was a few days before Summer and the blazing Spring had reached Perth before it begun the season. I wiped my sweaty forehead with the back of my head and rubbed it on the hem of my uniform.

I went to Flo and I's usual hangout spot and saw Flo and Ace chatting one another. As I got closer, they leaned back on the cool concrete and they got to smell the fresh pancakes from the senior cooking class.

"Hey guys!" I greeted. Flo jumped up first and hugged me, with Ace followed after and waved.

"Hiya human." Flo chuckled, "Today's hot aye?"

"And it's not even Summer yet!" I groaned. Ace's eyebrows shot up and looked at us unbelievably.

"Wait, it's not Summer?" He asked. Flo did a small chuckle and I smiled at him.

"It's a few days to Summer." I said, "Today is still Spring."

"What even in the world..." Ace groaned and shook his head.

"Well it's not that bad," Flo said, "It's thirty seven degrees."

"Don't tell me there's a hotter day than this!" He asked with an astonishment look on his face. I tried to be subtle and pretended to think.