Let Me Sleep

Chapter 4

Author's note/note to self: I'm probably going to change the title of this story. I don't really know why I chose "The Night Shift" before. I also don't really have a solid plan for this story. I have a general idea and know I want to make it slow burn. But overall I'm going with the flow. It doesn't matter anyway because nobody is reading this story LOL. And I didn't proof read this chapter. I just wanted to write to relax... and this dialogue was kind of fun. It was probably mess though.

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I was tuning my guitar when the loud doorbell rang. I pretended not to hear it and let Michelle get the door instead.

"There's a package for you!" she yelled from the living room.

I put my guitar down in confusion. I didn't buy anything recently. I shuffled my feet out the door to see what this package was all about.

On my coffee table sat a small, but heavy brown box. My name and address were printed boldly.

It was from my dad! I ran to the kitchen to get the box cutter. I sliced the box open and flipped the box flaps to see what was inside.

There were six bags of coffee. My dad must have sent these to me from his trip to Italy. He went about a couple of weeks ago with his long-time girlfriend. I wish I got to go too. That would ruin their anniversary, though.

I picked up one bag, opened it, and took a whiff.

It smelled like heaven. Suddenly I was strolling down the streets of Rome. I posed next to a marble sculpture while a handsome Italian man took my picture. That same man took my hand and led me to a gondola. We sat in the boat and drifted down the water while the sunset.

I wonder if my dad and his girlfriend did anything like that. If they didn't, then what was the point of spending an anniversary in Italy?

I put the coffee bag back in the box with the others and carried them to the pantry. I eyed my coffee shelf and took a moment to figure out how to fit all my coffee bags on a tiny shelf.

Michelle, meal prepping for after her shift, took a peak at me and my dilemma.

"You could open up a coffee shop at this point."

"Sounds better than studying nonstop for school." Sometimes I wish I could just drop out, but I'm in too deep.

"You have no idea how to run a business."

"Is it hard to learn that stuff?" I had no idea how starting and maintaining a business worked. I wish I had some business major friends in school to know at least a little.

"You're asking the wrong person," Michelle laughed.

I wondered what career path she would have chosen if her parents didn't force her into going into healthcare. I envied that she loved her job and was great at it. I have no idea what I'd be like as a pharmacist. Am I choosing the right career?

"So I heard you got a guitar."

"Yeah, I did. It was $20 and the seller fed me dinner." I wished I had more to eat, even though I was still stuffed.

"That is a weird exchange. How do you know they didn't poison you?"

"I don't... But they were eating the food too," I shrugged. Was I too trusting?

"Does that mean that I'm going to come back home from work and find you dead on the floor?"

"God, I hope not." Dead bodies freaked me out and I didn't want to put Michelle in that scenario. She probably doesn't fear them though, since she's a nurse and probably deals with people passing all the time. "I'll be okay."

"I think the first song you should learn how to play is a lullaby. The more you practice, the sleepier you'll get. You'll be well rested again in no time," Michelle suggested.

"That's a really good idea." I bit my lip, "But I don't know if I can practice today. Charlotte suggested to my professor that I take another lab job."

"Aren't you busy enough?" She whipped her head around and her eyes darted my face. I hope she doesn't comment on the dark circles around my eyes again.

"I don't think I have a choice with this."

"What do you have to do for it? Will I never see you again because you'll be working nonstop at school?"

"I'm not sure yet. I just know it's a chemistry lab," I tried to explain calmly.

"You hate chemistry!" Her exclamation made it hard for me to relax.

"I know. But at least I'll get more money... I can help out more with groceries and rent..." I was slacking a bit lately on cooking food for us and paying rent. Tuition hit me really hard last month.

"You know I have no problem with our finances right now, Soph. I'm here to support you through school, like how you helped me so much when I was dying in nursing school. I just want you to take care of yourself. This money from another job doesn't matter when health is wealth."

Health is wealth. She loved saying that.
"I know. And I'm beyond grateful for everything you do for me. I just don't want to be a burden, Mish."

"You're absolutely not. I promise."

"Still..." Ugh, I didn't want her to get all whipped up about this before she goes to work. "You and Jonathan are getting serious. If you move in with him, I'm going to need some savings to pay for this home."

"Sophie..." she whispered, teary-eyed. "I can't do that to you..."

"It's okay. You love him and I'm a big girl. I'll be okay with this second job. It helps the both of us."

"I know that that's the next step in my relationship with Jonathan... but it's hard to imagine a future where I don't live with you. We've been living together since the beginning of college."

Her tears were rolling. The sight of them made it hard to breathe. I don't want to get emotional.

"We'd still be best friends." I caught my breath back and put my hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay. Come on, you have to leave for work soon."

She looked at the time on the microwave. "Oh my god, how did all this time pass? How did we even get on this topic?" She wiped her tears away.

She quickly finished her meal prepping and I shoved all my coffee bags into the pantry. Every time I look at my coffee shelf I'm going to think of this conversation again.

"Okay. I'm heading out. Get some sleep tonight," she lectured me lightheartedly at the door.

I closed the pantry and turned to her. "I will. See you later."

I locked the door behind her and dragged my feet to my room, thinking of how much I have to study.

I mumbled to myself, "I need to go over the lectures I had today, review my notes from the pharm lab, and find my old chemistry textbook to review."

I dug through my stack of textbooks in the corner of my room. They were hidden under a mountain of clothes. God, I have to clean my room some time. But I had no time.

It was the second to last book on the bottom of the stack. Being my lazy self, I tugged on the book and the tower of textbooks resting above it collapsed to the ground. A few books slammed on top of my feet. I yelped and leaned on the wall for support.

I thud came from the other side of the wall. "Hey! Keep it down," I heard loud and clear.

"Oh my god," I gasped, "I'm sorry!"

I didn't know my neighbor and I would be able to hear each other like we're in the same room!