Drifting Away

Home sweet....Ow! My Nose

After walking for around 20 minutes, Jackson and I finally reached my flat. It's only a small flat but it's the best that my mum can do for us and its way better than being one of the homeless. I've got my own bedroom which is pretty cool I guess and besides, we're on the 4th floor so we have a pretty good view of New Kinsley. If you get just the right angle you can see a slimmer of the sea that surrounds our island.

I've always loved the sea, well most of the kids who live on this island love the sea but it's always managed to calm me down whenever I get stressed out. I always used to so swimming with Jackson when we were still in primary school but I guess we don't have as much time know.

I bounced up the stairs taking two at a time, Jackson right behind me and fumbling in my pocket for my new set of keys. I lost my last set, and it wasn't even my fault but of course I'm the one who got blamed. Jack wouldn't give them back and was holding them above his head so I couldn't reach them, so I tackled him to the floor and he managed to drop them into a puddle. Dumbass.

As we reached the front door, I pulled my house key out my pocket and and held it up to the scanner to, ya know, scan.

"I still can't believe you dropped my last key in a puddle, Jackson. It took me ages to convince my mum to get me a new set" I grumbled

"Hey, you're the one who threw yourself at me like a teenage fan girl"

I sighed as we stepped inside and I quickly removed my shoes.

"Mum!? Are you home?" I yelled up the stairs, my hands cupping my mouth. I don't know why I do that, it's not like doing so makes it louder, Oh well.

I waltzed into kitchen like I owned the place...because I kinda do. I firstly waddled up to the fridge, making sure I didn't step on the white on the patterned floor, to check if there was anything good to eat, but there wasn't so I just grabbed a piece of bread out of the cupboard next to it and took a big bite. No I didn't use butter, Yes I'm aware that's odd.

"Wow, slow down there horsey, don't want to be too full up for take-out do you?" Jackson joked as I stuck the last nite of bread in my mouth.

"Ughh shat ap yu idgiot" I groaned, my mouth still full of bread. Jackson raised his eyebrow as he let his bag slide off his shoulder and onto the floor making a bang. We both took a seat at the kitchen table, it was slightly worn but my mum did the best she could to make it look nice. She had bought material from the shop downtown and added a tartan layer of felt onto the cushions of the chairs. It was coming loose here and there but it just added a bit of colour to the kitchen which is mostly creme with wooden countertops.

I excused myself and left Jack looking extremely concentrated on his phone, probably having another text fight with his girlfriend over a silly joke he said.

I walked out into the hallway and opened the letter box from the inside to take the letters that had been shoved inside. Usually we get a few from various electric companies complaining about late payments, electricity is quite expensive nowadays because it's been a while since we got to trade with another drifter, that's what we call the other islands. As I reached inside my hand only found one which was weird, mum must've already paid for this month.

I took the stairs two at a time and launched myself straight into my mum's room and toppled into the bed. I always used to do that when I was little, I still couldn't remember when I stopped no matter how hard I thought. I straightened out the quilts and layed the letter on the right bedside table and left the room. The bathroom was right next door to mum's room so it was only a few steps into it, I slammed the door shut hard as to properly close it. It always used to swing open when I was younger if I didn't shut it hard enough, I'd learnt the hard way I guess.

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After i had finished I moved to the other side of the tiny white room as to wash my hands with some soap that smelled soo good. I looked up at the mirror as I washed them, I had dark bags under my green eyes and I reached up to straighten the black shiny headband on my auburn hair. I poked my nose, I really hated it. It stuck out slightly too much and it was always red too. Ughh I used to get called Rudolf the Red Noses Reindeer from some weird rhyme from like decades ago, I don't even know why and kids only sing it around December, what is so special about that month? It doesn't seem special to me.

I dried my hands into the new green towel my mum had found at the weekend and attempted to walk through the door. Ouch! Dammit I forgot i had closed it that hard. I rubbed my nose as I ran back down the stairs to rejoin Jack, only to slip and ride down the stairs on my arse. I pulled my curly hair out of it's pony as I went and let it fall over my shoulders. Mum should be home soon.