Safe

Chapter 8

Two days have passed now since I've officially moved in. In those two days, I have had no social interactions with the human race besides the person who helped me get my textbooks. Needless to say, I am just about ready for the first day of school tomorrow.

Not surprisingly, I have managed to get all the books I need, read a few chapters, printed the syllabus, and make sure my first day of school outfit was set. You can say I'm an overachiever, but to be quite honest, I didn't have anything else to do.

As sad as it sounds, I have barely left my apartment. I haven't made new friends or been anywhere beyond school grounds or my apartment, but I will. I have to.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

My text messages are going off.

Picking up my phone, I wonder who could be texting me at this time. It's 2 PM here, so that means Pierce is still working; it can't be him. Unlocking the screen, I see it's my cousin's. They must be doing something together right now. This thought makes me feel awful since I know if I were there, I would be with them.

Belle: Who the fuck posted those pictures of us in LA?

Nicole: I did. What happened?

Belle: YOU COULDN'T EDIT OUT MY FAT?

Nicole: LOL, STFU, it's way too dark even to notice.

Rose: Belle notices everything.

Ava: Yall need to shut the hell up. I'm working!

Nicole: Put your phone on silent stupid.

Reading these messages makes me miss them all the more. The five of us grew up together but now that we're older, seeing each other gets harder. Especially me, now.

As I open up my Instagram app, I refer back to the pictures that Nicole posted. I use IG a lot, but lately, looking at pictures from home makes me homesick.

My notifications pop up, and I automictically go there to see who has liked my pictures. Since the trip, I have posted one photo up of myself in LA. I try to update as much as possible, but pictures are rare when you're working a lot.

Scrolling and scrolling, I see nothing out of the ordinary until a username I don't normally recognize pops up. Curious, I click on her profile to see who she is. Huh, no mutual followers.

Not going beyond that, I decide it's just someone random named Jennifer. Flattered, I begin to see if there's more I can post.

Flying through my many pictures, I conclude that today is not going to be the day to post a picture since none of them look decent. I'm pulled out of my misery when Pierce calls. That's weird. He never calls me during the day, much less at work.

Picking up immediately, I pray it's nothing serious.

"Hello? Are you okay? Did you break something?" I'm not really panicking, but I want him to know it's unusual for him to be calling me right now.

"Hahaha, no. I have news! Great news! I wanted you to be the first to know," Pierce says, sounding excited and overjoyed that I can't help but smile with him through the phone.

Even though he can't see it, I know he knows. "Really?! What is it?" I move from my bed and head to my desktop to turn it on. It's about time I get some work done as well.

"Promotion. I got a promotion!" I can hear he's hustling through something while he's speaking.

As the word promotion flows through my device, a small ping hits my chest as the syllables echo on repeat. I should be happy and overjoyed. But in the back of my head, a promotion means more work, and well, more work means less time, "That's great, honey!" I respond, trying my best to match his excitement.