Winner Takes All

Part One

My alarm blaring under my cheek woke me up.

"Ah fuck," I groaned.

I had fallen asleep far too late last night and even in my sleep, I was plagued with dreams that were much too vivid. I groaned again, the last thing I wanted to do was put on a shirt and look presentable for my nine in the morning online class.

A wet tongue starts licking my cheek. I roll over to the other side of the bed, where my sleepy Pitbull Lola stretches and yawns. I give Lola her snuggles and kisses before forcing myself to get out of bed. Lola needed to go outside anyway, so laying in bed for longer was not going to happen.

I pulled my covers aside and climbed out of bed, snatching my fuzzy sweater off its hanger as I pass by. My apartment was freezing in the winter and even though I lived alone, walking around naked made me nervous.

I removed the piece of plywood from my balcony door, an extra safety measure, and yanked it open. Lola bounded happily on the balcony, tail wagging, and tongue out. She loved the snow, but I did not which is why I had fake grass set up for when I was too lazy to walk down seven flights of stairs.

My building's elevator always seemed to be broken, but even if it did work, I wouldn't use it. I had seen too many movies where people got stuck or chopped in half trying to climb out. When I did leave the stairs served as my daily workout, or I told myself that to feel better about my exercise habits.

When Lola was done her business, I shoved the door closed and slid the wood back in place. She happily climbed back into bed and promptly went back to bed.

I rolled my eyes. Oh, to be a dog.

I checked the time on my phone and cursed. I was going to be late for my class. I hastily made a coffee in my Keurig and set up my laptop on my coffee table. Last-minute I remembered I probably should wear some pants, so I quickly ran to my room and pulled on some sweats off the floor.

It was a good thing I was interested in my classes or online class would really be a bitch. I had chosen two online classes to start my day because I was lazy, and I wanted to spend as much time with Lola as I could. I hated leaving her alone in the apartment.

I had tried to get another dog to keep her company while I was gone, but my landlord shut that idea down so fast. I didn't want to end up homeless so one dog it was.

At twenty-three, I did not plan to be living in a tiny apartment, in my third year of criminology. I'm sure everyone thinks that at some point. I had a bit of a late start, having taken a few years off after high school to work and travel the world.

My parents really did not like that I was trying to be independent. I was the youngest in my family, the only girl. I had four older brothers, so my whole life I was treated like a baby and coddled, a little too much.

My mother almost had a stroke when I left my home at nineteen to travel the world, but I wouldn't change a thing. I had the best time of my life probably. Better than now, at least.

I grew up in a farmhouse, with cows and chickens at my front door. I really was a farm girl at heart, but I would never admit that out loud. I made the big decision to apply to college out of state, without telling my family.

Again, my mother almost had a stroke when I revealed to her just two weeks after I got back from my year abroad, I was moving from the cozy city of Colorado Springs to New York.

My father was happy for me, but he's usually happy about everything when he has a whiskey in hand.

A month after, I said goodbye to my parents and got on a plane with nothing but a suitcase and a dream. Well, it wasn't that dramatic.