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Once again, I struggled to sleep that night. My sleep schedule had been sporadic at best after Heidi was murdered, but that night felt especially hopeless. Of course, none of it bothered the blonde headed giraffe sleeping next to me. Nothing bothered Magnus. Instead, I lay awake, his arm draped over me as I stared at the watercolor of Slash my mom had painted when I first got in to Guns n Roses. sighing, I crept out of my bed, careful not to wake up my boyfriend as I headed towards the refurbished bookshelf I had redecorated after picking it up at a thrift store in Hamburg.
I read a lot of mysteries, lots of them more than once. But my favourite? One of Us Is Lying, by Karen McManus. My grasp on English was good, but not good enough to not need a translator nearby when I read it in English the first time. Two years later, the first German translation graced shelves, and I've read it eight times since then.
My comfort book.
I know what you're thinking - reading about murder after it happened to someone close to me? right now it was more relatable than you think, a point I would later explain to my dad.
Grabbing the worn hardcover, I tip-toed out of my room and down the stairs. Mom had come home around six, locked herself in the office, and gone to bed at eleven forty five. My parents barely slept in the same bed anymore, mainly because they were never home. Dad was taking Aleksander's shifts, and mom was busy with exam season.
I pulled my shawl tighter over my shoulders, hoping to lock in some warmth as I curled up on the couch, plush throw blanket over my bare legs. I had gotten the shawl in Jamaica a few summers ago, and it was intended as a swimsuit cover up, but with my dad being the way he is, he wouldn't let me wear it outside of the house. It was a bright orange, a contrast to all my other clothes, with a warm tropical palm leaf print on it. It smelt like the peach sangria perfume I often used, sometimes just to make my room smell a little nicer as opposed to wearing it.
I felt like I'd been reading for ages, becoming enthralled with the Bayveiw Four and my favourite book crush Nate Macauley, the only California boy I would ever crush on, when the silent alarm became not silent anymore, followed by my dad's harsh German cursing.
"Schiesse!"
"Dad!" I called out, not prepared for the barking that followed
Before my dad even made it up the narrow staircase, I was pounced on by a slobbering mess of a fully-grown boxer. "Dad, what the hell?"
"Before you ask." Dad laughed "This could not have waited until morning. I drove past the shelter on my way home and this guy just looked so sad in the window, isn't that right?" He cooed while scratching behind the big dog's ears
I shook my head with a laugh before reaching down to pet the dog. "Have we thought of a name?"
Dad chuckled "You know, the other day I was looking through my vinyl collection and I saw that one Scorpions record you used to dance to when you were younger, Love At First Sting. I was thinking of calling him Klaus, after Klaus Meine."
"I think that sounds great." I smiled. "Mom's asleep, Magnus is upstairs."
Dad shook his head knowingly "What's keeping you awake?"
I shrugged "Everything. It's been a stressful month. Not even that. I don't think."
Dad nodded, settling himself on the couch next to me. "I get it. Things have been awful at the Power Plant." He paused for a minute, seemingly searching for words. "I noticed that you and Magnus seem to be more than you were before, and he has been staying here an awful lot, and in your bed. Normally I wouldn't have questioned it, but knowing you two are now romantically involved-"
"Dad, stop right there." I cut him off "We're being safe, don't freak out. He's been great since what happened to Heidi. I needed that grounding wire. He doesn't think Bartosz did it. He didn't like the idea of me staying here alone."
"He's a good kid. But I swear to god, I don't care that I grew up with his father, if he hurts my little girl, I am going to eviscerate him."
"Woah, tone down the violence there dad." I laughed "You and mom.. is everything okay there? You're never home at the same time, I doubt you still share the same bed."
Dad exhaled "Your mother and I... we got married young, I was twenty-one, she was barely twenty. Sometimes, these things don't last. But for now? I don't know. We've both been to busy for each other lately."
"Hey, dad." I started, eager to redirect the conversation before I made another attempt at falling asleep. "Remember when we used to watch That 70's Show on the nights mom worked late? And that time you laughed so hard at Fez that Jack Daniel's came spurting out of your nose?" Dad chuckled "I do, actually. My nostrils burn just thinking about it."
I laughed to myself, reaching down to pet Klaus behind the ears. "Ashton Kutcher was still at his best in Killers."
"Yeah, I guess he was."
"Yeah, I guess he was."I stood up from the couch, tucking my book under my arm before I gave my dad another hug. "I'm going to take another crack at sleep. Goodnight, Dad."
