behind the streams | dnf

four | again

DREAM

Tomorrow's here already.

It welcomes me with harsh sunlight through slim gaps in opaque curtains, infiltrating the room with uncomfortable warmth. I see dust particles and flowy specks dance in the beams through groggy blinks.

Aching muscles, joints that crack and roll as soon as I sit up and almost fall back down. I slept in the same, sprawled out position in clothes I never changed out of, on bedsheets that I never untucked. A hand rises to cup my cheek as morning annoyance grumbles through.

My hoodie's wrinkled in several areas. One side of my face feels lopsided from this generously lengthy nap.

I remain rooted by my dull attitude, trying to smack away the fuzzy feeling in my mouth. Propping myself up by my elbows, a weight slips out of the front pocket and my phone lands on the comforters with a cushioned thump.

Rolling over, the notifications blur in the sweep of a scroll. Yet my eyes still catch a singular text, a singular name I've grown so accustomed to and maybe that's why it's the only one that stands out to me.

Georgie :)

The memories of the previous night begin to seep in, even as an exasperated groan finally tears me off the bed. The unresolved conflict, the last thing I want to think about in this already-rough awakening.

The simple, friendly morning text that awaits me at least eases some of the irritation. I make sure to send one back, then letting the phone fall back onto the bed. I move around the room, waking up for real: changing out of over-worn clothes, splashing water on my face in attempts to taper the effects of a bad night.

Another group of texts stares welcomingly up at me as I pick up my phone again. He's responded almost immediately.

hello

how did you sleep?

I'm mid-text, thumbs dancing over the keyboard and making my way out of the room when I almost trip over Patches. My heart drops and I nearly crash into the doorframe as one hand slams painfully on the wood. "Oh god. Sorry."

She just peers at me, barely ruffled, turning away to leave her owner wondering why he just tried to speak to his cat. Scrunching up my face, I turn back to the texts with a sigh.

Not great

i just woke up

also can we call it's easier

There's a pause before he answers.

sure

ready when you are

With the confirmation, I tap the right of the three buttons at the top of the screen. Pressing the phone to my ear, I set the other hand on the staircase railing as I descend, mindful of the near-stumble I just had.

The ringing stops. Crackled silence begins.

"Hello." 

I smile, and once I've reached the bottom of the stairs I curve towards the kitchen. "Hi there. Sorry, was just too lazy to type."

"Oh yeah, sure," he hums. I hear some rustling on the other end. "Why was your sleep 'not great'?"

I set the phone to speaker as I place it on the countertop and open the refrigerator. Looking for any suitable breakfasts and finding myself dissatisfied with the results, I purse my lips. "I, just, as soon as the stream ended last night, I literally just passed out on my bed. I didn't change, I didn't eat, just laid down for like two seconds and then the next thing you know, it's morning." Yawning, I shut the door with a quiet hiss. "I just woke up. I don't know if you can tell."