Five weeks or so later...
* * * *
"Mmph..." I shifted under my comforter, extending a leg out into the open and bringing an arm back into the cottony folds. But then I register the sound of the AC kicking in and shudder, deciding that it's probably safest to withdraw said appendage. Mom (as per usual) had cranked the AC up to the max last night and, at the moment, my room was probably cold enough to serve as a penguin sanctuary. The combo of my covers and the July sunlight streaming in through my window, however, left me feeling clammy. I could feel a few miniscule beads of sweat form at my hairline...ugh. "No use fighting it, I guess..."
With a sigh and an unenthusiastic flourish, I throw the sheets off of my body. In an instant, I feel the goosebumps as they spread along my body due to the sudden rush of air. As I brush the sleep from my eyes, I swing my legs over the bed and rise into a sitting position. I scratch my stomach idly.
But let's not talk about my stomach. Actually, let's avoid talking about it... because lately, I've actually added a few pou-
. . .
Ahem. But moving on... (But my god, even I'll admit that recently my stomach's rivaled Godzilla's in terms of apatite. Which, all things considered...)
One of my feet brushes up against something plastic-y. I look down. It's a candy bar wrapper. 100 Grand, to be precise. Definitely in my top five favorite candy bars...maybe even top three? Standing, I yawn...and then stretch, a few errant joints popping as I arc my back forward. I kick the candy bar wrapper under the bed to be dealt with later (much later) and then, with the same foot, I pick up the underwear I'd discarded the night before. Yeah, before you ask, they're briefs. Thank my mom. (Can someone explain to me what the deal is with moms and briefs? I mean, my god, I've fought with her I dunno how many times to be able to buy my own freakin' underwear, but for whatever reason, she always wins out. And so she continues to buy me tightie whities. Ugh. What few pairs of boxers I possessed, I counted amongst my most treasured possessions.) Last night's heat, even despite the AC from hell (frozen over), had felt unbearable, sooo...I'd slept naked, with not even a fig leaf to shield me from night creepers. (Don't laugh; night creepers are serious business, but for last night, at least, the heat had won out over said creepers.)
By the time I slid the briefs up onto my waist - the elastic making a strangely satisfying snap as I do so - I felt the first pinpricks of hunger. Like clockwork, I head to the desk that houses my beloved laptop. After many a battle with my mother, I had finally had my desk declared as one of the few sacred grounds that I had to myself. Meaning, as much as she may have hated it, she never cleaned or "organized" it. Not that she would have needed to; I'm proud to say that I only very rarely let my desk get messy...although that standard doesn't always apply to my room as a whole. Up until a few weeks ago, I'd been using the various drawers for various purposes, for storing software, cables, and the like. But now...I open the top left drawer, my mouth already watering. A box of doughnuts stares back up at me. I'd got them at a resale bakery yesterday. They were a few days old, yeah, but they were just as good. And what's more, they had been cheap.
I lift the box of doughnuts out of the drawer with a savage, yet mechanical, gesture. Balancing the box in my left hand, I quickly stuff one of the baked goodies into my mouth before rummaging through the other drawers to see what other treats may be hiding. A carton of cookies...empty, except for a sad handful of crumbs. "Now why the heck did I keep this if it was empty...? Oh well." I mumble through a mouthful of doughnut. I used to hate the glazed crap that they put on...well, on glazed doughnuts, but it's slowly been growing on me. Licking the remnants of glaze from my fingertips, a belch overcomes me and I pat my stomach. What day was it...? Oh wait, duh. I obviously didn't go to school today, so that means....Saturday. Yeah, that sounds right. Mom had planned a girl's day out for herself today, if I remember right. First a book club meeting, then a trip to Office Depot, topped off with a sale at GNC...which explains why I hadn't been woken up this morning, anyway. Speaking of which, a glance to the clock reveals...
11:14 AM.
Sweet, it's not even noon yet. My mood brightening, I grab my remote from its tomb under my billow and turn on the television. It's still early enough to catch the tail end of the Saturday morning cartoons. I hadn't watched them in a few months now, but I'd kept up online, and if my facts were straight, things were finally starting to pick up speed in Pokemon. I, along with my doughnuts, had just settled down for what looked like a session of Saturday morning nerddom when...
"Freddie?"
A voice from the living room! It sounds like...
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