His secretary’s secret

I peer through the darkness trying to differentiate the shades of black and shapes in the living room. I strain my ears, but must have been mistaken. I sing happy birthday to me under my breath and sigh. Mums still out partying. I get up and pad to the kitchen gingerly. I’m wearing an oversized t shirt and my underwear. I can see the tendrils of my breath. I put a cup ready for coffee out for her. I fill a pint glass with water and look out a packet of paracetamols. I fill the kettle and pull a freeze dried pocket of something starchy out of the cupboard and place it next to a bowl. I pull my long blonde hair over my right shoulder and begin to detangle my curls absentmindedly dreaming about tomorrows move. Jenna was coming to pick me up at 9am sharp, she would have already have had all the hugs and weeping from her parents. I think back to when she told them the plan. We were going to the city, she had a space on an arts course and I was starting my apprenticeship. I’d start out as a secretary but would then be able to move into assisting with project management if I did well and passed my exams. I’d earn a small amount, however by sharing a rental with Jenna I’d just about manage. I let go of my curls and let them fall over my right breast where they twirl around my erect n****e. It was so cold, time to get back to my sofa bed. I need to be up early tomorrow. The alarm wakes me but I’m still in a daze until I realise it’s moving day. The next hour is a haze of cleaning and and writing notes to Mum. Remember to pay this bill by that date. Remember to wipe down the counter. Remember all the things I’ve always done for you, you need to do this yourself now. I hear a beep from outside and peep out the window. “Jenna” I exclaim. She helps me pack my bag into the boot of her car and we take a couple of selfies to honour the moment. My mum hadn’t made it back in time which was disappointing but I tell myself she’s done this to save me tears. The journey is spent singing along to the radio and planning our futures. The giddiness doesn’t leave us as we climb the 4 floors to our attic apartment. Nor when I make up the bed on the sofa. Mum hadn’t gotten round to buying a new bed once I grew out of my toddler one so I’d been used to sleeping on anything. Now it was working in my favour. I’d be paying a significantly smaller amount of rent by letting Jenna have the only room. Things were really turning around. Normally people my age wanted to grow up too soon, but I was excited to finally be able to be a kid, or at least a regular 19 year old. Tomorrow was my first day of work and I was going to be ready to take the world on. Tomorrow was the first day of the rest of my life, my new life.