A story based loosely on my own love story. I enjoy feedback and ideas. I love hearing what you guys think and what you guys want to happen. I'm also learning to accept the bad with the good. Although it's still hard, I appreciate every comment I get whether it be flat out negative or very positive. So thank you. I don't have an editor but I am on the hunt! Enjoy.
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*Gabriella's POV*
I couldn't move.
That was the first thought that popped in my head when I had woken up. My alarm had gone off almost 10 minutes ago and I was still in bed staring at the ceiling. Physically I could move... Maybe. Mentally? No sir. I was exhausted in every sense of the word and moving from my bed was just not an option. I almost started crying thinking about leaving the comfort of my happy place to go to that cruel place. But alas, I had to. I tried bribing myself, scolding myself and even thinking about the bills that I had to pay. Nothing was working! I couldn't convince myself to actually get up. I needed to go to work but my body was so tired and the willpower was running short. It also wasn't helping that my room was pitch black and I kept accidentally falling back asleep.
"Get up or I'm turning the light on!" My best friend/roommate Kristen threatened through the door. "We're going to be late and I wanted to at least stop at Starbucks."
I groaned and threw the bottom half of my body off the bed and let my legs dangle. My toes instantly froze at the chilly temperature of the room. Even with the heat on, the 2 bedroom apartment we shared was either very cold or very hot. On rare times, it would be just right. I wanted to get back under the covers and go back to sleep.
Finally sitting up bed, I felt around for my phone for a source of light. I refused to turn anything else on.
I stood up and stretched letting the ache in my bones loosen. I had to get a new mattress. I was going to have irreversible back problems.
"I warned you!" Kristen yelled.
The door to my precious safe haven swung open with a bang and light flooded the room. I screamed and covered my eyes stumbling backwards into bed.
"It burns Kristy! It burns!" I yelled. "Turn it off!"
This might have seemed dramatic to someone looking in from the outside, but I didn't have a normal bedroom light like most. I had the light from hell! It was a Christmas gift from Kristy from a website that literally sold super bright lights. Since I had no windows in my room, she thought she was doing me a favor. Every time I turned the light on, after being subjected to darkness for 8 hours, I was nearly blinded.
"Quit being a baby! Get up!" she scolded. "Your skin still looks splotchy. You might want to get up and handle that. Red patches on black girls don't look too good."
"You're right! I am stronger than this. I am not going to let a little lightbulb stop me from doing what I have to do," I said holding up a fist.
"Good girl," she encouraged. I could hear the eye roll in her tone.
I cracked an eye and the bright light assaulted me making me wince. "Kristy, I think my retina just melted off," I complained.
She was quiet and I opened my eyes, wincing just to be dramatic, and saw her standing there with her hands folded over her chest. This was her "are you done yet?" look. She wore the same red and yellow collared button-down dress that every employee, including me, was required to wear to waitress at the 'The Hole'.
"Done?" she asked patiently.
I nodded solemnly and twiddled my thumbs. "I'm done."
"Good morning Gabriella," she said throwing me my own red and yellow dress before walking out the room.
"Good morning Satan," I mumbled.
Looking at my skin, I could still see the barely there red patches from the hives I experienced yesterday. Who knew I was allergic to seafood? The stuff stunk so badly, I didn't even eat it. The one time I decide to try a piece of shrimp, I'm allergic. Go figure.
I grabbed the dress and some panties, not bothering with a bra. The dress was so tight my breast strained against the fabric making it impossible for them to move.
"I left you some hot water!" Kristen yelled.
"Thanks," I yelled back rolling my eyes.
Kristen was in the habit of taking 30 minute showers and the hot water that she usually "left" was only hot for about 6.
I walked into the bathroom and reemerged 20 minutes later feeling refreshed and energized. Walking into the living room, I spotted a muffin on a plate next to a cup of green liquid.
"Made you breakfast," Kristen said coming out her room.
She had pinned her black bangs up today and the back of her hair cascaded in curls down her back. The black really made her blue eyes stand out. And it really wasn't fair that even under fluorescents her milky white skin looked amazing. I told her all the time how she should have modeled. She definitely had the look. She was 5'9 with legs that ran forever and everything on her was proportional. She had the body girls lusted for. She was a head turner and she knew it.
I wasn't ugly myself. I was nice-looking and would receive compliments sometimes. Most times I would get "you're pretty for a black girl!" or something equally offensive, but I just shrugged it off. Most people didn't see a problem with that statement, and I wasn't about to waste my time explaining why it was offensive. It wasn't hard to fit in here. The trick was to smile and keep your mouth closed. At 5'6 and 142 pounds, I definitely didn't draw attention to myself. I had brown curls that had gold highlights and brown eyes that didn't stand out. I considered myself basic. Nothing spectacular. If I worked out like Kristen, I could probably garner some attention. But I liked how I looked. I also liked food. I was curvy, very curvy. I had baby making hips and so did the rest of the women in my family. Little on top and big on the bottom. I loved my breast though. My 34C were just perfect and fit my frame just right. I loved my body and sure I could stand to lose 10 or 15 pounds, but I was content. Kristen was always trying to make me work out or try some new diet with her. The last one almost killed me and in return I almost killed her.
I didn't notice I was staring at her until she snapped her fingers breaking my trance. "What's wrong? Never seen an angel?" She joked. "Let's go and you're going to drink that smoothie."
I rolled my eyes. Of course I would. As much I hated healthy things, Kristen went out of her way to feed me each morning and I was appreciative. Ever since my mom died, Kristen had been taking care of me like the little sister she always wanted. Even though I was 21 and she was 23, she still treated me like I was 10 at times and I couldn't do anything without her. I didn't mind. I loved her. Of course I still pulled my weight around here. I kept a majority of the bills paid, and food in the house. Since Kristen was full time in school, and could only work weekends, I was the bread-winner.
"Let's go GABRIELLA," she yelled from downstairs.
I grabbed the smoothie running outside to catch up before she left me. Running through the snow, I slid carefully in the already warm car and shook the snow out my curly hair.
"Oh man, your hair is going to get damp. Where is your jacket? Why didn't you grab your scarf or hat? Are you trying to get sick?" she scolded turning the heat all the way up.
"I left it in the car last night," I said grabbing the items out the backseat. "I was so dead tired after my double, I didn't even feel the cold air."
"A double? Gabby you got to get some rest!"
"Rent is coming up. I had to work overtime to get the rest, but now that I have it, I can probably go back to working regular shifts."
"I'm sorry I can't contribute more Gabs. I really should step up more."
"We've had this argument before. Focus on school and get your degree so that you can make all the money and I can spend my days sleeping!"
She laughed and nodded. "Yes mam."
Kristen did what she could. But what wasn't spent on books or material for school, was spent on gas and food. I didn't mind working so much. It kept me busy and I didn't have to think much about the direction my life was going in. Which was nowhere.
