No Rules To Love

Chapter One:

This chapter is dedicated to sanahyousaf for all her help whilst writing this.

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I kicked open my apartment door and slumped across the threshold. I knew at that moment I resembled a zombie. It sure did feel like the apocalypse. My legs and arms were heavy, and my eyes were drooping, seduced by the call of sleep. My backpack felt like it was full of a ton of bricks and I swear the straps would leave lasting dents in my arms... If my arms didn't drop off, that is. Gravity was too strong, and it took all my strength not to succumb to it and fall into a heap on the floor.

My mouth gaped open as I let out an audible yawn, making my eyes water in the process. I closed the door behind me, wincing at the sound, and locked it. After I threw my bag down at the side of the door, I kicked it for good measure. I was too tired to walk all the way to the bedroom and place it in my closet. That was a task that can wait for another day.

I then shuffled a few steps further into the apartment and into the living area. I saw my room-mate — Ashley Marks — on the couch, her head buried inside of what looked like a book of sheet music or lyrics.

She glanced up at me as she heard me coming and threw me a wry smile. "How was your rehearsal?" she asked. Of course, she would love the fact that she could sit at home while I was working hard in uni.

"Long," I sighed as I descended — fell would be the more appropriate word — onto the sofa next to her. I rested my head on the back of the sofa and although it wasn't the comfiest of positions, I willed my eyes not to close. I knew that if they closed, it would take me forever to open them again, and a snore wouldn't be too far off.

Ashley chuckled from beside me, her head still buried in the book. Whatever it was in there had engrossed her. "That's what you get for being one of the most talented third years at this school."

My response was a mere small laugh, and I rolled my eyes. I would've thrown a cushion at her or something like that, but I was too tired to even move. My arms were too comfortable pinned to my side. Once again, gravity was winning.

Ashley and I were both nearing the end of our third and final year at Mountview. Soon, they would throw us out into the big wide world and into the tremulous jungle that was the acting industry. A thought that both excited and terrified me. Ashley and I had met pretty much as soon as we arrived at Mountview, during the awkward orientation. Luckily, we were both staying in the same student halls. We both realised we had a lot in common when we were stuck together in a weird speed dating exercise. Wherein we had to go around the room and get to know people in a mere two minutes. Then the bell would ring, and we would have to move on to the next person. A strange exercise, but one that seems to be a staple at drama school. The one thing that brought us together the most was how far we had travelled to attend the school. I hailed from Manchester, while she travelled from Liverpool. They were both not the closest of places to London. Thus, proving how committed we both were.

Halfway through our first year, Ashley and I were both tired of the dire living accommodations. The parties were going on until the ridiculous hours of the morning. All filled with lewd noises and silly drinking games. I understood people wanted to have fun in the first year and live their lives away from their parents, but it got tiresome very quickly. Also, no-one knew how to tidy up after themselves, apparently. It was annoying to enter the kitchen and see a mountain of unwashed dishes on the side.

So, we decided we would find our own place to live; we both were mature and had similar values when it came to housing. Because both of us worked at the same café — and we received a decent wage — we didn't find it difficult to keep up with the rent. Though it was a little more expensive than our previous digs. We were lucky to have had stable living accommodations over the last two years. We gelled together and arguments were rare.