Stuck With Me

too late

tw// pills
(this chapter focuses on the main character. i don't want her development to be rushed so bare with me)

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Fuck, I'm so late.
I wince at the time displayed on my phone. I should've been on the road twenty minutes ago. Now I'm hauling ass out of the dorm, almost tripping over the heap of clothes on the way out. An open duffel bag slung across my shoulder, a mountain of necessities nearly falling out of my arms, and my messy hair getting in my face as I book it down the hall. What an actual shit-show, y/n.

As I frantically rush out of the building, I catch a group of people giving me a weird stare. Oh, fuck off. Don't act like you haven't been late before. The next time I see your stupid faces, I'll be tanned and hot, I think to myself. I storm through the empty lobby and kick the door open. I make it outside and the cold Seattle weather hits me instantly. The razor sharp air burns my nose and pierces my lungs. I look up and shudder as I see ominous gray clouds looming above me.

"Can't wait to leave this gloomy ass city. Thank you, Seattle. You proved that seasonal depression is, in fact, a thing!" I mutter as I  fumble with my keys, trying to unlock the door of my ancient Toyota. The door unlocks, and I quickly step into my car. I toss my stained blue duffel bag onto the passenger seat next to me.  I turn on the ignition, and sink into the seat. I let out a big sigh, finally relieved that-
"BREAKING NEWS. WE RECIEV-" The local radio station shatters the dead silence in the car. My frozen body jolts up and sends me into a flurry of panic as I scramble to lower down the volume, which was turned up all the way. FUCK, I ALMOST PISSED MYSELF. I let out a few curses and quickly get over it. With my heart still beating out of my chest, I reach to change the radio station. Just as I was about to press the button, I catch onto a few words.

"Deadly virus."

I hesitate and pull my hand away from the button. Intrigued, I turn up the volume and listen. In a serious tone, the news broadcaster reported a new virus found in China. COVID-19. Many cases were slowly appearing across the world and hospitals were quickly filling up. How did this start? How many cases? Why now? Are people...dying? I catch myself gnawing on my nails down to the quick. I snap out of my thoughts with a shake and finally leave the dull grey building that I called home.

I tried to suppress my thoughts as I floored it down the freeway, but they kept flooding in. How did this happen? Did it reach Washington? Spacing out on the freeway, I didn't realize I was going 85 in a 60. I feel my hands starting to shake and my heart beating faster. Oh fuck, I'm gonna be late. What if I miss the plane? What if I catch covi- I feel my heart beating in my throat. My right hand frantically digs into the bottomless pit in my duffel bag. My calloused fingers wrap around a small plastic container, a belonging of mine that I was too familiar with. I swiftly pop open the container with one hand and fish for a single white pill. I place it right on my tongue and put the pill container back into the abyss of my duffel bag. I had no issue finding water, thanks to the numerous amounts of water bottles trashed around my car. I choose a half-full bottle on the floor and open it. I didn't care how old it was. Nothing mattered right now. I chug the rest and toss it into the backseat. Yeah I'm a slob, but you can thank my severe anxiety and depression for that *wink*.

The fog in my mind lifts, my heartbeat slows down, and the voice in my head gets quieter. I let out a sigh and focus on the road ahead. I glance at the time, and realize I can still make the plane. I'm able to control my breathing and everything goes back to normal. I grab the aux and plug in my phone. Music was one of the only things in my life that brought me peace. I hit shuffle on my playlist and Close To You- Dayglow fills the car. I let out a deep breath and let the song fill my mind and warm my body. I spend the remainder of my drive in peace and I finally arrive at the airport.

I manage to find a parking spot in the sea of cars, and I quickly head inside the airport to check in my bag. The airport wasn't bustling with people since it was 1am, so it felt especially cold and empty. After checking in my bag and getting through TSA, I search for the gate on my ticket. 2C huh. I bet everyone's there already, waiting for my dumbass. And I still have to face him. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he sent me right back home. I book it to the gate and prepare for whatever lies ahead. As I near the gate, I notice a large group of familiar faces ahead of me. I instantly spot my best friend in the crowd, and she looks devastated. My body immediately freezes and my face gets hot. I can't fucking do this. Oh god I'm so embarrassed.

Instead of making a beeline to the group, I pull off to the side behind a large pole. I tried to conjure up any excuse that would save my ass from embarrassment, but there was none. Instead, I calm down my nerves and finally accept what I have to face. I peek around the edge of the pole to see if anyone noticed me. When the coast was clear, I took a single step forward. I suddenly felt someone grab my shoulder. My body froze, and I refused to turn around.

"Excuse me, miss."