Valentina woke up from a nightmare at around three in the morning, her clothes sticking to her body from the cold sweat. She didn't have nightmares frequently, but they have never been this bad. It must have been triggered by the horrible day she had, and it didn't come as much of a surprise.
Quietly pushing herself to a standing position so she wouldn't wake her mother, Valentina gathered her things from the room, grabbing her bag and jacket from the hanger. There were no notifications on her phone, meaning that her father didn't even notice her absence at home, despite already finishing his extra shift for the day. She didn't know whether it was better that he didn't realize she was out, maybe it would have hurt less if he told her off about it out of concern.
Her mother was laying on her side, her blanket almost pulled fully over her scarfed head. Valentina resisted the urge to give her one last kiss on the cheek before leaving, as she didn't want to wake her this early. She needed all the rest she could get.
Walking home at three in the morning in the freezing cold because she had no bus money wasn't the best experience of her life. She had a feeling that she would be catching a cold unless she took a hot shower at home, but there probably wasn't enough time, as she had countless things to take care of before heading to school.
When she got home, it was a quarter to four, the dark and silent apartment welcoming her bitterly. Her father's room was locked as always, his things thrown all over the sofa in the little living room. The whole house was very messy, and Valentina made a small promise to herself that she would try to rearrange things before the weekend, so her mother didn't see it in such a horrendous condition.
Valentina thought she had slept enough to survive the school day, so she just unpacked her schoolbag and did all the homework and studying she needed, wasting much more time with Chemistry than with anything else before packing her bag with some additional textbooks.
Stepping to her piggy bank, she let out a pained, heavy sigh. It was almost empty, with only a couple of dollars and coins left inside. She had to be rather sparing with her money if she wanted to be able to buy a present for her father's birthday, and even then, she couldn't afford anything much.
Her stomach was grumbling, but she didn't have anything to eat, the remaining piece of bread was toasted and eaten by her father in the morning. Biting down on her lip, she rid herself of her clothes and headed over to the bathroom in her bathrobe, taking a two-minute hot shower, so she wouldn't waste too much water.
She took the time to iron her school uniform, the white shirt, and dark blue tie, along with the same colored blue-white checkered pleated skirt. Her blazer didn't appear wrinkly, so she left it how it was, unplugging the iron.
Without any other things to do, Valentina placed her clothes on a hanger and sat down on her bed, burying her face in her hands with a sigh. She was exhausted, hungry, and disappointed in herself. There was little to no money left, and she had no idea what to do. Panic spread in her chest, and her hands tightened on her bedsheet, fighting down a scream. Everything was falling apart, and her mental and emotional state was in crumbles.
When the clock hit six o'clock, she changed into her uniform, tucking her shirt into her skirt, and pulling on some black thigh-high socks so she wouldn't be as cold. She combed through her blonde hair and placed a black headband that had a small blue bow on the right side of it, just behind her curtain bangs.
Pulling on her black worn-out loafers, Valentina slipped her phone into the pocket of her blazer. She wrote a quick note to her father that she was off to school, stuck it to the empty fridge, then left through the front door.
School started at eight o'clock, but she always arrived extra early, so she had some quiet time to herself. She usually studied alone in an empty classroom, but even when she was done with all her homework, she used the time to get some very much desired extra sleep.
YOU ARE READING
Business And Hopelessness
Romance"Your hair is full of snow," He chuckled as he looked at her, reaching out to push a strand of hair behind her ear. Some snow successfully fell off her, but he didn't withdraw his hand. He cupped her cheek, wiping away a few snowflakes from it. She...
