Ethereal - Part One

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

It was the start of the weekend and I wasn't up to do anything. After having an absolutely terrible week at the office, I was in no mood to do anything, especially to not entertain any idea my friend and roommate had.

"Oh, come on! It's Friday night! You cannot be staying home". "Kiara, I am exhausted. I haven't had the best week, I am a terrible saleswoman, my hair is a mess, and I have nothing to wear!". "There's no need for you to be so melodramatic. Your hair is a quick fix, I have clothes you can borrow and as for work? Who the fuck cares?".

"Not everyone's father is nice enough to send a fat pay check near the end of each month, Ki" I told her with a bored look. Kiara's father was voted the city's best businessman three years in a row now.

He was classy, handsome for his age and just about the richest person I knew. He paid Kiara's rent and made sure his precious daughter had no room to complain about anything lacking. He was also the reason I had a rent - free roof over my head.

"Don't do that". "Do what?" I asked innocently. "Every time you bring up the 'F' word, you go all depressed on me". I sighed then, because it was true. Kiara had a great relationship with her father, they were more like friends to be honest. I didn't have any of that.

My father barely said a word to me. After my mother died in a car accident, he was all I had left. It's not that he didn't love me, I know he did. I think I just reminded him too much of my mother. It was something he said often, and it always made him a little upset too.

"I'm sorry, Ki. You know I don't mean to do it". "Has he replied to any of your recent texts?". "He read the text I sent him for his birthday last week..." I muttered. "But he didn't reply" My friend finished for me. "He's a lawyer and a very successful one too. He's just busy". Kiara didn't say anything, instead she just rolled her eyes.

A loud banging on our apartment door frightened the both of us. "Open up bitches!". "Did you have to invite Reece?" I groaned out loud. "How can you even say that? She's your friend too". "Yeah, she's also the irresponsible friend that doesn't know when to stop drinking. You remember, last time she puked on my new Gucci boots".

"Oh my god, stop being such a bore! She promised to buy you new ones". "Ki, that was five months ago!". "Well, those things are expensive; she needs to save up first". I sighed and rolled my eyes dramatically while Kiara went and opened up for Reece.

"Hey, why aren't you dressed yet?" Reece asked me when she came into the room, flicking her dark red hair. "She doesn't want to go" Kiara complained, walking in behind Reece. "What? No, that is not an option, girlfriend". "Reece, I just want to cuddle up in bed with some ice cream and watch some good tv".

"Oh, hell no girl, we are going. When last did you even get some action?". "Nearly a month ago" Kiara answered for me, to which I just frowned. "No, it wasn't...it was when...".

"When that guy, Jason took you to his parents place because he was too drunk to remember where he lived and you couldn't fuck because he put you down on the couch where his mother was busy knitting and watching tv".

I grimaced at that memory, nearly throwing up when I remembered the shocked look on his mother's face. "God, that was something I wished I could forget". "And it's exactly what you need, to forget". "Yes, and the only way you are going to be successful at doing that, if you find a man to make you forget" Reece said with a wicked grin.

I pursed my lips in thought, knowing that I was probably going to regret this decision. "Fine, we can go, but we are not going to Starlight again. I don't know what's more pathetic, their music or their service at the bar". "Yes!" Reece exclaimed, high fiving Kiara. I sighed in defeat. Yolo, right?