The Enigmatic Alchemy Of Love

Chapter 2 [ Julie ]

I clench my teeth and fist my hands as my fingers dance on the keyboard and my mind races with bad ideas.

There is no denying that my parents are right to think I am smart as a whip. I am incredibly talented in the arts and literature.

The only art I struggle with is remaining calm. I never picked it up. Maybe I am not interested in learning. It is challenging. Way out of my league.

Panic is something I enjoy. Stress helps me to work better.

My house is crampy. The location is bad. The Internet stinks here. A single page takes ages to load. And the electricity — what can I say it’s a luxury.

I decided to leave, but my finances said no. So, at 3 a.m., an impulsive thought struck me hard, and here I am applying for the scholarship to a few prestigious state schools.

I am aware that it is a remote possibility. After all, there are thousands of geniuses on the waiting list. But I am out of my damn mind.

I close the computer and retire to bed. The blanket is dusty but breathable enough to get through the night. I roll my pink blanket around my body like a cinnamon roll and begin counting up to 100.

Breath in-1.

Breath out-2.

Breath in-3.

Breath out-4.

It helps me fall asleep — a lot of times, sometimes.

Fucking insomnia!!!

I put on my covers to get a few more minutes of sleep. But God has other plans for me.

My mother barges into my room. She put aside the curtains from the window, letting more sunlight come inside. She shouts at me.

“Julie, wake up… Look at the time. It’s time to get up. Breakfast is ready at the table. I am not going to call you twice. You know what I mean?”

She walks away after slamming the door so hard that it nearly rips my ears.

“I swear my eardrums will be destroyed if I stay in this house for another year. Perhaps I will go deaf soon.” I said, and my voice echoes in the room.

I go to the bathroom and turn on the shower, hoping to wash away my tiredness. But the shower alone will not provide me with relief. I bought it a few months ago after seeing it a hundred times on TV.

Are you having a bad day? Your day feels dull. There is nobody to console you. Get this showerhead today. The pressure of water is so high that it will give you eternal happiness; your man will never be able to.

My lonely dumbass actually believed it and bit the bait. I was not used to making rash purchases. Maybe I was too alone that day.

Being lonely is a curse.

I exit the bathroom after a more productive hour. This is the only place where nobody bothers you. Excluding idiotic people who lack manners.

I descend the stairs and enter the kitchen. I take a seat in front of the table on the chair. The half-fried egg has lost its crispiness and warmth. I am late, as usual.

“No big deal. We eat to live. And not the other way,” I murmured and took a big mouthful of toast.

It tastes really bland. I have not had a warm and tasty meal in a long time.

Allow me to clarify. I am not destitute or a beggar. I just do not have enough time. My mother wakes up before our rooster, so she cooks first thing in the morning. And we must consume it before the chickens in our farmhouse do.