Spaces

Chapter 1

*Drew*
I woke up to the sun shining directly in my room. It was way too bright, but at least it was day time. I rolled over to block the sun's harmful rays from my eyes. The digital clock's bright red numbers were now in my face. 10:57. I gasped and leaped out of bed. I slept in too late and now I'd be late for my shift over at the bakery.

I sped over to my closet and pulled out the uniform. A white button-down shirt and black jeans. I felt like a penguin as I slid the pants on and buttoned up the shirt. I pulled my long brown hair into a ponytail. The curling wand was sitting on my small vanity, but I didnt have time to curl my hair. I put on a pair of black vans and grabbed my backpack with my money, phone, and a change of clothes for later and ran out the door. I didn't have a car yet seeing as my mom was too cheap, so I ran to work.

Off the back road and into the city, I caught up to Nathaniel. He's been my best friend since grade school and he was the only one who understood me. "What happened to catching the train to Dublin? I was preparing my cover story." He asked when I reached him. "The damn tickets got wet in the rain and broke apart. So I had to run back home and go through the window." I sighed.

"Well you missed Jaycee's party. It was actually pretty fun until the drapes caught fire and the tent burned down. They had drinks." He replied. "Well I'm too young anyways, so I couldn't have some even if they sound really good right now." I told him. We turned the corner silently and moved to the other side of the street. The bakery we worked at was at the end near the pier, so we had a little ways to jog.

"You turn 18 in a week, Drew. Then I can take you to the coolest pubs and we can get wasted together." He smirked. "Wow, what a great offer, but how can we get home after a night of drunken pleasures?" I ask as we approach the bakery.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Our boss, Danny, yells from the back, "Drew, out front, and Nathaniel, we have a big order to complete." He barked. I hug Nathan and wish him luck as I stand behind the counter. I set the box of gloves next to the register and put the ring of keys on my arms, ready to start the day.

As soon as I took my place on the stool, the first customer walked in. "Hello, welcome to House of Bakes! How can I help you today?" I say with a plastered smile. "Well aren't you a pretty princess." A man in a dark hoodie says with a deep Irish accent. "Anyone else here?" He asked. I nodded and break out in a sweat. His voice is calm, but his presence scares me.

I think he senses my fear and he pulls off the hood. His eyes are beautiful blue and his hair is a mix of brown and blonde. I look at him for a minute and then I begin to recognize him. "You're that direction guy, right?" I've seen him in magazines and such, but they were never that interesting to me. "Yeah I'm Niall. I'm guessing since you didn't know ,you're not a fan."  I shake my head. "Do you need something?" I ask, not wanting to talk much longer.

"I need a dozen blueberry muffins and a date with you." He said. I blush a bright red. I turn away to save myself the embarrassment and yell into the back, "1 dozen of the blueberry muffins". "And that date?" He asked. I shrugged and he broke out into a grin. "When do you close on Saturdays?" He asked, pulling out his phone.

"I'm off on Saturdays, but I'll meet you at the coffee shop on the corner at 7. Is that a good time?" I ask and he nods and types things into his phone. "What's your number?" Just at that time, Nathan decides to come out with that dozen of blueberry muffins.  "That'll be £14.20." I say as he hands me a handful of pounds, more than necessary. "Keep the change." He says, grabbing the box from Nathan. I write my number on his receipt and sign my name next to it. I place it on top of his box and wink.

He leaves and I can feel Nathan's glare."What?!" I moaned, not bothering to face him.  "You gave him your number? Seriously, I thought we were done giving out your number after Smith." I rolled my eyes. "Smith was a mistake from the beginning, Nathan. I promise this one will be better." I sigh and turn to the counter. He huffs and walks away

***
The rest of the day was slow so Nathan and I got to leave early. "Wanna come over? My dad bought more beer and I'm sure you want a drink as much as I do." He suggested, nudging my arm. "Still not legal." I stated.  "Practice makes perfect, young grasshopper," He replied, "race you to my place." He started running away.

I ran after him, forgetting the fact that I was in uncomfortable flats. The neighborhood that the bakery is located in is always quiet besides the drifting sound of happiness from the pier. The smell of the salty sea water is always refreshing compared to the smell of cigarette smoke that infects my cramped two bedroom house (Thanks Mom!). I wonder how happy the little girls that go fishing with their dads are. While they fish, my dad is in another country with his new wife and a bulk of money. "Rich bastard can't even pay child support on time." My mom would say whenever I brought him up. In a week, I'll no longer be a minor and he won't have to pay anymore.

When we finally reached Nathan's house, I was so tired I almost collapsed on the front porch. He let me inside and I made myself at home on his couch as he went to find the beer bottles. He came back a minute later with two bottles of Corona beer. I looked at it and half smiled. Beer wasn't something I truly wanted to try, especially today. But I thought I'd give it a shot.

Nathan set the bottle in front of me and started looking for a good movie to watch. I found a random bottle opener on the floor by my feet and used it to open my bottle. It felt weird to hold a beer, but in Ireland, it's not uncommon to see. I took a tiny sip. The taste burned my throat and it was really strong, but I kind of liked it. Looking at the bottle, I thought about my dad again. I remembered how he used to be drunk all the time when I was little and how the cabinet was stocked with beer. All the thoughts in my head made me mad, so I put the beer bottle back to my lips to help numb the pain. After a few gulps, I faced Nathan who returned to his spot beside me.

"Your dad won't know right?" I asked. "Won't notice a thing, babe."  "Can I stay the night? I plan on getting extremely wasted tonight." He laughed and choked a bit on his beer. "Sure, mi casa es su casa."

Author's Note

Hey guys😊
This is the first chapter of Spaces and I'm really excited for this book, I promise it'll be dramatic and funny and romantic❤️ Sorry this was none of the above but it's coming, just let it develop.
Anyways my PM is always open if you need to talk, just for fun or about your problems cause I'm good with that kind of thing.

THANKS SO MUCH
bradford_bad_gurl1  for creating this cover. Your other covers are amazing and this one ceased to disappoint. You guys should check out her books and her covers. 😊

THANKS SO MUCH dreaming_reader03  for editing this chapter and for being one of my Wattpad best friends. Seriously you're amazing so you guys should go and check her out as well cause she's awesome.
That's it for me!

Love,
Awesome