Blues

1. First Day Blues.

Chapter one:

Seattle

Candice

Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.

I mentally instruct myself as my feet slap against the obdurate concrete, my erratic breathing making it hard to grasp one single thought on my nonsensical mind. The bonkers metal music bellows through my headphones, loud enough to annihilate my hearing and the rest of my senses, but also enough to shut out the whole universe. Exactly my aim.

It becomes harder and harder to breathe. My chest feels tight, my heart rate leaping up the scale. I refuse to give up and lessen my 7-kilometers-per-hour pace. It's not in my blood to give up. Once you give up on something, it gets easier to give up on everything.

My heart practically jumps in exhilaration once my eyes spot my apartment building. Well not exactly mine, but it's what I should be calling home, even if it doesn't feel like one.

I gradually start to slow my pace until I come to a stop just a few meters away from the building and finally relieve my dry throat with a few sips of water. My legs feel heavy as I practically drag them after me, my running gear sticking to my curvy and petite body. Sweat trickles down my already drenched face but I refuse to think about how vile I must look.

My eyebrows shoot up the moment I open the front door and notice a very fully dressed Hannah sitting on my couch. Our couch. She's nibbling on her perfectly manicured nails. Her green eyes look up at me the moment I open the door, a big smile playing on her lip gloss painted lips.

We've been roommates for a month now. We got along, but not enough to be close friends. She tried to befriend me at first, but quickly gave up on me. The lack of my feedback hindered the process.

I'm better off without anyone.

"Morning, You didn't strike me as an early riser. " I tease her, matching her smile with one of mine.

She rolls her eyes, "It's our first day. Duh."

"And?" I raise my eyebrows, retrieving another bottle of water and gulping half of it.

"And I couldn't fall asleep!" She shrugs and continues, " do you think I'll be able to make friends? " she asks in a small voice, dragging a hand through her flat-ironed blonde hair. Suddenly, I feel sympathetic. I don't like it.

Unlike me, Hannah is shy and self conscious. She dresses up in designer clothes and her beautiful face is always illuminated with ridiculously expensive makeup. I'm sure as hell she cannot afford that stuff but she buys it anyway. She's always worried about people's opinions of her. It's something that I've come to realise when she repeatedly asked me if my silence had something to do with her. I kept convincing her that I'm not the chatty type, until she finally got it.

I was ecstatic when I received my acceptance letter. Living in Seattle has always appealed to me. It's not my dream, but it's beautiful enough to be one. I had to find a place and hunt for a job before the semester began. The apartment isn't that fancy but thankfully, the rent is affordable.

"Absolutely. You're super charming and everyone will want to befriend you. " I emphasise with a small smile.

The look she gives me shows so much appreciation. "Thank you."

I brush it off. I don't like it when someone throws their emotions at me. I don't appreciate them, much less feel them.

After a long hot shower, my muscles finally loosen up, leaving a hint of soreness to remind me of my euphoric morning run.