Hostility

Chapter 1

"Goddammit!" I shout as I smash 'end call' with enough force to crack the screen and throw my phone across the room angrily. I prop my elbows up on my desk and sigh heavily, running my shaky hands through my long, messy hair. This is the third time this month Stacey has called me with bad news about my recent auditions. Nothing seems to be working out for me lately. I sit back in my chair and peer out the window, watching the heavy rain pelting the window relentlessly.

I've been waiting for months for my big break to come, the movie moment that's supposed to change everything. I know Stacey has been trying her hardest to get me to the right places and to get in touch with the right people, and I appreciate that more than she'll ever know, but I've been trying my hardest, too! It hurts to work so hard, to put your heart and soul into the auditions you want so badly, only to get told in return that you're not good enough. A single tear rolls down my cheek, but I quickly wipe it away with a shaky hand. It's not like I'm not used to this. Why should it upset me now?

I take a deep, calming breath as I stand up from my chair and walk downstairs to the kitchen. A little coffee is all I need right now to calm my nerves. I stand in front of the cabinets and put a finger on my chin as I survey my options. I choose what best suites my momentary cravings. Cinnamon mocha. It was always mom's favorite. I smile to myself as I bring the steaming cup up to my mouth, closing my eyes and savoring the rich taste. The rain continues to pound onto the roof overhead, creating a calming symphony to drown out the thoughts swirling through my mind.

I'm ripped from my meditation as I hear the flat's front door being yanked open and then slammed shut. I look up from my spot in the kitchen to see an exasperated figure come bursting through the lounge, keys in hand and dripping with rain water. I chuckle to myself lightly, leaning back against the marble counter top and taking another sip of my coffee. She sighs loudly, dramatically throwing herself onto the nearest couch and ignoring the fact that her soaking wet clothes are ruining the furniture.

"Well, hello to you, too," I laugh, getting only a muffled grunt in reply.

Sam is my best friend of 12 years and roommate of about 2 of those years. We've been  mates since grade school, and she's the closest thing to family that I have right now. She's a tad bit older than me, her being 19 and me 17, but she's always treated me as an equal ; that's something I'm really grateful for.

Sam and I are basically carbon copies of one another. She's what I guess you could call, a classic troublemaker. The type whose walls are covered in rock posters and who drives a piece of shit car around that she somehow manages to make look cool. She's gotten into trouble with the law so many times that I've given up on trying to keep count. But she always ends up getting off the hook because her uncle absolutely adores her, and it's pretty fortunate that he's Chief Officer of the Santa Barbara Police Department. I'm not gonna say her behavior hasn't rubbed off on me any, because I'd be lying if I did. She once convinced me to steal the car of my bitchy teacher from 3rd grade, tattoo my cat's name on my left asscheek, and take my first hit of weed from a stranger's bong. All in the same night.

"Jordan again?" I question, already knowing the answer as I tap my nails against the kitchen counter.

Jordan is Sam's boyfriend. I've met him a few times and he seems like a nice guy, but I know there's a totally different side to him when no one else is around. He and Sam get into these intense fights that last for days, at the least ; it's obvious they don't agree on many things. I hate Sam being in such a shitty relationship, but I know she's stubborn as hell and would never cut things off with him if it meant saving her own life. I also know it's not my place to make those decisions. So I shut my mouth, as usual.

Sam finally sits up from her splayed out position on the couch, her dirty blonde hair sticking out everywhere, and trudges her way into the kitchen.