Coco

1 - Same old

9 April 2017

My alarm rings as I forcefully pull my hand out of my thin tatted sheet and hit it wildly, missing, then second time lucky hitting the red button making the beep sound suddenly go quiet. I peel my eyes open slowly, feeling the dryness crumble around my eyelashes to face up at the red ceiling. My head turns to face my little black clock that sits on the wooden four legged table, reading 22:30pm. I groan and pull my body out of the bed.

There wasn't really a night where I got up easily, it was normally very tiring and begrudging. I live in a small room in a shared rented apartment on the street, Princess Avenue just East of Manchester. It was a about a 15 minute drive or for me about an hours walk to the main streets of the city. It was a small room, and when I say small, it had one bed, a set of drawers and a tiny shower room with a toilet just through a door at the end of the bed. Everything was cramped, the walls were red and the carpet was a brown colour. It wasn't pretty but it was ideal for the amount of time I spent in there. It was a shared apartment where everyone shared a kitchen and dining room and lounge area, but I didn't spend much time down there.

My friends Bambi and Milo also live here, along with 3 other women who I don't really speak too. We all have our own little room in this small apartment.

I stand up knowing the other girls will be up already, walking into the shower room and turning it on. There was a little mould around the shower door but once you push past that and the coldness of the water, you can enjoy a shower. I hop in, pushing past all of the negatives like normal and jump out after sorting myself out. I look in the slanted mirror on the wall to see nothing but mist from the condensation. I sigh pushing the door open with a creek to the rest of my room, the cold air brushing my dripping skin.

After a few minutes of waiting and fanning the mirror to clear, it did so and I combed my hair through. My hair was dark, just below shoulder length and had a few split ends. I haven't had it cut in a while, I can't really afford it at the moment, I'm waiting to get a nice tip from a client and then I'm straight to my friend Mindy, who's a hairdresser, she'll sort it out.

I put my make up on, blending it in with my neck and plastering a red lip stick over my pale tinted mouth and brush the mascara up to extend my eyelashes. I look at myself in the mirror with my toothbrush hanging out my mouth, and a towel wrapped around my chest to show my collar bones just. That's as good as it's going to get.

I let out a hum as I walk back into the bedroom, my feet drying on the scabby carpet and walking over to the drawers. I pull the top one open, then the bottom, reaching in to pull out a zebra print boob tube, a black denim skirt that cups my bum and some black boots that rise to just above my knee. I push my hair back sharply into a flat bun then lift a cropped black wig over my head, combing it through with my hands to style it. Taking one last look in the mirror I huff, grabbing my purse with diamanté's on and clutching it in my hands. My nails are painted white but chipped around the edges where I haven't had them done in ages.

I walk to the bedroom door looking at my whole body in the long mirror pressed against the door. I let out a long huff pulling the door back to see Milo all ready and in her clothes and make up, her head snapping to me sharply. She was wearing a long black coat with a crop top on underneath, some leather shorts and some fish net tights.

Milo was 27, 4 years older than me, with longer blonde hair, piercing silver contacts in her eyes and then a lollipop always between her lips, some guys like it. I smile slinging my purse over my shoulder.

"You ready chick?" She asks, popping the stick back in her mouth. I nod and carry on behind her, closing my door behind me.

"Where Bambi? She's usually up and ready before both of us?" I confuse and follow her down the hallway to the kitchen. We both walk in, the walls were a mustard yellow, paint chipped everywhere, cream kitchen cabinets and a old badly lit fridge in the corner. I lean against the counter as Milo reaches up into the top cupboard.