LOCKDOWN

Chapter 8

It was day two of the lockdown and my anxiety was already at its peak. Being in lockdown with the one person I could possibly consider an enemy was anxiety inducing in itself, and I had tossed and turned all night, eventually waking up in a pool of sweat. Instead of ruminating on the bad dreams and the situation I was stuck in, I pulled myself out of bed and headed straight to my bathroom to have a shower. The moment I stepped inside the doorway it was obvious that I hadn't been the last person to be in here - the towels Peyton had used were crumpled on the floor and the body wash, shampoo, and conditioner had fallen from the shelf and were laying on the floor of the shower. I rolled my eyes, picking up the towels and hanging them on the towel rack to dry properly. After showering off the sweat that had coated my body during my horrible nights sleep, I dried myself off, braided my damp hair and packed some concealer over the dark bruise that had formed around my nose and eyes from the soccer ball. I changed into a pair of high waisted shorts and a loose cropped t-shirt, sliding my feet into my fluffy slippers.

As I walked down the hallway back to my room, I peered into the spare bedroom where I knew Peyton was sleeping. She was curled up under the covers, her arm draped around Dennis' sleeping frame. She looked peaceful...harmless, even. For the first time in as long as I could remember, looking at her didn't stir anxiety inside me. The feeling wasn't long lived as Dennis stretched in his sleep, kicking Peyton in the side as he did so. She groaned loudly and rolled over, and I quickly ran out of sight. The last thing I wanted was to be caught staring at her while she slept, I would never be able to live it down.

I crept downstairs slowly, not wanting to wake the sleeping pair, and got to work in the kitchen making breakfast. The smell of cooking bacon must've roused Dennis from his slumber, as he appeared moments later. I threw him a piece to chew on as I finished cooking the eggs, placing them on the plate with the bacon and two slices of buttered toast. I didn't know why I was so desperate to impress the girl who had disliked me for so many years, but I had this insatiable need to do so. I took the plate of breakfast upstairs, planning to wake her with a knock on the door, but she was already awake.

She hadn't noticed my presence. She had discarded the shirt I had given her and opted for a sports bra, still wearing my sweatpants I had given her last night. She was on the floor of the room doing push ups; her shoulder, arm, and back muscles peaking through her tanned skin. Much to my dismay, I couldn't help but admire her perfectly sculpted body.

"Uh...Peyton?" I spoke awkwardly, and she looked up at me from the floor.

"I'm busy," she said, before continuing the exercise.

I nodded in defeat, leaving the plate of breakfast by the door and going back downstairs to join Dennis on the couch. I didn't know what I expected Peyton's reaction to be, but I had hoped for more than just an 'I'm busy,'. I hadn't expected her dislike for me to dissipate overnight, but I thought that she would at least appreciate my hospitality. I sighed, falling back onto the couch and curling up underneath a soft blanket. I turned on the TV, hoping to distract myself from the disappointed and uneasy feeling in my stomach.

" - still no cure in sight. Yesterday recorded over nine thousand new confirmed cases Australia wide and experts are saying that this number is expected to increase rapidly if we do not stay inside and abide by the rules set by the Australian Government."

Well, that did absolutely nothing to make me feel better. The news anchor continued,

"In better news, we can confirm that ninety seven year old Sydney resident, Doris Mansfield, is the first person over the age of ninety to officially recover from ENOV-18 in Australia. Our producers have spoken to her over the phone and she has confirmed that she is safe and well, resting at home with her family."