Sunkissed Love [ON HOLD]

when did you get here?

a m b r o s e

I awoke to a child pouncing on me, drawing out a loud grunt from me when she landed on my torso. She giggled and I cursed the sunlight that nearly blinded me in the apartment.

"Ambrose!" She shouted in my face, grin spreading across her face. "School! It's time for school!"

I jumped up, now alert with panic. "School? What time is it?"

"7:30!"

"7:30? " I screeched out, hoping she was lying and it was actually 7. I got up from the bed and glared at my alarm clock which displayed the cursed number. I ushered her to the bathroom, handing her the unused toothbrush. "Brush your teeth real well for me and then you can get dressed with the clothes I put on the bed, alright?"

She nodded and got to brushing while I sprinted out of there to grab a pair of jean shorts and a loose floral tee, tossing them on the bed with a pair of white socks. I tugged on a pair of loose jeans and a white top before I left the bedroom to go make her lunch. I grabbed a brown paper bag, stuffing it with a sandwich, a few crackers, half of a cut up apple and a water bottle.

She came out of the bedroom dressed and her backpack clutched in her hands. I handed her a couple of strawberry waffles and she giddily ate them, downing the small glass of milk I set on the round dining table. She swung her feet out and I put on her sneakers. I grabbed my sling bag and slipped on my run down tennis shoes before ushering her out.

We got to the bus stop that wasn't far from my apartment and I waved her goodbye as the big yellow school bus pulled up in front of us. When the bus left, I slumped, resting for a second before realizing that I, too, had class today. With that, I headed towards the two classes I dreaded.

Those two classes seemed to drag on for hours and I managed to escape nearly two hours later with a new workload. The roads were busy while I caught a public bus to take me to the library to start my shift.

Emelia waved at me with a huge smile on her face when I walked through the doors. "Rose!" She exclaimed, her eyes getting smaller as he smile took up more of her face.

"Hey, Emmie." I walked up behind the front counter where she sat beside me. Her arms wrapped around me in a short and sweet hug. I dropped my bag on the floor and pulled on my ID. "What've you been up to?"

"Well," she sent me a pout, "you switched shifts two days ago without telling me and I showed up so happy to see you and then you never showed up."

I winced in return. "Sorry Emmie. I forgot that I had a rescheduled lab to do that day and then I had to tutor someone. I had to reschedule last minute and completely forgot to tell you."

She let out a cute huff and I laughed at her as she crossed her arms like a baby. "A text would've been nice."

I tugged on her arm, whining out, "C'mon, Emmie! It was a mistake! I forgot." I pushed and pulled on her arm, rocking her whole body back and forth until she leaned too far out of her chair and landed on the floor with a thump.

I giggled at her and laughed even harder when she stood up and brushed down her butt, grumbling out complaints. I gave her a mischievous smile. "Sorry."

She narrowed her eyes at me, "You knew what you were doing." I gave her a faux innocent look and shrugged my shoulders. Her face turned into one of her scheming grins. "How's it going with pretty boy?"

I could feel the heat rush to my ears when I thought back to the that day. My first encounter with him was so embarrassing and the following weeks I was wishing we could have some fateful encounter. I let out a pained groan and held my face in my hands. "Don't even get me started on that. It was the first time I ever went up to him and I just walked away like a chicken after saying like three words!"