AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PROLOGUE
“Hey,come on, you need to wake up,” the voice says, sounding startled. “Come on, please, you need to leave.”
I’m slowly pulled from my sweet slumber, feeling a hand on my arm shaking me aggressively. My eyes slowly open, taking in Meagan, my coworker, with her hair poking up all over the place. A frantic look on her face pleading for me to get up.
I rub my eyes. “What’s going on?”
“You need to go, now!” she shouts, and she’s still shaking me.
“First of all, get your hands off me,” I snap. She instantly pulls them away, her eyes round and wild. “Would you chill? What the hell is going on?” I look at my wristwatch. “It’s five in the morning.”
“Sorry, you were only allowed to stay here because my roommate was away. She called two minutes ago to say she just landed at JFK,” Meagan says, looking alarmed. She should be alarmed. I paid her three hundred dollars for this room for the entire month. It’s only been two weeks.
“Not my problem,” I groan and allow my eyes to fall shut.
“It is your problem. You need to get out before she gets home,” she states.
“Are you on something?” I ask.
“Out, Ellie, now,” she demands, whipping the blanket off me.
“Wow, that was a little much,” I say to Meagan. I’m awake now and my hackles are up.
“I paid you for the entire month, I’m staying.”
“Look, I can find a way to pay you back, but I need you gone now. Annie doesn’t know I rented her room. If she finds out you were sleeping in here, she’s going to be pissed. I needed the money but. . .”
Just great.
I didn’t exactly unpack my clothes, but my art supplies are scattered everywhere.
“I hope you didn’t stain anything with all this paint,” she complains. “I’ll have to check for damages before I refund you the remainder of your rent.”
This is what I get for trusting a coworker I barely know. I didn’t have the money to keep paying for my apartment. I moved out without giving notice and thought I hit the jackpot when Meagan, my manager at the retail store I worked at, said she had an empty room in her apartment that would be available for the next few months. Luckily, I told her I’d pay her every month because it’s been two weeks and this is falling apart.
I have a feeling I’m not getting the remainder of my rent back and, even worse, Meagan will also probably find a reason to let me go.
I quickly begin to scramble.
“Shit, I need you to hurry,” she hisses as she begins to help me pack. She looks insane with a green mask on her face that is crumbling and rollers in her hair.
“I would rather you keep your hands off my art supplies.” I stand from the bed, which is a double mattress on the floor. “I get that you need me out, but back the fuck up.” It’s five in the morning and she’s hit my last nerve.
“Seriously? Annie is on her way home. You need to get out. I didn’t realize you were so defiant, Ellie. I would never have allowed you to stay here if I did. You’ve made a big mess of this place. So irresponsible of you. We need to rethink your position at the store.”
Why am I not surprised?
“Let me just go to the bathroom. I’ll get out of your hair in a jiff.” I give her my fakest smile and as I walk off I mutter, “Bitch.”
“I heard that,” she calls after me.
“I don’t care,” I singsong my reply.
I quickly relieve my bladder, brush my teeth, and gather the supplies I left in the bathroom.
When I return, my suitcases are by the door. Lucky for her she didn’t touch my art supplies because they are expensive and mean the world to me.
“I need to put on clothes,” I bring to Megan’s attention.
