Littlespace Academy (SFW)

Chapter 1 (REDONE 10/11/2022)

               I sighed as I rolled from my side to my stomach. The breath had so much force put into it that I felt like I was deflating. I had been looking at college pages all day, yet none of their "hook lines" really caught my attention. I was doing blank skims of the uncomfortably similar front pages. Every last one seemed far too fake to interest me. Even the few that had a slight bit more of my attention didn't have me staying for more than two or three minutes at a time. I wanted a college that would let me breathe in a way no other environments ever had.

               As I was really beginning to get lost in my endeavors, a twenty percent battery warning showed itself on the screen with an irritating tone. I took a moment to stretch before putting my laptop in sleep mode and plugging it in. The next item to get my attention was the digital clock sitting on my nightstand, currently displaying 3:47pm. I got myself ready to shower later than preferred while internally swearing it couldn't have been six hours. 

               I grabbed a clean t-shirt and shorts from the drawers in my nightstand without taking much of a look at them. Overall, I owned a very small amount of clothes, so it wasn't difficult to ensure everything in my closet was matching. Spare pairs of pants sat in the closet for colder months, so did a few nice outfits for special occasions. 

               I should probably get more clothes before college, I thought to myself. I went on autopilot to gather my things and get to the bathroom. My taste in clothes was still mostly uncertain when I thought about it. Most of the clothing I owned was black, white, or another plain color due to cost-efficiency. I wanted to branch out and establish a sort of style for myself, but where to start was a complete mystery. That was more of my best friend Charlotte's thing.

               Charlotte was amazing. She'd been my best friend since high school. We went through so much together. Her mother even saw me as another daughter. They'd let me stay at their house when things at mine got overwhelming or complicated, which was more often than I'd ever openly admit. I was eternally grateful to them for everything they did for me. I was especially grateful for them helping me get on my feet to live on my own. Right after high school ended, my mother told me she didn't want me in the house anymore and forced me to leave. I made it a point not to talk to her much.

               The warm water running on my hand startled me out of my thoughts. I'd hardly noticed I was even the bathroom. I set the temperature to my liking before stripping and getting in. The warmth of the stream was comfortable on my back. I relaxed underneath it. Between my hair, body, and shaving, I hardly needed ten minutes in the shower. I always spent a bit more time to enjoy how the stream felt. I was almost reluctant to kill the faucet when the time came.

               I automatically tossed an extra towel over the mirror the second I noticed it unfortunately still existed. As calming as the shower was, I didn't need to see my body. Especially not the nasty reminders that "decorated" my skin. I pulled on new shorts and tossed the t-shirt I'd grabbed over my head after pat-drying my skin and wrapping my hair. The fabric felt so soft and warm that a gentle sigh spilled from my lips.

               I left the mess in the bathroom for future Myrium to deal with before making a beeline for my room. A quick check of the clock told me I'd only taken twenty minutes in the bathroom. When I flopped back onto my bed, I immediately reopened my computer, which rested on the mattress where I'd left it. It was a smaller, more compact model that made me feel cozy. The battery was all the way up to just under half now. Unfortunately that didn't change the issue of how goddamn boring college searching actually was. Not to mention time consuming. Leaving the computer plugged in, I kept a temper tantrum down while continuing scrolling the college site.