12:22

one

finally wrote it :,)

Inez ( /iːˈnɛz/)

"Yes, that'll be eight dollars and thirteen cents." I say as I hand him the drink, he swipes his card through the card reader and I watch it go through.

"Thank you, have a great day." I mumble to him as he walks off, and help the next and last customer before the sun went down.

I begin to close the back door, locking it and doing the same for the front, leaving it while getting into my car.

-

The lit up city is practically blinding me and the cars in front of me not moving an inch even though the light has already turned green as I sat in the traffic.

Is the driver alive?

The car behind me honks, causing the car in front of me to immediately start moving.

Finally.

After the traffic was at standstill for a little less than twenty minutes I'd gotten back to the front of my apartment building.

I park at the designated spot, shutting the door behind me and making sure that it was locked.

I walk through the huge tinted double doors until I encountered the elevator.

I step in and push the '6' button until the doors of the elevator pushed open, I walk in and turn on my phone, mom called a few times.

Few meaning about thirty times.

It's obviously normal for her to be worrying but she just overly worries sometimes.

I listen to all the voicemails, some being about a minute long while others were only 20 seconds.

All of them going in detail about eating, staying hydrated, being okay. Those may be basic things but, she cares.

I click on her contact, calling it. She immediately picks up basically yelling through the phone.

"Inez, did you get home safe?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm in the elevator and I'll be there soon."

"I called you so many times."

"Mom, it's like 1 am go to sleep, why are you up?" I ask her, as I gaze at the silver watch on my wrist.

"Fine, but next time receive my calls."

"Bye mom, love you." I cut her off in a monotone voice, yawning and slipping it back in the back pocket of my jeans.

The elevator doors slide open, and I reach my floor, catching me off guard. My bag starts slipping off as I slide it back on my shoulder where it originally was.

When I begin to approach the front of my door, I crash into a literal rock hard chest as the person in front of me groans in annoyance.

"Sorry." I mutter, not bothering to look up at who it was.

"Get the fuck out of my way." He demands as he moves past me, pushing me aside intentionally.

Ouch.

"Jerk." I whisper in defense before fixing a few strands of my hair.

I fumble through my bag while walking up to the door, until I reached my keys. I take it out and twist the house key through the keyhole and it snaps open.

In the sight in front of me, I notice my friend Alisha and another guy who I have never seen before, his button up undone, standing a couple centimeters apart from one another.