in the middle of the night ~c.l.~

viii

Chloe never realized how messy her apartment was.

She had approximately 2 friends that she could invite over. And they both had been friends with her for so long that they wouldn't care if there was dirty clothes everywhere and water bottles strewn on the floor.

Alona was very nice about it when she walked in, taking it all in and brushing it off. Cosmic scattered to the door, rubbing her legs and purring. Fucking Cosmic, Chloe scowled, Always stealing the attention.

"They're so adorable!" Alona gushed, bending down to pet the pudgy cat. "What's their name?"

Chloe shut the door behind her and slipped off her pink Toms. "Cosmic. I've had her for like, four years now?" She settled her bag on one of the hooks she never used and went to the fridge to manically scope out something to drink. "You want anything?"

Alona, still occupied with the cat, whipped her head up. "No thanks! Can I pick her up?"

Chloe nodded. Alona took Cosmic into her arms and scritched her head. Chloe got herself a water and plopped in front of the refrigerator. She's so cute.

She toyed with her phone, stuck in the waistband of her yoga pants. She had three hours until work. It was seven o'clock in Dublin. Lucas was probably having dinner with his lovely girlfriend, laughing over beers and steaks. Chloe just knew that this was the trip where he was going to propose. He didn't discuss it, but Chloe had a feeling in the pit of her gut. She knew.

She mentally shamed herself. Here was this girl, this cute girl playing with her cute cat who bought her a cute new bag, and she was thinking about Lucas. Double ugh.

"So, where are you from?" Alona asked, the cat still purring ferociously in her lap. Chloe scooted over, petting the cat herself, "I'm from this town in Pennsylvania called Murrysville. You?"

"All over!" Alona chuckled, digging her long ebony nails in the scruff of Cosmic's neck, causing the cat to purr harder. "I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, was there until I turned six, moved to Texas, stayed there for two years or so, lived in Germany for a couple years, and spent most of my teenage years here, in Manhattan." She leant back, Cosmic shuffling with her. "Army brat. My dad was in the service for fourteen years." It was then when Chloe noticed the dog tags round her neck.

"Oh my god, did he die?" Chloe held her breath and faced herself for the worst. Thankfully, Alona laughed. "No, lovey, he and my mom live in Harlem. They're all well and good. I just got his dog tags when he retired."

Chloe sighed a sigh of relief. "My parents live in my old house in Murrysville. My mom was this fantastic stay-at-home mom for years and years. Now she owns a bakery. And my dad is a realtor." Chloe gathered her legs up together. Great stay-at-home mom? Mom never stayed at home. She was always at Abby's.

"You know what my dad did, obviously, and now he's a teacher. My mom worked as everything. She was a waitress, she taught immigrants English, she illustrated books! My mom is a multitasker extraordinaire. Ouch!" Alona whimpered as Cosmic clawed her way off her thighs.

From then on they discussed siblings (Chloe had fifteen-year-old Clara, Alona was an only child), music (Chloe loved old 2000s jams, like Nelly Furtado and Jojo, and Alona loved Latin music and Kenny Chesney), and making it in the arts.

Eventually, Chloe forgot about Lucas, and his stupid brown hair, and stupid beautiful brown eyes, and how he gripped her hand so tight...

When Alona left, Chloe slid down her door clutching her phone with the new number in it, feeling dreamy and dazed.

ayyy guess who updated
me!!!!!!!
I hoped y'all liked this. Also, if you guys want to read something new from me, I have a new story called "flowers in your hair", and it's pretty swag.
also the yt video is a great cover of girls by the 1975 by a great girl called Daisy Nicole Clark. I love it lots.
thanks!!!! colleen