Winter Air [H.S.]

Forty-Three

It was a night of drunken confessions, unending laughter, and the greasiest pizza that side of Los Angeles could offer. It had been close to dawn by the time Ava stumbled back into her apartment. Her heart had been bursting with contentment. The constant nagging at her heart that she would not be able to find a friend, would be lonely, and be in a constant state of brokenness had finally eased up. She had made not only one but two friends, no longer felt lonely, and the state of brokenness that she was always sitting in was slowly drifting away. 

Her bed never felt more comfortable than it did right in that moment. The blankets and pillows engulfed her into a cloud like hug. Without even bothering to change or wash away the leftover makeup that was still plastered on her face, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. That night, her mind didn't fall into a string of horrid nightmares. It wasn't the same cold sweat inducing incubus that haunted her night after night. Instead, she was dreamt of the happy memories. The moments that brought a huge grin to her face every time she thought about them. She dreamt about the times her and her mother would go down to the pier and watch the boats sail about. Those summer days were they would spend the afternoon eating ice cream and she would play on the playground for hours on end. They were the memories lit up her eyes. The dreams that made her long for the easy days of childhood. All in all, she had finally slept. 

Her head pounded. An ache scorched through her body rising up to her head reducing to a constant pang. "Ugh," it felt like the room was spinning. Her stomach began to churn. Ava rushed out of her bed as fast as she could and ran to her en suit bathroom. She made it to the toilet in time for the contents of last nights activities to conjure back up. "God." 

She was startled by her appearance. Her mascara was smeared around her eyes making her look like a raccoon's long lost cousin. Her hair was a tangled mess on top of her head. She was still in her outfit from the night before causing her to cringe at the sight. Quickly the clothes were peeled off and the water began to run. It felt soothing as it ran down her body. The room quickly fogged up. The water was hot but she didn't mind. Her muscles began to relax as it pelted down her small frame. 

The smell of vanilla and lavender filled in the big bathroom. She felt refreshed; awake. As much as she wanted to stab herself in the eye with a knife, she felt rested. The towel that wrapped around her body was comforting. Goosebumps automatically appeared as the cold air kissed her skin.

It was a slow Saturday afternoon. It had already been noon by the time Ava rolled out of bed and showered. The streets outside were busy with people running around doing their regular Saturday morning errands. The sun was shining bright. It's rays cascaded through the floor to ceiling window that donned inside the living room. Lace curtains lined the windows and were pushed open to allow the sun to seep through. Automatically, the apartment warmed up. The more Ava lived there, the more homely it began to feel. 

Saturdays were made for two things: lounging in sweatpants and for countless amounts of junk food to be consumed, and that was exactly what Ava had done all day. She didn't bother to change into a pair of jeans once she got out of the shower. Instead, she opted for a pair of sweatpants and an oversized band tee. It had been the perfect recipe for comfort. 

Ava was in the middle of watching a rerun of "Say Yes To The Dress" when a loud knock came from her main door. It startled her causing Ava to drop her spoon full of ice cream on her sweatpants. "Shit," she attempted to wipe it off but it only caused it to smear more. If she didn't look like a real mess before, she certainly did now. 

Another obnoxious knock came from the door once more. Peeking through the small peep hole, she saw a mess of dark brown hair. A smile creeped to her lips. "You look like shit," she laughed as she opened the door.