The Wild

-3- Leather Jackets

Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.

An alarm yanked me out of my sleep, and its shrill horn slapped me in the face as I dragged myself up into a sitting position. Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands, I looked around for that godforsaken clock, but there was none. Amaya flopped her arm outside of the mattress range and plucked her phone off the ground. She shut the alarm off.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, heaving a relieved sigh that caused my shoulders to hunch forward. My hair was a rat's nest on the top of my head, and it was beginning to fall forward over my eyes, so I pushed the unbelievably messy bun back to its rightful place.

Amaya rolled off her mattress that spread out from underneath my bed. Her blankets were a bundled mess at the bottom of the sheets, which made it easier for her to climb out onto the carpeting, especially since she was barely on the mattress to begin with. I took my merry time getting up and stretching the semi-graceful way that caused my back to crack, a yawn to dement my face, and my toes to curl.

In the process of meandering over to the kitchen, Amaya was already there getting out a pitcher of fresh orange juice and two glasses for the both of us. "You don't have to make breakfast," I commented after noticing the pad of butter sizzling on a pan at the stove.

"No, no, it's cool. Over easy eggs?" she suggested, waltzing back over to the refrigerator.

I knew it was coming, considering I was just about to warn her, but I didn't get much further than, "Watch out th-"

She tumbled over a wrinkle in the Rug Of Doom, but thankfully caught herself before she could face plant into the ground. She bolted upright instantly, nearly spilling the pitcher of juice in her hands, but only a few drops sloshed out. We both cringed, as if we could already feel the darkness creeping up behind us.

"Gosh dang it, Lily. Why didn't you remind me sooner?" Amaya whined, throwing her arms in the air before stomping back over to the refrigerator and shoving the pitcher back in and grabbing two eggs. I was surprised she didn't break them in her tightly clenched fists.

I held my hands up in surrender. "Definitely not my fault." She snorted childishly before cracking an egg into the popping pan. I took a seat at the counter as my coffee prepared so I had time to casually sip my orange juice.

"How'd you sleep?" I decided to ask after a moment of silence. She shrugged, looking out the open window above the sink. Her reflection in the glass indicated she couldn't see me, but instead she stared out to the forest path. It felt like we were cabin mates at a lame middle school campground, and we just happened to score the one farthest away from all the activities. Up high in the mountains and with a walk like that to get to the Square, it sure did look like it.

"Fine, I guess. I woke up once, but that was to get a glass of water. Did you see the moon last night? It was huge. Like, the size of this plate." She held up a circular platter that she then used to serve up the first egg. I grinned, eagerly taking the plate from her.

"Yeah? That must've been before I woke up. It was all cloudy out. Heard wolves, and that damn screech owl," I complained, causing her to laugh. Apparently she didn't have screech owl problems at her house. It didn't surprise me, since she lived in a small cul-de-sac that was occupied by a handful of homes-most of which were vacation homes that were rarely visited other than by a cleaning lady that swept by once every week. Even though she at least lived around people, it was lonelier there than here.

"That didn't wake me up. I think you're just a light sleeper."

"That's true. Maybe if I didn't sleep by a bunch of damn windows." We both looked over to the flimsy border between the kitchen and the bedroom. The curtains were glowing now with the morning light, and beyond that I could see the bright blue sky peeking through the trees.