Razor Sharp | ✓

Epilogue

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1 YEAR LATER

"No way! No way are you cooking dinner again tonight!" Carmen frowns, snatching the two-minute noodles out of Stacey's hand.

"Why not? I'm a good chef. Hey, El, back me up here. I'm a good chef, aren't I?"

We're in the grocery store, trying to work out what we need for the week. This is how it always goes now that we've moved into our apartment in town together. It will take us at least an hour to decide on one meal.

"Look," I say, grasping Stacey's shoulder, "using boiling water and adding sachets to a packet of noodles, doesn't really count as cooking."

Stacey scoffs and Carmen gives her an I-told-you-so look that I begin to laugh at.

"We all know I'm the best cook," Carmen says, raising her hand in the air. "Tonight, we are having tacos and if anyone," she directs her gaze at Stacey, "wants to complain about it, then they can cook their own dinner."

"Fine!" Stacey whines, practically stomping her foot like a two-year-old.

"Why don't you pick tomorrow nights dinner, Stace? As long as it isn't noodles, we promise we'll eat it."

She sighs, tying her blonde hair back in a low messy bun. "Yeah, alright. I'll go find something."

She wanders off, walking past the dairy aisle where Carmen is standing. "I'll go and get the taco shells! Could you buy some cheese? We ran out after Saturday's nacho night," Carmen shouts at me as I walk further and further down the aisle.

"Sure!" I beam as she disappears from sight, looking for her tacos.

We'd only been living together for a month, but so far, it's been pretty good. I mean, other than the fact that Carmen and Stacey fight over nearly everything, which includes what movies to watch, who didn't replace the toilet roll, who didn't do their dishes, who didn't tidy the house and of course, what to eat for dinner. 

I wouldn't have survived the past year without them, though. School was hell, but at least I actually graduated and have plans to go to university. It was hard enough living with my mother for a year until I counted down the day I turned eighteen and she no longer had to be my guardian.

Don't get me wrong, parts of my relationship with my mother have mended over time but I will never be able to forget the fact that she just left me for seven years of my childhood. I'm grateful that she's trying to be good and I appreciate that, it doesn't go unnoticed. I still see her and Noah, who has also moved out of home, every Sunday night for our family dinner.

My relationship with her will never be perfect, but I'm finally starting to move forward. 

My phone beeps in my pocket and I pull it out to read a message from Noah. I'd spoken to him before coming to the supermarket and now he was asking me to buy a cake mix for his birthday with my own money.

I roll my eyes, replying that I'll do it, but mum will have to bake it because I hate cooking, specifically deserts. I finally locate the cheese and then I'm off to find the cake mix my brother so desperately needs and can't get himself. Lazy ass.

We happened to live five minutes away from each other. He's renting out a house with a couple of his friends and I bought an apartment with Stacey and Carmen. Noah loves the fact that he can walk to my place and steal all our food.

My biggest regret in life was giving him that spare key.

My phone chimes again with a reply from Noah. It's a stupid face emoji with its tongue hanging out.