Consequences of a Friend (2)

-Chapter 8- Visitors and Packages

The apartment is filled with the quiet sound of Mason's music. His singing overpowering the soft tunes. It was his second day off, and Sophia had bargained that she'd buy Mason a block of his favourite chocolate if he cleaned the house. A family sized block, of course.

Yesterday, he'd managed to head to the store to pick up his prescription after watching a few hours of daytime tv. Now that had been a fun experience.

Waiting in line at the pharmacy was one thing, getting asked personal questions about a women's medication that had Mason's name plastered on the sticker, was another. Especially when the pharmacist looked a little confused and asked another staff member to check if the correct medication had been dispensed.

Mason was the one to intervene and say that yes, it was the right medication, and no, he was not picking it up for another family member or something weird. The whole ordeal had been so mind-numbingly embarrassing. So much so, that Mason contemplated swapping to another pharmacy entirely. He did not want to go back to that place. Ever.

The whole situation had caused him to lay in bed for the rest of the day, only getting up to ravage through the kitchen again for a packet of chips.

Sophia had not been impressed. Mason understood that, but he also wanted to be able to laze around on his day off and mope if he wanted to.

So, instead of wallowing in his room all day, or watching tv, Mason was trying to be productive. They didn't actually have a vacuum cleaner, which meant Mason was forced to sweep the floors and try to get as much dirt as he could from the two rugs in the apartment.

It wasn't so bad. Mason would prefer to have a vacuum cleaner, but the price to hire the one supplied by the apartment block was too high for Sophia or Mason to cover.

Using the dust pan to gather the accumulated dirt, Mason hums under his breath as he empties it into the kitchen bin, mind completely focused on the task before him. He'd pretty much finished now, and he was proud of himself for managing to clean the whole house whilst feeling like shit.

He definitely earnt that chocolate bar.

Closing the lid, a familiar pain tugs at his belly, causing Mason to pause. Taking a deep breath, he carefully places the dustpan down on the counter with shaking hands, his body automatically reacting to the pain.

Don't panic. There's nothing to be afraid of, just a little stomach pain. Cramps. That's all—

Mason pauses. His thoughts coming to a halt as he stands in the kitchen, one hand on his stomach as he counts back the days in his head. Somewhat calmly, Mason takes a few deep breaths, focusing on keeping his shaking to the minimum as he tries to do the math.

"Shit," The mumble comes out rather surprised as the puzzle pieces finally click together, "I'm such an idiot."

Still a little shaky, Mason puts the broom and dustpan away, having finished cleaning the house to the best of his ability.

Of course, the pains would just be an indicator for that time of the month. How could Mason be so stupid? Maybe the pains had been a little sharper than usual, but that wasn't anything to be worried about. It meant his body was getting back on track, thanks to the vitamins and supplements he's on, no doubt.

Mason almost felt giddy with the revelation, all his incessant worries falling away in an instant. Sure, the cramps hurt, and constantly caused his mind to be plagued by memories of traumatic experiences, but there was an explanation. That's all Mason had wanted, and now, he finally fucking had it.

Thank the Lord!

Pausing his music, Mason heads through the apartment to the bathroom with a relieved smile on his face. Rummaging under the cupboard where he stashes his own supplies, Mason's smile turns into a confused frown.