Never argue with a liar. You can't win because they believe their own lies.

I glared at my sister as she held her boyfriend on our couch. Our parents weren't home and even if they were, they wouldn't have cared.

"Why are you here?" She asked as I stumbled into our home at almost four am. I don't blame Tyler, being with someone for 24 hours a day takes a toll when you're just getting to know them. I felt it too, but he was still a jerk about it.

"Going to sleep." I mutter as she stands up and pushes her sleepy boyfriend aside. He didn't look familiar. "Who's this?"

"Nobody." She quickly rushed to place the sleeping man onto the couch. Heavy sleeper.

"Ok, cool." I said, heading toward the staircase. I wondered when the last time she'd eaten was, her skin was starting to look pale and her frame was starting to look an unhealthily thin weight. I was too exhausted to care.

"Where's Aaron?" She shouted. The man is somehow still asleep and I wonder if he's even alive.

"Why?" I asked.

"I had to ask him something."

"Like what?"

"I'm asking him. Not you."

"Right..."

"Let me know when he comes around here."

"He's not going to be anymore Bailey." I silently say.

"What, couldn't satisfy him enough. Wasn't a fan of your cookies?" She scoffed mockingly.

"Firstly, leave my cookies out of this and no we decided it's best if we just be friends."

"Right..."

"I'm going to sleep now" I announced and rushed up to my room and shut my eyes.

Don't share too much about your life. It'll only make others envy you. It'll make the feeling fester to the point where either they copy everything you do or they blame you for everything they don't have. It's disgusting.

The words circled my brain as soon as I opened my eyes. I couldn't figure out where it came from, but I didn't necessarily care either.

The next morning, I could hardly get up. I struggled to wake up and open my eyes. My head felt hazy like a hangover, but I hadn't drunk the night before. I felt sick and I didn't know what to do. My body felt heavy and I couldn't move. Pain shot everywhere through me and I wondered what I had done to deserve this.

I looked around my dark room. The blinds were closed and nobody was home. I shut my eyes. Wonderful way to start off the weekend.

I had absolutely nothing to do. My brain was throbbing.

I contemplated calling Tyler, but after the way he had treated me last night, I'd make him ask me for forgiveness. I wasn't about to take the blame for something that I didn't do.

But now I had nobody. Even my sister wasn't in the home that seemed to just stand without a foundation. No foundation of love, family, trust... none of that.

I could call Aaron. He wouldn't mind, would he? I forgot what day it was but it's not like he's ever that busy. It's not like he even goes to school. Just keeps that GpA up somehow...

I reached for my phone and clicked on his contact icon.

"Hey it's Aaron, leave a message." It said and I groaned as I put my phone away.

What to do...

I pranced around the living room, staring at the blank beige walls that should've been covered in family photos. I entered the kitchen where the only food in the fridge was an uncooked turkey. Maybe I could cook it. Maybe it'd burn down the house.

Regardless of the risk, I took it out and put it in a giant foil casing and placed herbs and other stuff on it like I had seen my mother do when I was younger.

I turned on the oven and placed the turkey inside. Now we wait... I thought to myself.

I hadn't actually ever taken a day to myself in probably the longest time. I reached for the TV remote and turned on a random channel. I snuggled with the couch and felt it's warmth.

It was a movie playing and the blinds were semi-closed. I felt safe. I felt warm. I felt content.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the fire alarm in my house going off and a room full of smoke.

Shit, the turkey!

I jumped from my seat and ran into the kitchen. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it all over my well over-cooked Turkey. There goes that... I then proceeded to open all windows to let the smoke out. There was no fire in the house, so this was okay to do. I stepped outside so I wouldn't die from the air.

It was freezing.

So ice cold that I was shivering. It was also dark out now and I had kept that Turkey in the oven for over eight hours. What a waste of a day.

I got too cozy, and it almost killed me.

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Read-Minds-ebook/dp/B08RYV11F2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=veronica+Soliman&qid=1609863783&sr=8-3

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)

(Link will be available in the coming weeks)