One
“Hey Quincy, get up!” I moan in response and fall off of a couch. Ow. I look up from the floor and see my friend Amber standing above me, holding a spatula for some inexplicable reason. Amber is one of my best friends, and I’m honestly not sure why she’s friends with me. Amber always stands out in crowds because of her vibrant purple hair, and she always says what she means and defends her opinions. I am, honestly, one of the most normal guys in the world, and I have no idea why she chooses to hang out with me. But I enjoy her company, so I stick around.
“When I say get up, I do not mean sink even closer to the ground.” She takes my hand and helps me up off the floor. I stagger towards the stairs and practically fall down them. A kitchen is at the bottom of the stairs, and one of my other friends, Astraeus, is waiting there. He’s hovering by the stove, which has something sizzling in a saucepan on it, and I think he’s looking for a spatula. Astraeus is another one of my remarkable friends, and he’s awfully romantic, and really smart too. He reads all the time, loves to draw, and he’s always positive. He’s also a decent cook.
“Morning, Quincy!” I mumble something unintelligible in response. It seems like I can’t talk properly this morning.
“Want a coffee?” I nod. Why am I so tired today? A fragment of memory passes through my mind… there was a party last night, wasn’t there? I look around. This is Amber’s apartment. I bet she dragged me along to another night at her house with friends. That explains why I was sleeping on the couch, and it also means that there must be a few other friends in the house. Astraeus hands me a steaming mug as Frederica, or Freddie, walks past and heads for the stairs. Her red hair is impossibly messy. I take a long sip of the coffee and even though it’s mind-numbingly hot, it feels great.
“What day is it?” I ask, regaining my voice. Astraeus laughs and tells me that it’s Sunday. Sunday… that means groceries day for me. I rub my eyes and try to remember what I need from the store.
“Oh, have you seen a spatula, by the way?” Asks Astraeus. I remember that Amber was holding a spatula earlier, and I tell him that. He asks if I can go get it. I drag myself back up the stairs, and as I’m going up, Freddie slides down. I continue scrambling up the stairs before I realise what just happened.
“You ok?” I shout after her as I turn around and start heading back down the stairs. Of course she’s not ok, she just fell down the stairs. Stupid question from a stupid mouth, why did I ask that?
“Ow… I think… I think something happened to my arm. Call the- the… call the hospital, Quincy.” I dial the hospital number as fast as I can, and I notice as I turn my phone on that my background has been changed to a photo I don’t remember taking. The hospital answers and I tell them about the situation. Soon enough, Freddie has been taken away and I’m in the kitchen again. I really should go buy my groceries, but I can’t say no to Astraeus’s cooking. I’m forced to do so anyway, because when I sit down at the breakfast table, Amber's cat, Robespierre, sprints across the counter and knocks the eggs that Astraeus prepared off onto the floor.
With what should have been a wonderful breakfast ruined, I decide to leave so that I can at least get home before noon. I also decide to stop for breakfast on the way, and because I’m still in the mood for eggs, I go to The Egg & Rye, a pleasant little café down the road from my apartment. As I cross the street, I notice that the Egg & Rye have changed how their sign looks. Each letter is a different colour and it really looks quite pretty. What a wonderful thing to stare at as you cross the street, I think. Wonderful to stare at… until a car crashes into me at a speed much faster than what it should have been going. I probably could’ve gotten out of the way if I hadn't been so enchanted by the sign. The last thing I think before my eyes close is that this morning could have gone very differently, if I’d only made different choices…
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