The sun crept through the blinds, dragging me out of a restless sleep. I groaned, rubbing my eyes. It had been three days since the concert, and I still felt like a wreck. My body ached, my mind was foggy, and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything or anyone. But, as always, I forced myself to get up.

  What ? I'm m lazy , so fuck off.

  I shuffled over to the window, my safe space. The garden outside was a masterpiece, bursting with flowers in every color. Mom had spent years perfecting it, though it hadn’t always been like this. Back when Tyler was 15, our biological dad was still around, constantly demanding money for alcohol. Flowers weren’t exactly a priority then.

  Leaning on the windowsill, I lit a cigarette and let the smoke curl into the air. This was the only place I felt invisible ,hidden by the trees that shielded most of the yard. For a moment, it was just me, the garden, and the faint hum of the world outside.

  Then a loud knock shattered the peace.

  I jumped, nearly dropping the cigarette into my mug. “What the fuck?” I muttered, stubbing it out quickly and bolting downstairs. Without realizing one really important thing.

  Without thinking, I swung the door open.

  Standing there was Nikki Mortemore.

  Her eyes widened slightly before she raised an amused eyebrow. “Uh...Rosē?” Her tone was laced with sarcasm. “Interesting choice of clothing .”

  It took me a second to realize what she meant ,then it hit me. I was still in my underwear.

  “Oh shit!” I yelled, slamming the door shut. “i..um. uh GIVE ME SECOND... please!” I bolted upstairs, my face burning with embarrassment. I looked like an tomato..i never liked tomatoes tho but ketchup or marinara sauce gosh i fuckin love pizza shit now im hungry. But now back to my embarrassed ass and let's continue.

  I yanked on a hoodie and shorts, muttering curses under my breath. Great first impression. I could hear Tyler’s voice downstairs as I struggled to make myself presentable.

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  “Hey, who are you ?”

  “Caytlin’s...friend,” Nikki replied casually.

  “That gremlin has a friend's? Okay.”

  I rolled my eyes as, I rushed back down. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, Tyler had already introduced himself.

  “By the way,” Tyler said, narrowing his eyes, “you remind me of someone. I’m Tyler Rosē.”

  “Nikki Mortemore,” she replied, shaking his hand.

  “Mortemore?” Tyler tilted his head. “Oh, Michelle Mortemore. My ex. Some goth chick or some shit , are you related ?”

  There was a beat of silence, and Nikki froze for a moment.

  “Uh...nope, don’t know her,” she said quickly, her voice light but a little too fast.

  “Alright,” Tyler said, shrugging. “Well, I’ve gotta head to work. Don’t burn the house down while I’m gone, Cayt!”

  “I won’t!” I called back as he grabbed his bag and left.

  I turned to Nikki, still feeling the sting of embarrassment. “Uh, sorry about earlier,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a smirk. “Anyway, you wanna go out for a bit? Grab some air or something?”

  “Sure,” I said, grabbing my keys.

  “Sorry about Tyler,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s...well, Tyler.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Nikki replied, chuckling. “He’s funny, and loud, older brother kind of way.”

  “Loud is his default setting,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I don’t know how Mom survived raising him.”

  The humor in her eyes dimmed slightly, and she glanced away. “Must be nice, having someone like that around.” Does something happened to her ?

  Her comment caught me off guard, but before I could respond, I noticed something off. Nikki’s hand twitched at her side, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead despite the mild weather.

  “You okay?” I asked, frowning my eyebrows.

  “Yeah,” she said too quickly. “I’m fine.”

  As she spoke, something small and white fell from her pocket.

  I bent down and picked it up. It was an empty pill container, the label bearing her name: Nikki Mortemore.

  “Here,” I said, handing it back to her.

  For a moment, she looked panicked. She snatched the container from my hand, her fingers brushing mine briefly. “Thanks,” she mumbled, shoving it back into her pocket.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” I pressed.

  “I’m fine,” she said, her tone sharper this time. “Actually, I should probably head out. I just remembered I’ve got something to do.”

  “Oh,” I said,and i was woried.

  She hesitated for a moment, then pulled out her phone. “Give me your number. I’ll text you, okay?”

  I handed her my phone, and she quickly typed in her number.

  “There,” she said, handing it back. “Catch you later, Rosē.”

  Before I could say anything else, she turned and walked away, her pace brisk.

  “ bye Miss mysterious“

  I stood there for a moment, the encounter swirling in my mind. Something about her didn’t add up, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

  My phone buzzed, breaking my thoughts. It was a text from

  Mike:"Headin' out 2nite, u comin'?"

  A small smile crept onto my face. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.