- Taylor's POV -
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After dinner I checked my homework assignments. Surprisingly, I had finished everything I needed to, which was a pleasant treat.
I sat on my bed and looked around. “What am I going to do?” I wondered out loud. “Hmm…”
I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. “I bet I have some split ends from getting hit by lightning,” I mused. “Maybe I should cut my hair.”
It felt strange to casually refer to being struck by lightning.
My hair was the length I preferred, so that was no reason to cut it, but after checking the tips I did indeed discover split ends. I winced. “Gross. Gotta take care of this.”
A few minutes later, I was leaning over the bathroom sink with a towel wrapped around my shoulders and scissors in my hand. I unconsciously stuck my tongue out while I snipped off the tips of my hair.
A knock sounded at the bathroom doorway. “Hello? Taylor?”
It was Dad.
I raised an eyebrow and locked eyes with him in the mirror. “Come in.”
He stepped through the door and leaned against the doorframe. There was momentary silence.
“What do you want?” I asked a little harshly. You can’t blame me, though, I thought. He treats everyone like a jerk, so why shouldn’t I treat him like the jerk he is?
“Nothing,” Dad replied a little too casually.
There was silence again.
“So you don’t have a boyfriend, huh?”
I knew there was more to it. “No, Dad, I don’t have a boyfriend.” I fiercely snipped the split ends, watching more of my black hair fall into my white sink. “I don’t have one and I don’t need one.”
Dad made a disbelieving sound. “I’ve never heard of an 18 year old girl who didn’t need a boyfriend.”
“There’s a difference between needing a boyfriend and wanting a boyfriend,” I shot back. “Unless I was unemployed and lived on the streets with no one to support me, I would not need a boyfriend.”
“Hmm.” He looked around my bathroom, apparently examining my decor. “Well…just so you know, I may have mentioned your name to one of my associates…”
I paused in my cutting. “You…what?”
He closely investigated the paint on the wall. “Well, he mentioned he was single and looking for someone to…be with, and I just happened to mention your name, and he seemed interested.”
My voice was icier than my eyes. “If you’re trying to set me up with someone, it’s not going to work,” I said. “I have no interest in boys and don’t have any plans to start any time soon.”
“I just wanted to make sure you knew,” Dad said. He managed to sound hurt. Hurt! “It would have been strange, you know, for a random guy to ask you out…I don’t know…”
“Dad,” I said quietly, “don’t try and hook me up with anyone. Leave me alone. You stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours.”
My dad held up his hands. “Fine,” he said, adopting an at-least-I-tried expression. “Duly noted. I’ll do that. I just was trying to let you know.”
“Get out.”
He turned around and left.
I let out an angry breath after he had gone. “I hate him,” I hissed through my teeth. My eyes were cold.
I returned to trimming my hair with renewed vigor.
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I didn’t sleep well that night. My dreams turned to nightmares. I was running away from something unseen; the rain poured; lightning flashed; my eyes felt like they would burst out of their sockets. I woke up screaming and sweating. Every time I tried to sleep, it was the same. Lightning always killed me in the end.
It was 5:45 am when I woke up from the last nightmare. I decided I’d had enough and it was fruitless to try and sleep again.
I picked out a large sweatshirt and leggings for the day. Since I worked from 7 to 11 am, I had to pack my clothes for later.
I changed into my uniform and put on some makeup to cover the bags under my eyes. They seemed to be sticking around despite my best efforts. Maybe I should try and go to bed earlier.
The guy who was now a morning regular at my Starbucks showed up at around 7:30. He ordered tall blonde roast coffee. His eyes looked tired.
“Usually you order an Americana,” I noted. “What made you change this time?”
“I needed something to keep me going,” he answered, giving me an exhausted smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” He looked a little bit confused by the statement.
“Yeah, me neither.” I shook my head and placed the order on the register. “I should get myself a coffee later.”
“Good choices.”
I handed the freshly made tall coffee to the guy. “Have a nice day, and I hope this helps with the tiredness!”
He smiled again. “You too.”
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