Chapter 1: Chapter 1 – The wish
*Bzzzzzt*
*Bzzzzzzzzzzt*
I opened my eyes.
I was sitting on a chair, laying my head on my hands. In front of me, on my work desk which I was resting on, stood my computer. I was originally working on it before I gave in to slumber, but since it hasn't been used in a while the screen automatically turned off. Now it only showed the current time in the left lower corner of it – 11:17 pm.
As soon as my brain started functioning after a heavy slumber, I started searching for my phone, which was also the cause of my sleep interruption.
Finally, my hand managed to grasp the sleek surface of my phone case and pick it up.
I looked at the screen. My eyes were still blurry, so the only thing I managed to figure out from the colours was that someone was calling me.
"What would anyone need from me at this time?..."
I blinked a few times. As my vision got clearer, my facial expression got unpleasant.
'Mom'
For a second I thought about not answering the call using the pretext of sleeping, but my mind was still foggy after the unsturdy nap and my fingers automatically clicked the green answer button.
'Ah, f***,' I cursed initially. 'Well, let's see what she has to say.'
I brought my phone up to my ear.
"Hello?"
«Hello, Mallory,» I heard my mom's tired voice over the phone. «I'm sorry for calling so late, how are you?»
"I'm alright," I uttered massaging my stiff shoulder with the free hand. "What did you need?"
The other line on the phone got quiet.
«Your birthday is tomorrow,» she finally spoke in a hesitant voice. «Is there anything you want? Maybe you want me to visit? We could celebrate it together with your brother.»
I was confused why she didn't include dad in the plans, but that confusion quickly faded as I knew my parents well. They probably had another fight.
"No, thanks. I'm good," I declined instantly. "Thanks for remembering, though. So, goodnight?"
I was trying to end the conversation as fast as possible since I was tired and didn't feel like talking to anyone, but mom had other plans.
«Ah, wait, there's something else I want to talk to you about,» she stopped me.
I released a heavy sigh.
'So close...'
"Sure, but make it quick," I leaned back in my chair. "It's almost midnight."
She hesitated once again.
«Mallory, me and your dad we...» she paused for a moment. «We're getting a divorce.»
I was taken back by the news. It seemed like everything stopped for a second.
«I'm sorry, I know it's sudden,» she continued in a worried tone. «Originally, we had a fight yesterday and finally decided to get divorced. Your dad moved away to live with his mother and later will look for his own new place to live in. I was devastated yesterday and only today's evening I finally managed to call you and your brother to tell you about the sad news. I'm sorry I'm calling you so late as I didn't want you to hear such news on your birthday-»
"Why now?" my mouth moved unconsciously interrupting her.
«Huh?» she asked confused. «I'm afraid I didn't quite hear you...»
I shook my head and stared blankly into the wall.
"It's alright mom, thanks for telling me," I told her putting up a cheerful tone.
«Huh? Ah-, really?» she asked in a confused, but relieved voice. «Are you sure that you're alright, Mallo-»
"Yes. I'm sure, mom," I sturdily interrupted her. "I must go to sleep now, I'm sure you do too."
«Ah, yes, right...» she muttered sounding a bit hurt that I'm telling her off so suddenly. «Have a good rest, Mallory.»
"Goodnight," I said ending the call.
I stared at my phone screen 'till it turned off.
My mind, that was blank since the conversation ending, suddenly blew up.
I clenched my teeth.
9 years ago, these news would have made me the happiest in the world. Now it only angered me.
'Why now?'
The question lingered in my head like an echo.
Needless to say, I was not on good terms with my mother.
Because of her and dad's fighting I hated the place I used to call home. The day I turned 18 I couldn't take it any more and moved out for good.
Not only that. She alone was basically the reason behind 70% of their bickering, yet it's dad who's moving away?
She aggressively got up from her chair and regretted it instantly as her back and shoulders made the memory of the pain of breaking two of her fingers seem like light tickling in her head.
(A/N: don't test that at home, kids.)
'What a great evening...'
I walked over and flopped face first on my messy bed.
'That's it. I need something to get me to cool down a bit,' I thought releasing a heavy sigh.
I sat up and fixed my position into a more comfortable one, leaning against the bed frame.
After exiling an innocent sock and a candy paper out from my sheets to the floor I started scrolling on my phone.
Precisely, I went straight to my favourite novel reading app, Wapptap, to find something to read.
After scrolling through my reading library my eyes stopped at something.
It was a novel I added to my collection about a week ago as I was looking for something interesting to read. I have not tried it yet, so it was completely new.
The rating was decent and the read count was promising so I opened the first chapter.
° ° °
(Narrator:)
Mallory was struggling to keep her eyes open.
She has cooled down by now, but didn't want to go to sleep yet. She knew she will wake up feeling horribly both physically and mentally, just like it was for the last 2 years of her living alone.
She turned her head to look at the clock on her bed table.
'11:59 pm.'
In one minute, she will be 20 years old.
Surprisingly for even herself, she didn't feel anything about it. Maybe it was the sudden news, the novel, or maybe some other reason, but at that moment everything felt useless.
She lived for twenty years and for what? For the back pains? For her non-existent sleep schedule and non-existent healthy diet? For cruel work deadlines? For her unfixable family issues?
What's the point in waking up in the morning just to work on her birthday?
'Funny, if people heard me now, they'd judge me,' she thought bitterly. 'But in the end, they all had these kinds of thoughts before at least once.'
They say you need a cake and candles to wish for something on your birthday, but Mallory didn't have the strength to think about any of that.
That night, without even realising it, she made a wish. A wish she has made before. A wish that never came true before...
Her eyelashes started to get heavy. The phone screen got darker then turned off completely. Her hand, finally relaxing after a long day of work, fell to her side.
St the same time, the alarm clock on the bed table hit 12:00 am.
She shut her eyes completely.
Mallory fell asleep.
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