I felt like garbage as soon as I woke up.
Feeling faint, coughing, short of breath—all the things I've grown accustomed to.
It didn't change the fact that it sucked ass, though.
"Damn."
I cussed as I reached for a cup of water next to my bedside table. I always put one there to take my morning meds as soon as I wake up each day, but just as Brian said the night before, how many times can I forget?
My bedroom door creaked open right as I was about to roll out of bed, and Brian came in holding a glass of water in his hand.
He could be somewhat useful sometimes. Barely, but admittedly—yes.
"Thanks."
I took his offer, rummaged through the drawer and took out the pills, and lay back down—waiting for the dizziness to fade.
If I don't fade to death first, that is.
"Breakfast?" Brian asked.
"I don't feel like it."
"I'll make some toast," he said, ignoring me.
"I said I'm fine."
The boy said nothing. Not even a shrug. He just turned and glided out of the room, and once he did, yet another annoying one slid out from underneath my bed.
"He's a good boy."
"Why don't you take him to hell with you then?"
"That makes no sense at all."
Senne, the devil lady in a smart funeral suit, walked toward the window with light steps and pulled the curtains open.
"Jeez, can you please not do that? It hurts my eyes."
"Humans need sunlight," she said.
"Aren't you like supposed to hate sunlight?"
"What do you think I am? A lowly vampire?"
She looked offended. Not that I could see her face, but the black flame flared a little, for a moment.
"You are useless during the day, useless at night. You are worse than a vampire."
"Says the girl with seven viewers."
Now, that was below the belt.
I closed my eyes again and exhaled deeply. My lungs felt stiff.
"I'm gonna tell my viewers today."
Senne turned from the window, the black flame that was her face flickered once, which I took as her way of raising an eyebrow.
"Like the truth—the whole story."
"And what exactly would that achieve?"
She tilted her head to a side. Maybe by 10 degrees.
"I don't know. I just want to be… heard."
"Why don't you just get a better avatar? Maybe a new persona? Or an actual personality? Everyone's dying. It doesn't make you special."
I threw my pillow at Senne, but it flew right through her, landing on my screen and almost knocking it off the desk.
"Don't," we said at the same time, our arms stretched out toward the desk as if we could catch the screen from falling.
As if.
Senne was really no help at all. It's been a whole month since her arrival, which I thought was a godsend opportunity for me.
A devil who wants to make a deal, promising I can become a superstar?
Yes, please.
I was desperate. Too stupid to stop and think about the fact that god probably wouldn't send a devil to help someone in need. Oblivious to the obvious fact that there is no reason why a devil should keep its words. Honor and honesty—those weren't exactly qualities that I should have trusted her to have.
"Bree, your toast is ready!"
Brian yelled from downstairs. I groaned and got out of bed. I felt a bit better.
"Don't forget the marmalade," Senne reminded me as I headed out the door. Last time I forgot the damned marmalade on her toast she sulked the entire morning. She rejected my apology and refused my offer to amend the mistake by going downstairs again to drench that toast in marmalade. She squatted down on my floor, her head hanging low, whispering—bitterly—'you don't care about me anymore.'
Once I got to the kitchen, Brian had already laid out the table. A humble breakfast. Toast, butter, and strawberry jam.
"Where's marmalade?" I asked.
"We are out."
I rubbed my temples with my index fingers. I could feel a headache developing, and a storm brewing upstairs.
"What's up with this sudden love for marmalade these days?" Brian scratched his chin, intrigued.
"It's just a thing."
"Well, we've still got Nan's strawberry jam."
"I need to get marmalade."
"I'll text mom to pick it up on the way back home."
I paused for a moment.
"She didn't come back last night?"
"No."
I had a bad feeling about this. She's been staying out late recently. It was becoming increasingly frequent that she didn't come home for the night. We've seen this pattern before.
I looked at Brian. He knew exactly what I was thinking, but he said nothing and started to butter my toast.
"I'll go get marmalade," I announced.
"At this hour?"
"What do you mean? It's like ten o'clock."
"I'm just surprised you are leaving the house when it's still daytime."
"I haven't been that bad, have I?"
Brian just smiled, walked over to the shelf, opened a jar, took out a few coins and gave them to me.
I just nodded and headed outside.
Just what the hell am I doing…