The sun was just about to rise on a windy fall day in Hill Shore. A pile of fall leaves had gathered beneath the flickering light post. The town was quiet and chilly, except for the rustling of the crunchy leaves and the gushing of the wind. The darkness of the sky was fading away into the redness in the east.
One of the few maple leaves descended and landed on a messy study table of a girl who had dozed off writing through the window. Her head was sunk into her diary with her hands covering her face. The cold wind blew her strangled locks slightly, waking her up from her dreams. She straightened her brown hair, rubbed her eyes with her left hand, and stretched her right arm to check the time. "4:44 already? I never understand how my short power naps turn into a night of full sleep," she sighed, feeling guilty for the loss of time again and the mess she had made at the table. She promised herself that she would not waste time anymore or procrastinate, but it kept happening repeatedly. However, she wouldn't make this a habit; she would change what she promised herself last night, but the day started with the promise being broken.
She turned the pages of her diary, "Only 8 pages? I could have written more," Annalise sighed, again with another look of disappointment, but she brushed it off and started cleaning her table when she came across an envelope in red, which got folded by a heavy brown leather book .She immediately pulled it out and stacked it with other books inside the drawer and placed her studying glasses beside the table lamp. "I can't get myself to write now, so let's go on a walk and continue this during breakfast," she thought to herself and took her running clothes out of her closet and carried a bottle of water with her and headed out.
She silently crept out of the apartment with the keys without making much noise because, across the door, her friend Elena was still asleep in another bedroom.The street was full of dead leaves falling from trees, yet it looked alive. She could see the newspaper guy delivering newspapers, the mailman delivering milk, sweepers cleaning the road, people going to the gym or for a walk, the birds heading out to look for food and shelter, and a few children going to the field to practice football. Life was moving, and everything seemed normal on the surface, but the emotions she felt on the inside were just like autumn, and the heart would soon be taken over by winter. She smiled while running, pretending to be happy, or was she finally able to find the happiness within her after all this while? She ran through Blecker Street to the fields where the boys were practicing football. "Four rounds for today it is," she said, panting, running out of breath, and heading back to her apartment.The day got brighter, and so did she.
Her oval-shaped pale face lit up like the golden sunshine, her twinkling pretty hazel eyes, glossy full pink lips, long pointed nose, and her hair knitted in a braided bun. She entered the apartment and found Elena grumpy, sitting on the sofa in the living half asleep. "Good morning, sunshine," she said slightly loudly, shaking Elena up with her voice. "I was about to brush," she replied instantly. Annalise chuckled, "Let's wash up and prepare breakfast; it's gonna be 6 soon," she said, and both of them immediately brushed and washed themselves up and started preparing for breakfast. "French toast?" asked Annalise, "Yes, my lady," replied Elena while she laid the plates on the table, decorated with a white designed tablecloth and a flower vase, and Annalise served the coffee and toast. They both seated themselves and started their breakfast."How's work, Elle? You seem more stressed and dismayed than usual this week," asked Annalise."I won't lie to you, Annie. But it's very difficult and mostly intense these days. Initially, with the promotion last month, I was so happy, but in the midst of happiness, I should have realized the responsibility that would have come with it. It's so hard to manage a team, especially the interns. I lost my patience faster than I lost money in high school." "Sure, the work would have been difficult, but remember, your boss must be aware of your potential to give you the opportunity for you to lead this new important project. Smooth seas don't make great sailors. You are stronger than this, Elle. You've got this, my love!" Annalise smiled.Elena instantly felt better, at peace with the comforting words of Annalise, not only her roommate but her university best friend and, above all, her soulmate sister.Annalise Thatcher was a 24-year-old lady who lived with her best friend from University in ABC.
Annalise moved in with Elena when she was 16, right after her mother died that summer when she went to a camp. Elena's parents were kind enough to let Annalise move in with them when she became an orphan and raised both the girls with equal love and care and never discriminated between them. She took a drop year right after the incident because her mental health hit rock bottom to the point where she had suicidal thoughts. Elena suggested helping her with therapy, and ever since then, she's been in contact with the therapist.She was so excited about the university, but that one summer night when her mother disappeared changed her life forever. She got into a really good university with her high school grade but she wasn't in the right State mentally to take up pressures of such a prestigious University so she moved . to a mediocre college. Somehow, she graduated at 21.
Life after graduation only got harder when she struggled with finding jobs. She had previously published two books, both of which were bestsellers. Keeping in mind she was hired by a media house and worked there as a journalist for two years, but the media house got into debt and selected many of the employees due to the loss of the company. Unfortunately, Annalise was one of them. She searched for inspiration to write her next novel, but none of the ideas she had were good enough. She thought of giving up, but Elena continued supporting her by reading her bits and pieces of novels. She applied for many writing jobs and got a few of them, but it didn't stay for too long. She got dressed once again and thought of taking a break, but a feeling of being a burden on her best friend crept upon her.After graduation, Elena decided to move out of their parent's house and live in her own apartment. She wanted to be independent and spend her own hard-earned money and not always be taken care of like a princess. Her father was upset at first but eventually agreed with his daughter's decision to find her own voice and supported her to move to a new city, with a new life and a new job. Annalise joined her too, but she felt like all the expenses became a burden on her best friend, and all the writing jobs she did weren't enough to financially support them.
So she started looking for a part-time job and landed as a waitress in Niall's Inn with the help of her other friend, Lavender."Elle, I am getting late for work. I would like to hear more about our lives at dinner, alright?" she said, stuffing the half-sliced toast in her mouth and getting up from the chair. She immediately grabbed her purse and bid Elena goodbye. "Bye Anne, safe travels," she said. Annalise walked to the bus stand and saw the bus to Niall's Inn had just arrived, so she hurriedly ran across the street, boarded the bus, and sat on the first empty seat she could find, catching her breath.