I couldn't believe it.
Finally, after all those painful years living under my parents' roof, I was free. Free like the wind.
Finally, I was an independent individual with my very own apartment.
I felt as if I could breathe at long last as if an oppressive weight-my mother's butt- was off my chest.
I squealed in delight and did my happy dance. Life was looking really good.
Slowly, I walked around my furnished place for the umpteenth time. The constant prison walls were missing and there were no prison bars in sight.
This couldn't get old.
The entire place looked as if it had been taken right out an Interiors and Design magazine. The entire floor, with the exception of the kitchen, was covered with a soft grey carpet.
I unceremoniously fell to the floor and rolled around like a happy kitten. Pleased with my behavior, I propped my bare feet on the white couch facing the Samsung 65" curved screen.
My cell phone rang at that moment.
'Now the moment has been ruined.'
I frowned at the letters on the screen until I could read them. Quickly my frown was replaced with a smile.
'Anne!'
The moment was not ruined, after all, a call from my best friend only made it better.
'Kay. Have you seen the place? Did you like it? Is it perfect?' Anne asked in rapid succession. She was just as excited as I was and that was just like her.
I laughed at her breathy interrogation because I knew exactly what she was up to.
'It's apartment 562. Come on up.' I said.
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'How did you know I was here!' She asked.
I could perfectly imagine her flushed smiling face.
'Because I know you, Anne. Our minds are practically synced.'
'I'm on my way.'
I heard her laughing just before she hung up.
Not too long after that, I heard a knock on the door.
' I guess she didn't notice the-'
Before I could get the words from my mouth, Anne rang the doorbell.
I opened the door to find her still messing with the doorbell with a wide grin on her silly face.
I realized what Anne was about to do the moment her eyes widened.
'Please take off your shoes and put on these indoor slippers before indulging in your foolery.'
Obediently, she did as she was told but not before she said.
'How bougie, me like bougie.'
Slowly Anne sank down to the carpet and rolled around as I had previously.
She gingerly stood up then linked her arms with mine. We then proceeded to jump and squeal in excitement.
Eventually, we ran out of energy and then decided to sit on the rose pink sofa bed facing the balcony.
'You have to have a housewarming or something.' Anne soberly suggested.
After some thought on my part, I shook my head at her suggestion.
'I would like to, but then after the party, I'll be stuck with cleaning duty. And what if someone breaks the tv or everyone spills their drink on my lovely carpet? It would cost me a fortune to get it cleaned. I only just paid for this place.'
Anne laughed.
'Kay, your dad is the one paying for this place and also- everyone? The tv? Really?'
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'Your point is?'
I was still independent, although my father was paying for my new place, it didn't take away from my new found independence.
Plus I really didn't want to deal with hosting another social event, not this week anyway.
Anne only shook her head at me.
'You can host your own party once you move in next door next week.' I told while poking her round cheeks.
I absolutely loved playing with Anne's chubby cheeks although she completely hated it.
No one could call Anne chubby since she exercised for her current killer body. Unfortunately, no matter how much she exercised she couldn't get rid of her baby fat stored in her cheeks.
'Stop it, Kay.' She growled.
'Stop it or I swear I'll pull out your curls and bite your finger off.'
'Violent child.'
I poked her one last time before yanking my finger away from her face.
'You know how I feel about my cheeks.
And I'm not going to throw a housewarming party either. Too much work.'
We were so much alike that we were practically twins. We only differed in height since I was taller than her by a few inches. My eyes were originally caramel brown but I usually wore blue contacts which were the same shade as Anne's eye color. We entertained the idea of being sisters.
'But Kay, if we have to have housewarming of some kind, you know to keep the peace.'
I groaned because I knew she was on to something.
'I know, I know.'
We sat in silence chewing on various ideas. After minutes of spitting and rejecting ideas, we finally got a good idea.
'We should have a small get together Bentley's on 27.' Anne eagerly proposed.
Bentley's on 27 was an upscale restaurant in Charlotte. It was our number one favorite upscale restaurant, well it shared the position with the Fig Tree Restaurant but that wasn't the point. It was only natural that we celebrate at a fancy place.
'Agreed. They can bring all their presents and we would treat them to desert. They can foot the rest of the bill.' I added liking the idea very much.
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'They can bring presents over and everything.' I continued.
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'So when do we send the invites?'
Anne asked.
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'Sometime next week.' I said after a short pause.
'Let's host it together so that way we can get it over with together.'
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'Wonderful. I'll start sending out the invites with the dates so everyone will be ready. But Kay,
What do we say if our friends ask why we aren't hosting at our apartments because, technically this, our get together, is not a housewarming.'
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'Details, details. Just tell them the complex has a strict noise policy or that since we're hosting it together we wanted all our friends to be in one room without leaving the other persons house 'unwarmed '. It just wouldn't be fair to the other person.'
I giggled at Anne's confused look.
'I'll handle the explanations, don't worry.'
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'I'm just shocked at how good you make such nonsense sound.' She chuckled and shook her head.
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'Must be a gift.'
She was right. I did have the uncanny ability to spin the best of excuses which were simply nonsense most of the time. Fortunately for me, it always worked. It was this ability that got my parents to agree to get me an apartment and pay for it.
'Must be.'
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Suddenly Anne sprang up surprising me.
'Let's go out and have a small personal celebration.'
'Anne, you just need an excuse to go clubbing.' I laughed.
It's not like we needed one anyway.
Before I could give my answer my phone rang again.
Again, it took me a moment to read the caller I.d.
'You're not wearing your contacts? '
I shook my head.
'My eyes were starting to itch so I-'
My words trailed away when I realized who it was calling me.
Quickly I stood and shushed Anne when she attempted to speak.
This was an important call. I mouthed the caller to Anne when she shot me a quizzical look.
'Hartfield and Gold's consulting firm.'
She immediately understood.
I cleared my throat then answered the call.
'Hello, Keziah Mills speaking.'
I said in a clipped professional voice.
'Good day Miss Mills, this is Ms. Godson from Hartfield and Gold's consulting firm.'
I recognized the older lady from my first visit to the firm. She was the receptionist who had written down my information after several days of my lobbying.
'I'm calling to inform you of your scheduled interview. We received your resumé and we are interested in having you come in for an interview a week from Thursday.'
'Yes, ma'am. Thank you.'
I quickly jotted down all the information. I made sure the call had successfully ended before I spoke again.
'Are you sure it's off?' Anne asked.
I nodded.
'So...?" She looked up at me expectantly.
'I landed an interview.'
We screamed some more- we did this a lot- and then finally agreed to have a pre-celebration.
This was definitely a call for celebration.
Hartfield and Gold's was a difficult firm to get your resumé in let alone to get an interview. And I believed I had worked hard for this opportunity. After all those sleepless nights, tossing and turning, and praying for this chance.
It almost felt like a dream.
'So where are we going?' I asked Anne.
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'Don't worry, Trent will come to pick us up.'
I suspiciously eyed my best friend when I realized how she tried to play me.
She batted her dark fringed blue eyes in my direction. She began playing with her dark hair as she did when she knew she'd been found out.
'So I'm part of your new ploy to go out with your new potential beaux?'
She vigorously nodded while beaming a perfect smile at me.
'You know I'm in.' I said. 'So what part am I playing tonight?'
Anne and I had a special friendship which involved a lot of role-playing.
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'I'm trying to make myself look good. So...'
'I get it. Demanding rich brat.'
There were other roles like the shy virgin, evil witch, sexy bitch, the perfect friend, and so many others.
'Perfect.'
'This should be fun.'
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And it was. At the end of the night, Anne realized she didn't really fancy Trent as much as she thought.
She came to this wise conclusion when we realized Trent was a handsy son of a gun who liked to feel everyone and everything.
And so by the end of the night, I had to switch my role from demanding rich brat to sick demanding rich brat who had to go home. But just after I slapped Trent across the face for grabbing my boob.
The two of us ended up having coffee at my apartment while we binge watched a season of Friends.
Life was looking good. So good I just had to ask myself, what could possibly go wrong?
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