Chapter One: A Maid Named Shadow
For the longest, ever since puberty, I've been told I was beautiful and attractive. As much as I hated it, I was hit on and lied to constantly. It all drove me into madness and my heart slowly enclosed into a cold, solid block of ice. I tried not to listen to their lies, how they loved me, how I was the best thing that's ever happened to them. All lies, but even as time flew by, my heart-sicle began to unfreeze itself and allow those words pierce it. How many times must my heart be broken until I find happiness?
I eyes opened to spot the once orange sky and directed their sight to my wristwatch. "8:23 already?" I sighed annoyed. Most the time, I was always blanking out to the point I didn't pay attention to anything. This irritated my last lover. He would yell at me, accusing me of thinking of another man, but I wasn't. Ever since I was little, I was never fully attached to reality and I was scolded because of it. Maybe I didn't eat enough vitamins as a child. I then rose off the old wooden bench that sat in Central Park and made my way pass the playground to the streets.
I was already 24 and my life had been slowly spiraling down into nothing. All my friends had gone onto college as I stayed behind for some reason. I would beat myself up for not going. A few days ago, my mother called me one night telling me I could still get into college but I told her it just wasn't for me. She, of course, got angry and hung up. I always made my mother worry and angry, and me not going to college raised her stress levels even more. But if I did, what would I even go for? I had no interest in careers. Doing one thing all your life? To the day you're in the ground? No, I believed in what I call job skipping. Basically if I get hired, I work, and if I get fired, I search. Plain and simple.
After crossing two streets and going down a block, I found myself at my apartment. I walked in seeing Ms. Danns trying to open her door with her keys. Due to her arthritis, she could barely get the key into the lock. I've known the woman since I was 18, when I first moved into this hellhole. "Ms. Danns, you need some help?" I asked her. The old raccoon woman turned and smiled at me.
"Oh Silver, it's you. Well yes, I could use a little help." I smiled back and walked over unlocking and opening her door. "Thank you sweetie. Oh and later on tonight, I'm making some devil's cake so if you want some, come on over." She carried in the two bags of groceries and waved goodbye to me before shutting her door. My smile then faded away and I continued up to the third floor of the building to room 102.
"Home sweet home." I sighed and opened my door to the messy living room. It has been like this for an entire three weeks. I gave up on dating useless guys so what was the point on trying tidying up the place for anyone? I dropped down on the dark green sofa that sat in my living room. Television had nothing special on so I lied in the dark, alone.
I currently worked as a bartender at a nearby bar, which was the only thing I had left, but tonight was my night off. My eyes then left droopy and closed them to the point I dropped into Dreamland.
August sun shone in through the curtains of my living room window. Pigeons and other small birds chirped and cheeped loudly outside and cars spun past on the streets below. But I had not awoken to the birds or cars, but only to the small, yellow alarm clock that banged Tik Tok through my ears. "Ke$ha not now." I snarled pulling the pillow over my head. I then punched the snooze button and rose to see it read 7:30. "Another boring day..." I sighed.
A quick shower later, I was in the kitchen heating up a Hot Pocket in the microwave. Frozen foods were all I really brought nowadays. Since I don't really like cooking by hand, I let my dear Wavey, do it (I named my microwave Wavey, yeah, I'm that lonely). Anything I can't place in there ain't worth eating. I took the meaty pocket out and placed it on the table to cool for a second while I turned on the morning weather news. "Finally, it's getting a little bit cooler." I smiled to hear the summer heat waves were finally disappearing. I then went to get a mini Gatorade and my Hot Pocket to watch some early morning cartoon shows. Tuesdays were a real bitch to me. "Hm...What else am I forgetting?" I asked myself before taking a seat. Mail. I grabbed my keys and hiked out my room, down the stairs, and to the large rack of metal lockers on the wall. I searched the wall of lockers to see 102 and unlocked it. It wasn't like I was expecting anything in the mail, but what if I got some love letter from a secret admirer or something? As if, I thought and rummaged through the magazines and bills. Nothing special again, as usual. I sighed heavily and tracked back upstairs to my room.
"Maybe I'll go out tonight." I told myself. I always watch those life-changing shows at night so why not take their word? Maybe I can make my life better than how it is now. I smiled a little bit and decided that tonight I would go out and mingle again. I sat down on my sofa and scanned through magazines when I suddenly came upon an ad. The ad was in pretty colors and read in bright words: "Need a little help around the house?" I then scanned over my messy home and nodded continuing to read. "Order your very own housekeeping! Skilled and trustworthy people to help change your home in a completely different way!" I then proceeded to my cell phone and dialed the number below. At least ordering a housekeeper would give me more time to go out more instead of trying to get my place back together. Plus, it'd be a lot longer and harder for me to clean this place myself.
"Hello, welcome to Cleaning Lives, how may I help you?" A woman asked me on the other line.
"Um, hi, I was wondering if I could get a housekeeper to help me clean my apartment."
"Of course, your address?" I told the woman my address and extra information. "Thank you sir, we'll have your maid at your home within today and tomorrow." My ears perked to hear how fast the delivery would be.
"Um thank you." I then hung up and scratched my head wondering if I did the right thing. But what's so bad about a housekeeper? I then stood up and smiled. From now on, I'm getting my life together!
Soon life was going back the way I planned, I was already walking home with a sweet guy by my side the time I walked out the bar. Tall, handsome, and sweet, just the way I liked them. He smiled down at me telling me how I was cute and sweet. "Hey you alright?" He asked me. I was a little tipsy, but I loved the feeling because it made me feel as if I was on the highest damn building ever.
"Yeah I'm fine." I giggled as we walked into the apartment building. Hiking up the stairs, I could feel his hands grazing my hips ever so lightly. Tonight was the night I was going to be a changed man.
"Good evening sir." Both I and my soon-to-be bedmate directed our attention to an ebony-colored hedgehog sitting at my door. A small maid headpiece was placed on his head and his expression was as dull as the color gray. "I'm from the Cleaning Lives inc. and I will be assisting you for the time being." My ears flattened. I completely forgot about this dude.
"Uh who's this?"
"Um he's uh...well not to get into detail..."
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog, a maid for my client here." He introduced himself making me feel even more weirded out.
"Uh I think we should get together later Silver." He nervously laughed. I growled at the stupid maid for ruining my night but agreed that we'd get together tomorrow for lunch or something. "You got my number right?" I nodded and gave him a goodbye kiss.
"Now as for you,"
"Silver, if you allow me to call you that, may I go in?" He cut me off ticking me even more. I shrugged it off and unlocked my door letting him go in first. "Wow, if I do say so myself, I'm in for quite a job."
"S-Shut up! I just don't have time to clean and crap, so get started!" I ordered and, as if he was some robot, went and followed it. Stunned by how obedient he is, I made my way to my bathroom and washed my face. My head hurts; I thought and went to go lie down. "Hey, Shadow, that's your name right?" I shouted from my bedroom.
"Yes sir," He responded. "That's my name."
"Make sure you're done a lot faster so I can bring my dates over without them seeing a maid around." A long silence passed through between us until he answered.
"Yes sir." I lied on the wrinkly sheets of my bed imaging my date with that guy. It wasn't even really a date. All we did was drink and talk for about 15 minutes until I invited him over. I dug into my pocket getting my cell phone. I flipped it open seeing his cell number there. I'm not even sure if I wanna see this guy anymore... Later, I closed it and drifted into a deep sleep. Tomorrow is the day Silver the Hedgehog becomes a new man!