Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Three pieces of candy in the fine mesh bag on her nightstand. By now, the sugary conversation hearts were just another part of Annie’s life, no different than the good morning text that her boyfriend always sent her, the sunrise, or the horoscope that always came at 5 am sharp. They were mundane if all still playing a fundamental role in her future that she might never fully understand.

Before any other actions could be taken in the day, she had to read and record them, lest they be misplaced altogether. They were a gift from the universe, appearing next to every man and woman when they woke up starting on their twelfth birthday. Rather young, Annie had always thought, to begin the hunt for a soulmate. She loosened the thin purple ribbon that tied the bag’s opening together and stuck two of her slender fingers in, fished out the candies, and arranged them in her palm to be face up. This was never a surprise anymore, though an overwhelming sense of hope (or was that anxiety?) insisted that the words be immortalized. What if she needed them later on? Eyes scan over the brief insight to the words her soulmate would say throughout the day.

cool it, man
i’m so tired
i love you

That was her boy, right there. A smile piqued her full lips and she sat the candy on a tissue, wiped the sugary dust off on her thigh, and recorded the phrases in a brown leather journal, faded and worn from years of use. The date is written in neat, tiny script in the margin of the line, and she closed it once more, ensuring it was in the proper place on her desk. Despite the day still being young, she popped the sweets into her mouth and bit down onto the vaguely fruit-flavored hearts. She had hated these at one point in her life and was never quite sure when that had changed. Perhaps it was when they had taken on a prophetic tone rather than just being overhyped sugary chalk that left a weird film on her tongue. It still did, but the sweet start to her day and hopeful promise of a declaration of love outweighed the abysmal texture. Annie brushed her teeth, quickly fixing the problems of both the candy and her sour morning breath, and showered. When she got out and looked in the mirror, meticulously picking over the imperfections in a body that never quite felt perfect, her skin was red from the water’s scalding temperature. Gag.

The sun had yet to rise, though it would be up in the next half hour. It was time to start the day. Annie tiptoed through her apartment so as not to wake her roommate, Johanna, up. She was always cranky if woken up by Annie’s rummaging around the minimalistic kitchen. The coffee pot, already set on a timer, emitted an aroma throughout the room that caused her mouth to water. Standing at a measly five-feet even, she had to stretch to grab a mug out of the weathered cabinets, pouring in the steaming liquid and bringing it to her lips after adding a dash of cinnamon. Her mother often said that a quiet house was a blessing. It was a time for reflection, and sometimes just a moment of silence before the world had a chance to come crashing down. Annie often thought it to be closer to the latter. While waiting for the coffee to take effect, she sat the mug in the sink and walked out onto the balcony of the small student apartment. The last remaining cool breezes of the morning brushed lazily past her exposed skin, and Annie sighed with relief, invigorated.

Slow movements allow her muscles to become limber while she stretched into a series of different poses, guiding herself through a yoga routine she’d found online years prior and now stuck to religiously. Practiced flexibility aided in clearing her mind before she had a chance to interact with the outside world, or rather, it attempted to. Much to her avail, her mind was still at a sprint.

Annie would not let the exam that she was woefully underprepared for cross her mind. She would not have the rent due later that week interfere with this workout, either. Not the dirty mug she’d left in the sink. Certainly not. Clear mind. Nothing matters, she repeated to herself internally before—

“Agh-- fuck it.”

She brought her feet back to the ground from her handstand, returned to an upright position, and pushed locks of wet brunette hair out of her face. The mindset was ruined, but at least a good five minutes of meditation were gained, and at least her muscles felt warm and alive. A brisk walk inside, no longer feeling as sluggish as she had before, and she finally washed out the mug, wiped it down, and set it on the drying rack next to the sink. The clock read 6:30, and the sun had only just peeked over the horizon to greet the world by painting the common area in hues of orange, red, and gold. Perhaps her mind needed something that would allow a certain amount of worry to pair with the exercise.

Five furious miles on the treadmill and another brief shower later, she dried her hair, got dressed, and caught a bus headed for Ravinstill University.

The commute was filled more with office workers and businessmen than college students, but she didn’t mind not seeing anyone that she knew. Music blasted through her earbuds, head bobbing along to a reggaeton beat while she opened her phone to see a message from several minutes prior from her boyfriend.

Even the simplicity of the message could brighten her day. It implied a sleep-induced haze clouding any real attention to grammar. In anyone else, she might find the lazy mistakes annoying, but for now, she was enamored. Once settled, she responded, happy to use her free minutes on him.

She put her phone back into her bag and rested her head back against the window, bouncing her knee to the beat of the music as she waited for her stop, allowing herself the time to drift off in the vaguely dirty daydreams of her and her soulmate, Colm Lacy.