Kade

I'm exhausted, yet wide awake, watching as the sun begin to rise through my curtains.

Insomnia is such a fucking pain.

I groan out as I reach over to grab my phone from the bedside table to check the time. 5:30am. Third night in a row without sleep. I decide to scroll aimlessly on my phone, maybe I'll fall asleep, until I'm literally forced to get up by the sound of our new housemate, Susan, aka the cat Grant begged us to keep, meowing non-stop at my door. It's almost like he knows I have a fucked up sleep schedule and this has got to be the fourth time his done this.

"Yeah, yeah I hear ya'." I grumbled, dragging myself out of bed and immediately shiver from the loss of the warmth from my bed, grabbing a discarding hoodie laying on my desk chair and slipping into it before opening the door, revealing Susan, looking at me with an unbothered little face. 

"What?" I ask him - a cat. 

I might be going through some form of psychosis due the lack of sleep lately because why did I actually expect him to answer me. Instead, the little shit just sprawls out and starts cleaning himself. 

"You got my attention only to show me you can clean your balls?" I deadpan. This cat was on a mission to test my patience. First, taking a crap in my shoes when we had already got him a nice litter box, then brought a dead bird in the house that we couldn't find until the unmistaken smell of roadkill came from behind the refrigerator. Now, meowing every night and morning at my bedroom door.

Sighing with a heavy drop of my shoulders, I step over him and make my way downstairs. Might as well start the day. The kitchen was quiet beside the soft hum of the fridge and ticking of our spiderman broken clock- don't ask. As that soft orange-yellow glow of dawn lights the kitchen, I make myself a cup of coffee, take a sip and grimace almost instantly at the taste.

Damn it. I accidently used some of Grant's nasty decaf. Which he claims is the best coffee. Rowan and I strongly disagree. Grant has ADHD and wears that decaf gives him just the right amount of calm to stay focus. While the only thing it's done for us is make us gag. Though he's on medication to help with the other underlining problems his ADHD give's him, apparently its just not enough for him. I take a seat on one of the island chairs, staring at the sunlight spilling across the counter, my mind drifts back to last night's conversation with May. She's so desperate to keep her little fling with Dylan a secret from Luke that it's actually pathetic.

I don't get it, why hide and lie to Luke when we all know he wouldn't have minded if May and Dylan started dating. I know I couldn't care less about their stupid fling until Dylan started with his shit. Using my car for their little hook ups, and his crappy attitude towards me every time May and I had our regular, banter match to see who was able to crack first with rage. Usually May would be the first, because I always know what buttons to push. Dylan would act like a jealous boyfriend yet was to much of a coward to actually be hers. And now, having to lie to Luke.

I shake off any and all thoughts of their drama and think about tomorrow instead. 

Although I've been going there every Thursday for over a year, I still get this weird anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach, yet I always look forward to those visits. Even though I know they were bound to come to an end eventually and that thought alone breaks my heart.

The sound of the guys waking up snaps me out of my spiralling thoughts. "You're up early," Rowan says while yawning as he steps into the kitchen, glasses sliding down his nose as he rummages through the cabinets.

"You know the saying," I reply dryly, getting up to dump the rest of the poor excuse for coffee down the drain. 

As I rinse the mug, Grant strolls, in only his boxers and bedhead defying gravity in humming freaking Party Rock Anthem.

"Sup' dickheads," he greets, stealing the carton of milk from Rowan just as he was about to pour it into his cereal. 

"Oh by all means, go ahead and take the milk." Rowan retorts sarcastically.

Grant's response? Is blowing a kiss at him, looking stupidly smug when Rowan flicks him off only to turn suddenly serious as he fixes me with a harsh glare that made me raise a brow.

"How come Susan loves you more?" He asked, sounding almost offended. He can't be serious.

"What are you on about this early?" Rowan asks before taking a spoon full of cereal.

"He only ever plays with you. He always sneaks off to your room." 

"He does not-" I argue, even though if I'm being honest, Susan does seem to prefer me and Rowan over Grant.

Rowan scoffs, "maybe he's still pissed at you for kidnapping him." 

"Okay but that was like months ago-"

"Literally only been a month G." I deadpan.

Which he of course chooses to ignore, "but he clearly has a favourite." Grant insists, pointing dramatically. "And it's Kade."

I open my mouth to protest, but Susan jumps onto my lap like he's trying to prove a petty point. He starts purring and making biscuits on my thigh, with claws. 

Asshole.

Just because of that I grab him, hissing in protest and hand him over to Grant. "Take your cat that I don't love." I say before leaving.

Grant snorts through a mouthful of cereal. "Ungrateful asshat." 

I roll my eyes and head upstairs to shower. The moment the spraying water hits my skin, my thoughts slip back to tomorrow, and that same dull feeling returns, creeping in again, coiling tighter in my chest.

__________________________________________

Hours Later

I finished my last class of the day, mentally and physically drained, tossing the empty energy drink can- that honestly just tasted like acid that can evaporate a rat, or Susan- into the nearest trash bin. It did absolutely nothing to 'boost my goose' as the brand catchphrase claims.

The campus bell tower chimes, 5 p.m. already meaning I had practice in an hour. At least in that hour I could maybe take a power nap.

Just as I make my way to the parking lot, my phone buzzes in my pocket from an incoming call. So exhausted I don't even look at the caller ID until I hear the person on the other line.

Cancel that power nap I guess I'm more than ever awake and anxiously alert.

The more she spoke, the more I could feel my heart pound with fear and the more my hands grew clampy with sweat.

"Hello Mr, Brown?" The lady on the line calls me out of my trance after the update. "Are you still there?" She asked.

"Yes, sorry, could you repeat that last part?"

She sighed, "I asked it you're still going to visit him tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I will."

After the call my mood for the rest of the day turned sour.