"Vanessa. Lauren. Maddison, Can you hear me? There's an annoying tapping sound.

I slumber from my nana nap covered in sweat and roll over to look at my roommate slash best friend Chrystal. She's standing at the entrance of my room looking at me with a raised brow. I silently growl and plaster a smile on my tired face.

Chrissy, I say as I yawn.

I get off the bed and walk over to my desk picking up my water bottle taking a drink as I look out the window. The street is busy with people walking their dogs and families taking a casual walk through the neighbourhood in the late evening's breeze. Streetlife always puts a smile on my face. Especially, when there families with younger children. It makes me wonder if someday I'll have a family of my own. I love children with a passion admiring how purely innocent they are. The world is filled with enough hatred and its why the sun rises and falls quicker each year. The darkness claiming the light quicker with every new soul possesses. But I do have my doubts that I'll ever truly be worthy of such a precious gift. Losing Celeste at the tender age of eight and witnessing my parents constantly fight followed by a messy divorce is enough to question anybody's sanity. You could say that I suffer from trust issues as well. Yay me! Celestes passing had a big impact on me. It's always held me back from trying to discover who I am. I've replayed that particular morning over and over wishing I was mature enough to understand what she was going through. Trying to figure out why she wanted to end her life desperately. I can't help but think my life would've been so much different if she was still with us breathing life into our family. It's a possibility that Mum wouldn't have turned to Jack Daniels and Dad wouldn't have turned to the younger and much more attractive school teacher for warmth and comfort.

"I said... We've been invited to the new and tempting club out in town tonight." She says bringing me back to reality. "So you need to start getting ready if we wanna at least be half stupid by nine. Her face lights up in excitement.

I can't help but shake my head and smile. The only person that gets half stupid is me. She on the other hand just downright gets crazy.

"Chrissy you know I can't go out tonight I have school in the morning. Plus, I can't afford to go out drinking." I winge.

"Jeez, I'm struggling to meet my half of the rent as it is Chrissy walks into my room without looking at me and walks straight to my closet looking at the small collection of clothes I embarrassingly own.

"You can just borrow some of my clothes." She smiles.

"Uh, you do realise that you are a size or two smaller than me right?" I scoff.

"I do own some loose clothing to Vanessa. Besides, I'll just ask dad to hook you up." She shrugs likes its no big deal.

For her maybe. But personally, for me, It's getting a bit tiring having to be the charity case all the time.

"Like hell, you will."I gasp.

I love her dad, I do. But we have hit some rough patches in the past. I mean when we first met me he couldn't help but look down at me. Wondering why his first-class daughter was always bringing home the stray. Why she'd always have me stay over for dinner most nights during the week and every weekend. Then he got the full background story and slowly started to accept me. He threw a pre-graduation party for Chrissy last month and it was my job to bring her to the clubhouse to surprise her. We walked through the doors and the banner dropped.

"Congratulations on graduating Chrystal and Vanessa"

I was so moved I broke down in tears. Roman walked up to Chrissy and me embracing us and blabbering about how proud he was of us both. He even said that he bets Celeste would've been proud too. 

"Two for the price of one." Chrissy had said while smiling at me.

"Why not? It's not like he can't afford it," She says bringing me back to the present.

"Because I'm no longer a charity case Chrissy." I shake my head feeling annoyed.

"I really couldn't have got this far in life if it wasn't for you and your Dad, but the handouts need to stop."

"No one ever said or thought of you a charity case Nessa. If that's how you think we see you. You don't know us at all. Come on Nessa..." She pouts.

"We agreed when the time came we would go out and celebrate! You know you've been at the Academy we won't see much of each other. Man... I'm dreading the hours I’m going to have to put in at my dad's security firm too. And we both know he's going to be watching me like a hawk so I don't embarrass him. Now get your butt up and get ready."

Miss Chrystal Johnston is a hard woman to please. Which isn't completely her fault I mean her father is Roman Johnston and he owns Johnston Security Inc. It's well known for getting the juiciest jobs for high profile celebs and businesses that other security firms struggle to get their hands on. I cave in and agree so long as we didn't regret anything in the morning. Plus she was buying the first two rounds since her father upped her allowance in an agreement that she was to settle down once she started working for him. It also didn't hurt that I was able to convince her into lending me her new nude Jimmy Choo pumps to go with the black dress she tossed me. Two hours later and I was finally ready. I stood in front of my full-length mirror making sure I looked okay. truth be told I couldn't stop staring at the person looking back at me. The thin material dress with spaghetti crisscross straps at the back stopped mid-thigh and hugged my curves more snuggly than the last time I wore it. Curse my late-night snacking habits.

"Reeooow... Nessa, you look hot! I don't know why you hide that body behind jeans and loose tops all the time. I'd kill for your rack you lucky cow." She looks at me in awe.

I turn away from the mirror and face Chrissy. As usual, she looks amazing in whatever she wears. Being blessed with a fast metabolism she never has to worry about what she eats or how much of the naughty goodness she consumes. I'd swap my rack for her metabolism any day.

"Talk about Reeooow... yourself. You look hot in that barley there¦ dress. I'll never understand why you pay so much for clothes that barely cover you." I grin.

She's wearing a maroon dress with a gold belt. The back hangs just above her tail bone exposing her back and a large V is missing from the front. She has a gold body chain on that sparkles when it hits the light and she's paired her dress with a pair of killer black heels that are covered in gold studs. I'd never been able to pull that outfit off the way she can. She's always getting told she looks like a naughty pixie with her short blonde hair and her larger than most very pink lips. Her blue eyes look too big for her face and people usually make the mistake of calling her pretty. That's an understatement of the century. She's fucking beautiful with a heart made of gold to match. She is the most selfless person I know but if you somehow become very unfortunate and make it onto her shit list. She will make your life a living hell and that is the sad truth.

'I'm on the prowl tonight. It's been a while since I've had a rumble between the sheets with a hot guy." She says tapping her finger against her lips.

"I'd say you should do the same to relax some of that built-up tension you've managed to bag."

Pifffttt I don't think so. Not tonight anyway.

"Uh.. yeah because I make it a habit of picking up strange men and going home with them." I scoff.

"There's nothing wrong in a few one nights stands Nessa. Might as well work it while we still have it."

"Imma keep it while I've got it," I mumble to myself 

She walks out of the room and returns seconds later with two glasses of wine. She hands me one and raises her glass mid-air.

"Here's to finally… finishing school. Let's hope the big bad world is ready for us." I raise my glass and lightly tap hers.

"Here, here." I laugh draining the entire glass.

We walk into the kitchen and refill our glasses.

"So.." She looks at me Are you going to visit your parents in Wellington and show them how awesome you've turned out?"

"God, I might have to sit down with them and try to spark up a conversation with them while I'm there. They still don't know how to be civilised when they're around each other." I plonk my fat ass on the sofa carefully trying not to spill a drop.

"Yeah. Their loss babe." Chrissy smiles at me.

"I doubt that... very much, I mean I'm not even a blip on their radar. They forgot to wish me a happy birthday again this year." I laugh.

"All the better to rub it in their faces that you made it without them." She smiles and looks at me proudly.

"I suppose I could if I gave a shit." I raise my glass and take a sip.

I do give a shit but that's a weakness I have learned to overcome.

"Well, I'm bat shit proud of you." She beams.

"And I'm proud of you. I really can't believe we made it I finish my wine."

'Let's go and see if we can either stop traffic or at least wave down a taxi'" I say quickly.

The sooner we leave the quicker I can come home. I grab my small side bag and walk out of our 2 bedroom townhouse. We walk through the centre and that's when it dawned on me that it probably would've been smarter if we called a taxi. Walking through the streets dressed like this with only the street lights on is screaming danger in all directions. Horns tooting, Men whistling and the death stares from other woman does my self-esteem no justice. I shiver just thinking about the kind of danger we could be walking into as the street looks completely different with no sun gleaming or any sign of life scattering the pavement. It's like a horror movie Instead, vampires being let loose in the dark its men with one thing on their minds. I swear their dicks become pussy detectors. If you're fuck-able you're it for the night. We manage to safely grab a taxi closing the door and locking us in. I take a deep breath and make a mental note to never pull that shit again dressed like thi