Lauren

Sleep was one of the most significant things that a human body needed in order to gain strength. For me, it was indeed a crucial entity to keep my mind awake during those monotonous and dreary meetings during the time of work that was going to begin in just a few hours. In reality, it wasn’t my job that sipped away all the vitality. In fact, it was my boss’s whimsical that made my life hell.

During the daytime, it was that 6 foot 4-inch man child, while at night it was my dear sister who vowed to take away the peace of my life. Sometimes I wonder if my boss hired my own blood-related sister to torture me in my house by making the sounds that were coming from her room, which was right next to me. Only one wall, a layer of brick that didn’t shy away from blocking the sound that was coming into my ears.

I looked at the clock on my phone. It was 3 in the morning, and for the love of God, it was the time when any normal person in this universe loved to see their dreams or just stay dead in their bed after a long workday, which I was trying to do.

I didn’t have the luxury to take a day off or even to take a rest or a few hours’ nap during my daytime, this night was all I got to fulfill the sleep that my body required after running all around the office in heels.

I needed to sleep, but the loud noise, or should I say, my sister, was making it hard for me to do so.

It was enough. If she wasn’t going to take the hint, then I had to educate her about the disturbance that she was creating. I woke up and put on the old worn-off robe that I bought from the thrift shop seven years ago and made my way towards her room, which was three steps away. I banged on her door as hard as I could.

The bag under my eyes was becoming more noticeable, as was the lecture I received this morning from my heartless boss as I yawned when he told me to email one of his investors, as well as the bump on my forehead from bumping on the door while sleepwalking. I blamed everything on my older sister Ashley and her thoughtless behavior that she had been doing every night for the past few weeks.

I thumped once again when she didn’t respond to the first one or turned off the noise.

“Who is this?” she shouted on the other side of the door.

“Surprise, it’s me. Your sister,” I slammed twice. “Come here and open the door right now. We need to talk.“

Something inside me told me I needed to do something about this situation, and it had to be tonight. Due to the lack of sleep, it was getting harder for me to function properly in the morning. In the last six days, I hardly slept for four to five hours when my body required much more than this number.

I needed to relax my body if I wanted to keep my job. Otherwise, the day would come when I would be dismissed from the two jobs that provided me with food on the table and a roof over my head.

“What?” Ashley asked, opening the door wide. “What do you need, little sister?” She was bitter. The annoyance in her voice and the frown on her face told me the tale perfectly that I wasn’t interested in.

“You are making noises. You need to stop doing that.” I crossed my hands over my chest. “I am trying to sleep in the next room, so please stop making these sounds and let me sleep. Three hours from now, I need to go to work.”

“I am enjoying my life here with my boyfriend,” she said, leaning in the doorway. She wasn’t taking me or my words seriously, as I could see that in her demeanor, and that didn’t go well with me. “Let me enjoy my life, sister. Unlike you, I liked to play harder.” She threw a smile in my way, which was pure pity. “So, please go to your room and sleep.”

Ashley had always been the wild child. She dropped out of high school, but in reality, they expelled her from school during her sophomore year, as the school found her selling drugs to her classmates and seniors. It was alright from her side, as she was never really interested in academic issues in any way.

After that incident, she disappeared from our lives. Our means Mom and mine. Just like smoke, she was nowhere to be found. Mom tried to find her, looked for her everywhere she could think of in our small town in Texas, but she wasn’t anywhere.

I never gave her that much attention. We both lived different lives, even living under the same roof. I devoted myself to my studies because I knew that education was my only way out of that town and that trailer where I had spent the majority of my life.I dreamed about having a good job, moving away from that trash can, and living in a decent house with my mother at an early age.

When Ashley came back the day before we were leaving for California, I had no choice but to welcome her into my life. However, I am now paying the price for that.

“Ashley, stop making noises. I am serious about this. You are not paying attention to what I am saying. I am requesting that you stop making that damn noise. This is the last time I will nicely ask you. Next time there will be no asking. Instead, I will throw you out of this place. This is my apartment. Remember that.“

Ashley slammed the door in my face and said, “Fuck you.”

Well, this was my sister. I had never once in my life witnessed anything nice coming out of her mouth. It would be great if someday she stepped up in her older sister’s shoes and did something for me, or at least for our family.

I fell on the bed after locking my bedroom door. The sound was also somehow gone. It was a good time to sleep, even when I had two hours and fifty-six minutes on my hand. I closed my eyes and trust me, the next time I opened them to the sound of an alarm, I knew I was late for work.

This was the third time this month that I would be in the office after Mr. Astor.

He was going to kill me. This was the end of me.