Tracy tapped her hands impatiently on the coffee maker thinking of one hundred ways to kill her best friend. One hundred ways to make Sharon pay. Her best friend and roommate, Sharon had probed her into watching a movie with her the previous night and she had overslept as she wasn't used to staying late nights.

The fact that her best friend, Sharon, sleeps late but wakes up early annoyed the crap out of Tracy. She's more than late for work and Sharon's already left.

Tracy had woken up to see the note Sharon scribbled on a piece of paper on the bathroom door which said ~ Rise and Shine, common you'll be late for work!!~

Who does that?? Can a note wake a person you from slumber?? What ever happened to the alarm anyway??

Sometimes, she finds her best friend so annoying.

She dumped the disposable cup in the dustbin after downing its content, then checked herself out in the mirror. Satisfied with her dressing, she rushed out to her car, used it's remote to open and hopped in. Driving fast but not too fast to her workplace, she's always scared of violating rules pertaining to roads.

She parked her car in the parking lot, locked her car with its remote and hurried to the free elevator.

She calmed her racing heart and Chief editor was no where I'm sight as the elevator moved up.

Thankfully, there was no stop over till she got to the third floor.

She walked fast to her office, her heels clicking on the marble tiled floor. She works as a journalist in New York City Reporters and shared a office with her best friend, Sharon, and a co-worker, Mary.

Mary was seated and typing on her computer when she entered while Sharon's desk was empty.

"McDowell, you're late." Mary whispered.

"Yeah unfortunately," She placed her bag on the desk and collapsed into her seat. " Where's Sharon?"

" The boss sent for her, she will be going with some of the other guys went to an orphanage home opening, it's a senator's project and he wants it all covered by the media"

" You know, I don't know what's up every politician on this planet. Can't they do something good quietly without inviting the press, they're just clout chasers!!" Tracy said turning on her desktop.

" You're right but what can we do?" Mary countered passing Tracy a mint bubblegum.

"Thanks." Tracy mouthed and pop the him in her mouth, momentarily forgetting about Sharon.

Few minutes later, Sharon breezed in, picked her bags, kissed Tracy goodbye on the cheeks and went out the same way she came in. Just like that, her appearance like a whirlwind.

Tracy still had her mouth opened a little the she shook her head, promising to deal with Sharon later.

****

Tracy yawned loudly as she rounded up her work for the day. She was grateful she didn't have much work for the day.

She only interviewed two people. A woman who is looking for her missing kids and a businessman who's promoting his brand, the rest of the day's work was done on her computer.

It was closing time and only few people were left in the agency. She walked to the parking lot and opened her car drop her bag and some files in the front seat, on the passenger's side, got into the car and drove out.

The car was given to her as a birthday present by her Aunt, Angela when she clicked 23 last year.

Her aunt, Angela is the only family she has that became her guardian after her parents died in an automobile accident when she was 11.

Twenty minutes later, she arrived at her apartment. She livs in the quieter part of New York and had bought the house recently.

She has a security guard who worked day shift and another who worked at night. She wasn't familiar with them, she only knew their names and sure to recognize them anyway. Asides from that, every other thing is nil.

She reached for her bag and files then got out of the car to the front door of her house.

She fumbled with the keys for a moment. The door opened with a click and she allowed herself into the the well furnished living room that had cost her quite a fortune. The former occupants of the house were a little rough and dirty.

She dropped all her files on her working table and stripped herself off all her clothing, gathered them and entered her room, going straight to the bathroom.

She had a lot running through her mind especially her coming birthday so she decided a warm bath us exactly what she needs to keep herself sane.

After spending fifteen refreshing minutes, she came out with a towel wrapped around her body. She picked up her hair dryer and blow dried her hair.

She had just finished applying a night face cream on her body when she heard the front door slam shut.

She sighed, only one person shuts the door as if she's quarrelling with it or taking out her anger in it and that's her best friend, Sharon.

"Tracy darling, I'm hooommmeee" Sharon sing-sang from the living room.

She entered the bedroom and kept her bag on the second dressing table in the room.

"Didn't you hear me??" Sharon frowned, removing her earrings and placing them on the table.

"Sharon" Tracy said crisply, "You know, I'm supposed to kill you now." she turned to face her, fixing her a deadly stare.

" C'mon gummy bear, I'm sorry. " Sharon batted her fake eyelashes, hugging Tracy from behind.

" That's not going to work on me, not this time." Tracy tried shrugging her off

" Guess what, I brought your favourite." Sharon disappeared to the living room.

Tracy's ears perked up at the sound of favourite, her mouth salivated.

Sharon confirmed her thoughts when she came back with a Pizza box.

Tracy shut her eyes, refusing to be cajoled or bought over.

She felt Sharon put the box on her laps. " It's for you alone." She added, whispering.

Tracy opened her eyes in delight, acting like a child. She opened the box, picked a piece of pizza and bit into it.

"What are you?!" She remembered to asked Sharon halfway through the pizza.

" You know I don't like eats-out, I prefer home made foods."

" Hmmm, where did you buy the pizza anyway?" Tracy licked her lips.

"Ummmm...." Sharon started, " Actually I didn't buy the food."

Tracy stopped chewing and furrowed her brows, "who did then? Someone crushing on you??"

"Tony did."

" What?! Which Tony? Don't tell me you got the pizza in my name!!" Tracy yelled.

" No of course not, I met him at the orphanage and he offered me a ride back home, so we passed the cafeteria and he stopped by and ordered. There's even more." Tracy hadn't noticed the package when she came in.

" Wow!!" Tracy exclaimed, " that's lot of food."

" Yeah, if you agree to be his girlfriend, we'll be getting more of this."Sharon said. " Can't you see he loves you?"

" Can we not talk about this?" She said and bit into the pizza savoring the taste.

"I don't understand the reason you don't want to go out with Tony, he's rich, nice and damn... That nigga's hot"

" Still a noooo from me."

" I can't believe you're still single at 24" Sharon continued, " you're independent, nice and you have a perfect body to die for."

" Will you die for my body?"

Sharon made a disgusted face, " no thanks, I'm okay with mine."

"Well, I'm never doing marriage. It sucks!" By now Tracy was on the fruit juice.

" Whatever, going in for a shower and please don't finish the dessert!!"

" I'll try not to but damn it's delicious." she moaned.

She couldn't help but think about Tony, she felt sorry for the poor guy. She didn't love him. Tony was her boss's cousin and he had picked interest in her right from the first time he saw her.

********

.

It was April and the downpour that day was serious. Tracy was at Good Will Orphanage. She visited the orphanage every 13th of the month and she was quite familiar with all the kids there, it was April 13 and she had paid her usual monthly visit to the place, dropped food items, toys and played with some of the kids.

When she was about to leave, the rain started again and the weather forecast reported a storm so it wasn't safe for her to drive home. The kids looked happy to have her around do it wouldn't hurt to spend a few more hours with them.

She was sitting by the fireplace and few kids were gathered around as she read them a story. "So, the Pretty maiden and the prince......"