Avery yawned as she slid out of bed, turning her alarm off. With her eyes half open, she managed to dress herself in a sports bra crop top and a pair of leggings, and slipped her feet into her trainers. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, then looped it around into a bun to keep it from flicking her in the face. She strapped on her arm heart monitor and slipped the iPod into its pouch. She put the headphones in as she left her room, stretching her arms as she jogged into the kitchen. She supported herself against the counter and stretched her legs, one at a time, then grabbed her keys from the bowl on the bench and tucked them into the crop top.
She blinked in the early morning sun as she hit the pavement and headed in her usual path towards Central Park. She breathed through her nose, enjoying the tranquillity of the early mornings in New York, before peak time with everyone hustling and bustling on their way to work. She reached the park and did a lap around her north side, then headed back to the apartment, going a slightly different route on the way back so she could detour past Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
"Morning Avie," the usual server greeted as she stepped inside.
"Morning," Avery smiled, taking her headphones off. "Could I get a nonfat iced Chai latte and a full fat iced coffee?"
"Sure thing," he replied. "That'll be $8.47."
She handed over the money and dropped some change in the tip bowl, then went to wait at the end of the counter for the drinks. They were handed to her shortly and she put her headphones in, then jogged the rest of the way home. She put the iced coffee in the fridge, and threw her empty cup out, then headed for the shower, shedding her clothes in her room and wrapping her robe around herself. She closed the door to the bathroom softly, and immediately started the shower, stepping under the spray and enjoying the hot water, tilting her head back under the spray.
A good fifteen minutes later, she left the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and headed back for her room. She combed the knots out of her hair and quickly plaited a side braid, then walked to her chest of drawers and pulled out underwear. Once that was on, she went to stand in front of her closet, selecting a short cream and floral sundress, and slipped her feet into flip flops. She grabbed her art portfolio and her handbag and went out to the kitchen. Careful not to wake Christian, she ate her bowl of muesli standing over the sink, quietly washing the bowl and stacking it in the dish rack. She scribbled a quick note and left it on the fridge, then left the apartment to go to her classes.