Familiar darkness greets me as I push open the door. Normally, I wouldn’t even bother with the lights, but for my friend’s sake, I fumble for the switch and flood the room with a dim orange glow.
“So what’s the game plan?” She flops onto my ratty old couch and props her booted feet up on the coffee table like she owns the place.
“Don’t have one.” I pull out two beers from the empty fridge and crack them open.
My grocery budget has been limited over the past few weeks. Money is always tight this time of year. When classes aren’t in session, business is as dry as the Sahara. Now that the students are back on campus, things will pick back up.
I hope.
“Don’t lie to me. I know you’ve been running through scenarios since before you called me.”
And none of them have shown me a way out of this mess. All I can see is a chain reaction that ends with my life in pieces.
With a sigh, I join her and take a sip from the chilled can, but the contents are tasteless on my tongue. Karis doesn’t push me any further—she knows it won’t get her anywhere.
“The only solution I see is getting another job. But without a car, that’s pretty much off the table. I’m not sure how I’m going to keep up with the ones I already have without reliable transportation,” I say, then take the last bitter sip. The alcohol works to take the edge off my desperation, letting me actually think.
“See if you can get a job downtown, then. That way you only have to figure out the commute once. Preferably a morning shift, like a coffee shop or that bagel place on Clayton Street. You can walk to the gym between shifts in the morning and shifts at Cutter’s.”
“That still leaves getting to work and back home.”
“Take the bus? Or a rideshare? I know that’s an extra expense, but it’s better than not making money at all.”
Fuck. She’s right.
If things get desperate enough, I can probably stay with Morgan and James, but the last thing I want is to intrude on their honeymoon phase. I don’t think I would leave that without mental scars.
“I’ll give you a ride downtown in the morning, and you can ask around to see if anyone is hiring urgently. After that, I’ll give you a ride over to Double Teep so you can coach the brats. You can start stressing about things on Sunday.”
“Fine. You coming back bright and early?”
“Fuck no, I’m crashing here.”
Of course she is. It’s a good thing I kept her toothbrush from last time.
“Sure. I’ll grab something for you to sleep in.” Before I step into my room, I add, “Thank you, Kare.”
She waves off my thanks with her attention locked on her phone. That doesn’t make my gratitude any less real.
After I get her settled on the couch, I slip into my room for a short few hours of fitful sleep. Alone in the dark, my gloom finds me again, relentlessly reminding me that things will only get worse from here.
Chapter 3
Kori
What do normal people do on Saturdays?
Football, I think. But the season doesn’t start for a few more weeks, and even then, I don’t think watching people throw around balls and knock each other over is for me. Sports weren’t exactly something my family was into when I grew up. But maybe I should give it a shot here? I might have more luck making friends there than I did at the bar.
That doesn’t help me today, though.
The view from my room overlooks a large quad that sits between several other dorms. It’s the perfect vantage point to observe the average college student in their natural habitat. With my best David Attenborough impression, I glance at Daisy and narrate the scene.
“If you look below us, you will find a group of upperclassmen congregating on the green. They often meet in smaller circles known as ‘cliques,’ and these groups rarely interact. Watch as two cliques sit side by side without ever interacting. Oh. What’s this? A rare treat, indeed. It seems as if we will get to witness a courting attempt.
“The male college student approaches a group of females with swagger in his step. It’s a bold move, but knowing that females of this species often travel in packs, the lone male won’t likely have a chance to catch her on her own. The group of females stops, and judging by their defensive posture, the male will not be successful in his attempt. But let’s see how it plays out…”
A fit of laughter overtakes me, cutting my bit short before the poor guy walks away dejected. That right there is why approaching people is so hard. The risk of rejection is so much higher than the potential reward.
