The apartment was small, but to Mira, it felt like a mansion. Sure, if her old friends—the ones from when life made a bit more sense-saw it, they'd probably ask, "What the heck happened to you?" But anything was better than bouncing between cheap motels or trying to sleep on her bike like some unfortunate action hero with no budget.
That evening, she sat cross-legged on her bed, flipping through the pages of her old-school ledger for the third time that week.
Rent: paid.
Utilities: kind of under control.
Groceries: no ramen for a while
Still, one thing kept bothering her more than anything: the electric bill.
She'd gotten used to the hustle — two part-time jobs were already draining her to the bone, and she was still on the hunt for a third. But what really pushed her patience wasn't the work, but it was the roommates who made it more of a challenge.
"Turn off the lights when you're not using them! I'm not footing the bill just so you can light up the whole house like it's Christmas. You're making it way too easy for the aliens to abduct us!"
To anyone new, her dramatic warnings might sound over the top. But her three roommates were used to it by now. At first, they'd been shocked at how much Mira had changed- how she adapted so quickly to living with less, like a monkey figuring out how to survive in a new jungle. It was kind of impressive, even if a little annoying.
From the living room, Zoya responded with her usual groggy tone."Oh, come on, it's only two more hours". You could spot her anywhere: oversized hoodie, black-rimmed glasses, eyes locked on her laptop screen like the fate of the world depended on her code. She practically lived in that chair, surrounded by snack wrappers and the soft hum of her CPU.
"No," Mira said, flipping her budget page like she was closing a case in court. "Two more hours of lights means an extra twenty-five cents on the bill. That's a chocolate bar I'm giving up. I could really use that."
Tasha, sitting on the couch, rolled her eyes and let out a small snort-the kind that only came from someone who knew you well enough to be both annoyed and amused."You're not getting a chocolate bar if you don't relax. It's just lights."
Mira shot them a look sharp enough to freeze an ice cream bowl.
"Fine. But don't come crying to me when the power cuts out in the middle of your movie night."
The truth was, Mira didn't mind being the one who nagged about bills. She didn't have the choice to take things lightly anymore. After her dad ended up in jail, it felt like her entire world fell apart. She lost her pride, her family, and her future. All of it.
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Later that night, Mira stood behind the counter at the 24/7 department store, her eyes half-closed as she scanned a pack of gum for a customer. She was still tired from her earlier shift - the cafe waitress and from job hunting. But as usual, she had to push through. No one was going to fix her problems for her.
As she handed the bag to the customer, her gaze flicked over to the door. Elliot walked in again. He is Mira's neighbor from down the hall.
He was wearing a faded band tee and holding a half-drunk cup of an energy drink. But then, as if by instinct, her lips twitched into a slight grin. Elliot had this easygoing way about him - as if he wasn't struggling, even though she knew damn well that he worked part-time jobs aswell as weekend gigs to keep himself in the college.
"Hey, Mira." He nodded at her like they were old friends, well from the cafe gig they were getting along . "You survive the café shift?"
"Just about." She smirked, leaning against the counter. "I'm about five seconds from turning into one of those coffee machines you have to clean every hour."
Elliot grinned, leaning over the counter. "Hey, you at least get coffee. I'm stuck with energy drinks and cheap burgers."
"Sounds like my future," Mira quipped, glancing at his cup. "Except mine would be a cup of overpriced tea and two-day-old pizza."
She scanned the can and a banana milk, raising a brow. "You know you're supposed to drink fluids, not replace your bloodstream with them?"
Elliot smirked. "The soda's for you."
Mira blinked. "What?"
"You look like you need it more than I do. Get energized, sleep properly, and show up tomorrow so I don't have to man the café alone and mess up every single order."
She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Wow. Guilt-tripping me with a free drink. That's low."
"Effective though," he said, tapping the counter.
They shared a laugh, the kind that felt like it just might be the beginning of something better than the awkward silence they usually exchanged.