ꜰᴏʀᴍᴜʟᴀ | ᴇʀᴇɴ ᴊᴇᴀɢᴇʀ

1.

The air was hot and humid— AC broken. You groggily rub your eyes, sitting up on the plaid couch. Your friends sleeping body was next to you on the sofa— exhausted from an all-nighter.

"Ymir," You groaned, shaking your best friend. She mumbles something inaudible before flipping onto her back. A million freckles littered her face, her naturally long eyelashes blinking at you.

   You cock your eyebrow at her before beginning to collect cans from the coffee table.

   She gave you a perplexed look before speaking, "I don't remember."

   It was an extremely valid response, so you continue to shovel things into the small trash bin.

   You and Ymir had previously moved into this apartment a week ago, prior to the beginning of the semester. This plan had been thought out for years— she was your closest friend.

   You had both decided to apply for the same college— which unsurprisingly due to your great GPAs, wasn't hard. Neither of you knew what you wanted to do, but this was all about discovery.

There were a few stray boxes stacked in the corner of each room— but for the most part you had unpacked.

Ymir stands up, stretching her arms. "Annie was talking about a kickback on the boardwalk," She informs, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"It starts at seven, a good opportunity to meet terrible people," She groans.

"Don't be so negative— free drinks," You reply.

Ymir rolls her eyes before speaking, "That's very funny coming from you."

You quietly chuckled, tucking the bin back beside the couch.

Paintings and tapestries littered the walls— a sliding door was beside the couch, leading to the balcony. There were a few house plants you'd brought from home on the shelves, right beside Ymir's CD collection. Fairy lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room beside the natural lighting.

Surprisingly, the other rooms in the apartment were quite barren. You both had decided to focus on the living room, and you splurged on decorating. It was for the best, considering you both spend most of your time in there.

You weren't incredibly wealthy, and Ymir wasn't either— but you weren't broke. It was just two college kids trying to live on their own. Of course, your parents had saved up for your tuition.

That didn't mean you could stay unemployed.

As soon as you arrived at the coast you had to job hunt, seeing as money doesn't make itself. You settled on a small cafe near the boardwalk, which is where you met Annie.

The cafe was owned by a fairly small guy, Mr. Ackerman. The sanitation rating was always perfect due to his nagging. Everything had to be spotless, but he took it upon himself to clean alone. Apparently, "Nobody cleans like I do," He said.

Ackerman was a nice guy, but he could be scary at some points. Nonetheless, it was great to work for him. He always made sure his workers were treated properly.

You and Annie work the same shift, waiting tables. Shortly after meeting, you found out she was attending the same university. It was that easy— you had made your first friend.

Annie was very chill, but I wouldn't say that she's approachable. She had golden blonde hair, always pinned up in a claw clip. She carried around a violin in a black case, covered in various trendy stickers. She was a music student, after all.

You watched as Ymir entered the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets. "If we don't go grocery shopping soon, I might just drop dead," She grumbles, pulling out a cup of instant ramen.