Hazardous

I. Anie Makes a Bitch

| Steph |

I stare out the window of my small apartment. Obviously it's tough to afford even my crappy living space in LA; the prices here are literally awful. Like, wtf Jeff Bezos??? Couldn't even spare me the loose pocket change.

I rub my temples, attempting to relieve myself of the awful headache that's been plaguing me for the past hour. Staring at my computer screen the whole day really takes a toll on the eyes, with or without blue light glasses.

I shut my laptop, deciding to take the rest of the night off. I've been trying to send my final designs to my clients, however the Wi-Fi here, like everything else in Los Angeles, sucks ass. I've been unsuccessful for hours, and it's no use stressing over something I can't hope to possibly control. I simply pray to the Wi-Fi Gods and hope that I can make enough bank on each project to stay afloat and maintain my reputation.

Most people hear the words "graphic design" and assume I'm some idiot who could just manage to snag myself a degree I graphic design on my way through failing everything else college had to offer, which is entirely untrue. I'm a jack of all trades; if I wanted to do something different, I could've done it. But digital art had always called to me. I couldn't survive without it, so I chose to survive because of it.

I mainly animated short clips for companies and created t-shirt designs, book covers, video game illustration, and tons of other more artistically inclined jobs. I even painted murals for new companies when I was first starting off. Eventually I hit it big when some of the companies I worked with shot off like a rocket, and I began to be sought out by more well-known companies, expanding my client base to different types of industries.

The hype for my work has died as the years have passed, but I refuse to stop, mainly because my money ran dry very quickly in this cash-leeching city.

I yawn, stretching, deciding to watch a movie or something since there's nothing I can do about my internet issue.

I walk over to my cough, throwing on a blanket and turning on my little Roku T.V. streaming services are too much to pay for right now, so cable will have to do.

Mean Girls is on, and seeing as it's better than nothing, I put the remote down, wrapping myself more in the thin blanket, and pulling one of my ouch pillows over so I can lay on it. I watch the movie mindlessly, only really paying attention to the part when Regina gets hit by a bus. Definitely the best part of the movie.

Thinking to myself as the movie plays on in front of me, I ponder my stupid ass name, as most Stephanies often do.

Stephanie is such a bitch name. Like, come on. When you see or hear the name Stephanie, doesn't she sound like she'd be such a nasty ass person? Even saying the name Stephanie makes you sound like a bitch. Stephanie is like, the whore of all names.

That's why I go by Steph. I've come to the conclusion that the "anie" part of the name is where all the sass comes from... by eliminating the back end of the name, it no longer sounds like a stupid, "pretty girl" name.

I doze off for a bit, and when I open my eyes, courage the cowardly dog is playing. What even is this channel??? Pick a genre please. Unless I fell asleep on the remote and accidentally changed the channel...

I stand up, stretching my arms above my head, almost touching the ceiling of my apartment. I'm a 5'11 woman and living in a place with a low bearing ceiling... not ideal for my stature, but as you can see, I have to settle with what I can get.

I head to my little bathroom, just large enough to fit a 4×4 shower, a toilet, and a small sink in it with enough space for me to squeeze in and out of it with little struggle. Too tired to take a shower, I brush my teeth, attempt to tame my thick blonde hair (not as much as a blessing as some people make it out to be), and wash up.

I strip down, put on an old t-shirt and spandex shorts, and crawl into my bed. It creaks as I try to get comfortable, reminding me yet again that I've been skipping out on my gym days and letting myself go for a little too long.

I sigh, pulling my sheets over my head as I attempt to drift away into my dreams. I hear the cars, and soft, pulsating music playing a ways away from my window. It rained this morning, indicated by the sound of water splashing under heavy tires.

I close my eyes, deciding that tomorrow, I'm going to take a day off. Have a little Me Time.

I close my eyes, a smile creeping onto my face.

Yeah. Me time. Time for myself. To do what I want. That would be nice.

I begin to lose conciousness, and for the first time in a little while, I'm sort of comfortable.