Chapter 9
Bottled up
Y/n was exhausted.
She'd spent most of her day running around to different places seeing where they'd accept her resume after dropping Laila off to daycare. Armin was working today but he told Y/n on his way home he'd pick up Laila.
Y/n was now at her waiting job, midway through her shift serving tables. But for some reason this was feeling like the longest shift of her life, like she'd been picking up plates from tables for years.
Whenever Sasha would strike up conversations with her on their down time she felt bad for kinda just tuning her out and smiling and nodding; but her social battery today was nonexistent.
Even so, with every guest she put on her best smile even if none of them reached her eyes.
When the end of her shift came by, she was quick to change out of uniform; she needed to go home.
Home?
Getting into her car Y/n turned the key in the ignition, listening to the familiar ugly sound the car usually made. But this time the engine failed to kick start, the car failing to come to life.
"No, no, no, please not right now--" Y/n cursed under her breath as she turned the key several time. She hated the sounds her car usually made when it started up but right now she'd do anything to hear it. It was better than this quiet.
She wanted to punch a hole through her window, to pound her fist on the horn, scream, yell, anything.
But nothing came out.
Y/n was used to disappointment, she was used to things not going her way.
She'd always been dealt the shitty hands of cards, at some point she just stopped reacting when bad things happened.
Her head slowly fell onto the steering wheel, her grip on the leather material tightening. Listening to the pattering noise of rain beading off her dashboard.
No car, No home, No extra money.
Her mom was dead, her uncle was god knows where-- and she had to keep Laila happy through all of this.
Laila couldn't know she was struggling, that her older sister had to stress over the safety of their lives.
Opening the car door, Y/n started walking for the bus stop without hesitation. There was no way on earth she was going to call Armin and ask for a ride home; not with everything he was doing for her already.
In all honesty, Y/n was beginning to think Armin was her guardian angel or something. They'd only met this year in university but he treated her as if they'd known each other for life.
She sighed, waiting at the stop which was void of a shelter. She was familiar with the bus routes and would have no problem taking the bus back to Armin's house anyway, there was no need to ask for a rid--
"Y/n?"
'Great.'
The only person Y/n thought could make her day possibly worse with his annoying banter just so happened to appear out of thin air.
His car window was fully rolled down, His head peaking out slightly. His dark brows were furrowed slightly, eyes squinting on her figure. Seeing her return his gaze with her usual glare his lips turned up into a small smirk.
"What happened to your car?" Tilting his head, he folded his arm and propped his elbow up on his window sill.
Y/n wrapped her arms around her body in response to the chilling gust of wind that hit her now slightly drenched body. It'd be a miracle if she didn't come down with a cold after this, after all she was easy to get sick.
