Lucky's (Mis)Fortune (MXMXMXM)

Lucky's (Mis)Fortune: CHAPTER ONE

As soon as I stepped foot inside my quaint, run-down apartment I took a sigh. I glanced around, noting that I should probably clean the place up. I barely did the dishes oftentimes but it was about time that I did.

I walked to my small room, dropping my keys, wallet, and phone on the bed before taking my jacket off and throwing it as well before walking out of the room and beginning to clean.

I decided the first step would be doing the dishes but as soon as I turn the faucet I realized that the water was brown. I cursed, gritting my teeth together. Frustration ran through me as I stomped to the front door which I opened before taking the four flights of stairs down to the lobby. The elevator was always broken so I didn't even attempt to use it.

When I got to the bottom, I walked to the back of the empty desk and to the door which was labeled 'Mr. Keen.' I knocked on the door which was soon opened by the man himself who gave me a sweet smile, ushering me inside. I did my best to smile back. Mr. Keen isn't a bad person, after all. A short man with little hair which was completely white, his face completely decorated with wrinkles, a mustache above his lips, and glasses placed on his nose. He has been my landlord for the past two years and has only been kind to me so I wasn't planning to be anything but that.

"How can I help you Jordan?" He asked with a smile, taking a seat behind his desk as he gestured for me to sit on the other side.

The office, just like the rest of the building, was run-down and the opposite of modern. Every now and then there were brown stains that came from who knows where and the light more often than not flickered. The gas on the stoves in each room was so little that it would take more than thirty minutes to boil some water. It was a cheap roof over my head, though. That was enough.

"The water in my apartment," I started as I sat down, "It's coming brown. Is there any way to fix that?" I pressed my lips together as soon as I spoke my question.

He looked at me with pity. "I'm sorry Jordan but I can't do anything if you haven't paid the rent. It's the second month. Is there anything wrong?" He asked with concern.

I slumped. "I," I sighed, looking at my lap in shame. Of course, it was that, what else was I expecting? "I lost my job. I've been searching for one ever since but to no avail." I ran my hand through my hair in exasperation.

"I wish I could do something for you but there's not much. I know you as a kind and responsible young man which is why I've been letting you stay but I need the money," he said with desperation to get his point across, which I did.

"I know, Mr. Keen, I know. Give me some time, I'll get the money and pay you back as soon as possible." I stand up. I have to sort out the water problem. I can survive without food but I needed the water not only to drink it but to make myself presentable while looking for jobs.

"You have until next month's rent is due, Jordan. I'm sorry." He did look sorry and I knew he was but I wasn't able to look him directly in the eye right now. I nodded in response and turned my back to him, walking away and out the door.

I groaned in exasperation as soon as I was steps away. I had to pay school fees that weren't covered by my scholarship and I also had to pay rent. Each day was getting harder and harder.

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The next morning I took my old backpack from my closet before walking out of my room. I took the last apple from my fridge, settling on that as breakfast before grabbing my empty wallet and keys. I made sure to lock the door properly since sometimes it tended to get stuck, pretending to be locked. Then, I turned around, flinching once I saw someone had been behind me.

"Gosh, James, don't do that," I mumbled before walking off without waiting for him.

I could hear his laugh from behind and soon also heard his footsteps as I took a bite of my apple. "Sorry, Lucky, just wanted to greet you before leaving. How are you?"

James Johnson. My annoying neighbor. He's 23 and his situation is just a little better than mine. He has the luxury of going out and dating and such. He has a stable job.

"Don't call me that," I uttered with a blank face after swallowing the food in my mouth. "And everything has been as shitty as possible," I told him honestly.

"Why? What's wrong?" He questioned, furrowing his eyebrow which I caught only after I glanced at him.

"I'd rather not specify."

"I thought we were friends," he joked. He knew as well as I did that we were only friendly neighbors. We didn't hate each other but we also didn't like each other enough to call ourselves friends. "You going to school?" He glanced at my backpack. I simply nodded in response as I continued to chew my apple. "What are you studying again?"

"Majoring in Economics," I shrugged. It wasn't something that I was actually interested in but I was hoping to get a job as soon as I graduated. A good job as an accountant at that. I was smart enough, I knew that and it seemed that my teachers did as well.

"What time do you have your first lecture today?" He asked with a glint of mischief.

I rolled my eyes. "Ten is my first lecture. Which reminds me, I have to hurry," I said, glancing at my cheap watch which had the time '9:27 AM' written on it.

I didn't wait for him to say anything and instead just walked in the opposite direction to the local university. It was only a ten-minute walk and I could have stayed talking to him for a while more but I preferred against that. I don't really like socializing, let's put it like that. I hate the feeling of needing to think about what I have to say and the pressure of answering what the other person wants to hear. And then there's the awkward silence that happens when neither person knows what to say. It happens often when I'm talking to someone. I don't know if it's my or the other person's fault but I just know that I would prefer to stay away from those situations.

Twenty minutes before my lecture I was walking into my first class which, as expected, was completely empty. I took a seat all the way in the back, putting my backpack on the seat next to me.

I take my old phone out just to check if any of the places I visited yesterday had called back or texted. There were only two new messages with times and places for an interview. The two offered the minimum wage but I knew that was better than nothing so I made a mental note for each appointment.

I took my notebook and pens out of my bag just for the sake of having something to do. I started to go over past lecture notes. Around 10 minutes later, I heard voices that made me raise my head. I recognized all three people that were coming inside since I had now been seeing them for months once a week. I discarded their presence, deciding to just look back down at my notes.

I had gotten lost in the words on the paper that I almost didn't register when someone tapped my shoulder. I looked up to see my one and only friend smiling down at me. "Hey, Lucky," Liam said with a smile, moving my backpack to take the seat. "What's up?"

I didn't waste my breath reminding him not to call me that.

I shrugged. "Nothing new, nothing great. You?"

"Nothing as well. Though," he smirked, "I went to a club this weekend and hooked up with this chick named Carly, and wow man, she was irresistible."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"What about you? How was your weekend?" He asked, nudging me.

"I spent it handing out resumes, nothing exciting," I answered nonchalantly.

Liam didn't know about my situation but he knew that I had been looking for a job for the past couple of months. He didn't know just how desperately I needed it and he didn't know the real reason why I hate going out.

"Damn, you really don't give up. It's been what, two months and no luck?" He paused and laughed. "Get it? Luck. Your second name is Lucky. God, I'm hilarious." I gave him an unamused expression, shaking my head at him in disappointment before focusing on the front as our professor stepped inside.

He said his greeting and took roll call before starting to teach, as per usual.

Sometimes, or rather many times, I would look at people and wonder how they were able to keep a smile on their faces. Professor Danes is one of those people. The old man seemed to always have his lips pointing up. Him, I guessed that was because he had already gone through the bad points of his life. The ones that turned his smile upside down.

I couldn't wait to get there.