𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠- 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏.

𝟐. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩

Saturday, June 1988
𐬺⚠︎︎𐬺

She came back through the door of her apartment, looking a bit annoyed and tired. All she wanted was to collapse onto her bed and drift off to sleep. The exhaustion was evident on her face as she glanced at the clock on the wall. It read 4:17, which meant she had approximately an hour to recharge before she had to start getting ready for work again. Saturdays were particularly hard for her since she had to be at the bar by 6, while her friend didn't have to start until 8 when the crowd would gather to watch the dancers or should you say, strippers. The thought of going to work on a Saturday filled Amira with dread. It was always the busiest time, with everyone either getting off of work or simply looking for something to do. And to make matters worse, the bar was located in the heart of Los Angeles.

As she made her way to her room, she passed by Adriana's room. "Hey Amira, you're back!" Adriana's voice called out as she poked her head through the door, trailing behind Amira. Adriana had always been a sweet person, caring and kind-hearted. However, Amira couldn't help but feel uneasy about her friend having to rely on her physical appearance to make money. But as she reminded herself, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get money. "Hey Adriana," she freplied, her voice filled with weariness and annoyance. Some days, working at the record shop was a drag for Amira, but other days it could be enjoyable, especially when customers came in and engaged with the music. Unfortunately, today wasn't one of those days.

"You go into work at 6, right?" Adriana questioned as she trailed behind Amira into her room. "Yes," Amira replied, unbuttoning her shirt slightly and sitting down on the edge of her bed. She wore a black tank top underneath. Adriana continued, "Well, I was wondering, before you have to go in, do you want to run with me to grab something from the pharmacy?" Amira hesitated for a moment. She didn't really feel like going, but maybe it would help her relax a bit. "Sure," she finally said, looking up at Adriana with a faint smile. Adriana, one of Amira's closest friends, had always been there for her. Smiling back,

Adriana walked out of the room and into her own. She closed the door behind her and went to her closet, picking out a regular shirt with The Smiths' album cover, "The Queen Is Dead," printed on it. She had gotten it last year when the album was released. grabbing her hoodie and pulling it on, She also selected a pair of regular black fabric shorts since it was just a quick stop here and there, then putting on her Converse shoes. After brushing her hair, she returned to the living room/kitchen area, which was connected. Adriana was already sitting on the kitchen counter. Amira joined her, and they exchanged glances. "Ready to go?" Adriana asked. "Uh huh," Amira nodded. Both of them grabbed their belongings, locked the apartment door, and headed down the steps to the parking lot, quickly making their way to their car. It was a gloomy day, sprinkling lightly, probably gonna start pouring in a minute.

rushing out and making their way out to their black Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, which was Amira's pride and joy. She had worked hard and saved up all her money to buy it, and she rarely let anyone else drive it, only allowing them to do so if she accompanied them. They made their way towards the car, with Amira taking the driver's seat and Adriana sitting in the passenger seat. The convertible roof was up, hurrying to get in.

Amira inserted the keys into the ignition and turned them, bringing the car to life. With a smooth reverse out of the parking lot, they began their drive down the road towards the pharmacy. the soft thuds of hitting the roof of the car. Inside the car, there was a small box filled with various CDs, offering a selection of music for their trip. Adriana reached over and pulled out one of the CDs, inserting it into the player. The familiar tune of "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol filled the car, and she turned up the volume.

the loud music up and the rain hitting the roof making much of a noise, Amira raised her voice to ask, "So, why are we heading to the pharmacy?" Adriana shouted back,"Oh, it's just something I need to pick up." Amira glanced at her for a moment, but ultimately shrugged, showing her lack of concern. "Eh, alright," she replied nonchalantly.

As they approached the pharmacy, the car slowed down and they found a parking spot near the door so there's not much to walk. Stepping out of the car, they hurried and entered the store, with Amira following closely behind Adriana. Adriana made her way to the pickup counter and greeted the woman behind it. "Hello, how can I help you?" the woman asked politely. Adriana responded, "Hi, I'd like to pick up a package for Adriana Smith, please." The woman nodded and went to search for the bag with Adriana's name on it. After finding it, she handed it over to Adriana. "Have a nice day," she said with a smile. Adriana returned the sentiment, saying, "You too." They then made their way back to the car, ready to go back home.

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