The Chemist's Conundrum

Chapter One: Day One

It was almost seven o'clock. She stood in her work uniform; her phone pressed to her ear.

"Hello? This is Ava Levine. Can I come get it?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration. "What do you mean it's not ready? It was supposed to get fixed by tonight... No, I don't want to calm down... Alright... Never mind. I'll come get it tomorrow, whatever."

She hung up, her fingers tightening around the phone. The day had gone from bad to worse, and now she was stranded without her bike.

With a sigh, she headed home. As she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment, she noticed a moving truck unloading furniture. "New neighbors", she thought absently, but her mind was elsewhere.

Passing by the parking lot, Ava spotted a familiar bike-a sleek black one that belonged to Ms. Simone's son, Jacob. A spark of hope lit in her eyes. She quickly made her way to their floor and rang the bell.

Ms. Simone opened the door with a warm smile. "Oh, hi Ava."

"Hey, Ms. Simone. How's it going?"

"Thank you, dear. What can I do for you?"

Ava hesitated for a moment. "I know this might be a bit much, but I was wondering if Jacob wouldn't mind lending me his bike tomorrow. Tomorrow's the first day of university, and I really need my bike. The shop promised to fix mine by tonight, but they said it needs more work, so..."

Ms. Simone nodded sympathetically. "Jacob's heading out of town with his father tomorrow, so he won't need his bike."

"Oh, I'm... Thank you so much!" Ava's relief was palpable.

"You're welcome, dear. Let me get you the keys."

Ava waited at the door, her eyes wandering to the hallway. The movers were still busy unloading boxes, probably for the new neighbor.

"Here you go, dear," Ms. Simone returned, holding out the keys.

"Thank you so much," Ava said, taking them gratefully. "By the way, new neighbors?"

"Yes, I think it's a single woman. I just met her before you came by," Ms. Simone replied.

"Cool. I saw the truck but didn't catch a glimpse of her."

"She's a professor," Ms. Simone added. "Seems like a good woman."

"Cool," Ava said, her spirits lifting slightly. "I'll go meet her tomorrow after uni."

Ms. Simone nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Finally chemical engineering, right?"

Ava smiled, feeling a mix of pride and nervousness. "Right, finally."

"Congrats, dear. You've worked so hard for this. Want to come in for some tea?" Ms. Simone offered warmly.

Ava shook her head gently. "No, thank you. I think I just need to go home and rest. And thanks again for the bike."

"Anytime, dear," Ms. Simone said, waving as Ava stepped back into the hallway.

Ava said her goodbyes and headed for the elevator. The doors closed with a soft ding, and she leaned back, exhausted but grateful for the small victories of the day.

Once home, Ava turned on the lights, bathing her small apartment in a warm glow. Silence hung in the air, a stark contrast to the chaos of the day. She dropped her bag by the door and changed out of her uniform, slipping into something comfortable.

Without much thought, she headed straight to her bed and collapsed onto it, staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts drifting to tomorrow. The first day of university was finally here- a new chapter in her life. But it wasn't just excitement she felt; there was a gnawing uncertainty beneath it all.