Meant to Crash | ✓

Chapter Four

"We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without."

― Immanuel Kant

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"A girl like you don't belong in a wishy-washy place like California," was what dad told me when I had first announced that I'd leave my small town life for the big city in San Francisco. This decision had only come into motion after I transferred from community college to the state university of San Francisco. Craving the taste of acceptance from a city that was known to branch out in colorful directions, truly driving my desire to leave my dusty old town in Arkansas. But what really made me want to go more than anything else was so I could be closer to my mother; she was the one who originally suggested it to me, saying she missed me. And at first, San Francisco seemed like a great idea. A perfect one even...up until my memory finally caught up, reminding me what it used to be like living with my mom.

Judgement. So much judgement I could practically swim in it. I'd gotten a healthy dosage of judgment in school growing up and I definitely didn't need it from my very own mother. But even with her backhanded compliments and displeased gaze over my work, that still wasn't what truly bothered me. When I was a kid, dad made the meals for me and cleaned around house when my mom was too sidetracked by work. Which was always.

After I moved in with her back in August a few months ago, she was the same. All of the house work was my responsibility and for the things I didn't do, I was lectured at for. Those reasons alone was why I had finally come to the conclusion that it was best if I moved out.

"I've a spare room," Layla said after I told her about my situation with my mom for the hundredth time. We were on our break, eating lunch in a deli down the street from where we worked. "I've kind of been thinking about getting a roommate or not for a while now, but I'm not bold enough to leave an ads out on the streets or online."

Akin gave her a funny look. "How else do you think you'll get someone to come in for the room?"

"I don't know. I just didn't want a weirdo for a roommate, you know?"

"That's why you hold interviews, genius." He bit into his sandwich and rolled eyes.

"It doesn't matter now." She scowled. "Because Maddie's moving in."

"Are you sure it's okay?" I asked, watching her attentively, "I mean first with the job, and now this-"

She wouldn't let me finish. "Oh, don't be silly. You're my best friend. Of course I'm okay with this."

"I don't know about this, Layla. What if Maddie's a psychopathic killer?" he gasped, clearly making fun of her. "You know, it would be safe if you just don't let anyone in."'

"You'd know all about psychopaths since that's all you date." She rolled her eyes. "Your last ex didn't like you working so bad that they hid your keys before your shift, and then helped you throughout your apartment to look for them. That's the definition of crazy."

"Uh, at least my ex didn't go through my phone and unfollow every man I was following on social media accounts," he snapped back. "You said he even unfollowed your brothers and uncles. Talk about psycho."

I sat back in my seat and let them argue back and forth, wondering how I ever got stuck with these two goofballs as my friends. Back when I had first came to California, I had met Layla at orientation for transfer students and we instantly hit it off. Soon after when she caught wind of me being in need of work, she told me about the opening they had at her job. Layla already knew Akin, but they had more of a hate for each other before I came along. After befriending Akin, I tried to bring them together, and that hate slowly-but surely-morphed in to a friendly bicker every now and then.