The first week of July. No more money in my bank account. I couldn't afford anything. I ate 99-cent cartons of eggs and packs of 99-cent hot dogs from Ralph's. Some days I only drank green tea and ate packets of hot sauce from Taco Bell. I shoplifted saline solution for my contact lenses.
I searched online for work. I tried telemarketing for a day and quit.
The second week of July I found a dance studio near Julia's in Tarzana that needed a part-time teacher. They offered me $40 a class. I accepted. The studio started me off with three classes a week.
I decided to focus completely on work and living in a frugal manner. I needed to eat, pay rent, and put gas in my car. My trifecta of survival.
The owner of the dance studio asked me to cover a few shifts at the front desk. A couple of hours here and there for minimum wage. During these shifts, I noticed jars of candy and dance key chains that sold up front on the desk. No records or inventory for these items existed. I started charging an extra dollar for everything. I pocketed the extra cash and stole the full amount of half the items sold to bring in an additional $20 or $30 each office shift. I did not feel bad about doing this. I tricked my mind into pretending I played a character in a movie, and that made it exciting.
*
Andrew and I finished another, who can do more pull-ups, competition at Equinox when he asked me about my lease in North Hollywood.
"I think we should look for a place to live together," he said.
Andrew's lease ended at his Brentwood apartment in November and my lease ended in December. Andrew wanted to leave the Brentwood area and his tiny studio. His whole apartment could fit in my living room. He needed more space and told me he started looking at houses for rent in the area. The idea of splitting rent sounded good, but I enjoyed living alone. I told him I might be interested in sharing a place if it could save me money. Andrew slept at Carrie's most nights anyway, so he probably wouldn't be home often.
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General FictionAn aspiring actor detailing his first year in Los Angeles as he attempts to break into the Entertainment Industry. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Ash molds himself into an eclectic assortment of odd characters to survive while using these personalities to...
