Perception

1. Move in Day

"Oh, my God! I'm so excited!" Megan said, jumping up and down in front of her two friends.

"Girl, chill," Alex said, looking up at the building they were standing in front of—their building.

Inside of it was the condo they'll each be calling home for the foreseeable future.

Liz pushed her coily hair out of her face and said, "y'all two doodoo heads gonna help me bring these boxes up?"

"Jeez Liz, can't you stop and enjoy the view first? We worked hard for this."

"Yeah, yeah," Liz grumbled as she turned back to the U-Haul. 

At 26, she still feels like a failure. According to her life's schedule, she should be a homeowner, not rooming with her two best friends. She should be on her own and just starting her own firm, but life had thrown her a curve ball. After working for a prestigious firm for four years they laid her off and now she's working as a public defender's assistant, which she hates. She's too over qualified, but it's the only position she could get.

Her being an overachiever, this was hard for her ego. She graduated high school at 15, started college at 16, by the time she was 22 she'd accomplished more than she'd ever hoped for. She was on a high and now in her eyes she had hit rock bottom.

She grabbed the box labeled kitchen and made her way to the entrance.

"Tell me again why we didn't park in the garage like normal people?" Alex asked.

"Because we have a big strong man like you to carry all the boxes up for us," Megan said, patting his biceps.

"Hey now, these muscles are completely for show," he said, flexing.

"Yeah, we are all aware of how you trap your men," she said, walking past him with a box labeled bathroom.

"There's an elevator at the end of the hall," Liz stated, coming from the entrance.

"Great," Alex sighed.

He didn't really want to carry those boxes up 3 flights of stairs. If Meg had just listened to him when he suggested parking in the garage they won't have to walk as much. But Meg specifically had to experience the magic by seeing the entire building. He'd swear the girl was mental if she wasn't the smartest person he knew, behind Liz of course. Speaking of, her energy seemed way off. Maybe he should ask her if she wants to do a session tonight.

Alex has tremendous pride in what he does. He's a Reiki master, teacher and an astrologer. Spirituality called on Alex at such an early age. Since age seven, he sensed the church wasn't looking at the entire picture. He's mother was—and still is a religious churchgoer, but he never experienced fulfillment in the church. So he outsourced doing research of his own, and the rest is history.

"Alex, you good?" Megan asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm good."

Megan sighed. She was thinking her two friends would rather be anyplace but here.

When she'd found this condo, she was excited and even though she can afford it by herself; she thought it would be perfect to invite her two childhood friends to room with her. And she thought she was doing them a favor, giving their situations. Liz being laid off and with Alex not having a steady income. She recognizes how much he adores what he does, and she admires his work, but he's not real business savvy and that's what's hurting his pockets. She'd suggested that he take a business class or even go back to school and get a degree in that area, but he always brushes her off by telling her he knows what he's doing. Black men and their stubbornness. Or is that all men? Nah, it could be just Alex.