Pearl jolted awake that Saturday morning — the earliest she had gotten out of bed since resuming school. Not because of an alarm or an early class, but because of a strange mix of nerves, adrenaline, and...freedom.
Sunlight streamed through the dusty blinds of her new apartment window, painting golden streaks across the wooden floor and the sheets tangled around her legs. For a second, she just lay there, blinking at the ceiling, trying to process the shift in her reality.
No distant sound of Jason's guitar. No Frederick's annoying early morning football videos blasting from the living room. No shared kitchen arguments. Just silence. A thick, oddly comforting silence.
She slowly sat up, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and glanced around. The space was small — laughably so. A narrow single bed pressed against the wall, a metal rack with barely enough space for her clothes, a miniature desk with a flickering lamp, and a tiny kitchenette that looked like it had survived a war. But it was hers.
*"This is real now,"* she whispered, voice cracking slightly.
She unpacked slowly, almost ritualistically. Clothes folded neatly into the narrow wardrobe. A few books she brought lined up on a shelf—titles she'd read and reread like they were her personal mantras. Her small potted plant, the only one she owned, sat by the window, catching the morning light. It looked hopeful. Everything in the room looked like a fresh start. Like a promise.
But when she opened her notepad and laid out her weekly budget, that hopeful glow began to dim.
Tuition. Clearance. Rent. Electricity. Food. Transport.
Everything added up faster than she could breathe.
Her heart sank.
She grabbed her laptop and typed fast into the search bar, fingers trembling:
*"part-time student job" "waitress shifts near me"*
There it was—barely two miles from Crestville campus. Flexible hours. Immediate hiring.
She didn't hesitate. She applied right there, right then.
An hour later, her inbox pinged:
*Subject: Invitation — Interview Monday, 4 PM.*
She slumped into the chair, letting the relief wash over her in quiet waves. One problem temporarily solved.
But quiet didn't stay for long.
The memory came creeping back.
Jason.
The kitchen light flickering.
Her in a bathrobe.
Him walking in.
That stare. That kiss. The slap.
Her heart had raced in panic. Or was it something else?
She had stormed off, swearing she'd move out the next morning—and she had.
No delay. No second thoughts.
But now, sitting in her own apartment, no longer sharing space with him… why was it still haunting her?
*He had leaned in. She had frozen. She had slapped him. She had fled.*
And now, she was here. Moved.
Independent.
So why did her thoughts still trail back to him?
By Monday afternoon, campus was back to its usual rhythm—lecturers buzzing past, students loitering by vending machines, and the sun tossing dappled shadows across the humanities block.
Pearl spotted them first—Kelly in her denim jacket, Amanda with her notebook on her lap, and Emily sipping iced coffee through a neon pink straw.
"Hey!" Emily waved excitedly. "Look who's back and bossed up!"
Pearl dropped her backpack and flopped beside them under their usual shady tree. The grass still smelled like last week's rain.
Kelly leaned in with a mischievous grin. "So? Big move finally done? How's the lair?"
Pearl chuckled. "Quiet… peaceful… way too clean. Perfect for studying."
Kelly gave her a side-eye. "You're such a nerd now."
"I was always one," Pearl replied, feigning offense, which made them all laugh.
Amanda reached out, gently touching Pearl's arm. "I'm proud of you. Seriously. You're really doing this."
Emily nodded. "You even look more… grown. It's giving 'main character' vibes."
They shared a warm silence before Kelly piped up again, "So, wait—are we celebrating this move, or what? Ice cream later?"
"Or bubble tea," Emily added. "Please, someone say yes before I spiral into academic depression."
Pearl laughed, her chest warming at the ease between them. "Only if it's your treat."