Just Another Crazy Coincidence

Chapter 09:

A/N: I just want to apologise to anyone reading this because this update is long overdue. Please enjoy and share your thoughts!

On Sunday morning, Natasha wakes up to the sun coming through her windows and it only increases her somewhat renewed optimism. However, the positive feeling is soon gone because when she sits up, she both feels and hears the rumble in her stomach and it is accompanied by a small ache in her sides. She hasn’t eaten a meal since Friday night. Last night when she got home, anything she had left from Corey was too old to eat and the last thing she needs is to get sick and not be able to work so she had gone without, now she is regretting it.

Getting up, Natasha fills herself with a few glasses of water, hoping it will dim her hunger for just a while. Then she showers, in cold water, and dresses.

Today she knows she really needs to get some shopping done. She is hungry and she will only be able to ignore that for so long. Natasha really hates shopping days. She always ends up reevaluating her budget, trying to use the bare minimum to scrape by with food, hoping she has some money left over to put aside for emergencies; but it is not often that she does.

Usually, she is left in a sour mood after reassessing her financial situation, but this week has been a good one. She has seen kindness from strangers, made it through work without too many emotionally scarring experiences, and other than yesterday, she has eaten properly. Her money situation may be as bad as ever, but she feels lighter than she has in a while; and the optimism might just be enough to get her through a depressing day.

The first thing that Natasha does is check her bank account on her mobile phone, which is holding out surprisingly well considering it’s age and low cost. She is pleasantly surprised when she see’s the figure is more than she was expecting, not a lot more, but enough that it counts. She already has this months rent in an envelope beneath her mattress (which is due within the next few days) and she has paid for her phone bill this month as well. Knowing she does not have to worry about these things, and seeing her balance brings a smile to her face. Maybe to someone else the figure would be pathetic, and disappointing but she couldn’t be happier to see she has been paid well; and having Corey’s meals had saved her from creating and extra dent into her funds. On top of this, she is getting paid again on Tuesday so she will have enough to put aside for her next round of bills and some of next months rent. It’s not very often she get’s ahead but when she does she makes it count.

Maybe today will not be so bad after all.

Natasha grabs her old jacket as she leaves her apartment, just incase the weather takes a turn for the worst and then begins her walk down to the nearest supermarket. While she is there she stocks up on whatever she can that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Even knowing she can’t afford any luxuries, Natasha walks down every aisle. She almost bursts with excitement when she see’s the specials on all the tinned foods; specifically the tuna. It is somewhat sad that one of the best moments in a 19 year old girls week is the discounted tinned tomatoes and fish, but this is her life, this is all it has been for a long time.

Everything she buys is a generic brand, and tinned, or long life, or dried. For once, she can afford to eat in a way that is healthy, but that may only be for this week and knowing that is almost enough to drag her whole mood down. She hates living like this, going day to day not knowing if she will be able to eat, or if she will get shifts at work, but she has to live and so she has to continue on doing this even though she hates it, after all, what other choice does she have?

After everything is paid for, Natasha is proud of how much she got out of so little money. With two shopping bags in each hand she begins her walk home. Her mind is absent as she wanders back up the streets, not really focusing on anything, but not paying too much attention to where she is either. It is when her stomach growls at her that Natasha refocuses on the present, just as she is passing an Op Shop. She is surprised to see people inside, she would not expect them to be open on a Sunday, but they are. Knowing she has a little cash to spare, Natasha walks inside.