Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 1

There wasn't anything that stood out or grabbed attention. It was an old street, with nothing too special about it. Just ordinary.

And for her, days could be classified into two types; it was either ordinary or bad. And today, she was having a bad day.

The little bell clinked as she pushed the door open and slipped into the coffee shop and made her way to the counter.

"The usual?" the girl behind the counter smiled. Her name tag said, 'Julie'.

"Yeah," 

"So, how did it go?" Julie asked as she bustled around making her drink. "Did you get it?"

"No," 

Julie smiled bracingly. "It's fine. It was your first time looking for a job, and that too full time one. You'll get it next time,"

"He said my design was garbage," 

Julie snorted. "Conceited jerk,"

Julie handed her the coffee cup. 

"What are you up to now?" Julie asked.

"Well, I'm going home, taking a nap, then maybe watch some TV,"

"You are just going to watch Harry Potter, aren't you?" Julie said rolling her eyes.

"Don't you understand," she cried in fake anguish. "I have to do this,"

Julie laughed. "Wish I could join you. But I'm busy here,"

"See you later,"

"Yeah, bye," Julie waved to her as she walked out of the shop.

There was no wind, but the clouds were grey and were rumbling overhead. Ah, it was just as wonderful as her mood. 

Her day had only gone downhill from the morning. First, she had woken up in the middle of the night, and then she couldn't go back to sleep, then she found that her best dress was still wet because the dryer had stopped working. Then she burned her toast and the eggs were rotten because she had forgotten to remove the old ones from the fridge. Then there was no hot water for a calming bath. Not to mention, her phone died halfway, making her late for her interview. She usually had a power bank with her, as backup, but in the hurry that morning she had forgotten that too. After she rushed to her interview, she was rejected. . .terribly. 

Where did it go wrong? Because it must have started somewhere. She must have messed up somewhere. 

She didn't want something fabulous. Nothing miraculous. She didn't expect it anyway.

She just wanted an ordinary day. Just a normal one. 

What she wouldn't give to just start over again. 

If only she could start it all over again. 

Her gaze was on her feet as she walked across the sidewalk, and went out to the main road, waiting near the signal to cross the busy road. 

She lifted her hand and glanced at the digital watch around her wrist. 

'11:25' 

On the second of July.

Her hand dropped back to her side as her eyes left the watch.

Cars and trucks zoomed past as she sipped her coffee, trying to keep herself awake and not miss the signal. If she did happen to miss the signal, that would be another embarrassing moment she would relive in her head every single night.