Sᴏʀᴀxx Oɴᴇ-Sʜᴏᴛs

Fᴏʀɢɪᴠᴇɴᴇss

But I guess that ended for me when they decided to fire me, and a few months after I lost my apartment because I didn't pay rent. This was about four months after he left.

I was job hunting, but at this point in time there was no one really hiring, so I picked up a minimum-wage job at a restaurant with a bunch of other college drop-outs like me. I hadn't intended to drop out of college, but I never got to go because tuition fees were so high. I had to stay back and try to collect money for them with Jaxx, who decided to put in almost all his wages to help me. But that potential earning all went down the drain when I lost that job.

Now I just had my college savings in my bank account, sitting there and not getting added to. I could've used them to pay rent, and I did for a little while, but when it got too low for comfort, I immediately stopped. That would be bad if a while of dedicated savings that Jaxx and I saved for together went to something other than my education.

But I had lost my apartment, which was keeping a roof over my head. I had few belongings in there that all fit in one suitcase, as I was often donating or giving away stuff I didn't need. I shot a text to the Squad telling them that I lost my house, as I had been giving them updates on my life for the past few months.

Now, instead of the homeless people I had in mind when I was donating that stuff to my local GoodWill, I would be the one needing it when I lived out on the streets. Weird.

At least, that's what I thought, but someone showed up right after I had to vacate my house. A Hanako-kun painted car pulled up right in front of me on the curb.

It was impossible not to recognize who that was. "Alex?" I asked.

She and I had gotten to become amazing friends via text, and I even came over and met her squad once or twice. They were all really nice people, but every time I saw them it reminded me that Jaxx had once been on that squad...

I know, I should just get over it. Over him. But I just couldn't. He was stuck in my head, even after three (almost four) months. It was terrible to think about, and every time I did, it ended up being another night I didn't sleep, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

Anyways, right, Alex.

"Hey Sora," she said, getting out of her car.

I stood up and she gave me a hug. "What're you doing here?" I asked her.

"I'm here to pick you up."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "And why are you kidnapping me?" I questioned.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think it would count as kidnapping at our age," she reminded me. "But I'm taking you back to the Squad house."

"Um... alright. Why though?"

She gave me an excited smile. "You're coming to live with us!" she told me enthusiastically.

I gaped at her, my mouth hanging open. "I..."

"Now, let's go," she instructed, getting behind me and pushing me around the car, opening the passenger's side door. "In the car, c'mon."

I was quite shocked, honestly. She didn't even give me time to react as I heard the hatch close, my suitcase being shoved in the trunk before she got into the driver's seat. "Alex, you really don't need to do this..." I muttered, already feeling guilty for making her feel like she was obliged to let me live with them.

She smiled at me. "I know I don't have to, but I want to. We're friends, right? And this is what friends are for."

~