skyline [COMPLETED]

part one - the fall

Normally, before the fall, there would be a rise. A swell, where things seemed to go right for a while until they went wrong. Sometimes that isn't the case. There seems to be nothing going right and then it gets multiplied, somehow. Sometimes things just...fall. You hit rock bottom and somehow go lower than that.

It was dawn. The rain has stopped, finally. The weather seemed to match Terezi's state of mind often. Windy, rainy, chilly. If the sky was a person, it would be tired right now. And so was Terezi. She was woken up by her neighbor's yelling - they seemed to always fight, normally before one stormed out to go to work. She preferred to sleep in, but that was unlikely today, so she groaned as she rolled off her teal and red geometrical bedsheets. Shortly after, she hit the floor.
"Shit!" She landed, her back hitting a shoe, or perhaps a bottle...it didn't matter, it hurt like a bitch. Terezi winced as she sat up, slowly getting up to her feet and rubbing her now bruised back. She shuffled to the small kitchen in her apartment, greeted by a bird sitting on her counter. She left the window open again. Sighing, Terezi shooed it away half heartedly and closed the window so she could make food without attracting various animals. By food, of course, it was something from her limited pantry of cheese, ramen, eggs, alcoholic beverages, rice, an apple, and tortillas. She made herself a single breakfast burrito, which was actually gourmet compared to her normal "ramen and eggs" meal. Really, she only had a meal a day, since she was at work trying to pay for rent, get food, and was trying to save up for a better bike and phone. This meant Terezihad minimal money for anything fancy, so getting a bag of grapes or some bagels was like Christmas.
She checked her phone. No messages. She sighed.
Her mom said she would call today.
So did her sister.
Well, they promised this every year. It was her 22nd birthday today, and her family was...absent. Her sister, Latula, was going abroad, or taking extra courses, or going to parties, or hanging out in the park. Whatever it was, she was rarely home.
Her mother was a lawyer, at least that was the job Terezi remembered her having while she was living at home.
Neither of them would cook, or help with homework. She was practically on her own, other than that someone was maybe in the house to make sure she didn't light it on fire while making toast (again).
22 years of little to no gifts or cakes or candles or celebrations.
Terezi hopped on her bike to start heading to work at the local record store. On the way, she softly sang "happy birthday" to herself.

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"You're fired."
"What?!"
"You're fired."
Terezi was shocked. She came inside, one of the regular customers waved. A coworker told her happy birthday, and she gave a half smile. Her boss told her she was fired.
"This is my only source of income, I NEED the money, I have barely any fo-"
"Once you realize that your tone of voice towards customers should differ from what you use for friends, you can get a job here again. But, it won't be for a while. We found your replacement already, so you are free to leave."
"Will I at least get my last paycheck?"
Her boss groaned. He handed her $20 and shooed Terezi out of the office.

Terezi leaned against the outer wall of the record store, slowly sliding down until she sat on the slightly damp pavement. It was still sprinkling. Luckily, that helped hide the few tears on her cheeks.
"What the fu-I don't have a bad attitude, I'm nice to the customers...$20 for the past month, Jesus Christ..."
She got up, walking to the nearest store. She bought peanut butter, the cheapest beer, some granola bars, and a gallon of water. She was left with around $3, so she used some of it to use a pay phone to call her mom, and then her sister.
No response.
The remaining money got Terezi a kid's plate and cutlery set, using a coupon and her sister's old rewards card.
She couldn't even walk into the building. She sat on the steps and she cried and she drank.
Damn, this was a bad birthday.