d stood here a thousand times before. But this time, it was me three blocks from my place, instead of him. This time, it was my nam

So, I'll do it again, just this once. Focused

ati

ted Hormona

for days. But now the stone was gone. There was an unknown void in its place. What w

p with a notif

t out there without me. Save

, and then quickly lo

ep breath and let the importance of the moment sink it. I pressed the paper to my chest and let

I was com

was a different number than what I applied to last week. I asked myself why I hadn't heard back from last we

nce to think rationally. I needed the mo

last few dollars I had and proceeded to the address they sent me. I pas

s and slow moving up the steps probably never having had to think about how they were going to pay their bills this month. I found the entrance f

nd she tossed me a maroon dress. "Katrina h

had been in, but I changed and enter

n gowns more expensive than the last three months of my rent gracefully danced to the music as though they owned the very air. Men i

ray and kept

e dribbled onto the table cloth and onto the lap of the gent

gasped co

her said, her voice setting each

t time job and end up with just the cloth

ut it carried absolute power and control over every single person in the room, including mine.

ine soaked most of him. His white shirt was now heavily stained. "I'll come back with yo

slightly longer than it should have. I c

t table. Every time I was close to it I could feel his eyes on me. It wasn't the hungry attention I was u

payment, and my folded jacket in my bag, I w

hat is min

he was much taller than I realized. The stillness that I

im and said 't

our name?"

ie." I

e was thinking of something. "Do

ly speak its mind. I turned bright red

on." H

rs. It screamed at me to run as soon as I received payment. But I took the expensive

er the chaos of the ballroom. He poured wine that

ou looked like you were barely h

y mind about the envelope I received, the key, the apartment, the years o

He was waiting to see if I would push him

w in my chest. Not a demand, but an offer. I had totall

ndows, wine, and a man who wants to make you

tty quickly,

s of gold and white. I was sitting next to a stranger and there was this weird feeling that I was more comfortable

ut he was actually the one person there tha

et. Now I thought about everything that had happened that night, and for the first time something I had once beli