#pretending.starters

Brittany hadn’t slept well in weeks, and tonight was no exception. The awkward posturing it took to lay down in the space behind the lockers was uncomfortable at best, and absolutely spine contorting at worst. She had to figure this living situation thing out. ASAP. Before her move to the city, her parents had warned her about the financial burden it would be. But she was fresh out of college, newly in love, and blind to the potential dangers of moving across the country from the safety net of her family and friends.

She was constantly paranoid that someone would find her here, sleeping in the space behind the lockers that nobody cleaned or noticed. She could stash her blanket in her locker every morning, bright and early, and her coworkers were none the wiser. Tonight marked one week sleeping here, except she couldn’t sleep. She turned from side to side restlessly, stopping when she heard a sound from outside. It sounded like a whimper.

Was there a puppy outside? She nearly scraped a gash in her leg turning the corner to come out from behind the lockers and quietly slipped out the front door of the studio. Luckily, she taught the first class in the morning and thus needed the keys to open up.

The streetlight seemed ominous, and a scuffling by the dumpsters added to the atmosphere. She was wound up, so the unexpected voice of another person startled a high-pitched squeak out of her.