Stifling a yawn, Anaya sat up on the bed and stretched her limbs before grabbing her phone to check the time. A groan escaped her lips when her eyes landed on the date, and she knew her day wasn't going to end well.

She picked the undergarments, blue jeans, and red shirt that she had washed yesterday before going to work. She didn't have many clothes, only a handful being repeated daily. It didn't matter because one of the perks of working in the kitchen was that an apron always covered her outfit.

She sluggishly made her way to the common bathroom to find it occupied. With a frown, she settled on the couch and waited for her roommate to come out. This was another problem here, which was the reason she arrived late for work.

Megan finally walked out, clad in a bathrobe and her hair wrapped in a towel. She smiled brightly at Anaya and motioned for her to hurry up if she didn't want to lose her chance.

Anaya smiled back and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her before any of her other roommates could push it open and throw her out. She undid the lid of the shampoo bottle and lathered up her hair with a dollop of it, massaging her scalp and length. To be honest, having long hair was not as great as it sounded, especially in the summer and the rainy seasons when hair went all frizzy and beyond manageable. She let the shampoo in her hair for a minute or two while she soaped her body, grimacing at the stretch marks on her outer thighs. It was barely visible, but she was acutely aware of it and that didn't sit well with her.

"Hurry up!" a familiar voice shouted.

She rinsed off the remnants of foam, then dried herself with the towel on the rack and slipped into her clothes, feeling a sense of relaxation and comfort. It quickly disappeared when the banging on the door began.

"Two minutes!" she shouted back.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face before pulling the door open. Diya and Laura greeted her in a frenzy, a spark of determination in their eyes as if preparing for war. Anaya blinked and watched them race into the washroom.

"I'll go first!" Diya shoved Laura out and shut the door in her face.

"Not again! I am supposed to go first according to our rules!" Laura knocked, leaning against the wooden frame with a scowl marring her soft features.

"Rules are meant to be broken!"

Anaya couldn't help but chuckle at their banter. "Will you guys ever stop?"

"We won't!" She heard their giggles. Shaking her head, she walked back into her room and brushed her hair, letting it flow down to her waist. She carried her bag and left for the restaurant.

"Anaya, wait!" Laura called behind her, halting her mid-steps. "We are going to the bar tonight. Wanna join?"

"Don't you go there every day?" She turned around and arched her eyebrow.

"Yes, but today we are going to party. Y'know, drink and ride?"

Anaya's eyes widened. "What? No."

"Oh c'mon, you can't say no to everything. You have to go!" Megan came out of her room and stood beside Laura, both of them staring at Anaya with seriousness.

"But parties are not my thing."

"You never know. You should try everything at least once in your life. What have you got to lose?"

"I have to meet Aunt Anita," Anaya tried to reason helplessly.

Laura smirked. "You aren't meeting her at night, are you?

Ugh!

She bit her lower lip as her mind went into overdrive and sighed, slowly nodding. "Alright, okay."

They gave her a bear hug and pulled away, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Cool, off you go but come back in time. We gotta look sexy."

She blushed at their remark and waved them goodbye.

❃❃❃

It was almost dark when she reached her flat. She opened the door and entered inside to find everyone running around from one room to another. She put her bag down and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.

She gulped the cold liquid down her throat and placed the bottle back inside the fridge.

"Thank god you showed up. Let's get you dolled up." Diya clapped her hands in excitement, her eyes twinkling like starlight.

"I don't think I want to go anymore."

She was actually done with the day. She had to pay rent to her landlady before the night ended, but she had nothing to give. Her manager was an inconsiderate jerk who didn't even listen to her urgent plea.

"Why?" Diya frowned.

Anaya shrugged and turned around to go to her room. "I am just so tired."

"All the more reason to party. You need to relax, babe." Diya grabbed her wrist and led her into Laura's room. She snatched a red dress from the wardrobe and placed it in Anaya's hand.

She opened her mouth to protest but one glare from Diya shushed her, and she quickly rushed into the bathroom. Groaning, she stripped off her regular attire and slid into the dress.

Heat rose to her cheeks when she glanced at herself in the mirror. She hadn't realized how revealing it was and now, she felt like this was a bad idea.

"Uh, guys? Did you buy it from the kid section?" she asked, tugging the dress down to cover her thighs a little more.

"Very funny. Come out."

She huffed and walked out of the bathroom, her eyes clenched shut to avoid embarrassment. She had never tried short dresses, and she knew she couldn't pull it off, not with her 5'4" height.

She heard a gasp and a whistle around her, forcing her to open her eyes.

"Oh my god! If I were into girls, I'd totally do you!" Laura stared at Anaya with her mouth agape, holding her hand to her heart.

She blushed and narrowed her eyes at Laura who looked beyond stunning in her black dress. "You don't have to exaggerate. I know I look bland."

Laura and Diya exchanged a look and turned toward her in disbelief. "You need a pair of specs."

"Can I wear my jeans and shirt?" When they stared at her blankly, she pleaded again. "Let me grab a jacket?"

Megan shook her head. "That will ruin the look, Anaya! We can not let that happen."

"Exactly! Step out of your comfort for once."

"Once," she finally agreed.

"Sit down now, so we can do your makeup." Diya gestured towards the chair.

A horrified look crossed her face, and she stepped back, only for Diya to grab her arm with a devilish grin.

"Close your eyes, and let us work our magic."

She was slightly hesitant as she closed her eyes. She didn't doubt their skills, but she had never used anything other than eyeliner and lip balm, so she wasn't sure if her face was makeup friendly.

"Voilà! You look amazing."

Holding back a gasp that threatened to spill, all she could do was blink. She definitely looked good but the more she stared at herself, the more she felt like she was overdoing it. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and decided to forget everything and just enjoy it for once. After all, the night was young and so were the girls.

They slipped into their stilettos and left.

Anaya didn't know for how long she was there, but she had drunk too much, danced too much, flirted too much, and in the end, she felt like she was floating.

She had lost all her senses, and she couldn't even walk without kissing the ground ahead of her.

Her friends laughed and helped her outside. They got into the cab and she bounced in her seat, her hands flying around in the air and her head bobbing as she sang her favorite song.

The cab stopped in front of the gate, and they hauled her out and towards the building, halting when they saw their landlady, Rita, standing in front of them with a furious look. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she pinned them all with her ugly glare.

"Girls, I have told you before to inform me if you have night shifts. Have you seen the time? It's nearly ten-thirty! Do you know how worried I've been?"

"Who are you? My mother?" Anaya mimicked her stance in response, sticking out her tongue like a child.

Laura nudged her to shut up, but she continued. "Can you stop breathing down our necks all the time? We aren't kids! Give us a break!"

Rita blinked, stunned. "I didn't expect such behavior from you, Ms. Bloomfield, which reminds me, where's my payment?"

"Which payment? Now if you'll excuse us, crazy oldie."

"How dare you!" Her face turned bright red. She marched towards Anaya and grabbed her arm, pushing her out of the gate. "Get out of my flat right now!"

"I won't. I live here."

"You haven't paid rent for three months. I have every right to throw you out!" she bellowed and walked inside their flat. She came back seconds later with Anaya's suitcase and pushed it out of the gate.

"Please, Rita. She is drunk! She doesn't know what she is saying," Megan said.

"Yeah, we will pay for her. Please let her stay." Laura and Diya voiced out in unison.

But the landlady paid no heed to their pleading and walked upstairs to her flat. "I'll not hesitate to empty my flat if you bring her back."

"We are so sorry. It's all our fault."

Anaya laughed. "It's okay, guys. I'm okay. Everyone is okay."

She heard her friends say something else, but she was too intoxicated to realize her mistake. She shrugged and picked up her suitcase from the ground which was light enough for her. Singing the heart wants what it wants, she walked away.