A Very Bad Day

Dani’s pov

My heart was hammering against my ribs as I slammed my hand against the table, willing my phone to stop chiming.

“Oh my God.” I was gripping the map that was on the same table as my phone. It buzzed again, the screen lit up so I could easily find it. Amongst the messages, one particular one stood out.

FINAL NOTICE: OVERDUE RENT PAYMENT.”

It was exactly 6:17am and my day was already ruined. Rain hammered the city like it wanted to wash the sins away but some stains never faded. My poverty for one. I just laid there, wishing the message would vanish. What did I do so wrong to deserve a morning like this? I ran my fingers through my hair as I said my prayers.

Funny how I hadn’t even dragged myself out of bed yet, and the day was already terrible Shivering, I realized my apartment felt like an absolute ice rink. I threw off the blankets, desperate for some actual breakfast, and bolted straight to the kitchen. As I yanked open the fridge, I exclaimed both in disbelief and confusion.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

The refrigerator offered exactly zero response. All I had were boiled eggs. After boiling an egg and chugging coffee that tasted more like liquid disappointment than actual caffeine. I had my bath and then grabbed my bag from the kitchen table where I left it it after class, the day before.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and immediately regretted every decision that led me to this moment. The oversized shirt hanging from my body was the biggest offender. It was way too big.

The sleeves practically swallowed my hands, and the hem nearly reached my thighs. Across the back was a name printed in bold letters like some kind of advertisement.

As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, there were glitters on my face. I touched my cheek and stared at the sliver dust sticking to my fingers.

I double checked my notebooks, and headed out. I moved on instinct, my feet followed my footsteps without thinking twice. The sky was an absolute sheet of gray. Of course, the bus was late. When it finally pulled up to the curb, I climbed on and sat down in silence, waiting for it to crawl toward campus.

By the time I reached campus, I was already exhausted. My phone vibrated in my pocket. When I saw the caller ID, my stomach dropped. It was my landlord.

I groaned and answered. "Hello?"

"Dani, we need to talk about your rent," he said. His tone was stern but not angry, which somehow made it feel worse. "How are you going to pay?"

"I know," I replied quietly. "You've said that for two weeks now."

"When? I can't keep waiting forever."

I closed my eyes. "I don't know yet. I'm working on it and I'll pay you very soon."

A heavy silence followed before he finally said, "You've always been responsible, Dani." Then, the call ended.

I stood motionless outside the science building, my chest tight. I wanted to scream. Instead, I walked inside; because deadlines didn't care about feelings.

By noon the entire campus was buzzing. People huddled in hallways checking portals, screaming, crying the moment their eyes landed on their results.

I start refreshing my phone screen until my results are loaded. A clean pass.

“Thank you Jesus.” I smiled. During the exam period last semester I studied for weeks. I couldn’t sleep throughout the midnight

The laboratory smelled of chemicals and stale coffee. Professor Harrison was already waiting for me, looking up from his papers.

"Dani, you're late," he said sternly. "Three minutes."

"Three minutes is still late," he added before I could reply. I bit my tongue. "How is the research progressing?"

My expression gave nothing away, but there was a dark heat in my eyes that made my thighs press together.

"I'm working on the analysis," I lied.

Professor Harrison adjusted his glasses. "The grant review board wants preliminary results by next week. They need you to finish everything next week."

I froze. "Next week?"

"Is there a problem?"

A thousand problems. My data wasn't complete, my equipment kept malfunctioning, and I hadn't slept properly in days. "No," I lied.

"Good."

Around noon, my best friend, Maya, found me sitting alone in the library. She slid into the chair opposite mine, pulling it close.

"You look terrible," she said.

"Thanks."

"I mean, really terrible."

"You're making me feel so much better."

Maya frowned. "Dani."

The sudden concern in her voice broke something inside me. I looked away. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"I'm fine."

"Dani."

Hearing my name again made my eyes sting. Maya reached across the table. "Talk to me."

For several seconds, I fought the urge. Then, everything came pouring out. "The rent is overdue."

Maya’s eyes widened. "What?"

"I'm behind."

"How behind?"

"Two months."

"Oh my God."

"My research is a disaster, my advisor wants results next week, and I barely have money for groceries. I don't have any money. And I'm just so tired." My voice cracked. I immediately hated myself for it. "I keep thinking if I work harder, it'll get better."

Maya squeezed my hand. "You can't keep carrying all of this alone."

"What choice do I have? I don't have a choice."

The question hung between us. Neither of us had an answer.

The rest of the afternoon somehow got worse. One of my experiment samples got contaminated, instantly wiping out weeks of work. I stared at the ruined results in disbelief, frozen in place for what felt like hours.

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "No, no, no."

A research assistant glanced over. "Tough luck."

Tough luck. As if months of grueling effort could be reduced to two words. I wanted to cry, but I held back the tears. Instead, I clenched my jaw and started over. Because what else could I do?

By evening, my stomach was cramping and growling loudly from hunger. I had skipped lunch to save money. Walking past the campus café, the aroma smelled of incredible fresh sandwiches, hot coffee, pastries. Other students were laughing while placing their orders. I checked my bank account, and the balance made my heart sink; it was nearly zero. I quietly shoved my phone away and kept walking.

It was nearly nine when I finally got to the hostel. The room felt smaller than ever. I dropped my bag on the floor with more force than necessary, the loud thud echoed through the room, and right then, my phone buzzed. A message notification.

I clicked on it. A bank alert. My account balance was even lower than I feared; an automatic payment had gone through. I stared at the screen. Something inside me finally snapped.

My cheeks burned as I crossed my legs under the table, feeling fresh wetness soak my cloth.

"Seriously?" My voice echoed through the empty apartment. "Seriously?!"

I ran a hand through my hair, and suddenly I became fascinated with the floor.

The tears finally came. Hot, fast, and unstoppable, as I sank on the couch.

My phone slipped from my hand and landed on my chest as my bedroom door slammed against the wall.

I leaned back on my chair, legs spread wide, my expression gave nothing away but a heat. My fingers twisted in my lap, knuckles white.

I stood up suddenly walking towards the direction of the window. I stood in front of the window staring at the city light through the window.

For weeks, I’d been holding everything together with sheer stubbornness. Now, I just couldn’t do it anymore. The silence around me felt crushing. I had no family nearby, no financial safety net, and no miracle waiting around the corner. It was just bills, research, stress, and loneliness.

I buried my face in my hands. Resting my palms against my face, I started talking to myself.

"How long can I keep doing this?"

"I can't keep doing this."

The words came out as a whisper, but for the first time, I truly meant them.

An hour later, after the tears had dried, I sat down at my desk, opened my laptop, and started searching for a job. The screen glowed softly in the darkness. I opened up a bunch of tabs for part time jobs, freelance gigs, tutoring opportunities. Anything. Everything. But nothing seemed fast enough. Nothing seemed like it would be enough at all.

Then, a text popped up from Maya.

Maya: You okay? Are you okay?

I just stared at it before typing back.

Me: Not really.

A few seconds later, she replied.

Maya: You'll figure something out. You always do.

I wished I actually believed that. Still, the text made me smile a little. Maybe I wasn’t completely alone.

Around midnight, exhausted and desperate, I kept scrolling through random online listings. Most of them were useless, and some were just ridiculous.

Then, one post caught my attention. I almost scrolled right past it. Almost.

The title was strange, unusual, and oddly specific. I sat up straighter, leaning back against my chair as I read through the details. My tired eyes widened.

I stayed silent for another second then I said, low enough that only I could hear.

"What the hell?"

The offer sounded crazy. Absolutely insane. Yet, the amount of money they were offering was enough to wipe out nearly all of my immediate problems.

I stared at the screen for a long time, totally frozen. Then, I clicked on it.

“I opened the message and gasped, this wasn’t what I expected.”

“I slammed straight into a wall, Job offer or something else entirely?”

“Suddenly the ceiling above my bed started cracking.”