Thunder roared angrily overhead, the lightning barely visible against the late afternoon sky. I sat at a booth in the corner of McDonald's, mindlessly sipping my soda as I stared out at the rain. It was pelting the glass as if demanding to be let inside. The power flickered on and off a few times, multiple cell phones dinging as they received a severe thunderstorm warning.

This was nothing new for Florida, what with it being hurricane season and all. Yet the patrons still cried out when the power went out or there was a particularly violent clap of thunder. Their small children weren't even overreacting like that. One woman was even curled up in the fetal position against the counter, fake crying about the end of the world coming for us all.

It took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to scream at her to shut up. Today was not my day and not because of the storm. Up until a few hours ago, I lived with my mom in an old, rundown house. We were never like mother and daughter, though, more like roommates that could barely stand each other's presence. We fought constantly, usually over small and insignificant things.

I guess it makes sense when you think about it - we couldn't be bigger opposites. She's a total control freak who wants everything done a certain way or placed in a certain spot. When she wants something done, she wants it done now and expects it to be done the right way - aka her way.

I, on the other hand, simply do not care. I don't freak out if the bowls are not kept in the same spot or if the cheese isn't put back in the drawer. What I do care about is how every time I do something, she makes sure to let me know how wrong I did it. 

She always bitches and moans when I don't do what she asks only to bitch and moan at me for doing it because it wasn't done the way she expected. The worst bit is when she'd go behind me and redo that thing. What's the point of me even listening to her?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not perfect, either. I like to live a more lazy, laidback life so I never jumped when she told me to do something. I do things at my own pace and I do things my own way, following the motto of, 'Work smart, not hard.'

She absolutely hates this about me.

Finally, after another huge fight over something as stupid as the placement of a rice maker, I left home. I just couldn't take it anymore so I packed up my shit and I left home. The fuck am I supposed to do now, though? I'm legally an adult, having turned 18 just a few months ago, but that didn't mean I was ready to venture out into the real world.

There was a loud boom in the distance as a transformer blew, the power shutting off and plunging the restaurant into darkness. I could feel the temperature rising quickly without the AC there to cool the building and I cursed in frustration.

Between the rising temperature and the annoying cries of the woman, I decided I would rather take my chances outside rather than deal with this shit. I tossed my bag over my shoulder, throwing away my trash before stepping out of the building. This McDonald's had a small play area out front for kids, surrounded by a short metal fence. It also had a seating area for the parents, covered by an awning that blocked the rain.

The temperature difference was like night and day. It was cool outside, strong winds carrying the rain sideways so it hit me despite being under the awning. A smile tugged at my lips, not the least bit bothered as lightning streaked across the sky. The clouds had grown darker, the sun gone from the sky.

"Crazy weather, huh?"

I glanced to my left, seeing a tall, portly man smoking a cigarette. "Just another day in Florida."

"Is it always like this?" he wondered before adding, "I came down here for my sister's wedding. Thought it would be... sunnier."

I held back a scoff as I leaned back against the window, hands stuffed into the pockets of my basketball shorts. "She chose the wrong date for a wedding. Summer is hurricane season here so there are a lot of storms. Most are harmless, some are deadly."

His brow furrowed, a frown tugging at his lips. "I had no idea."

"Most people don't," I shrugged a shoulder. "They think of Florida as this warm, sunny vacation paradise that they can visit for a week and move on. In reality, it's an over-crowded, humid hellscape. The excessive rain in the summer time is its only redeeming quality, in my opinion."

"Huh, never heard that perspective before. Most people talk about how beautiful the beaches are or how nice the warm weather is."

"Pretty sure it's an unpopular opinion."

"I can see that."

A horn blared suddenly, grabbing both of our attention. A large, black SUV was stopped in the middle of the road, holding up traffic. Most people just sped past it without a care in the world, not even trying to drive safely on the half-flooded road.

The backseat door opened and out stepped a hulk of a man, easily over six feet tall with broad shoulders. Despite the pouring rain, he got behind the car and started to push. With the size of the vehicle and the wet road against him, it was obvious that he struggling to make progress.

I paused for a moment, considering this. Well... I could definitely use some good karma right about now.

I stepped out into the rain, heading toward the vehicle. The other cars didn't stop to let me cross, they didn't even slow down, splashing me with water as they sped through puddles. Assholes.

I guess it didn't really matter. The rain was falling so heavily that I was soaked to the bone as soon as I left the safety of the awning. Honestly, I love the rain probably more than one person should, but I couldn't stand the feel of being in wet clothes. It was one of the most annoying feelings in the world to me.

The man looked at me in surprise when I finally reached him, putting my hands on the back of the vehicle and helping him push. The windows were completely blacked out but I was close enough to just make out movement in the back seat. Why the hell aren't they out here helping? I swear, it better be an old person.

It took us several minutes to get the car in the parking lot simply because no one was willing to stop long enough to let us through. I released a breath when it was finally in the parking spot, my arms sore since they weren't used to doing more than holding a game controller for a few hours at a time.

"Thank you."

I was surprised by how deep his voice was, though I admit it was a perfect match for his intimidating size. "Yeah, sure. No problem." 

He opened the back door to get inside but paused, exchanging a few words with whoever was inside. I turned, heading back to the restaurant, my hang grabbing the handle.

"Wait!"

I paused, turning to look at him as he jogged toward me, closing the distance in just a couple of steps with his long legs.

In his hand was a rectangular piece of paper. "Take this and fill it out."

My brow furrowed as I took it, holding it close to the door so the rain didn't completely ruin it. It was a blank check, signed in a script so elegant that I couldn't read the name. "What am I supposed to -"

When I lifted my head, he was no longer in front of me. An identical SUV was parked behind the broken down one and the man climbed into the backseat. I watched in confusion as the vehicle drove away, my gaze falling to the check.

That seemed super irresponsible. What if I wrote down some ridiculous number like fifty thousand dollars? I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it, just to see if it would work. I doubt it would but I would feel super guilty if it did. Shaking my head, I folded the check and headed inside.

I felt bad about the trail of water I left as I made my way down the hall toward the bathroom, but what the hell was I supposed to do? I stepped into the largest stall, dropping my bag on the floor and unzipping it to check on the contents. The bag itself was pretty thick, so it was only the hoodie on top that was damp. The rest of my clothes and, most importantly my laptop, was dry.

I quickly changed into dry clothes, wringing out my wet clothes as best as I could before folding them and setting them on top of the hoodie. I could only hope the hoodie continued to do its job as protector of my items.

The rain had slowed down considerably by the time I left the bathroom, but it was already night time. I considered returning home with my tail between my legs and then I shook my head. It's only been a few hours, how could I possibly go crawling back already? I have a couple hundred bucks saved up which should be plenty to get a cheap motel for the night.

I'll figure out what the hell I'm going to do tomorrow.

-ˋˏ ༻❅༺ ˎˊ-

"Where the hell have you been?!"

"Stop yelling, hag. I was out drinking with my friends."

"Bullshit! You don't have any friends, you bastard. You're cheating on me again, aren't you?!"

"I can't even breathe without you accusing me of cheating! I'm tired of it!"

"Then leave! Good luck finding another woman who will put up with you for more than five minutes!"

A door slammed loudly, the thin walls shaking from the impact.

I stared up at the ceiling in annoyance, thankful that the couple next door had stopped arguing but annoyed that they had woken me up. I glanced at my phone and groaned.

Five in the morning. You've got to be kidding me.

I rolled onto my side, trying to fall back asleep. After five minutes, I gave up, forcing the covers off of me as I sat up. I suppose I should get used to waking up this early if I'm gonna find a job. Though I fully intend to try and find a night job. Maybe security? I wonder if you need a degree for that.

Stifling a yawn, I headed over to the door to check the weather outside. It was surprisingly cool, the sky covered with dark clouds. Thunder rumbled softly in the distance, warning of the rain to come. I felt a sting on my arm and slapped the skin on instinct, my nose wrinkling when I pulled it away to find a bloody mosquito squished against my fingers.

I sighed heavily as I returned inside to wash my hands. Today did not start well and something tells me it's not gonna get much better. Where do I even begin? Do I just go from one business to the next until one gives me a chance? That doesn't sound very fun and I doubt they'd be willing to give me a chance once they see me.

When it doubt, Google it.

I sat down at the small, rickety table with my laptop and started browsing the job listings in the area. Most were part-time jobs for teenagers - like dog walking and babysitting - while others required a degree or, at the very least, a high school diploma.

"Where did you go?"

"None of your business!"

"Oh, you can ask me where I've been but I can't ask you? Talk about a double standard."

"I'm not the one cheating!"

"I don't know that. You keep accusing me... guilty conscious, ya hag?"

"How dare you!"

One thing is for sure - I can't stay here forever. Even if I have to start at the bottom, it's better than nothing.  With that in mind, I applied to every single job listing, even the ones I wasn't qualified for. Surely if I throw a bunch of nets in the water, I'll catch something.

I glanced at the blank check, sitting folded on the table in front of me. I could use it to put a down payment on an apartment, maybe pay the rent for a couple of months until I get on my feet.

I slid it closer, tapping it with my fingers. After a moment of thought, I unfolded it, reading the signature again. It looked more like a scribble than an actual name and, try as I might, I couldn't make out more than a couple of letters.

Maybe it's a super rich guy who has so much money that he couldn't care less if someone robbed him of a couple grand. Or maybe it's a trap, dangling money in front of me like bait and hoping I bite only to turn around and have me arrested.

Well... at least I wouldn't have to pay for rent or food if I got arrested. It's not like I have much going for me on the outside.

There was a loud bang from next door.

"Stop throwing things! You're crazy!"

"Crazy? You're calling me crazy?! Oh, I'll show you crazy!"

The wall trembled as something smashed against it. If they're that unhappy, why are they even together? I don't get it at all.

Shaking my head, I started to look for a cheap apartment so I could get an idea of just how much money I needed. The cheapest I could find was located in a rough neighborhood downtown. $400 as a down payment and $500 a month for a one bedroom, one bath.

Was that a good deal? I had no idea but I did know I wasn't going to find anything better. I took a deep breath, sure I was going to regret this, but I was desperate. 

I grabbed a pen and filled out the check for $2,400. That gives me enough for the down payment and secures me for four months. That should be more than enough time to find a job. I shoved the check into my pocket, leaving the motel room before I could change my mind and decide against cashing it.

I just hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the ass later.