Chapter 1 - Love, don't be naive.

"For how long does one cook bread?" I hear Mira talk as she types into her phone. Every time one of her dates goes badly she comes home and tries to cook something out of the little things we have left in our fridge. Tonight it just so happened that we were out of bread.

"I think the word you are looking for is bake, not cook," I say as I lean over the couch, stretching my legs in the process as I remove the overheated laptop from my lap.

"That makes more sense," Mira says as she turns to our oven. "Bake at 375° until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200°... since when did the internet become so useless? Sounds hollow? How does hollow look like in minutes?" Mira asks as she turns the dial on the oven with frustration I get up and take the phone out of her hand.

"Half an hour to forty-five minutes... see, the small letters," I say as I tap her shoulder. "Relax Mira, it was just a bad date. You shouldn't get all worked up over it."

"Uhh I know, and it's not like I've seen myself married to the guy or anything... I just wanted to get laid and get rid of this sexual charge that could light up a fucking cathedral and he wasn't even able to do that." She opens the oven puts the life of bred inside and throws the dirty spoon into the sink. "Honestly I feel that even if I went as far as making a Fuck me sign" Mira makes an imaginary

sign over her head, "and held it over my head he still wouldn't be able to take a God damn hint." I try not to laugh, but it’s hard. Mira’s frustrations are always so vivid, so... dramatic that the laughter just escapes my lips.

"Love, it's great to see you find my misery so amusing," Mira says as she fakes a smile.

"Maybe the guy just wasn’t that into you," I say, leaning against the sink and watching her as she slams the cupboard door a little too hard. But any man who wouldn't go for Mira would need to be an idiot. She is probably the most beautiful woman I know. Tall, long blond hair that was now tied up into a bun, blue eyes, and naturally blushed cheeks. For lack of a better description, she was a life-sized Barbie doll with a loud attitude. 

"That's the thing," she says, eyes narrowing, "he said all the right words, made all the perfect moves. He even complimented my laugh. I mean, who the hell compliments someone's laugh?" She rolls her eyes.

"I mean can this night get any worse?" Mira asks and at that same moment, our apartment landline starts to ring.

"Did you really have to say that?" I grab a rag from the counter and smack her hip with it. "You jinxed us."

The only person who ever calls on that phone is our landlord and every time for the same reason. We were late on our rent, again. So far we have been able to get by with Mira's paycheck at the clinic and my work in the office, that was until I got fired.

"Don't fucking answer it!" Mira says as she pulls me back.

"Yeah, no shit," I say as I put a pillow over the phone in the hope of it muffling the annoying sound. "But we can't hide from him forever, maybe we should just be honest and ask for a delay." The look on Mira's face says it all. 

"Love, don't be naive. The moment that old man finds out you are out of a job he will throw you out the window." She is not lying. "Besides you have that job interview tomorrow and hopefully everything will be resolved." A girl can dream.

"And what if I dont get it?" I ask even tho I know she hates it when I'm pessimistic.

"Dont say that, tomorrow is a special day and all my sister witches will chant for you." Mira takes a white hat and puts it on her head.

"Tomorrow is Halloween, not Christmas and your sister witches are nurses at a clinic in NY not in Salam... so my hopes are not very high. Especially not with the luck I had lately." I say but Mira keeps playing with her hat.

"Glad to see you are taking me seriously," I say as I walk over to the fridge to get some water.

"Come on, Love. There is no point in expecting the worst from life. I mean, perhaps you could ask your mother for a loan." True, but so far life hasn't been very easy on me or given me any indication it going to get better yet I refuse to go as low as to give my mother the satisfaction of my failure.

"No chance in hell. I'd rather jump out this window myself before I hear the old-time classic I told you so." The hard thing about this is that everyone loves my mother, I love my mother... our relationship is great but I refuse to ask her for help after it was so hard to make her see that the umbilical cord that used to connect us was cut off at birth.

"I guess we just need to wait for the interview tomorrow," I say as I look at the clock on our banged-up wall. "What time do you leave for the clinic?" I ask Mira who is struggling with the frizz the hat left on her blond hair I always admired so much. It was as if she was kissed by the sun in the most beautiful way that complimented her sky-blue eyes.

"My shift starts at seven." She says she has no worries in the world.

"Well, then you might wanna get going," I say as I point to the clock.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Mira curses as she runs into her room then runs out with scrubs in her hands while searching for her bag.

"Chair," I point to the bag hidden underneath her jacket.

"Dont forget to take out the bread from the oven." She yells as she puts on her shoes. "And tomorrow I'm off work so we are going to Jake's party." That's what the costume is for...

"Mira, I'm not going."

"The fuck you're not... this is my first day off in two months since we are seriously understaffed and you are not bailing on me." The truth is she was pulling extra shifts to help cover my costs, she just acts like it never happened.

"I don't have a costume. And I have to prepare for the interview tomorrow." Mira stands up and puts her jacket on before turning towards me.

"Love, you take care of the interview and I'll take care of the costume." She walks over and hugs me. "You can also use some fun."

"Fine, Mira. I'll go."