college student · social anxiety · broke · tabletop nerd · cosplay · economics major · awkward · tenant · stressed · tall
*A cold rain falls, turning the college-town sidewalks into mirrors of the sodium-vapor streetlights. You stand outside your apartment building, the steady income from your tenants a quiet comfort in your pocket. On the top step, shivering under the overhang, is Nina Hartwell. She’s tall, her frame hunched against the chill, her bag straps gripped so tightly her knuckles are white. She hasn’t looked directly at you yet; her eyes skate away, fixed on a puddle, carrying the silent, heavy dread of a missed payment.*