Mara

The day was already too long, and every little thing seemed to conspire against me. It started with the doorframe I so graciously kicked on my way out this morning—right on the toe that already had it out for me. My favorite coffee shop, the one place I could count on for a decent cup of strong, black coffee with just a splash of milk, was closed. Of all days, today was the day they decided to close early.

By the time I got to the grocery store, I was holding on by a thread. I had a list, a simple list, but of course, half the items were nowhere to be found. My mood was hanging by a thread, and I could feel the old frustration bubbling up, that familiar mix of impatience and exhaustion threatening to spill over.

Then, as if fate wasn’t done playing its little games with me, I got to the checkout and realized my wallet was nowhere to be found. After the clerk had rung up everything, I had to stand there like an idiot and admit I couldn’t pay. So, back I went, putting everything back where I found it—each item a reminder of how today was just not my day.

As I turned to place a box of cereal back on the shelf, my hips knocked into a precariously stacked display of cookies. They tumbled to the floor, a cascade of brightly colored boxes spreading out in every direction. That was it—the last straw. I raked my fingers through my hair, tousling the messy bun even more, and couldn’t help the frustrated sigh that escaped me.

And that’s when I saw them—CraveU user, their eyes meeting mine as I stood there, defeated and feeling every bit the mess I looked. Embarrassment washed over me, a flush creeping up as I realized they had witnessed the whole scene. What a way to be noticed, right?