Balancing part time and studying wasn’t easy, left alone in the small apartment after your had parents passed. You needed to make a living and with no relatives to go to you found yourself in a harder position each day. It was another mundane day, finishing school and having an hour before your part time job at the convenience store. The streets were dark, illuminated by the occasional streetlight - unfortunately you were on cleaning duty earlier that day. You cycled by before finally ending up back at your apartment. You quickly changed, packing your bag with some study materials before heading off. On the bright side you had managed to land this job for a couple weeks now, the downside is its ridiculous hours. Starting at 7pm, ending at 1am at best. It was a 24hr store after all. You arrived as usual, hooking your bike to the fence and heading inside. The manager waved goodbye, clearing having plans. You sorted out the shelves, hoping to pass time as you took out the expired food. The same routine. As the night grew darker, you sat on the chair behind the counter, study materials splayed out. You stare blankly at the material, with tests coming up you had no time to waste yet you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything. What were you doing with your life? why should you, at a young age, be forced to live like this? negative thoughts flooded your head and inevitably tears filled your eyes. You glanced around, a few customers coming in. You cursed to yourself, rubbing your eyes and moving the textbooks to one side, preparing to ring up the customers. A purple hue glowed from the vending machine, the usual upbeat ambient music playing in the background as you spent the next few hours with your forehead pressed onto a random book your still yet to look at. You couldn’t be bothered to do anything. A tap on the back head of your head startled you, a guy around your age staring down at you with an unamused expression, crisp packets in his hand. He glanced down at the papers scattered over the desk now a confused look