The moment I stepped outside the house, I could finally breathe.
Lately, all I could think about was moving out and living on my own, but since I was broke and basically living off my dad's money, independence wasn't even an option.
The only lucky part was that Dad was a truck driver. Sometimes he'd be gone for a month or two.
Sure, the few days he was home were hell, but still—better than nothing.I reached the end of the street, grabbed a taxi, and got off before the destination. I couldn't take a cab the whole way.
Out of all my friends, Shayan was the only one who had actually managed to break free from his family and live on his own.
And that was exactly why my dad didn't trust him.But unlike whatever Dad imagined, I knew Shayan was a good guy. We'd been friends for years.I finally got to his place and rang the doorbell. He opened the door pretty quickly.As soon as he saw me, he said, "Come in. Close the door behind you."He walked ahead of me. I shut the door, took off my shoes, and stepped inside.
Shayan's apartment was tiny—maybe less than fifty square meters. It barely got any sunlight, so he had to keep the lights on most of the time.He headed straight to the kitchen, put two cups on a tray, and started pouring tea."Don't pour for me," I said. "I just had some a few minutes ago."Shayan: "I'll pour it anyway. Drink it or don't.""Were you asleep?"Shayan: "No, I was reading.""Let me guess… not a textbook?"
Shayan: "Of course not. You know me. I only study when I'm forced to. It was something about chakras and stuff.""And did you understand any of it?"Shayan: "Obviously not. I think the translator messed it up.""Yeah, that's possible."Shayan: "So? What happened? Why are you here this early?""I lose my mind if I stay home."Shayan: "Why? Something happen?""You know my dad. He keeps picking fights over nothing."