I have been in the city of Austere for an entire month.

An entire month that went by in the blink of an eye. After living here for only a week I started to understand why Nick always talked so damn fast. You gotta because there’s barely any time to do anything in the city.

Wake up, eat, sleep, shit, work.

Repeat.

I don’t know nobody so of course that’s all I’ll be doing but I figured I’d be doing something else after a month.

But I ain’t.

But everything ain’t so bad.

I’m still a waitress, but this time, in the daylight, thank the Lord. It’s a place where everyone dresses fancy, and the tips are good. Men take their girlfriends to propose to them and husbands bring their mistresses to make them think that they’ll eventually propose.

I can’t pronounce the name of the place, it’s in a different language, but that don’t matter ‘cause I won’t work there for very long once I become famous.

I told Nick all of this over the phone. We talk once a week and message each other every day. He’s probably worried that I’ll be eaten alive by some crazy guy on the metro, but I don’t talk to strangers on the metro.

Anymore.

I end the phone call and get dressed in a black mini skirt, a pink tanktop, sandals, and bring a white hoodie for the metro. I don’t get lost anymore on the metro as long as I stay on the red line, but I regret wearing sandals because the floor seems a little sticky.

I hope it’s juice.

After half an hour I make it to my destination.

It’s a music shop, called It’s No Treble!

When I walk inside a nice little chime goes off, the wonderful AC greets me, and the smell of wooden instruments hugs me. My mission is to get a new guitar and maybe write a song or two.

I go to the glass front counter, and the woman at the at it is busy chewing gum. She has the some look I probably had on my face when I worked at the diner.

“Ma’am, can you tell me where the music sheets are,” I asked.

“Yeah, the back left corner, next to the electric guitars, which I’m assuming is what you want as well?”

“Yeah! How’d you know?”

“It’s because you’re gonna be the next biggest thing,” she said.

There was so much excitement in her voice I was a little confused. Her mouth was in a giant cartoony smile, and she seemed a bit off.

“Also, the casting call for plays, modeling shoots, the works is on the back wall,” she said.

Her voice was now back to its monotone self, and she herself seemed bored by the conversation.

“You don’t take me seriously do you,” I asked. “Why are y’all like this in Austere?”

“You aren’t the first cowboy to come here from the next state over and-“

“I ain’t no cowboy!”

“Then why you talking like one?”

“I ain’t, I mean, I don’t, I uh….”

She laughs a little and chuckles.

“Sorry bestie, but I was just like you. Except, not a cowboy, just from another city. I wanted to be a huge actor!”

She splays her hands out in the air, making effects while she says the words huge actor for comedic effect. This woman has to be a few crayons short of a full rainbow.

“What happened,” I asked.

“Same as everyone else. Reality. I’m just not pretty enough,” she sighed.

“You ain’t ugly,” I exclaimed. “You’re gorgeous!”

“Thanks,” she said. “People here don’t really feel that way though….”

“Your hair though! It’s so cute and poofy! And your nails have the coolest designs I have ever seen.”

She gently pats her afro and tells me that she does her nails on her own at home.

“I do hair and nails, I do everything! I make money on the side doing people’s hair. You want me to do yours,” she asks.

“Oh, my goodness, yes! I can get any role if you’re do makeup!”

She gave me her card, and it’s wonderfully designed as well. It’s white, sparkly, and has gold lettering. It says, CASHMERE’S BOUTIQUE.

“Why’d you name your business Cashmere,” I asked.

“That’s my name silly, why else,” she laughed.

“Even your name is glamourous, how are you not famous already?”

“You sweet, you know that? Don’t end up like me,” Cashmere said.

“Working at a music shop,” I asked.

“Oh Lord, bestie, no. I mean, yeah, but I also meant jaded.”

“Oooohhh.”

Maybe Charlie was right when he said I was a little dumb.

Cashmere walked me over to the back wall and points out which companies are legit, the scams, and the thinly veiled porno casting calls. She helped me pick out a new guitar, a black Yamaha, and even secretly let me use her employee discount.

When I got home, I told Nick I had made a new friend.