Clair watched as her manuscript flew out of her apartment's window. She had no regrets and even laughed as the papers scattered in the wind gently drifting away from her. She slammed the window shut and glared at her phone with the text from her sister still open. “Surprise, SIS! I'll be over in an hour.” It read.

Clair vigorously rubbed her eyes as the sun slowly passed through her window and into her eyes. To most people, it was six something in the morning and they were ready to start their morning, and most days this was Clair, but not this day. After struggling all night on a manuscript that ended up outside, she found herself in a foul mood, and a surprise visit from her sister was just the thing to make her mood worse.

Why would Alana Visit at seven in the morning? Clair had asked herself while rushing a morning routine. She got ready in a record ten minutes and she stood outside her bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth before she heard a loud buzzing coming from her front door. She sighed. There wasn't even the hour Alana had promised in her text, and Clair felt her temperature rising again.

“BZZ, BZZ,” the apartment buzzer went off two additional times. “ONE MI-” Clair began to shout but choked on toothpaste in between words. “BZZZZZZZZ,” The apartment was buzzed once more for longer this time.

“ONE FUCKING MINUTE!” The open concept of Clairs apartment made it perfect for her to rush, almost sprinting, to the buzzing door she was sure would infuriate her neighbors. She rushed down the hall that separated her and the livingroom until stubbing her toe hard. She doubled over cursing her sister for her stubbed toe. She limped to the door, opened it, and was surprised when Johnathan and Maggie greeted her instead of her sister.

"Hello," Clair's shock was evident as she saw them, causing her to instinctively reach for the ring that had been missing since the other day. Her heart sink, swallowed by sorrowful memories of her father.

“Clair!” Jonathan had his arms open and Clair leaned in for a hug, despite feeling odd about it.

“Not that I am not happy to see you.” Looking around the room, Clair's eyes locked on Maggie's, who, unlike John, wasn't smiling. She stared almost… menacingly at Clair, “But why are you here?” Clair asked, taking a look behind her at the mountain of neglected dishes and the valley of clothes that were mixed clean and dirty. She felt her face turning red, “I just moved, so the place is an absolute mess.”

“Ahh, this is what I wanted to see! The mark of a genuine writer,” John was laughing. He had invited himself in and was standing over the mess of a desk Clair had been working on. “The only thing unpacked is the only thing you need! A desk and a computer.” Clair wondered how his face never hurt while he was smiling like that.

“BZZ BZZ,” Clair looked around at the door with a blank expression, forgetting about her sister. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“You invited company before you unpacked?” Maggie almost had a smug attitude in her voice but Clair ignored it as she was opening her door.

“CLAIR!!” A shrill voice came from the hallway outside. “Ive missed you, Clairy!” Alana screamed while dropping her suitcases in the middle of the doorway and hugging Clair.

“Alana, this is my boss, Jonathan Barlowe.” Wasting no time, Clair introduced John. She was excited to work for him, despite how odd she felt they were in her home. “This is Maggie.” She left it at that, thinking “maid” would be offensive.

Maggie stretched her hand out, “nice to meet you Alana. Im actually Jonathan's personal assistant.” Alana rushed Maggies introduction and was holding John's hand before anyone knew it.

“I am such a huge fan!” Alana was holding John's hands, staring into his eyes. Clair wondered how much he loved having random people love him like that.

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“No really, I am your fan,” John responded with a smile and again Clair wonder if his face hurt from smiling as often as he did. Clair was rubbing her finger where the ring used to be.

“Maggie,” she suddenly said while they spoke to Alana.

“Yes.”

“While I was there last, I dropped my ring in your sink.” There was silence as John and Alana stopped talking. Maggie was looking at Clair.

“Okay,” Maggie had her shoulders raised.

“Well, I need to know if you’ve seen it at all?” Clair was looking at the ground while holding her right elbow. She was praying that Maggie had somehow found it.

“Wait,” Alana cut in and walked towards Clair, “You lost Dad’s ring?” Alana was standing in front of Clair and embraced Clair. “I’m sorry Clairy, I know that it was important to you.”

“So you want to know if I've seen it?” Maggie asked while walking towards the door and John followed her. Clair made eye contact with her and didn't say anything. She was already in a foul mood for the day, not sleeping and surprise visitors made sure of that, and she knew any response would come out wrong. She also knew that she already said what she wanted and her patience felt as if it was extremely thin.

“Yes, it is very important to me, and I just need to know if you have it.” Clair spoke lower than normal.

“First you barge into my bathroom and now you ask me to find your property? Are you serious, darling?” silence came over the room like a shadow as everyone stared at Maggie, then shifted their eyes to Clair, waiting for some sort of response. Clair, in the meantime, was feeling a boiling uproar of emotions, mainly anger. First she felt her eyes began to water, but then it quickly to anger. She took a deep breath with fists balled, but Alana spoke first.

“Are you serious?” Alana took steps towards Maggie, who had the door halfway open. “She is only asking if you have seen it. Why are you being such a bitch?” John coughed, then cleared his throat. Maggie stood in the doorway, looking past Alana at Clair.

“No, I have not seen it. Honestly Clair, if it was as important as you say, then you wouldn't have lost it as easily. Let's think about this next time.” Maggie slammed the door behinf her leaving John inside, who rubbed the back of his head. Alana followed her outside and screaming pursued.

“I am so sorry about her,” John said. “It's no excuse, but she has been going through a lot.” John walked in front of her and was speaking to her. “I know it's hard since you just moved, but here is a focus group.” He handed her a card with numbers and addresses written on it. “It's a group with students who went to the school I teach at. They have some of the same goals and I can’t imagine how lonely a new city without friends is.” John walked outside and was replaced by Alana coming in.

“I have no idea what her problem is.” Clair ignored her. She paid attention solely to the sharp ridges of the card John had handed her. She has always been a bit more introverted, but she knew moving to a city was a monumental task to take her away from her comfort zone. Clair was investigating the card; the next meeting was tomorrow.

“Clair,” Alana called her name, but she was still deep in thought. She wanted to meet new people, but tomorrow was so soon. “Clair,” Alana spoke again, causing Clair to break her concentration with a jump.

“Yea,” she responded, still half in thought. I really should mee new people; she thought to herschel not listening to what Alana was saying until… “What did you just say?” Clair was no longer looking at the card.

"They kicked me out, Clairy. I really need a place to stay." Words could not explain the level of frustration Clair felt. Right after she got her own place? She was extremely frustrated, and she stood up, refusing to utter a word to her waiting sister. She stormed down the hall to her room slamming her door behind her. There was a soft knock on the door; she sighed and rolled over.

“You can obviously stay,” she screamed at the door. “But I'm pissed Alana. Im frustrated that when I leave I don't get to leave, somehow I get followed, but yes of course. Of course ill let you stay.” She pulled the pillow over her head and closed her eyes; they felt extremely heavy, and she knew they wouldn't open again. She closed the anyway and welcomed the long overdue sleep.