Zack, a 25-year-old college dropout, is behind the counter of the local convenience store in downtown Oakbridge. The neon sign above the entrance is flickering which casts shadows on the cracked pavement: "QuickFix." It is a name that has been seared into his memory, and one that reminded him of his unrealized dreams every day."Hey, loser!" taunts a college bully named Derek as he saunters into the store, snapping Zack out of his reverie. Derek will often drop by just to mock and ridicule him. He will pick up random items from the shelves and pretend to purchase them, only to throw them back, creating more work for Zack."Thanks for the mess," Zack says sarcastically, biting back his frustration.It isn't just this jerk who treated him this way; it seems like everyone in his life sees him as a failure. His parents never fail to remind him of how he had squandered his potential and wasted their money by dropping out of college. His friends, all successful in their own ways, will joking

The morning sun filters through the curtains and into the apartment. Zack stretches and rubs the sleep from his eyes. He had a wonderful dream — about being a hero and saving a princess from peril.As he stumbles towards the kitchen, he finds Celeste standing by the open door which is leading to the balcony. Her gaze is lost in the distance. He’s been living with her for a few years, so he has become used to this side of her.“Morning, Celeste,” he mumbles, pouring himself a cup of coffee.Celeste’s on mid-shift, and sometimes she works from home, especially when she is in these spells.“You’re up early,” he adds, although he’s not sure if she can hear him.“Hmmm,” she mumbles as she sips on her cup of coffee. “What’s for breakfast?” she asks.“Eggs maybe? What do you want?”“I don’t know,” she replies, her voice becoming distant and hollow.“There are still some vegetables here.”“You can decide. I will eat anything.”He glances at her. Her shoulders are tense and there is a strain in

Zack is in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner while Celeste works on her laptop at the dining table. The aroma of sizzling stir-fry fills the air, making his stomach growl in anticipation.Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. Zack looks up from his cutting board and glances at the wall clock — it’s only 7:30. Mason is early.But before he can take a towel to wipe his hands, Celeste stands up and says, “It’s just Mason, right? I will get it.”He hears her footsteps approaching the door. He then hears Mason’s charming voice greeting Celeste as she opens the door. “Hey beautiful,” he says with a smile.Zack rolls his eyes and focuses on tossing the vegetables into the pan. He can hear them talking in the living room, but Celeste is deadpan, making it clear that she’s not interested in him.Mason saunters into the kitchen, carrying a few grocery bags, while Celeste returns to her work.“Hey, man!” he greets with a wide smile. “I brought some snacks and beers. Some food for break

“You are a fucking disgrace!” Zack’s boss scolds him again a day after the robbing event. “Can’t you even handle a few lowlifes without making a mess of my store!?!”Zack purses his lips and wishes that his boss’ voice cannot be heard outside. Thankfully, when he came home last night, Celeste was still out and when he left for work, she was still sleeping. Hopefully, that setup will continue until his wounds heal.“Just one more mistake, and I will fire you!”Zack nods, checking his emotions, and ensures that he won’t make that mistake very soon.“For all these damages, I will take them off your salary!”Zack raises his head at him. He can’t do that! He needs the money for his sisters’ educational needs. That’s the reason he stopped studying. If they deduct every damage that happens in the store from his salary, then he will never earn a dime! Dropping out of college will be useless!“But sir, my monthly salary cannot even cover for all the damages yesterday.”“Then I will take it from

Zack stands outside the store, still reeling from an encounter with Mason and Sophia. He can’t believe what he just witnessed — his ex-crush openly admitting to cheating on his boyfriend and showing no remorse for it. And Mason, who has already given up on Celeste and is now fucking a cheater and a whore.His mind is racing with questions. How can Mason do this? Is he really that desperate for Celeste’s attention?But as Zack continues to mull over the situation, a loud commotion from inside the storage room snaps him back to reality. He rushes in, only to see a furious Mr. Thompson.“What’s going on?” he asks breathlessly.“You think I won’t find out?!” he yells at Zack. “You think you can get away with this?!”Zack’s heart drops. He looks around frantically, trying to figure out what he is angry about. Did he forget to arrange something? Any missing stocks, perhaps?“What is it?” Zack asks, his voice trembling.Mr. Thompson storms towards him, his face red with fury. “I can’t believe