“There’s no way.”
Old cans rolled out of the way of her shoving hands.
“There’s really no way.”
The pale hands grasped onto a celadon colored shirt, the one she had worn ever since junior year.
A giant coke colored puddle resided on the shirt, narrowly missing the patch she had sewn on half a year prior.
“Urk-”
Alex lifted the shirt she had been wearing for months on end and aired out the rest of the soda. She’s usually quite careful about preserving food, but her focus on her latest experiment caused her to knock over a free coke she had gotten from an event on campus.
With an annoyed bark, she dried her shirt off outside and contemplated what to do next. Whenever she worked with chemicals, she usually took off her shirt to avoid damages or stains, usually uncaring to if it damaged her or not. Her work was her priority after all! However, keeping her clothes useable was important, as if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to afford the already meager amount chemicals she borrows from the university’s labs.
As she was pacing, she noticed her old Nokia there.
Jade.
She had done Jade a favor in the past, let her copy her notes and do a part of her assignment from when she was playing hooky with her mates. It took a lot of flattering of Alex’s intellect to get her to agree, something very degrading to Jades pride. Maybe she could ask her to buy her a shirt and use her washing machine? That would be so unbecoming! Alex is supposed to be independent! Bes
ides, that shirt meant a lot to her! She bought it herself from a thrift store, she never let anyone else handle it.
As Alex was considering ordering a white shirt packet from Walmart, something that would put her in debt for at least 2 weeks, she heard a buzz from her phone. Jade. The two usually didn’t speak outside of their quarrels during classes, but recently they had been talking a tad more. Maybe since the pairing for the group project in biomed research was coming up, they wanted to be sure they could work together on the off chance they’re paired together. Like that would ever happen.
J- I just realized I haven’t actually texted this phone ever since I got your number, this works right?
On pure instinct (and not wanting to text using those buttons), she called Jade. She picked up rather quickly.
“You know how I covered for you in class the other day?”
“Jesus, you could’ve said hi first. Why did you call instead of just texting me?”
“Texting on this phone is tremendously slow and I don’t have time to stay like this! I need you to buy me a cheap shirt from Walmart and let me borrow your washing machine. I’ll pay you back and dry it myself.”
“…”
“Couldn’t you at least say please?”
The teasing nature of her voice set Alex off into her normal angry tone.
“No, I couldn’t have. I would of if I needed too. Now will you help me or waste my time?”
“Tch, I’ll help if you stop being persnickety at me. Say please and I’ll help you out. Also, you don’t need to pay me back or dry it yourself.
“Are you kidding me.”
“Nope, I’m dead serious.”
A moment of silence passed between, Alex infuriated and Jades grin being palpable.
“Fine, will you please fetch me a shirt and let me wash my clothes in your dorm?”
“Yeah sure, why not? Also, I’ll do you a solid whenever you need, you don’t need to bring up past favors for me to help you.”
“Wha- Why’d you make this so difficult then?! You could’ve just said yes!”
Alex heard a door open as Jade replied.
“Because A. You need to have some manners, and B. It’s funny.”
“Gh-“
Jade hung up before she had time to complain at her.
Typical.

About 7 minutes had passed until Jade arrived at her dingy apartment, a way away from campus.
“I’m here!”
Alex unlocked a few locks before holding her hand out from the gap in the door. It had 5$ in it.
“You chowderhead, I told you that I’m not taking your money!”
“Well too bad, I’m not owing you anything!”
“First of all, you wouldn’t owe me anything, and second I knew you’d say that so I’m giving you an old shirt of mine.”
Some silence passed before Alex simply said “oh.”, put away the money, and snatched the shirt.
It was huge on her and seemed to be a plain white tee from the front, with a Marina and the Diamonds logo on the back. It was incredibly faded.
“It’s just some old thing from middle school, too short on me but also too wide. When are you letting me in anyways?”
Right as she said that Alex opened the door. Instead of her normal outfit, she had sandals and the newly gifted shirt on. It went to her mid-thigh. With her shirt and old jeans clutched in her hands, she locked the door behind her and looked up at Jade.
“Shall we get going?”
“I, I guess? I thought I was going to get let in first.”
“Oh, sorry, it’s kind of a mess.”
“When did you care about that?”
“Right now.”
The walk to Jades car was a tad awkward. She was normally very talkative, but seeing Alex in clothes other than her norm surprised her.
“What happened to get that stain on your shirt anyways?”
“Ah, I was working with some chemicals, and I knocked a soda can to the ground and it spilled all over it.”
“The ground? Doesn’t that mean you were wearing something else?”
“No, I usually try to avoid damaging my clothes.”
Jade turned her head to her with concern. “But the chemicals could damage you! That’s unsafe.”
“It’s fine, it barely happens anyways. Besides, when did you care?”
“Right now.”
Alex glared at her. “You know I hate when you repeat me.”
Jade simply snickered.
When they arrived at her dorm, Alex asked her a question.
“Can I clean my jeans too?”
“Why not?”
Jade tossed the clothes into her beige washing machine, turning it on while Alex looks around her dorm. She had only been here a few times, and it was for a short time as well. Mostly the both of them bickering to the door of her home during an argument or Jade allowing her to borrow study material so they’re on the same level during grading periods. Jades room was could only be described as soft and lavish, a very organized desk sat near her TV, a large Icterine canopy resided above her bed that housed a large amount of plushies large, possibly feather stuffed, silk pillows.
Needless to say, Alex felt a touch intimidated in her room.
“Well, you can take a shower while you wait for the clothes to finish washing.” Jade had said this while flopping on her oversized bed and turning on the TV. “I have games if you want to do that instead.”
“Aren’t I already using too much of your water?” Alex was intrigued by the offer of playing games, as she knew they probably had very recent games they didn’t play.
“It’s not like I pay for it, besides, you use too much of my patience every day and you don’t ask about that.” Alex could almost hear Jades eyes roll.
“I care about your patience as much as you care for mine.”
Jade sat up. “It’s not like I start our bouts.”
Alex glared at her. “The things you say are stupid and should be contradicted, and even if I start it, you egg it on.”
Jade shook her head and said, “Just go take a shower before we start arguing over things, I’ll end up being right anyways.”
Usually, Alex would continue the argument from here, but then remembered she hadn’t been graced with the opportunity to bathe in a few weeks and decided to take the opportunity she had.
She walked to the bathroom door before stopping and muttering something.
“Thanks.”
Before Jade could say anything, she had shut the bathroom door.
“I guess my insistence on manners worked.” She was grateful Alex couldn’t see her smile.

When Alex emerged from the bathroom, Jade had to insist she dried her hair a bit more thoroughly before she ruined her floor with the dripping water. Once she sat down, Jade passed her a dark purple PS5 controller.
“You look like the kind of person to like games. Here, I’m going to go hang out with my friends and you can stay here.”
“You’re letting me here alone?! What if I steal something?!”
“You don’t seem like someone who’d play dirty like that.”
Before Alex could bring up her multiple shop lifting experiences she had with her mother and father, Jade was already out the door, and she could hear a car pull up outside.
She got a text on her phone.
J- Youre clothes are in the wash btw
A- *Your
J- shhh
Alex put down her phone and looked ahead at the TV.
Now what?
Well, she could ponder how giving Jade the trust to handle her beloved shirt could be the same as being alone in her abode, but she had better things to do than think about emotions.
The PS5.
She was honestly quite excited to try the games since it was only 12 o’clock and she had time to spare. Maybe it’ll spark some nostalgia?
She pressed the first game that sounded familiar.
“Guilty Gear Strive? I think my dad played the original at a friend’s house one time…”

When Jade had arrived home, late into the evening, Alex was still playing.
“Good god, aren’t your eyes tired?”
“Not really.” Alex muttered, glued to the game. The sight was kind of endearing, Alex was very absorbed in her game.
“So, I was right about you liking games?” Jade had sat next to her on the bed, watching the game play but not quite understanding it.
“I guess you were.” Alex still was attempting a difficult combo, and when she failed, she uttered curse words under her breath.
They sat in comfortable silence until Jade asked Alex something Alex would appreciate greatly.
“Do you just want to sleep over?”
“Yeah.”
After about 30 minutes of watching Alex play, she had laid down and closed her eyes, listening to the clicking of buttons and seeing flickers of light from her closed eyes.
“Why do you have all these games and yet have no hours playing?”
“Eh, I don’t like games much, but my parents wanted to gift me some games in case friends came over.”
“Well tell them I said thanks.” Jade could tell Alex was joking a tad, something she doesn’t do often.
“Will do.” Jade chuckled. “Why do you like games anyhow?”
“Reminds me of my dad’s stories about playing them as a teen. Whenever me, dad, n ma’ had enough money to spare, we’d go to this run-down arcade and play the games there till closing. Didn’t happen often, but it was nice.”
Alex sounded quite warm until realizing how open she was being to someone she argued with constantly.
“Ah, didn’t mean to speak so informally.”
“It’s alright, I like hearing you talk about your family.”
“… Can I continue?”
“… of course. It’ll be my bedtime story.” Jade smiled while saying this, hoping Alex could feel it.
“Well, my dad used to talk about how in his old punk houses, there was a stolen play station, and they played this fighting game there…”
The rest of the night was filled by the noises from the tv, the clicking of buttons, Alex’s stories, and the eventual light snores from Jade.
Alex noticed her fall asleep minutes after, and slowly made her way to the tv, shutting it off and laying at the foot of her bed with one of her spare blankets and pillows.
It was the earliest she had slept in a while, and probably the best sleep she had gotten.