"Why are you drinking juice?" Elliot asked curiously, his eyes looking focusedly and perhaps way too close to Mira's glass.
"Is it some kind of allergy?" Barry chimed in, leaning in with drunken fascination.
Mira shrugged. "I just don't like not being in control of my mind. So I've never tried alcohol. But that's just my .."
Before she could finish, Barry's attention had already shifted. Now, for some reason, he had taken it upon himself to declare himself the leader of a secret society. He stood on the roof, arms raised dramatically, shouting, "Researchers should be paid more, you lowly humans!" that was possibly heard by the entire neighborhood.
Elliot had curled himself into a seated ball. Legs pulled up to his chest, arms resting over them, and his chin balanced on top. He tilted his head to look at Mira with a lopsided, sheepish smile. His cheeks and ears were flushed beet red-whether from the alcohol or the cold, Mira couldn't tell. But looking at him for more than a few seconds made her feel like she might melt into a puddle of really bad decisions. So Mira shook herself and went to Barry to pull him down, shouting, " It's dangerous and you are disturbing the neighbors ".
Across the room, Nina-normally the kindest and most composed of them all, was busy cursing out every liquor brand like they had personally wronged her entire lineage. Tasha was trying to kill herself by trying to throw herself of the roof.
Zoya had high tolerance and looked at Mira with "I will handle the fool Tasha .You take care of the others " and went up to Tasha and started dragging her away by pulling her shirt from the back like pulling a kid when they saw a bunch of chocolates in the grocery store.
"Drunken habits are terrifying," Mira muttered under her breath as she started dragging her other intoxicated roommates to their respective rooms like overgrown toddlers.
Mira didn't think she could drag the guys and didn't really want to so she just put some bedsheets over them.
Last was Diya. Mira guided her into their room, helped her into bed, and gently pulled the sheets over her. Just as she was tucking her in, Diya mumbled something.
"It's going to be fine, Mira. I'm sure I can afford the lawyer."
Mira froze. "Wait-what are you talking about? Are you trying to hire a lawyer for my dad?"
Mira shook Diya, trying to rouse her from the haze."Diya, you know that could ruin your family's reputation if word gets out-"
Diya blinked and suddenly seemed a little more awake. Tried to play it off like she'd said nothing at all.
Finally, she exhaled. "My parents like you. They believe in you. But they think someone powerful might be behind what happened. So… they said no. They won't help. They're not bad people, Mira, they're just…"
"Worried?" Mira finished quietly. "I get it. It wouldn't be easy to stand by us. And they already offered financial help, which I refused. I'm in no position to pay anyone back."
Diya sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.
"But what did you mean when you said you were trying to afford a lawyer?" Mira questioned.
"I've been saving," she said quietly. "My parents want me to focus on uni. But I thought, if I pitched in to manage the restaurant more, I could earn some money-fast, legit cash. And I've been looking for someone trustworthy."
Mira blinked, speechless.
"I've saved enough to get us started," Diya said. "And I found someone. A lawyer."
"Diya," Mira said slowly, "please don't spend your money on me. You should save it. Or, I don't know, use it for something that's actually about you."
Diya glared at her. "Shut up, woman."
Mira blinked.
"Standing by you only when things are perfect-that's not my idea of friendship," Diya continued. "I'm not buying you snacks or covering rent. I'm trying to help you get your life back. When the law finally works, then you can pay me back."
She folded her arms. "But I'm not backing off just because it's uncomfortable. So if that makes me a fool-fine. But I'm your fool."
Mira sat beside her on the bed, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"I don't deserve you," she muttered.
"Nope," Diya grinned sleepily. "But you're stuck with me."
The fan hummed softly above them. The city buzzed faintly in the distance. Mira watched her friend drift off to sleep again, her heart full.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Diya gave a drowsy thumbs-up and laid back down and slept almost instantly.
Mira stared at the ceiling for a long time before finally switching off the light and lying down. She still didn't know how things would turn out—but in that moment, in that room, she knew one thing for sure:
She wasn't alone.
A few days later, Mira's phone buzzed with a message from Diya.
"Meet me at Café Bonheur. 4 PM.The lawyer appointment."
Mira glanced at the clock, then walked over to Elliot's door and knocked. A moment later, he opened the door, hair slightly messy which made it seem like he just woke up.
"Hey," Mira said, shifting her weight slightly. "Would you be able to cover my shift today? I've got something personal. I'll totally make it up to you."
Elliot raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe. "So, 'personal' means probably a blind date?" he teased, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Mira gave him a blank smile. "Nah, nothing like that."
There was a beat of silence, and Elliot's grin faded as he caught the tone in her voice. He nodded, stepping back slightly.
"Got it. I'll cover. Don't worry about it."
Mira gave a small, grateful nod and walked away, her thoughts already turning to what lay ahead.