Divergent

Addie had always seen the world differently. She’d been diagnosed with various Learning Disabilities during first grade. She didn’t know if Autism was part of that. She knew she was Autistic either way. She didn’t need a diagnosis to know that. She knew other Autistic people that led similar lives to her. She’d been naturally introverted her entire life. Her social anxiety didn’t help. She didn’t always understand how to be social. She didn’t mind the solitude. She didn’t mind having a job that didn’t require a lot of people interaction. Until she’d gone out of her comfort zone when she got a job in Retail. 

She wasn’t entirely sure why she’d gotten the job. She’d been seen as a sociable person by others even though she was far from it. She’d kept remembering what her mother had told her prior to her death. Things she’d learned along the way by being highly observant. She’d mimic others in some way. She’d felt exhausted after every shift. It was the only job she’d managed to keep for more than a month though. It was one thing or another with the other jobs she had. People that hadn’t been the best people to work with being the main thing. 

She’d been at her lowly Cashier job for the last five years. She’d not been able to save anything to leave. The holiday season included. The hours and pay weren’t enough to survive. It was enough for a retiree or teen in the area. It wasn’t enough for those in between. For those like her. Most of her friends didn’t understand. They had more stable jobs with livable pay. One even shamed her for not “following through” to what she’d talked about during a conversation. A person that had a White Knight complex. One that was ultimately shunned after the truth came out. She’d been spreading lies about what happened between her and Addie. People asked questions after a while. People confronted Talia after that. They asked questions she couldn’t answer. People lost all trust in her. They wanted nothing more to do with her. People had cut contact with her after social media posts she made about her “not understanding” why people distanced themselves from her. Addie had already gone no contact with her by that point. She knew Karma would come for Talia at some point. She knew Talia was going to feel every bit of it as well.

Addie had gotten more hours at the store after people kept quitting. The low hours and pay being the two main issues. She didn’t mind. It meant there was a possibility she’d be able to save enough to leave. She knew there was still a chance she may not save as much as she’d want to either way. Julian's recent behaviors were concerning. To everyone. Behaviors she’d seen over the last two years. Normal signs of him getting older. People still hadn’t believed her when she shared what was concerning her. People weren’t seeing what she saw. Not yet anyway. An argument left her homeless. He’d kicked her out after she’d pointed out things he didn’t want to hear. Things he didn’t want to be confronted with. She’d no longer cared. She was going to tell him what he needed to hear. She’d left for Ft. Lauderdale the day after he kicked her out. She didn’t care that she was going to be homeless. She planned on staying in Hostels. She’d already mass applied to places in Ft. Lauderdale as well as Miami Beach. She planned on mass applying elsewhere if nothing came her way in both areas. 

She’d packed everything in less than two hours. She hadn’t much to pack after all other than the bare essentials. She’d found a job at a Cafe in Downtown Ft. Lauderdale while wandering out. She’d been living in a Hostel nearby. She didn’t mind being homeless. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to be in Florida for much longer. She wanted a life far away from Florida. She was content with having to stay in Florida a little longer. She wasn’t so sure she’d wanted to take the job offer at the Cafe at first. She’d loved the regulars that came in. Her Co-Workers loved her. It felt like she belonged there for the time being. She’d gotten an apartment nearby after several of her Co-Workers helped her get emergency resources that helped her get it. Emergency resources that helped her pay for the apartment for the next year. Her caseworker had been able to max out that resource. Piper had seen her staying at the Cafe for that year. People loved her. It was the amount of time she was wanting to stay in Florida anyway. She’d roam around on her days off.