Too Broke For Afterlife

Alex had a hard time finding her way to sleep that night. Even though she felt extremely exhausted, her eyes just wouldn't fall shut, no matter how hard she tried. Her thoughts kept circling in her head like vultures over a dying zebra. The fact that she is lying on the couch of a woman she's never met before isn't helping either. Normally Alex would have never followed a random stranger into their apartment but there was something about the woman that made her trust her. Maybe it was the tone of her voice. Or maybe the nervousness in her eyes that she tried to cover up with a smile. Or maybe it was the fact that Alex would rather take the risk than having to call her dad, asking him to pick her up. Or maybe, just maybe, it was fate.

Alex slowly opens her eyes. The sun has found it's way through the closed heavy curtains and announces a new day. She must have fallen asleep after all. Alex grabs her phone and unlocks the screen only to be greeted by white glowing digits telling her that it's 7:42am. It surprises her that she is already awake. Normally she sleeps like a koala bear and wouldn't get out of bed before lunch. Alex wants to get up to take a shower but in that exact moment the door to the hallway is slowly being opened so she just falls back onto the couch to act as if she is still asleep. She wouldn't be able to handle a conversation right now. Alex hears quiet foot steps crossing the room and opening the refrigerator. She tries to remember the woman's face, something she normally isn't very good at. Bright big eyes, ginger hair and red full lips. A very pretty face if you were to ask her. What was her name again? Something with a J. Jane? Jill? No. It was something weird. Something... witchy. Jinkx? "Wake up, darling." A hand softly shakes her shoulder and Alex almost would have jumped and probably fallen off the couch but she somehow manages to stay in her fake sleeping position. She immediately recognizes the soft voice. "You need to get up, love." The hand lets go of her and Alex can hear feet walking towards where the balcony door should be. The curtains are being drawn back and light floods the room, hitting her face. Alex slowly opens her eyes. "I know it's early but I figured you might want to catch one of the early busses to...well I don't know where you were heading." Cackling. Alex sits up. "And you need to tell me what you want for breakfast. I don't want to accidentally poison you." Alex doesn't know how to respond. She doesn't recognize the person standing in front of her. The hair is gone. Hell, even the body shape is completely different. All that's familiar is the smile. "I...don't understand. Who...I...I thought you're a woman." The person just grins and shrugs their shoulders. "Well I was. At least psychologically." Alex looks confused and raises her eyebrows. "Are you familiar with drag?" Alex nods. Well, sort of. Not really. "So you're not really Jinkx?" "Well..." They scratch their head. "I am. Sometimes. Probably more often than is good for me. If you want to you can call me Jinkx. Might make things less confusing. But you can call me whatever you want. Except for Randall maybe. I'm not really a big fan of that name." Alex wants to laugh about the joke but it gets stuck in her throat. She is confused. "I don't..." "Don't worry. Most people don't understand it right away. Maybe I can explain it to you during breakfast. So what do you want? I got eggs and cereal or how about some nice burnt toast?" "I..." Suddenly it hits her. What is she doing here? And what is she supposed to do later when Jinkx tells her to get out and catch her bus? What bus? Where is she supposed to go? Her parents? No she can't. They are probably angry and upset after her last text. And she can't go back to school either. "Hey, are you okay?" Alex lets her face fall into her hands. And then she starts to cry. The tears roll down her cheeks and hands as she realizes the situation she is in right now. Jinkx sits down next to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. Luckily they don't bombard her with any of those outworn phrases like It's going to be okay. They also don't ask her what's wrong. They just sit there and pat Alex' shoulder. After a little while her sobbing calms down. She manages to look up but avoids Jinkx' face. She owes them an explanation. And probably an apology as well. "You know that I didn't miss my bus yesterday, right?" Jinkx nods and let's out a quiet yeah. Alex takes a deep breath. "I was on my way to spend the holidays with my parents. I go to a boarding school so we don't see each other that often. But..." Another sob that is being answered with a soft shhh from Jinkx. "I was on the bus and realized that I...I just can't. I can't see them. Not right now. I just can't. So I didn't get off at my stop, I just sat there, waiting for the doors to close again. And then I ended up here." Jinkx nods but Alex isn't sure if it's honest, if they can actually grasp what she is trying to say. "I don't know if any of that made sense. I can't think straight right now. I'm sorry." "Don't be sorry. Do your parents know where you are?" Alex shakes her head. "I only told them that I wouldn't be coming over. They probably think that I'm staying at school." Jinkx nods again and they sit there in silence until they clear their throat. "So in other words you are stranded right now?" "Yeah." "And you don't have any friends or relatives you could stay with?" "Exactly." Jinkx sighs. Alex can see the wheels in their head turning. Great. Once again she is a burden. "I'm so sorry. You were so nice to let me sleep here and now I'm taking up your time with my problems even though we barely know each other. I don't know what's wrong with me. I should get ready now and figure out what to do." Alex gets up from the couch. She can see that Jinkx wants to say something but they swallow it. Their eyes fixate the sunflower in the mosaic pot. "Yeah."