CHEAP RIDE
CHAPTER 1
MIA
I step out of the library just before one a.m., backpack heavy on my shoulder and eyes stinging from too many hours staring at notes. The campus is empty, cold air biting through my thin hoodie. My phone screen lights up my face as I check my bank app. Eight dollars and twenty-three cents. That’s it until my next shift on Friday. Rent is due soon, and I’m already calculating how many ramen packs I can stretch.
Uber Pool is my only option. The regular ride is twenty-eight bucks. Pool drops it to seven-fifty with the student discount. I hit book before I can overthink it.
Waiting under the streetlight, I hug myself and bounce on my toes to stay warm. My short black skirt isn’t doing me any favors tonight, but it was cute when I left my dorm this morning. The car
