#codearvis:task 1

[maya-hadler]

After her father got sick the bills started piling up. Cancer wasn’t cheap, curing it came with a heavy price, which had to be paid with compensation rather than compassion. She felt sick thinking about it, knowing that doctors made their money off of the sick, mentally and physically, so much so that those people went broke. That was where she found herself now, barely a dime to her name and somehow still getting by. She’d thought about somehow trying to contact her mother, a woman with no face and no return address label, though she didn’t think her father was telling the truth when he said he had no idea where she was. For some reason, it’d always been hard to just...merely accept, that her mother had left them. That she had left her own child without an address, or a phone number to call...

Maya sighed as she picked up yet another bill for chemo, eyes widening at the cost. “You’ve got to be fucking-” Her hands balled up into fists only to wrinkle the paper, which made her curse even more. “Jesus...” She muttered, flattening her hands against the wooden surface of their coffee table, one hand resting upon the bill in question. How was it over five grand? And with what money was she supposed to pay this with? Maya let out a short sigh, trying to pray that maybe their insurance would cover at least some of the costs. Otherwise, she’d need a second job, which she doubted she could handle once school started up again. 

“Maybe just over the summer...” She muttered to herself, picking up the crinkled piece of paper once more. One thing was for sure, she’d have to think of a solution fast, seeing as the bill was due by the end of next month. Her lips moved in the shape of the word ‘fuck,’ even if she didn’t say it aloud, quickly stuffing the bill into her backpack before grabbing her keys. God, she needed a coffee...and some fresh air. Maybe a walk in town would help, she thought hopefully, making her way to the front door. 

As she locked the front door behind her, Maya couldn’t help but wonder something, and she thought about this even as she got onto the bus into town. ‘Would she care? Would her mother care if she knew her ex-husband was sick?’ 

[june-maslow]

Dear grandma.

The cursor blinked a couple of times in the middle of the blank screen before June went on typing. It was always somewhat difficult for her to start writing to her Grandma Lennie, normally having to debate with herself what she wanted to tell and what she didn’t. Some of that information could end up being passed on to June’s mother. She didn’t exactly blame her grandmother for that. Just because the girl didn’t talk to her mother didn’t mean her grandma had also cut off contact with her daughter.

Thanks for your last email. Classes haven’t started yet. They begin in August, so things have been pretty calm lately. I’ve only been working for the newspaper (I mailed you a copy of the latest edition, by the way. Let me know what you think of the article I wrote). I’d love to go and spend a few days with you, thanks for inviting me. Let me know which dates work best for you so I can buy my bus ticket.

‘Pretty calm’ was not the real state of things, of course. This summer had easily been the most exciting in her life, extraordinary beyond words, as she was allowed to have a life-altering experience. But there was no way she could tell her grandma about the A.R.V.I.S. program and everything that she had been through when she was inside The Grid. The price for that wonder was secrecy, and it was a price June was paying gladly.

It caught me so off guard that Eric called me the other day. It had been like three months since we last spoke when I called him for his birthday. He told me he and Laurel are getting married (You probably already know, I bet you were the first person he called). He said they haven’t set a date yet but that they want it to be in spring of next year. I’m happy for them. It’s going to be weird to see mom again, though. And he said he’s been trying to reach dad so he can invite him too. I bet mom’s going to freak out about that. Or she’ll just do her thing, and fake smiles at the event and then she’ll-

June stopped typing for a moment. Her finger hovered over the backspace key and pressed it until the last two lines were erased.

And he said he’s been trying to reach dad so he can invite him. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea but it’s Eric’s wedding, so I guess he can do whatever he wants.

She made a brief pause, reaching out to grab her cup of tea from the nightstand. She took a sip, set it aside again and then readjusted her laptop on her legs again before her fingers fell on the keyboard again.

I’m sorry I’m still going to keep you in suspense for a little while longer because I haven’t decided what my thesis will be about. I still have some time to consider my options. I have been thinking a lot about it and I’m leaning more towards something more focused on Computer Science than Psychology. I promise you’ll be the first to know when I decide.

Feel free to call me once they fix your phone. You know that if I can’t pick up I always return calls. Hope you hear from you soon.

Love, June

[codearvis]

Task #1: Diary post

Here’s our first task, my lovelies!

Write a diary entry or a self para, make it as brief or as long as your heart desires. Let us get to know a little about your character, about their journey to become who they are now or how they got there, about what they dream about and the goals they want to reach, about what they’ve been up to lately. Just have fun in sharing a little about your amazing character with the rest of us!

There’s not a deadline to post this, go ahead and write when the muse inspires you! Don’t forget to tag your posts with codearvis:task 1.