My ears filled with music as I jerked awake.

I turned my head to see five AM in bright and bold red font. I let out a groan as I reached for the clock, having my finger search for the off button, and my eyes focused on the ceiling.

Do I really have to go? Givas die everyday, no one would notice if I skipped a day. Anyone can go and get their souls.

When I finally found the switch and turned off the alarm, I breathed out in relief.

Maybe heading back to sleep won't hurt?

I turned my body over in the bed, now facing the alarm clock from hell, to see the picture frame placed next to it. In the frame was a picture of my two beautiful kids at the age of sixteen in a park, smiling at me everytime I woke up.

"God, I love you guys," I kissed my index and middle finger and pressed it onto the cold glass. "Hope to never see you again."

I'm a good mom, I swear. Out of all the memories I could've chosen that day, I chose them. I hated thinking this way but what kind of parent would want to see their children in purgatory with them?

It's been fifty-eight years since I last saw them and I miss them with all my heart but I knew what I was doing when I made my deal and put myself into debt, there's no need to drag them into this. Sadly, they might feel the same heartache I feel when I remember that I'm not there with them everyday but it was a sacrifice I made for them, I think. It would be better if I could remember the terms of the deal but that memory is gone along with the rest of them. In my gut, I could feel that they're living a great life because of what I did.

I'm not even sure how this picture got here. When I woke up in this apartment, there it was! I didn't even complain because I got to see them outside of my memories and whenever I wanted.

Glancing at the clock, I groaned as it read five-fifteen AM. I slowly dragged my body off of the bed and shedded my pajamas off once I reached the bathroom. Hopping into the shower, the warm water trickled down my golden brown skin as I stretched my body, hearing each crack and feeling every pop.

I really need to stop sleeping all bunched up. Waking up to pain every morning is so annoying. I remember the twins used to wake up with pain every morning too. I wonder if they still sleep the same way or if they even live together? They used to cram into the same small bed and refused to sleep on their own beds despite the pain. I eventually caved and bought them a bigger mattress. Maybe I should buy myself a new mattress? Maybe that would help me sleep better.

After I took my relaxing shower, I began to get ready for work. Shifting through my closet, I found nothing that I actually wanted to wear, like always. All my work clothes were the same color and the same concept, black blouses with black slacks. I couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

At least it works out for the loophole I found for the dress code. These black clothes plus my red afro equals less things to worry about.

When I finally found something worth wearing, I slipped them on along with black heels and headed back to the bathroom to moisturize and fix my hair into a high puff. Once I was ready I went back into the bedroom, gathered my things, and I took one last glance at the clock before leaving.

Six-thirty, great. I'm not late.

As I exited the apartment, the cold harsh air rushed me to put on my scarf and long jacket. After making my way down the many flights of stairs and reaching my car, I pulled out my phone along with the car keys quickly searching through my contacts. Once I got into the car, I found the name I was looking for and pressed on it. As the phone continued to ring, I turned on the car and began to drive toward the office.

The phone clicked, letting me know that he had answered the phone. He didn't say anything but I could hear him rustling around in his bed and clearing his throat, readying himself to speak.

"H-hello," he finally said with a groggy voice.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, "You were still sleeping weren't you Noel?"

There was a pause before he hummed in response. This kid would be lost without me.

I groaned and took the next possible turn, heading the opposite direction from the office and toward his apartment, "Hurry up and get dressed, I'll pick you up."

"Really?" He asked rhetorically, obviously awake now. "You spoil me V! See, this is why I love you. Thank you!"

I chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. Just hurry, I'll be down stairs in five minutes."

"Okay, okay, bye!"

I hung up the phone and shook my head.

Noel was the youngest person in all of purgatory. He's here for the same reason as me, he made a deal when he was a Giva and now has to work off his debt.

Three years ago, the news of a seventeen year old arriving in purgatory and working in the office began circulating. Everyone was surprised that someone so young was allowed to make a deal with the boss. The usual whispers about how cowardly and disgusting the boss was mixed with the whispers assuming Noel's possible reasons for his debt. With no way to confirm or deny why he made his deal, they eventually faded but the whispers never stopped mentioning him, especially when he was promoted within his first year of working despite the rule that someone is only promoted after five years of working at the beginning rank.

When he was promoted to my rank, I realized how isolated he was. With his name constantly circulating and everyone being over the age of twenty-one, he had no one to truly connect with. The only time he spoke to anyone was when he had a question, even then his voice was nothing more than a mumble. He often asked me any questions he had due to my desk being next to his. Slowly but surely, I was able to get him to open up and talk by telling him hello and goodbye whenever I saw him. Months later, those greetings and farewells became conversations and sitting together during lunch. Within that year, we were almost inseparable, we went on missions together, had meals together, and my friends openly accepted him as a part of the group. We all do our share to make sure that he's safe, taking care of himself, and handling missions well.

Once I reached his apartment building's street, I noticed a yellow ball in the distance bouncing up and down. As I drove closer and closer to his building, I realized that the bouncing ball was him! He wore a puffy yellow bubble jacket that reached his mid thigh. I stopped in front of him and laughed as I watched his jacket deflate and inflate when he got into the car.

He beamed his biggest smile at me through the feathers of the hood and opened his arms, showing off his new jacket, "What'd you think?"

I continued laughing and breathed out, "When'd you get that?"

He moved his arms and stretched them toward the front window, still showing it off, "I went out with Pam and Becca this weekend. They took me to buy a new jacket because I lost my other one and my old ones don't fit me anymore."

"First off, your 'lost one' is in the back seat. You left it at DJ's place. Second, how do your other jackets not fit anymore, we don't age or grow?"

He pulled the hood off of his head, causing his dark curls to spring out, "Don't ask me! I don't know, maybe it's because you guys are older?"

"Maybe," I started driving toward the office once again. "You do know that you'll get in trouble for not following the dress code?"

He groaned, "Yes, I know but who's gonna snitch on me when I look this cute!"

"Well I don't think any of our people would but you know secretaries are in charge of us. They have a job to do too. They have to report anything odd to the boss and you wearing a yellow jacket to work instead of a black or a red one, like the dress code for our rank says, is definitely odd."

"But Pam and Becca bought me this jacket! Pam is the secretary assigned to our rank and Becca is the secretary assigned to the black stars. Even Jen saw me and she's the boss' secretary! She didn't say anything," he whined. "Why would they buy me this jacket if they knew I would get in trouble for wearing it?"

"Hun, I know who they are, you don't need to tell me. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't buy you that to get you in trouble and you know the rules we have to follow so why didn't you buy another jacket?"

He crossed his arms and huffed, "I did buy another jacket. I found one that matches yours exactly but in red and I was going to surprise you with it tomorrow. This is complete bullshit! Why can't I wear whatever jacket I want but Pam, Becca, Meek, and everyone else I know where what they want?"

I sighed, "Noel, you've been in purgatory for three years already. You know how things work here. They don't have a debt to pay off so they get to wear and do what they want when they want, they're limboers. If they don't want to work, then they don't have to and quit. If they want to walk out naked, they could. Well, they wouldn't actually but you get my point. Whatever the boss says goes."

He unzipped his jacket and wiggled it off, throwing it into the backseat, "This isn't fair! Why do I have to work off some stupid debt I can't even remember? I can't even have a little bit of happiness without worrying about what the boss might do! I don't even know what they look or sound like but I have to constantly make sure I'm doing exactly as they want. I hate it here!"

"I know, I know. It's hard to get used to at first but I'm sure you will. You did something right to get promoted so quickly and if you keep doing that, you'll be promoted to the next and highest rank. You'll finish your debt in no time with all the benefits from being a black star. Listen, you can wear the jacket after work when we're going home or during the weekend but you just can't wear it to the office without the risk of getting in trouble. Please, I'm just trying to help you out."

He let out a shaky breath and sunk into the seat, "V, I'm sorry. I ju- it-" he screamed, frustrated. "I don't want to be here! I don't want to work. I don't want to be sad everytime I complete a mission. I want to be a Giva again! I want to be surrounded by and be friends with people my age. I want to grow and age and have a girlfriend. I'm seventeen and can't have a girlfriend because everyone's old!"

I began to chuckle, "Hey watch it! Thirty-two isn't old, just too old for you. Besides, you'll be fine without anyone. Just make friends, have fun, finish your debt. When you do, maybe you'll find someone and maybe you won't but know that you don't need anyone in a romantic way. Right now, you only think you need a romantic relationship because you want that person to make your problems disappear but in reality, they won't and they can't. You want to use that person to your own advantage and that's not fair to them, is it?" I glanced as he nodded his head. "Imagine if they did that to you. You wouldn't like the feeling of being used and you probably won't stay in the relationship knowing that you're being used," I pulled into the parking lot of the office building and parked the car.

As we exited the car, he grabbed his "lost jacket" from the backseat, "Where'd all that come from?"

As he put on his jacket, we began heading inside, "I vaguely remember telling something similar to my kids."

"You're so lucky you get to remember something from being a Giva."

I waved at Dylan, the security guard assigned to the main floor, as we entered the building, "I told you before, I think it's just because you're young or something happened that you didn't get to choose a memory string. When I asked DJ about it, he said that we all have a memory string we chose."

The was a pause before he asked, "So, what's going on between you and DJ anyway?"

"We're friends. Why?"

"Oh nothing! You two just act like you're a couple and I know for sure he likes you."

Once we reached the elevators I pressed the button on the wall, calling the elevator, and shot him a questioning look, "What the hell are you talking about Noel?"

"C'mon, you're telling me you don't notice? I have a list of examples just from when we went over for dinner at his place last week. First, when he opened the door and saw me, he looked disappointed. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a date and his invite wasn't for me even though he asked you in front of me and you said 'we'll be there at 8'. Anyway, second, he catered to you all night which was rude. Third, just the way you guys interacted in general. The slight touches, the way you guys looked at each other, even the way you guys hugged when you finally came. It was like you two haven't seen each other in years! I'm just saying, there's something there and it made me feel like a third wheel."

The elevator chimed and the doors slowly opened, we stepped inside, "There's nothing there, we're just close friends. You and I hug all the time and there's nothing in between us."

The doors slowly closed once we were inside and he pressed the button to send us to the sixth floor, "We don't hug the way you two do and we never will. There's something there and you can't deny it. Just so you know, I'm never going out with just you two ever again."

As soon as the elevator doors closed, the screen over the buttons lit up and asked for us to scan our IDs. Noel had his ID attached to his pants using a clip with a retractable string and easily scanned as I looked for mine in my purse.

"Noel Fuentes, red star reaper. Access to the sixth floor, granted," the screen read out loud.

In the middle of the screen, '½' appeared, "There are two people on the elevator. Waiting for the second ID. Please scan your ID."

Noel groaned, "We always have to wait for you. I'll have to get you one of these pull string thingys next time I see them." He said as he played with his ID string.

My hand continued to dig into my purse, searching for the hard plastic, "Alright, just hold on. I think I found it." My fingers felt something smooth and cold graze across them. They moved to the area they felt the card and grabbed it, "Ha! I found it!" I quickly held the back of the card to the blinking part of the screen.

"Viviana Maxwell, red star reaper. Access to the sixth floor, granted," the screen flashed a green check mark before turning off and the elevator began moving.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Finally."

・┈・┈・┈・┈・┈・┈・┈・┈・

First chapter is finally done!

Let me know your thoughts ~

Make sure to vote if you liked the chapter!

Till next time ✌🏼💕