Cloudy J or CJ for short, was a 21 year old woman and if you asked her she'd tell you that she knew how to handle herself. She lives by herself, has a job, a car and until recently a boyfriend. She was by most accounts mature, but for some nagging reason on this particular day around three weeks after her breakup she found herself feeling very immature. She was very upset after losing Mordecai, her ex-boyfriend and she couldn't make herself get over it. Her friends told her that it hadn't been her fault he left, and while she wanted to believe them a part of her was feeling really immature and didn't want to hear it.

'It keeps repeating itself,' she thought as she mopped the greasy floor. McBurgerPlace is a very lousy place to work, and every aspect of the derelict kitchen seems to serve only to remind her. 'every guy keeps doing it over and over, they say they like her and lead her on and eventually leave her for some girl they knew or even once, just met,' and she always ended up feeling used and dirty like they got what they wanted and left, even though she hadn't slept with any of them. ' I don't know, maybe it's because I don't put out?' She wondered.

She punched her employee number into the computer and clocked out. At first, she didn't like working at McBurgerPlace but after working there for going on two months, she got used to the pace and eventually grew to tolerate her coworkers. She said her farewells to her coworkers and left for home.

Home, it turned out was a very small apartment of the 'R3' apartment complex (Nobody knew what 'R3' stood for). Only a short drive into town, as soon as you entered the front door you'd have seen most of the house. A couch sat in what would loosely be called a living room, along with a television and video game, the bed was also there hanging above the couch mounted to the wall with a ladder leading up to it. There was a small kitchen and a single compact bathroom as well. It may have been small, but it was also very affordable and that made the size worth it in CJ's opinion. She flopped onto her couch, not bothering to change out of the red uniform of McBurgerPlace and fell into a fitful sleep, her last thoughts being that she was going to live in this small apartment alone forever.

Rey was a 20 year old guy, he too was a mature adult with basic needs squared away and yet something was bothering him too. He considered himself to be a nice guy, he didn't cause trouble and greeted everyone with a smile, and yet since he left high school he didn't have any real friends and for over four years he'd been single. He wasn't single for a lack of trying, he just didn't know if a girl was interested or not and didn't really want to risk asking, he'd been burned doing that before.

Rey worked in a hospital, they employed women in a 5:1 ratio to men, so all day he was surrounded by pretty nurses who he was mortified to even speak to, 'sexual harassment' were two words he avidly avoided and this sort of put him in a standstill. Avoiding chatting up coworkers was one thing, but doing to for so long while single let the habit seep into his personal affairs and he found himself avoiding conversation with women off work, not that the opportunity came by often anyway.

He didn't have a car, so he walked pretty much everywhere. He went to places he liked around town to 'hang out' and try to make some friends, and since he still lived with his parents they were constantly badgering him to get out of the house, make some friends and bring them some grandchildren. Hanging out wasn't working, most of the time he just looked like a guy sitting around killing time, nobody approached him, not in a conversational manner at least. He gave up on meeting anyone today, and headed back home. His legs sore from the long walk, he collapsed on his bed and looked longingly at his beloved bass guitar. His last thoughts before sleeping were 'would it be lame to play out in public?'

It was the next day when these two souls met for the first time. It was Saturday, both Rey and CJ have weekends off, but CJ was called into work for a bit of overtime. Rey decided to take this off day to play his guitar a bit since he hadn't practiced in a long while. After a while Rey started feeling like his efforts were in vain and after a few more hours of playing on the outdoor dining areas of his favorite restaurant, not a single person even came his way. He decided he was going to get a cheap burger combo and spend the rest of the day at home.

He walked into McBurgerPlace feeling down on himself. The restaurant was fairly lifeless, a few scattered patrons ate in solitude despite it being a bright Saturday afternoon. The smell of fast food and the muffled noise of traffic outside was an ill fit to the relative silence inside the establishment, the only sounds being the footsteps of employees and the hiss of the grill. Rey thought the restaurant was tailored to fit his dark mood until he saw the bored looking cloud girl donning the McBurgerPlace uniform staring fixedly at him from across the restaurant clearly trying to smile but failing making it look almost like a smirk, obviously waiting for him to come place an order.

"Total ghost town in here" He said, making his way to the counter. At this her smile picked up a bit. "What was that?" She asked in a mock yell "I can't hear you over the sound of you not buying anything!" He chuckled, he really wanted to laugh out loud at this joke but he wanted to play it sensibly. He suddenly found his thoughts turning to how cute he thought she way, and that she might be single. "Any idea why it's so slow in here today?" He asked, hoping to strike up a conversation.

CJ pretended to think it over because she honestly didn't know why today was so slow and she was far more interested in why he wanted to talk her to death. 'He's interested' said a voice in her head, and she stopped looking around for a second and took a quick look at the man. The most striking thing she noticed is that he was tall, she guessed around six feet give or take. He had neck length black hair and an almost athletic built. She didn't think he was bad looking, but therein lie the problem because she wasn't looking for a relationship right now. She was pretty sure anyway.

Rey watched CJ shrug her shoulders, indicating she had no clue why McBurgerPlace was empty at such a time. "So, can I get a grilled onion and cheese burger, a medium fry and your phone number?" He asked coyly, it was now or never but he just realized he hadn't asked if she was single! "Actually..." She began but was promptly interrupted. "Ah, sorry. My bad, I mean to ask are you uh, seeing anyone?" He asked, his heart was beating fast and he felt a lump of rise in his throat.

CJ was flushed as well, she didn't want to shoot the guy down right here, maybe letting him down gently would work she thought. "I just got out of a relationship actually, and I..." And once again she was caught off guard by the man in front of her.

"Forget I said anything." He said, followed by a weak chuckle. 'Stupid, you knew this was going to happen.' "Just the order please, to go." He meandered across the ordering area to the tables, picked one next to a window and started absently picking at his chin, pretending not to be upset.

CJ was even more upset now than she had been all week. She didn't feel like getting her heart broken again, but she knew the feeling of being rejected all too well. Her time on 'couple's corral' was a nightmare. Just then, a co-worker handed CJ the order, and she walked it over to the table Rey was waiting at and sat it down. "Hey, meet me here tomorrow at 2, alright?" She asked giving him a understanding smile.

"Sure, alright." Rey replied. He was relived as much as he was surprised, he was no good with phone numbers but didn't know any other way to say 'hey, I like you' in a non-weird way. He was going to ask weather or not to dress up, but a well dressed man Rey assumed was a manager or supervisor called from the customer serving area.

"Hey, CJ!" He called, his face twisted with rage. "How many times have I told you not to laze around out there with customers? This is a restaurant not a social club!" He spat. "Get back to the register or this will be your THIRD WRITE-UP!" He screamed the last words when he saw CJ looking at him, a mutinous and disgusted look on her face.

CJ stood there for just a few seconds, looking furious. She turned a dark gray and lightning surged around her head. She took off her hat and shirt, balled them up and tossed them in the trashcan next to her. "Bite me Dan, I QUIT." She yelled as she kicked the trashcan over.

Rey, who was flabbergasted by this entire turn of events, decided to take CJ's side. He took his sandwich out of the bag, unwrapped it and threw it at Dan, nailing him in the head as he left behind CJ. "Hey, uh..." he began.

"CJ, short for Cloudy J." She said walking to her car. "I guess this place wouldn't be too convenient to return to tomorrow." She concluded, her anger subsiding now that she left the restaurant.

"Or ever." Rey suggested. "Worst three dollars I ever spent." He said while taking off his shirt. He nudged her on the back and handed her his shirt as she arrived at her car. She started to thank him, but he held up his hand. "Don't thank me, this was one of the hardest choices I ever made." he said with a false seriousness.

CJ's complexion brightened up a bit. "Wow, who said chivalry is dead?" she said as she put on the shirt. "Get in, I'll get another shirt from my place." and she gestured toward the car for him to go over to the passenger side.

"Oh my." Rey said, doing his best impression of a rich snooty character. "How forward." He finished by pretending to peer over glasses at her and waggling his eyebrows.

CJ blew a raspberry as she got into the small white car. "As if, that was the most you'll ever see for a long while, if you're lucky." She said smugly between giggles.

Partway into the ride to CJ's place she let out a long low groan. Rey turned his head to face her, and she was shaking her head, disappointingly.

"What's the matter?" Rey asked tenderly "Left something at the restaurant?" She was beginning to look more and more upset.

"Yeah." She said pointedly. "A paycheck." She finished grimly. A dark smile played across her face, and she chuckled mirthlessly and fell silent. She did not speak again for the rest of the trip, and Rey deciding it was best not to badger her anymore and instead peered out of the open window. Thankfully for both of them the rest of the ride was very short.

CJ parked the car in a lot beside a two story white apartment complex. The two exited the car and make their way towards the flat, CJ who's complexion had not fully returned to white had just darkened at the sight of a short portly Asian woman with an elaborate haircut and lots of cheap looking jewelry.

"Dan called?" CJ asked the woman, her voice flat and with a dangerous edge on it, as if she was ready to jump down her throat at a moments notice. She stopped right in front of the woman, who still hadn't answered her question. Instead she sighed and shook her head disappointingly.

"You are a month and a half overdue CJ." She said in a high shrill voice. "Dan was a good friend of mine, and you made me look bad by quitting so early." She was now giving CJ a very harsh look, the look of someone who'd just received a very unpleasant phone call. She sighed and her tone went down an octave or two, adopting a slightly sorrowful tone. "You're a good girl, but I'm five hundred dollars in the hole with you, and if you can't get it fixed soon-" She started but was interrupted by CJ.

"What about the hundred dollars I gave you the Friday before last?" She argued, her voice changing from an accusative tone to a pleading one. Rey saw the short lady's face fall, CJ obviously did too as she let out a small huff of exasperation.

"I'm still holding on to it. I've told you before I can't make a payment towards rent until I have an entire months worth. I'm sorry." The short Asian lady said, sadly but firmly. She stood, staring at CJ who seemed like she was on the verge of either tears or a rampage.

'Oh great' CJ thought, feeling herself getting angrier. Her complexion went from light gray to a foreboding darkness, not quite as dark as with Dan but dangerously close. 'Nobody wants someone with money problems, he's probably freaking out. Shit CJ, you really messed this up. Now I'm going to have to go stay with my dad again, he won't be -' CJ continued to rant internally, running her fingers through her cloudy hair and walking in short circles looking at the sky.

"Hey, um lady?" Rey called to the squattish Asian woman. He made his way over as CJ meandered off into the parking lot, talking angrily under hear breath.

"Call me Lottie dear," She replied, taking his hand in a friendly handshake. She housed CJ for more than a few years now, she watched men come and go from CJ's life, each one leaving her increasingly prone to violence and jealousy. She thought the last boy was going to be perfect, yet he tore her down worse than ever before. So, it was with a small start to the woman noticed a worried yet determined smile on this man's face, even in this hour of crisis.

"Could I stay here if I payed the deficit Lottie?" He asked, being in the same apartment complex as someone is a surefire way to run into them more often and if he could carpool with CJ, he could pay the down payment on his room out of the money he was saving up for a car. It wouldn't be cheap, but if it meant he had a better chance with CJ, no price was too steep. Sure, he had just met her but it felt like his heart was tearing apart seeing CJ is so much turmoil.

Lottie looked at him, squinting slightly and her eyes darted over to CJ who was looking flabbergasted. Apparently, walking off in a huff didn't make a person deaf and she had heard what they were discussing. Lottie smiled. "Yes!" She exclaimed, but before Rey could get a word in she held up one finger. "On one condition."

CJ stood a good five feet away on the pavement, awestruck. She always felt strange when guys went out of their way to help her, but this time was different. This was a half grand, but not just a half grand, this was a half grand being offered by a guy who eats at McBurgerPlace. She wanted to stop him, but even the fleeting thought of going back to her fathers made her interested enough to see where this was going.

Lottie made a wide sweeping arm gesture at the complex. "Alright, well if you pay the current five hundred plus a one time special discount down-payment of only two hundred you and CJ can share her apartment with a rent increase of only one hundred a month!" She finished with a flourish, obviously impressed by her own cunning and generosity. She wanted to see CJ happy, and not throw her out.

Rey nodded, he made sure it looked like he was making a big decision but this was a bigger break than he could have hoped for. There was only one thing that could ruin this, and CJ's continued silence and shocked expression made Rey realize it's could be more likely than he thought.

CJ sometimes wished she was rich, or that she could rewind time but this was the first moment in her life where she wished she could read her own feelings. On one hand, she didn't really know the guy, he was sweet but a total stranger and yet deep, deep, down inside, seeing him standing there willing to help her through this made her heart tingle in delight and despite herself, and everything that's happened before, she wanted more. She let the smallest of smiles play across her face and nodded.