Thank you for the reviews I've gotten already, ^_^. The next chapter so soon? Indeed. I had fun writing it honestly, Danica (now anyway) is the kind of girl I can't stand. She takes life too lightly and the next chapter she really gets a wake-up call. No I can't skip through her boring human life, if I did it wouldn't make sense how she got there and might make her seem like a mary-sue (gag).

Also, rated T for language and violence in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own cats... sadly. But Danica and plot belong to me.

Ruining Your Life in Three Weeks or Less

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Crap, it was already noon. "Danica! Are you ever going to get that damn alarm?" I sneered while hesitantly closing my book; since when did my roommate's demands take precedence over my own whims? Silencing my alarm, I lazily made my way to the dorm's shared closet to start shifting through clothes.

Charlotte, the prissy redheaded boss of a roommate, stormed out of the bathroom we had – matching pink towels covered her dripping body and soaked hair. "When are you getting your apartment?"

"Whenever I please," it was no secret that we loathed each other. She was one of the biggest reasons I had for leaving, just barely succeeding my parental protest. From the start we had been nagging each other and tossing insults at all hours of the day. There was no love, it was simply a hate-hate relationship.

The girl rolled her eyes, so childish, "Well, you only have till the end of this week before the college kicks you out. So one way or another you'll be out of my hair."

"Believe me, it will be my pleasure. Never liked that fake funky smelling rat's nest of yours anyway."

"Go to hell Danica." My my, did she hiss at me? How very animalistic yet appropriate for her.

"Lead the way, dear, and I'll be more than happy to follow," it was fun to watch her fume. Miss Charlotte O'Dell wore her heart on her sleeve, making her nonchalant act all the more amusing. Lord she could have this hole of a dorm whenever she pleased.

Finally dressed and my vanity appeased, I headed out to go to my job. I worked at the Rozen Crowne, a pub that was only a fifteen minute walk from the college housing. Normally working middle shift instead of opening, I recently had over-slept or lost track of time causing me to be late on more than one occasion; still trying to get used to the new hours, my boss had given me an extra chance to redeem myself... meaning if I was late one more time then I would be fired.

Today, I had given myself plenty of time, heading out with over an extra half-hour before opening at one. There was no way I'd be late! After tomorrow's paycheck, I could get the apartment room I'd been looking at for over a month. Mother worried far too much, there wasn't a chance that I would let myself fall into the gutter. I had said I was too responsible for that to happen and I meant it, once I opened my business I would rub my success in both her and my father's face!

The image that conjured it's way into my mind wound its sickeningly pleasing roots into my brain, making the idea impossible to remove. How that day couldn't come fast enough!

With everything so close together – my job, the campus, my desired apartment – there was no need for me to own a car. This helped keep my bank account smiling and the idea of my own place so realistic. Anyway it had kept me from taking out a loan and gave me an excuse as to not have to visit my ridiculous family. Any other day my thoughts would be the same... but today I would have been much better off had I been driving instead of walking.

About halfway to the pub, I was entranced by a street performer. He had only a minute crowd for whom was held captivated, and I was now among them. The rugged looking man's hygiene was unseemly, his clothes a ratted and torn compilation, but his hands were magic. To the average wandering eye, it appeared as though he was just flipping a couple cards, but to my olive eyes he was spinning them in ways thought impossible.

"Not more card tricks."

"Can't these people learn to find a true job."

"Just the same thing I've seen a million times before."

I heard every single complaint and whine, but I hadn't seen these illusions before. He didn't just guess what card you had selected, but predicted the next card you would choose and the fifth card in the deck, which was hidden from view. It was amazing! Having such a strict father, maybe it was just my own childish curiosity that demanded to be appeased, but I begged him to reveal his secrets. I wanted to know every exact trivial detail.

The whole next hour was spent rooted in that spot, trying to mentally document everything he was describing. His slight-of-hands never ceased to be jaw-dropping and he spent that whole sixty minutes showing me new ones; I spent a good 24 Pounds on tipping him.

He gave me a rather toothy grin and shook my hand, "Bless ya' ma'am, you have no idea what this means to a man such as me'self."

Despite my slight disgust at his condition, I smiled. "Thank you for sharing with me, I thoroughly enjoyed it." It wasn't my fault though that he homeless, my conclusion from what I had gathered. Most do it to themselves, being lazy and incompetent, then they proceed to blame the world and accuse us that we owed them something in compensation for their stolen lives.

The only reason I had tipped him anything was because he had an uncanny talent with cards, it had entertained me. I saw this as a good reason to give him at least something...

"Good day to ya' missy." He waved and pushed some strands of long oily brown hair out of his face as he turned his attention to a flock of children.

It would be a good day, I would be on time and be able to make the down payment on my apartment tomorrow night! He should have wished me a good week instead. Taking a look at my phone sent me into a frenzy: 1:43!

Racing, I found myself at the Rozen Crowne in record time. I flew past the doors and headed to the employee entrance, only I was stopped by my boss on the way there.

His face was stern and his eyes were dangerously furious. "Danica Fulton, I hope you have a very good excuse to why your ass wasn't here an hour ago."

"Look, so I lost track of time. When has that ever been new? Come on, I do my job well and at least I show up. Bailey didn't come to work once last week and you never harassed-"

"I'm not talking about Bailey, I'm talking about you!" I flinched as his voice rose another couple octaves. "This is how you've been since I started cutting you slack. I've been understanding with the new hours and your quiting college and all, but I can't tolerate this anymore." The older man sighed and ran a few fingers through his graying beard, "I've also tried to remember what it was like when I was nineteen; ignorant to my own wellbeing, drunk off freedom and independence, but that is no excuse for coming in an hour to three hours late."

My face started to fall, he couldn't... he wouldn't! "Look, I'm truly sorry. I tried today I swear!" One hour was an improvement from the three I'd missed yesterday. "Just... one more chance, one more. I can guarantee that I won't let you down tomorrow I promise." I just needed that last paycheck and then he could fire me if it pleased him.

My boss stuffed his hands into his leather jacket's pockets, looking slightly guilty. "I would, but my boss has considered your history of tardiness and... other factors. She doesn't believe that we need you anymore."

"You don't have to be nice; what I said was 'I wanted the hussy out'." I glared at the owner of the Rozen Crowne. She was a woman in her late thirties, but she'd undergone so much plastic surgery that you couldn't even be sure she was a woman anymore. Let alone her age.

The blond approached me and gripped my upper arm tightly, her manicured nails digging into the exposed flesh. "Well you saved me a phone call."

"You're going to fire me over being late?" I screeched. This was unbelievable, I showed up! Perhaps I had been a couple hours late in the past few weeks... but that was no reason to call me a hussy and toss me out. "Can't I give you a two-weeks notice and then you just be done with me?"

Ms. Crowne's breath was foul, the cigar odor and whiskey stench wafted over my nose every time she twitched her lips. "No, I refuse to waste my well earned profit on spoiled brats such as yourself. You say you do well but you tend to flirt more than you serve; the world just won't be handed to you on a silver platter. You have to work to earn it and you aren't working. I see no need to waste another Shilling on you."

I continued to argue with her, yelling mostly profanities, before she literally threw me out the door and slammed it upon my exit. Well fine, if she was done with me then I was more than happy to be through with her! I could find a job in no time... my dream apartment would just have to wait a little bit longer.

-Three Weeks Later-

The phone conversation I'd shared with my mother seemed to haunt my thoughts day and night, "...you'll soon have nothing!". It was as though she had prophesied my future; the whole thing seemed like disapproval then, but now I recalled it as taunting. Nothing... that was all I had to my name anymore. No fancy apartment, no cellphone, no job... nothing but the skin on my back and tatters of something that once might have been called clothes.

After I had gotten fired, I spent the next two days wallowing in self-pity. At least that's what Charlotte had called it. The bitch Crowne had no right to humiliate me in front of everyone and then abruptly drop me. I was too embarrassed to do much else, but I refused to let her defeat me. The third day I left to go job hunting... turning up nothing, luck was not with me.

There was no place within walking distance that was taking applications; well, a deli had been... but they considered me too much of a risk to business if they hired me. What the hell did they think was wrong with me? I wasn't a one-armed freak, I was a normal girl! Who truly cared if they had spoken with "Ms". Crowne? Her words weren't reliable.

Sadly that had been the only place to give me an interview.

It got worse than that... my week in the college dorms was spent. I was abruptly replaced and my things tossed into trash bags for a hasty removal. Appalled at such behavior I turned to my friends to see if they would house me until I could get back on my feet, to which all denied. One even demanded that to stay I had to pay her rent... I went to a motel instead.

Seeing as money was tight, I was forced to sell some of my possessions to keep my disgusting room at the motel... I even had to cancel my cell service seeing as I couldn't pay it anymore. It was amazing that all this could happen within two weeks. Even now I'm stretched thin on the remains of my money... still looking for a job.

Something had to open up soon!