I was going to do a parody of Reddit, called Reddit. Reddit. Get it? I gave up, though. Maybe it would be better to call it Nookit. Again, please leave reviews!

Meredith wasn't watching where she was going. She was on her phone, looking at want ads. She didn't even notice the other human girl walking to the docks until they bumped into each other. It was late. Meredith briefly pondered why someone else would be out at this hour. The beaches were deserted. Her daughter was asleep in the apartment. All the facilities were closed. There was no reason for anyone to be out. But then again, she was out here, jogging along the beach, looking at the moon.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." she said. "I was a bit distracted looking for roommates on the web. See, rent just increased at my apartment, and I can't afford to stay, but I can't afford a house, either, so I figured I could live with someone else until I get the big job promotion I'm after and get enough cash to have a real home, and why am I telling you all of this? Sorry."

The other girl looked interested.

"You know, I just got a house from Paradise Planning. (By the way, I would not recommend getting a house from Paradise Planning.) Maybe you could room with me. Rent would be 200 Poki or so per month, and you'd have to help with chores. My name is Shayla."

"Meredith. Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it."

"Here's my number."

"Okay, thanks."

Meredith got on a boat to go back to her apartment on her island. She checked on her child before lying on the couch and going to sleep.

Ophelia had worked all day, and her monthly bonus had just came in. She was going to spend it by treating herself at the restaurant. As she walked along the beach to the trendy establishment, she felt the regularly scheduled vibration from her NookPhone. She didn't even need to look to know that this text from her parents was about dishonor or disrespect or disestablishmentarianism, or something like that. She would block her toxic parents, but it was somewhat comforting to have something she could rely on every hour. But anyways, here she was at the restaurant.

The bell above the door jingled as she opened the door. She placed her order and sat down. While she waited for her meal, she indulged in her second favorite hobby, second only to fashion design: people watching. A bear and a chicken were having a casual discussion at the table diagonally across from hers. An octopus in a chef hat peeked out from the kitchen to report that they were out of salt, and could someone please get some from the storeroom. The bell chimed again, and another human hobbled in on crutches. She placed her order and sat down at Ophelia's table.

"Hey, is it okay if I sit here?"

"Sure."

Great. Now she had to socialize. She could only hope they didn't have to discuss their personal life.

"So… the weather is nice today, isn't it?"

"…yeah. I like your outfit."

"Thanks! I made it myself!"

"Wow, that's so cool."

"I want to be a fashion designer someday, so it's good practice to make my own clothes"

"Neat. That kinda looks like a shirt I saw at the apparel shop the other day."

"Oh, yeah, I work there, and the owner put some of my designs up for sale recently."

"I always wanted to be a songwriter, but I haven't gotten myself out there yet. And now I'm stuck here in the arpeggio until my leg heals." She gestured towards her leg, which was in a cast.

"Yikes. What happened?"

"Car accident. I don't really want to talk about it. "

"Oh, sorry."

Oh Selene, I just infodumped my life aspirations to a complete stranger. This is super awkward.

Their meals arrived, and they ignored each other and dug in to their food. But soon, it felt awkward again, as they sat across from each other and stared. To fix this, the stranger tried to strike up another conversation.

"So how long have you lived here?"

"About a month."

"Where are you staying?"

What should she say? Should she tell this person about her living conditions?

"Where are you staying?" There. She had avoided the question.

"I don't actually have a place. I just got discharged from the hospital."

"The Paradise Planning gift shop sells hammocks for just a few hundred Poki. You just set it up anywhere and sleep there. I've used one for a month, and it's held up pretty well." Oops.

"Wait. You mean to tell me that you've been homeless for a month?"

"Uh…"

Ophelia panicked and just ate her cheeseburger in silence. She paid and left.

Whew, that was awkward. Good thing it's over now. But that was kind of rude, what I did. That other girl must've felt terrible. She kept thinking about that as she walked to the area behind Paradise Planning where she usually set up her hammock. Maybe she should upgrade to a tent sometime soon. A voice snapped her back to reality.

"Hey."