chapter 4

It was 6:34 am in the morning, and Barbie tried to block the sun's rays with her hands, but it wasn't helping until a shadow blocked the rays on her. Barbie blinked her eyes twice to see what was blocking the bright sun, only to find Cassie standing there, smiling at her creepily.

"OMG, Cassie!" Barbie yelped, a little frightened.

Cassie just stood there laughing, and Barbie got up from the bed, looking at the clock and then at Cassie. "You're just coming back?" Barbie asked, astonished, and Cassie smiled.

"Well, yes!" Cassie responded, and Barbie rolled her eyes at her response. "Gosh, you didn't even get to sleep," Barbie frowned.

Cassie glared at her while taking her shoes off. "Who said I'm not going to sleep?" She yawned before jumping on the bed and using the duvet to cover herself.

"Don't tell me you're gonna sleep all day!" Barbie scoffed, unamused.

"I won't tell you, I'll show you," Cassie beckoned before laying her head on her pillow.

Barbie stared at her, a bit bothered at the thought of her sleeping all day. After a while, she shook it off and headed towards the kitchen to make breakfast. Taking out eggs from a crate, she grabbed the frying pan and placed it on the fire. Breaking the eggs on a plate, she added a pinch of salt and stirred them a little. Then, putting a drop of oil in the hot pan, she poured the egg mixture and stirred until it was ready. She got the toaster and placed bread on it. After a few minutes, she blended some fruit and made a smoothie.

Barbie went to wake her brother up and got him ready for breakfast. She bathed their dog, Lila, and then had her bath too. After that, she went to call Cassie to come down for breakfast.

Barbie served breakfast for everyone, including Lila, and the atmosphere was cozy until Michael dropped his fork, catching the attention of both Cassie and Barbie.

"What's wrong, Michael?" Barbie asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, cutie," Cassie chimed in, noticing Michael's teary eyes. Barbie quickly reached out to hug him.

"Don't cry, okay," she comforted, patting him gently. "I'm here, okay."

"Micheal, big boys don't cry, okay?" Cassie reassured, helping him wipe his face.

"Now tell your second big sister what made you cry," Cassie continued, and he left Barbie's embrace to approach Cassie, who picked him up and smiled.

"What's wrong?" Cassie asked with care.

"I miss my friends at school, and I want to go back," Michael confessed in his cute voice. Cassie giggled and pecked his cheek.

"I promise you will go to school tomorrow, okay," Cassie declared.

"Promise," he said, extending his pinky, and Cassie interlocked her pinky with his.

"Promise," she affirmed, smiling, while Barbie stood there watching them with a mixture of joy and a tinge of sadness, knowing she couldn't provide for her brother as she wished. Cassie interrupted her thoughts.

"Barbie," Cassie called her.

"Yes?" Barbie responded, her voice a bit subdued. Cassie smiled reassuringly.

"It will be fine, okay," she assured, and Barbie smiled in return.

"Yeah, I'll go look for a job," Barbie mentioned before everyone continued with their breakfast, the warmth of Cassie's assurance lingering in the air as they spent their entire day watching movies.

The next day ,Barbie arose with the sun, starting her day by refreshing herself. Emerging from the bathroom minutes later, she discovered Cassie still immersed in her slumber. A subtle smile played on Barbie's lips as she strolled to the closet, selecting a black crop top, blue skinny jeans, and white sandals. Once dressed, she descended to prepare breakfast for everyone. Returning to the room, she roused Cassie, "Cassie!" she called, gently shaking her. "Yes, Barbie," Cassie yawned, inspecting Barbie's outfit with surprise. "Are you going to look for a job in that?" Cassie questioned, noting Barbie's choice of attire. Unperturbed, Barbie replied, "What do you mean?" Cassie expressed her disapproval, "Who wears a tube-like crop top and skinny jeans to look for a job? Your waist is even showing." Barbie, nonchalant, rolled her eyes, asserting, "Whatever, nothing is wrong with what I'm wearing." Cassie, laden with sarcasm, retorted, "Sure."

Changing the subject, Barbie inquired about taking Michael to school. Cassie, multitasking, sought details, "Give me the address of the school. Do I have to dress him in normal clothes?" Barbie promptly provided the school's address and clarified, "He has his uniform in his bag; dress him with that." After a swift exchange of text messages, Cassie affirmed, "Got it." Barbie, ready to embark on her job hunt, hugged Cassie and declared, "Okay, I'm off now. Wish me luck!" Cassie reciprocated, "Luck!" as Barbie exited the room. Cassie attended to Michael and Lila, ensuring they were bathed and fed, and then prepared Michael for school. Driving him there, she bid him farewell, standing by and waving as he entered the school.

Meanwhile, Barbie contemplated her job search, eventually spotting a restaurant. She entered and approached a staff member cleaning a counter.

"Excuse me, is there any vacancy for a job here?" Barbie inquired, prompting the girl to scrutinize her appearance and frown disapprovingly at her choice of attire. Confused, Barbie met her gaze, asking politely, "uhhmm... anything wrong?" The girl, with a judgmental air, responded, "You don't look like someone that needs a job; you look as if you are wealthy. I don't know what you are doing here." Barbie, taken aback, stammered, "uhhmm, excuse me, how am I supposed to look? Just because I need a job, does it mean I should wear rags to indicate I'm jobless?" Irritated, she scoffed, "Well, there is no job here for you, okay," the girl declared rudely.

Curious, Barbie inquired if the girl was the manager of the place. "Yes, I am, and there is no vacancy for people like you, okay," the manager remarked with further disdain. As Barbie was about to walk away, the girl whispered to a coworker, prompting Barbie to halt and turn back. "Don't think her mom taught her how to dress," the girl sneered, giggling. Overhearing this, Barbie was incensed. She struck the table, capturing everyone's attention.

"Hey, are you crazy?" she yelled, confronting the girl. Undeterred, the manager retorted, "Oh, shut the fuck up, you rude asshoe. I came here looking for a job so that I can survive in this wicked world, but no, disgusting people like you must always cross people's paths!" Barbie exclaimed. The manager, attempting to assert control, began, "You are making noise here; please get out of this place now before I call security." Barbie cut her off, asserting, "Oh, shut your trap. I'm leaving. I won't even want to work with someone like you, disgusting shit," she declared before exiting the building, leaving the confrontation behind.

As the day waned, Barbie's job search remained futile. "Can't I just see a job?" she groaned, still wandering. Suddenly, rain began to pour, and a frantic crowd sought shelter. "Great, just great!" Barbie exclaimed, running to a bus stop stand and taking refuge under its roof. Spotting a bench, she sat down, shivering from the cold that pierced her exposed skin. "Why didn't I listen to Cassie when she said I should change?" Barbie lamented, holding her waist. Lost in thought, a coat suddenly draped over her, interrupting her reflections. Looking up, she saw a tall guy with green eyes. "Thanks for the coat, but you didn't need to, though," Barbie blushed, expressing her gratitude.

"I couldn't see a pretty girl freezing and leave her like that," the guy, Mark, stated, gazing at her deeply. "Well, thanks," Barbie replied, hugging the coat. Mark introduced himself, and they shook hands, but his lingering grip made Barbie uncomfortable. She yanked her hand away, and he chuckled. "So, what are you doing here?" Mark questioned. Barbie hesitated, muttering, "Well, I don't think I should be telling you that." Mark chuckled, "Okay. Well, this is awkward." Barbie grinned, "Wanna start over?" Mark declined, saying, "No, I'm good. Anyway, keep the coat. I'm off." Barbie watched him leave, wondering, "What kind of person is he? He didn't even ask for my number," scoffing before realizing that the rain had ceased. "Oh, it's stopped raining," she sighed, making her way home.

Barbie, after a challenging day in search of employment, arrived home disheveled and frustrated, having been splashed with mud by a reckless driver. Cassie, opening the door, gasped at the sight. "Barbie, what happened?" she inquired, steadying her. Barbie began explaining, "I couldn't find a job, and one mad driver splashed me with mud on my way home. The worst part was the rain that beat me all the way home," she groaned, tears streaming down her face. Cassie, attempting to console her but unable to contain her laughter, assured, "It's alright, okay." Barbie, noticing the laughter, frowned, pushing Cassie away. "Are you laughing at me?" she questioned.

"I'm sorry, but I told you, it's hard to find a job out there. Besides, we didn't even graduate from college; how do you expect to find a quality job?" Cassie remarked. Barbie, wiping away tears, shifted the conversation, "Where is Michael?" Cassie responded, "He is sleeping, obviously. Can't you see the time?" Barbie, shocked, looked at the clock. "OMG, it's 8 pm. I didn't even notice." Cassie explained, "Because it is raining, time goes faster." Concerned, Barbie asked, "Won't you go to work?" Cassie replied, "Not when the weather is like this." Barbie, contemplating her situation, whispered, "How do I join?" Confused, Cassie asked, "What did you say?" Barbie's voice echoed, "I said, how can I get a job there as a stripper."