Scarlett Hayes tightened the grip that she had on the metal can and tilted her head back, letting the bitter liquid pour down her throat. She resisted the urge to make a face as she slammed the can onto their flimsy, oak coffee table.

She hated the taste of beer but, they were out of vodka, which was her drink of choice. Besides, she didn't want to head to the club without at least a buzz; it made the whole process much more bearable when she was there. Brushing a strand of loosely curled, honey blonde hair out of her face, her eyes traveled towards her roommate, Penelope Meadows, who was in the kitchen.

Penelope had her strawberry red hair, which was usually curled, pitch straight, it cascaded down her back and swayed whenever she moved from the sink and to the cabinet. She had insisted that they clean the dishes right before they left, knowing that neither of them would bother with them when they came home, absolutely drunk.

Scarlett watched Penelope struggle to reach the top shelf and debated if she should help her; Penelope stood at five foot five, making her three inches shorter than Scarlett who had no trouble reaching anything for that matter. Realizing that Penelope was not going to be successful anytime soon, Scarlett rolled her eyes and made her way towards the kitchen, her black heels clicking against the caramel, laminate floors.

Their apartment was moderately sized— they had a decent size kitchen, albeit the countertops were an old, mint green laminate, and the cabinets were a stark white, along with the aging appliances. It had boasted two bedrooms on the flyer when Scarlett had first come to check it out; it hadn't lied, but, the sizes of the bedrooms were questionable. They had to share a bathroom, which matched the outdated style of the kitchen but, at least they had a terrace they could climb too from one of the windows.

However, despite all its flaws, in New York City, this was an absolute steal with rent only being an $1100 a month all together.

Scarlett reached for the ceramic plate out of Penelope's hands, and carefully placed it on the top shelf, "Can we leave now? It's already 11 pm."

Penelope turned towards her and flashed a smile, "Thanks Scar, and yes, let's go!"

Wanting to throw her arms up in a hallelujah, Scarlett turned back to their mediocre family room and grabbed her black sequinned clutch that lay limp on their grey, nylon couch. However, before she could turn to leave, her eyes flashed towards the blaring television screen.

"As many of you know, the serial killer known as the Brooklyn Ripper is still active, so please, stay indoors and try to keep yourself saf-"

Scarlett reached for the remote and instantly powered the TV off, cutting the news report in half. She didn't need to hear any more negative news; they were going out to celebrate Penelope's new promotion and all she wanted to think of was the men she might meet and then perhaps, the casino they might visit later on.

All of that, on Penelope's behalf, of course.

Penelope had the money and Scarlett did not feel the guilt in having her spend it.

On her way out, Scarlett stopped by the full-length mirror that they had positioned beside the door. She glanced at her appearance one more time as she leaned in. She ran a quick finger through her eyelashes that were adorned with mascara, accentuating her sky blue eyes. The same finger then ran over her plump, red lips, smoothing out any lipstick stains. Standing up straight, she tugged on her short, black dress that fit her in all the right places and Scarlett resisted the urge to smirk; she knew she looked irresistible.

"Are you done checking yourself out now?" Penelope sarcastically asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Scarlett turned towards her and stuck her tongue out, "You know I look good."

This time, Penelope rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Whether you look good or not, somehow, you manage to still lure men in."

Scarlett merely shrugged her shoulders as she stepped outside of their apartment and clicked her tongue, "It's my charm, darling."

Penelope shook her head and locked the beaten up, white door, "Speaking of men, what happened to Owen, that guy you were seeing?"

Scarlett shot Penelope an annoyed look when she was turned around and spoke, "We didn't work out— you know I'm only in it for the sex."

"And he wanted something more?"

Scarlett gazed over at Penelope as they descended down the squeaky, aged, myrtle green staircase. The hallways were dimly lit, the light casting shadows on nearly all the objects that were in its vicinity. In addition, the maroon red wallpaper began to peel off the walls, and a strong musky odor would omit from within the walls— all of it only reminded Scarlett how old this building truly was.

"I can't do romantic relationships, well, not right now, at least," Scarlett merely responded, trying to displace the memories of the previous week.

The front door of their building pushed open and both of them were greeted with a warm burst of a late, summer breeze. Scarlett sighed and took in a deep breath of fresh air, something that was clearly not available inside.

"Let's talk about something else, other than men," Scarlett stated, as she watched Penelope try to haul down a taxi.

"Okay, how's the boxing classes going?" Penelope casually asked, her hand still waving in the air as yellow cabs sped past her.

Scarlett halted a second before recalling her last boxing class, "It was good— my sparring partner, on the other hand, was a total dick, she hit me a little too hard."

As the taxicab stopped in front of them, Penelope flickered her emerald green eyes at Scarlett, "At least you're doing something extra-curricular, moving up in the law firm only means I have more stress and less time for myself."

As they piled into the back of the taxi, Scarlett pushed herself against the right door. Her clutch sat in between her and Penelope and she crossed one leg over the other.

"Think about all of the benefits Pen," she casually mentioned as she watched the cab driver through the rearview mirror.

Penelope sighed, "I guess, I don't know, I thought I would be happier? You know?"

Scarlett simply shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention to the window. She watched as the city lights and people skimmed past them and tried to take in the moment.

"Just enjoy tonight, Pen."

The rest of the taxi ride bathed in silence.

—