"Have a passable day at work," Nailah calls out to Arielle's leaving back.
After Arielle had left, Nailah excused herself to go and have a smoke outside of the apartment building. She doesn't like, and has never liked, smoking indoors very much. It's one part because she doesn't like to get smoke on the furniture in the apartment, and one part because she used to have a neighbor who smoked indoors when her kids were around, and both of them ended up having asthma for a good part of their childhood. She doesn't really know what happened to them after that, of course, but the memory still remains strong enough to have her find a way to smoke outside, even when it is raining. Today, luckily, the sun is shining, and so she is free to stand where she likes whilst smoking- and people watching, to some extent. Besides, the woman likes to watch cars drive by, regardless of whether she can see through the tinted windows to get a glimpse of their drivers. It's less nosiness and more boredom, really, but perhaps she should break the habit of watching people go about their business across the street. Considering this, Nailah stubs out her cigarette and goes upstairs for her wallet, and to brush her teeth for the second time today, before going out.
---
While she doesn't know what can be said for everyone else's day, Nailah's was fairly mundane. She walked about for a while, ate lunch at a burger joint downtown, and wrapped up any loose ends that may have been left from anything she did yesterday. On a typical day, she'd be at work by six, but because it is her night off, she has quite a bit of free time on her hands. Much of it ends up being spent at the library, where a trip to return books (and pay fines) turns into a goal to find something new to read. Ultimately, the young woman remains out for most of the day, enjoying the good weather as she walks about everywhere. It doesn't occur to her that the day is getting on in hours until her phone buzzes with a message from Arielle- it's a group message to everyone about the party tonight. I suppose I should have stayed in and cleaned or something, Nailah thinks, though she quickly dismisses this thought. The initial message is followed by a follow-up, this one addressed only to Nailah.
To: Arielle
Alright. Pick me up a bag of Salt and Vinegar chips, please?
She begins making her way back to the apartment building after receiving the text, and has reached it when another message lights up her phone, this one from Cheyenne, inviting her to 'come dance.' Nailah smiles at this, but doesn't respond, instead stepping into the elevator and going up until she reaches her floor. A beeline to her apartment and opening the door results in Nailah being enveloped in the sound of music- more likely than not, one of Cheyennes mixed tapes. The girl has always had a thing for music.
Unlike Cheyenne, who she sees is wearing glitter in her wild hair and a cute black dress, Nailah is simply dressed- jeans and a button down red shirt. "Hey there, lovely. Get electrocuted?" she asks jokingly, eying Cheyenne's hair.