Its a dim Sunday morning with the chill and cold winds, tell tale signs of the incoming winter. I and Felix sit down by the window sipping our morning tea.
"Its your payday Sven." He reminds me.
"Yeah, I am excited and nervous at the same time."
"You gotta spend the money wisely kiddo, its barely enough to pay the rent and get by."
My mobile phone lying on the desk chimes with a notification and we both are excited by it.
"Could it be?" I could feel my heart pounding from happiness and overflowing joy.
I look at my phone and it reads :
"You Have Received $1800 From Kaiser Kafe."
Felix shouts with excitement. "You've done it kiddo!!"
"Yeah Felix, I actually earned money on my own!!"
This is the first time I've ever had a job or earned money by myself.
"Felix, I've got no clue what to do with it."
"Sven, Rent comes first, then food, and all other leisure entertainment stuff come after it."
"Yeah, I think you're right."
Felix suggested that we go out and grab some new cloths first as my wardrobe has become pretty much terrible and tasteless according to him.
We proceeded to finish the tea and headed into the city on a stroll to look for some new cloths.
Its chilly, the air's cold. I pull my scarf closer as the wind blows with a icy touch.
"Sven, you need to buy a gift for Luna." he suggests so casually.
"What!, where's this coming from?"
"Just trust me on this one kiddo."
Felix is unusually enthusiastic, glancing at every single store's window as we pass by them.
"So.... Why exactly are we looking for a gift for Luna?" I ask pulling my coat tighter.
Felix scoffs, "The answer's obvious dumbass, She's the bright little spot on your cold little world."
"Give her a small token of appreciation, Show her that.... that you care."
I sigh, glancing at the shops, "Aight, fair enough.... but what would she even like?"
Felix looks at me curiously, "Something simple yet meaningful.... something that says thanks for being a decent human being."
We pass by a small jewellery shop and something catches my eye. A small bracelet with a small heart shaped design, something about it seems right. I point it out to Felix and he gives a nod of approval.
"Perfect, now buy it before you start overthinking it." Felix says pushing me towards the door.
With the bracelet safely tucked in my pocket we continue out stroll. We pass by the cathedral with its majestic steeples overlooking the cityscape.
There is something to these small walks and little plans and steps, something more than just surviving everyday. Felix notices my happy face and gives me a approving smile.
"See? small steps add up, Sven" he says nudging me playfully
"Now lets talk about your grades."
I let out a groan immediately. "Do we really have to...?"
"Yes, we do. You're falling back and that wont help you in the long run, moreover Luna wont be happy with you lagging behind, I think a academic comeback is necessary."
He's right, as much as I hate to admit it. I've let academics fall apart after my month long exile. But there's no future for me in which I fail the finals.
"Alright fine, maybe I should talk about it with my professors about catching up. I might have to pull some all nighters and actually turn in those damn assignments."
"That's the spirit kiddo, Then its set. tomorrow we'll head to the staff office and figure things out." he says enthusiastically with hope.
"Ahh and Sven, we might also need to plan out the Christmas vacations."
"Yeah... I think I need a good Christmas vacation after all I've been through." I say with bubbling excitement.
"What about the mountains Sven...? The mountains with Luna..?"
"Luna!!??"
"Yeah we could invite her too."
The idea of going to the mountains with Felix and Luna sparks something warm inside me, it feels promising, Felix notices my expression and smirks.
"You're thinking about something lewd aren't you? You perv.." He teases me.
"Cut it out Felix!!"
"Well we'd have to save up for the vacation."
Yeah, you're right."
The walk was littered with crude and vague ideas about saving and investing money. Something about it is surely exciting...