The alarm blared at 6 a.m. sharp, as it always did. But today felt different. Today carried purpose. Instead of slamming the power button, groaning, and retreating under the sheets like every other morning, Sophie Walker jolted upright. She silenced the alarm, let out a low groan, whispered a quick prayer, and swung her legs off the bed.Heading straight for her music box, she cranked up High Vibe, Bad Lee by Shariya Wise until the walls trembled. The beat surged through her veins as she undressed, her voice rising with the lyrics: “High vibe, bad bitch. If I want it, I could have it. Embrace my inner alchemist, attract all things I manifest—oooh.”Sophie tossed her hair, swinging her hips with wild abandon, her laughter mixing with the music as she danced her way into the bathroom. The shower roared to life, steam already filling the air, but she was too wrapped in the rhythm to notice the front door creak open.“Girl, you rockin’ it like crazy in here! Yeah—high vibe, bad bitch—woohoo!”Rihanna’s voice cut through the chorus, playful and full of mischief. Sophie didn’t even need to look to know her best friend had joined in. Rihanna’s signature move—whining and twerking without missing a beat—was already on full display. And together, the morning turned into their own private concert.Suddenly, icy water crashed against Sophie’s skin, making her yelp. She shrieked, fumbling with the knob before finally shutting off the shower.“Ugh! Why did this have to happen this morning of all mornings?” she groaned, clutching her hair as though only just realizing she was mid-wash. “I’m not even done washing my hair!”Moments later, she stumbled out of the bathroom, dripping wet, shivering so hard her teeth chattered. Rihanna immediately turned down the music, her eyes narrowing as she watched her best friend quake like a leaf.“Oh, please,” Rihanna said, suspicion lacing her voice. “Don’t tell me your heater is faulty again.”She glanced past Sophie toward the bathroom as though it were some cursed place, her expression twisted in equal parts dread and disbelief.“I won’t then,” Sophie muttered, her words muffled by the violent clacking of her teeth as she hurried into her clothes.Rihanna flopped onto the bed with a heavy sigh, tugging the blanket halfway up her legs while scrolling lazily through her phone. “Oh, shit. That job better be paying high, because you’ve got a lot to fix in this damn apartment.”Sophie shot her a glare, tugging her shirt over her damp hair. “You’re not in any position to talk, you know… After all, you’re here to take your bath too. Probably because your heater’s broken as well.”The room went quiet for a beat—Rihanna scoffed, tossing Sophie a look.“What the hell, girl? You got a job and it’s your first day at work. As your good, nice, best friend, I came here to congratulate and motivate you. And all you can do is make me feel bad?”Sophie spun around, one brow arched. “How about you try crazy and tough? Because we both know good and nice ain’t qualities of yours.”“Come on, girl,” Sophie continued, jabbing a finger at her. “You showed up at 6:30 a.m. with that damn brown bag stuffed with your soap and toiletries. And don’t even get me started—you walked in wearing shorts and a bra top, looking all sweaty—”“That’s because I decided to work out this morning,” Rihanna cut in quickly, raising her head from her phone. But her voice cracked, pitching higher than usual.Sophie smirked knowingly.“Oh, don’t give me that now,” Sophie said, eyes narrowing. “I know that voice. That false pitch is proof I’m right. And if you actually wanted to congratulate me or whatever, you would’ve just video-called instead.”“Girl, chill. People change, you know.” Rihanna’s voice dropped back to normal, her eyes glued once again to her screen.Sophie rolled her eyes as she dabbed on her foundation. “Not you, obviously. You wouldn’t even change into a nice person if you had the chance. The last time you declared some ‘new you,’ you came back even crazier. Damn girl… you know I know you too well.”“You know too much,” Rihanna mumbled, barely looking up. “Too much for my own good.”Sophie smirked as she slicked on nude lipstick—the finishing touch to her minimal makeup. She turned toward Rihanna with a mock flourish. “Anyways… how do I look?”Sophie turned to the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with expectant eyes. She could handle a lot, but if there was one thing Rihanna excelled at, it was judging looks and outfits. The girl had an instinct for fashion that could slice sharper than a blade. Which was exactly why Sophie’s stomach twisted into knots the moment Rihanna finally lifted her gaze from her phone and fixed it on her.Sophie held her breath. She couldn’t afford to start dressing all over again, not today. Not when her first day at work already carried the weight of perfection. If Rihanna deemed her outfit a disaster, there would be no choice but to rip it all off and start fresh.