A Billion Reasons To Hate You

Chapter Six: Crisis Support For The Walking Crisis.

Renee managed a brief nap on the sofa before the guilt of forgetting her mom’s prescription yanked her awake.

“Ah, f**k… not again,” she hissed, forcing herself upright even as her body begged her to lie back down.

She opened her banking app, holding her breath until the screen finally loaded and exhaled in relief. Her paycheck had finally landed.

Balance: $2,800

“At least I can get mom’s meds… and get the power back on,” she muttered to herself. “That’s one of four thousand issues sorted, go me. Progress.”

She ran the numbers in her head again just to be sure, her shoulders finally slumping with relief when she realised she had enough. A second later, her stomach growled loudly, as if reminding her it needed attention too.

“Oooh,” she murmured with a faint smile, “You know what, I can actually afford a good meal for once too. What a treat.”

The thought helped ease the exhaustion as she changed into fresh clothes, wiping away the smeared makeup beneath her eyes. She tied her damp hair into a loose bun, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door.

Half an hour later, Renee arrived at the pharmacy.

“That’ll be $1,500,” the pharmacist said, sliding the small white bag across the counter.

Renee tapped her card without a word, the sting of the total slicing through what little relief she had left.

Soon after, Renee pulled up at her mom’s, parked outside and let herself in. Maud was stretched out on the sofa, pale and small beneath a tatty blanket, her breathing staggered.

“Mom… you don’t look good,” Renee said worriedly.

Maud waved her off weakly. “Oh, stop, I’m fine, can you hand me my pills and a glass of water?”

Renee quickly grabbed a glass of fresh water from the kitchen, placing it on the table before helping her mother sit up enough to take the medication. She lingered a moment, tidying stray mugs from the table, adjusting the blanket, helping her mom get comfy again.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Renee asked softly.

“I’ll be fine,” Maud insisted, forcing a small smile.

Renee nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ve gotta go — my next shift’s about to start.”

“Love you, baby.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

By the time Renee arrived, the office was buzzing with phones and muffled voices. She slipped on her headset, logging into her system as the first call came through.

“Crisis support, this is Renee speaking. How can I help you tonight?”

The voices on the other end were heavy with pain — breakups, relapses, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts. Every call peeled at her nerves, each story pressing down harder than the last.

She doodled on the corner of her notepad between calls, her pen dragging lazy loops across the page while her ears stayed fixed on the voices bleeding through the line. She glanced at the clock over and over, willing the hands to move faster.

After five long hours, her fifteen-minute break finally came.

Renee pushed through the glass doors into the cool night air, immediately lighting a cigarette. She leaned against the wall, the smoke curling around her face as she cracked open an energy drink from the vending machine.

She scrolled aimlessly through her phone, zoning out, when a voice broke the silence.

“Ren…”

She jolted so hard the can slipped in her hand, spilling down her wrist. Her head snapped up, and there he was.

Evan.

Her body tensed instantly, her chest heating with anger like a match to dry paper.

“What the f**k are you doing here, Evan?!” she snapped loudly “Jesus, you scared the s**t out of me. And you look like hell.”

He shuffled closer, hands buried in his hoodie pocket, his eyes bloodshot and glassy. “I—I—I was robbed,” he stammered, his words broken and breathless. “All my stuff’s gone. I didn’t know where else to go… I knew you’d be here.”

Renee barked out a short, bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Damn. Karma served to you steaming hot, huh?”

Evan winced but pushed on. “Please, Ren… I need money to get home. I’ve already walked ten miles to get here.”

“Good,” she said coldly, flicking ash to the pavement. “I’m sure you can manage a few more miles. I’m not helping you. Not after you tried to steal my mom’s money for her meds.”

His hand scratched the back of his neck, guilt written all over him, but he stayed silent.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought,” she hissed. “Get walking, Evan. One foot in front of the other. You know how it goes.”

“Ren, please,” he begged, stepping closer towards her. “I’ve got nowhere to go. Just a little money, that’s all I need.”

When he reached for her hand, she slapped it away without hesitation.

“No,” she said sharply, each word clipped and final. “We’re done. You’re someone else’s problem now.”

She dropped her cigarette, grinding it out beneath her boot heel, and turned back toward the building. She swiped her ID card as she pushed through the glass doors without looking back.

Behind her, the rain started up again. Evan stood staring at her through the downpour, soaked to the bone, his fist pounding against the window.

“Please, Renee!” he shouted, his voice muffled through the glass. “I just need some money, and I’ll never bother you again!”

She didn’t turn around or give his desperate pleas any attention. She walked up the stairs, his cries fading with every step.

By the time the final four hours had crawled by, she was running on fumes.

Finally, she logged off, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the crisis centre without looking back. The night air hit her the moment she stepped outside, shocking her awake like she’d just been dunked underwater.

“Jesus, why is it so damn cold? My n*****s are like freaking bullets right now,” Renee muttered as she slid into her car.

Halfway home, she spotted the glow of a fast-food sign and didn’t think twice. She pulled in, grabbed a burger and fries, and ate in her car — faster than she bought it, barely tasting anything but salt and grease.

When she finally made it home, her whole body was screaming for rest. The silence in the apartment felt almost comforting after the chaos of the night. She kicked off her shoes, dropped her keys on the table, and went straight for her laptop. It was time to stop neglecting her responsibilities and at least try to get her life back on track.

First, the electricity bill. She paid a month upfront, watching the balance in her account shrink. Then she moved what little remained into savings. The weight on her shoulders eased up a little, knowing that, at least for now, things were covered with that.

Too tired to think, she collapsed onto the sofa, still in her work clothes, the phone slipping from her hand onto the cushion beside her.

Within minutes, she was out cold.

She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep when a hard, frantic thud against her front door jolted her awake.

Renee jerked upright with a startled gasp, her phone slipping from her hand and clattering onto the floor. Her heart thundered in her chest as she scrambled to sit up, dizzy and disoriented.

“What the f**k,” she muttered under her breath, pressing a hand to her forehead.