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Chase Almasi
“The people down there are fake, and you’re destined to become one of them.” His sibling stated.
Chase looked towards his older brother, noticing how his wavy dark brown hair barely touched his shoulder as the older sibling stared out of the car window.
“Hey, no I won’t! I’ll still be me! It’ll still be me but with a job! A good job!” Chase said furiously.
“You work at Starbucks and you’re going to keep working there unless you get really lucky.” he smirked, not even looking at him while he said it. The gall of that man.
He stared from the window of the back seat looking out at the blurred road and trees around him just wondering why he couldn’t let that comment be.
Was he really destined to become like that?
It didn’t matter. No matter what, he didn’t want to be cursed to stay stuck in district three of Berkeley all his life. He couldn’t stay stuck in the same place where his older brother was destined to become some kind of successful scientist or bio-engineer or whatever his fancy almost ivy-league degree was going to get him while Chase stayed in his room all day listening to rock and staring at the ceiling or watching musicals in his free time waiting for his parents to berate him for not doing something more useful leading up to college. He wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse that he had a younger sister to take the attention off of himself.
At least Machelle never had to worry about expectations. She was planning on getting a teaching degree once she went to college this year. His parents were just glad she went off to study something supposedly stable.
No. He wasn’t going to doubt himself.
He needed to prove to his Baba and Mama that he was worth his salt. That his dream had just as much merit as his siblings.
It was for that reason he was lugging a large suitcase and his backpack off an Uber he ordered after he arrived from his flight into an almost dorm-sized apartment with his acquaintance from college, Eric.
He had shown him the place via video calls. It was a small humble room with nothing else but a small closet and a bathroom.
From what they planned it would almost look like the dorms back at UC Davis with the way they had organized the cheap Ikea furniture the two saved up for. An open wardrobe closet would lay under his grey loft bed since Eric claimed the built-in one already. Next to the wardrobe would be the least expensive full-sized black sofa they could find with a coffee table that doubled as a desk for his laptop that could hold stuff in its fabric pocket. On the side of the room adjacent to Chase’s bed would be Eric’s simple wooden bed, and a table to put a TV on so they could watch YouTube on it and pirate shows.
They had to buy their own organization cart for their food as well as a hot plate and a toaster oven. The place didn’t even come with any of its own appliances besides a fridge. It didn’t even have a kitchen sink, so they agreed to settle on keeping as minimal dishes as possible and washing them immediately in the bathroom.
All for the low, low price of splitting around 700 dollars on the small studio together. Along with the internet they had to pay for on top of that.
But that was the cost of the dream.
At least Eric had less to worry about since he studied communications and started working in his field. As far as Chase was aware, he was working for a gym company editing videos and taking care of their social media handles. He was almost like a manager in that aspect.
As for Chase, he was just transferring to the Starbucks a few blocks away from their apartment. It’s exhausting work but it would hopefully work out until he could land some kind of acting gig to get by.
Everyone had to start somewhere, right?
Chase rolled his bag on the dusty asphalt to the front of the apartment. The building had a sandstone yellow wall lined with faded pink and green paint along its edges. The name of the apartment, “The Soleado”, lay high on top of the entrance arch. It was built in a Spanish colonial style that stood next to a low bush tree and a palm tree as if it was waiting to become a postcard with the bright orange sunrise behind it.
Chase took in a deep breath, taking in the scenery of his new surroundings.
The air was dry here, and it smelled dustier than the air he was used to. Back home, it smelled misty and fresh, like a grocery store vegetable section or a humid fridge on its worst days.
Even though it was strange, he welcomed the change. He was finally moving into that new chapter of his life he always wanted. Even if the place was small.
The wheels rolled over the concrete, making a slight creaking sound as they went until they were taken out of their misery by warm hands. Lifting it up from the carrying handle, the suitcase flew over the begrudging stairwell onto the second floor.
Chase finally laid his backpack down and released the suitcase from his hold. He stretched out his back. Cracks were felt through his spine like snaps that ended with a refreshed sigh leaving his lips at the removal of the luggage strain. He was tired from the long and cramped journey.
Holding his hand to the sturdy umber door in front of him, he rapped at the wood gently “Hey Eric, It’s Chase! I’m here! Could you open the door please?”
A few moments passed as he waited for the door to open to no avail. Right before he was about to knock again, he heard an almost monotone-like voice answer, “Password please?”
His own hand slapped his head so hard that an audible slap reverberated around the empty apartment hallway in the early morning. He took out his phone with an annoyed stare while texting his to-be roommate.
Chase: Hey, the person on the other side of the door is asking for a password, you wouldn’t happen to know it would you?
He heard a heavy laugh on the other side of the door that turned into an amused “Come on! You’re going to have to try harder than that Chase”. He could only imagine the smug smile being held behind the door in front of him.
He leaned on the door to taunt its keeper “You know it’s me! So, come on and open the dang door already!” He huffed as he leaned against it.
“Secret password.” The voice repeated once more, as If it was some kind of voice assistant like Siri.
“Open sesame.” Chase said in a sing-song voice that wavered from high to low. Eric was testing his patience.
The door opened swiftly after, causing him to fall straight onto the hardwood floor on the other side with a ‘THUMP!’.
“Ow!” Chase hissed as the smooth cool floor panels greeted his hot face.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t leave a bruise.
Chase’s eyes met Eric’s colorful new balance sandals. As he rolled onto his back, he looked up, noting just as colorful madras style shorts contrasted by a plain white t-shirt and a combed back shiny black hairdo that had a few strands sticking out from the organized shape as his roommate peered down at him.
“I mean that wasn’t the password, but good try for now,” Eric said as he reached out his hand to Chase’s, pulling the young man up. “Are these your bags?” he said looking at the red canvas suitcase and the adjacent rainbow-sherbet-colored checkerboard backpack with band patches sewn onto it.
“Who else’s would they be?” Chase snarked back “Are you going to help get them in, or just stand there?” he said as he went to hand him the bright backpack he was staring at.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” Eric replied nonchalantly as his arm went for the bag and brought it inside the bare-bones room.
As Chase rolled the other bag in, he looked around at the familiar room that he had seen on his small phone screen before coming. It looked all too familiar. He could see the couch, Eric’s bed, the TV on the table, the toaster oven on another table along with the hotplate.
But there was no sign of his bed or closet at all.
“Hey, wasn’t there supposed to be more furniture by now?” Chase asked as he walked around, looking for any semblance of the furniture that was supposed to be his with none to be found. Eric just coughed and looked back meekly.
“…About that. Since I did get my own furniture before you got here, I thought it might be fair to leave you to do your own since setting up most of the furniture here on my own was pretty tiring. You understand, right?”
“I understand." His lips were tight as he just nodded silently.
He didn’t blame Eric, setting up a desk stand and a loft bed would probably take a lot more work than a simple wooden one like the one he had. He understood, but that didn’t mean he had to like the idea of putting on even more sweat just after arriving.
“Sweet! So anyways, your furniture is in my closet.” Eric said as he patted his shoulder.
While Chase dreamed of coming home to a comfy bed and scrolling on his phone until he fell asleep and woke up to eat some ramen, he plopped onto the full-sized sofa instead. While he was annoyed at first to splurge on a larger couch, he was now glad they did as he could fit all 66 inches of his body within the 77 inches of the sofa. Chase kicked his red Converse off onto the side, leaving him in his white socks. His stomach croaked like a frog as he did, much to its owner’s dismay.
He looked back at Eric with an embarrassed face.
“Is it cool if we got lunch? My journey wasn’t exactly long enough to warrant plane food.”
His roommates’ arms shrugged at him “That’s cool man. There’s a Jack in the Box down the street if you’re down for that”.
Chase smiled and sighed in complete relief. “I’m down for anything as long as I’m allowed to crash on the couch after and then set up my stuff.”
“Sounds like a deal to me”. Eric smiled.
The fountain sodas, giant cheeseburgers, fries, and tiny tacos dipped in an avocado lime sauce were absolutely demolished as soon as they arrived at their table. No trace of food was left to be found from the hungry monsters but crumbs. The leftover plastic soda cups and take-out bags were eventually thrown into their newly bought trashcan. Thankfully, the junk food smell never left the can thanks to Chase’s foresight of buying the pleasant soft lavender scented bags on their way back.
Chase stretched out on the couch as Eric went to bed as the food coma lured them to sleep. And Chase nearly fell asleep too before he sat back up in fright! He still had to call back!
In a few swipes, his phone rang out across the sound of his roommates’ snores from the heavy food coma. How he wished to join him.
“Hey Chase! Glad to hear you finally called!” A happy high-pitched voice sang. The image of his sister came up slightly blurred. Of course, he would have weak internet connection! But at least he could see her light pink sweater clearly against her long flowing brunette hair and bangs.
Chase sat up, trying to look like he had some kind of composure and not one that belonged to an absolutely food-stuffed 20-something year old who was about to crash on the couch. He was barely holding himself up by his arm as it is.
“Hey, Machelle. Mind Letting Mama and Baba know that I got home, okay?” he said weakly.
She sighed and exasperatedly said “Wasn’t your plane supposed to land around 3 hours ago? You were supposed to call as soon as you arrived!”
“I’m tired! I was at the airport 2 hours before my flight, forgot to eat beforehand and then as soon as I got here, I went out to lunch with my roommate! I don’t think being tired is the worst crime to commit,” he said defiantly. “Why? Do Mama and Baba want me dead or something?” His eyes could barely stay open, and it was losing battle before he would roll his eyes at Machelle. He was 23 for Pete’s sake! His parents could stand to wait a few hours for his call!
“No, you’re fine, Mama and Baba are just salty you didn’t call earlier, that’s all. I guessed that you fell asleep, but aren’t you supposed to have a bed, Chase? Don’t tell me you got desperate enough to start couch surfing.”
“I bought Ikea furniture Machelle! I think I can stand to couch surf just a little.” Chase said as he almost pinched his fingers at the word ‘little’.
“Fair enough, just call us when you finish building your bed and stuff so our parents don’t think you moved just to live on someone else’s couch”
“’Kay, I will.” He yawned into his phone “See’ya Machelle.”
“See ya, rest well.”
BEEP.
His eyes were fixed on the ceiling fan that was spinning on top of him, the beige blades rotating around the lamps that were surrounded in a dark color almost looking like moth wings against a lamp post. The world around him swirled into darkness and his cheek finally hit the couch cushion below him.
…
He dusted his hands off, trying to remove the sweat they had accumulated.
Eric had gone to meet up with a friend of his, so while he was off, Chase finally set up his bed as sun cooked him through the large window. The poles had to be organized and screwed in a certain way with the accompanying screws and screwdriver that Ikea gave in a small plastic bag. Somehow, this small bag had the power to screw multiple industrial poles into a functioning bed with a mesh side. And Chase had to build it right, so he wouldn’t roll out of the bed in the middle of the night and die by hitting the floor by accident.
But after the sweat and iron smell of his hands, he could finally grab the short mattress that was laying on the wall and hoist it over the bed frame.
“Nice! I got the bed done. Look at that Mama and Baba, I’m not useless at all!” He grinned before looking at the other box he hadn’t opened yet.
He sighed.
Around two hours later, the metal wardrobe was screwed directly into the wall with an electric screwdriver. The coffee table was set in front of the couch in its desk mode. After unzipping his suitcase, he laid out his navy-blue bedding and made his bed.
Finally, the ordeal was done.
He had finally set up his side of the apartment.
He could finally call his Mama and show off that he can be an adult.
She picked up within the first ring.
“Chase, thank God you finally called!” Said a warm voice from the other side of the line.
“Hi Mama! Sorry for the delay, I was catching up with my roommate.” Chased grinned. His Mama frowned.
“Machelle said you went to go eat with your roommate and had to set up your furniture. I didn’t think it would take that long to set things up” His mom said as she looked at him scrupulously, her eyes shifting around trying to take a peek at the new place.
“It was a long Brunch. I had a lot of stuff to unpack, but it’s finally all done,” he said relieved. Switching the camera direction, he showed both his side of the room and Eric’s. “Voila! These are the beds, the closet, the couch, the desk, and the TV!” he said, glowing with pride at the new place he had helped to set up as he presented the place in person for the first time. “This is our fridge and the food station”. He pointed out.
“There’s no kitchen?” His mother said, eyeing the so-called “food station”. “I thought you said you had a kitchen there?”. Her face tried to hold back a look of concern that somehow wrangled its way through anyways despite her best efforts.
“There’s a fridge and a hot plate” Chase argued, trying to defend the small kitchen. “I think that counts well enough for a kitchen.” He began gesturing towards the different devices and even the small pull-out organizer that held 2 plates, bowls, and utensils for each boy.
“Then where’s the sink? How are you going to clean the dishes?” His mother frowned, her finger pointing towards the table, empty of any normal kitchen sink.
“You remember, I told you there was no sink!” Chase groaned as he sat back down on the couch. Why did he think this phone call to his mother would be swift? “We bought small dishes and we’re being smart with the bathroom sink. I thought we talked about this Mama?”
“You better take good care of that sink and throw away your food. Keep drain cleaner around. You’re going to need it if that’s what you two are planning on doing. Promise me, you’re gonna keep the place clean and have drain cleaner around.”
“I promise, but you know this isn’t my first time living on my own Mama.” Chased frowned.
“Moving out isn’t the same as moving into a new dorm Chase.”
“I know, I know.” he said as he leaned back onto the couch tilting his head away from the screen. “But we’re going to be fine. I promise I’ll check in on you!” He gave her a thumbs up.
His mom just sighed in defeat “I know you will. I’m just glad to see you’re settled in that’s all!” She finally smiled. “So, when are you starting your job again?”
“I’m starting on Tuesday, so in about two days. My workplace is close by, and I have the added benefit of meeting new people to settle in!” He grinned. At least this time he wouldn’t have to run into his former high school classmates and teacher every so often like the Starbucks in his hometown.
“Alright, stay safe and make good choices. Say hi to your Baba before you go!”
Chase struggled to hold his smile. As if the conversation couldn’t be any longer!
“Chase, look at you my boy I’m so proud of you, look at your place, It’s so nice!” His Baba grinned.
Okay, so maybe the conversation isn’t that long.
“You made your bed! And your desk looks good! Best of luck my son, and hopefully someone hires you soon for something!”
“Thanks, Baba, I hope so too!” Chase sighed, happy to see his parents like this.
“I know they will. You just have to keep waiting. Persistence is Key” Chased smiled at that. A real one this time. Oh, patience is key in everything, but right now he didn’t mind taking it too slow to start.
He wanted to enjoy his newfound freedom first!
“I’ll definitely remember that.” He said as he knocked on the desk. “Oh Baba, I think I heard a knock at the door! My roommate’s probably back. I’ll call you guys later but thanks for checking in!”
“Have fun Chase” his dad said with a smile.
“I will, you too” he hung up the call with a sigh. While he felt bad cutting his dad off, he needed a way to get out of that conversation. He was tired and wanted to rest.
A creaking sound caught his attention as the door opened. His roommate walked in with groceries.
“Hey, welcome back! I finally checked in with my parents.” Chase said with sigh.
“What did they say?”
“Not much, they just hope that I’m not dying while away from home or something.” He laid down on the couch for the umpteenth time that day even though he had already painstakingly made his bed. “My mom’s more on top of me than my dad is, he seems to be cool with it though”.
“That’s good. At least one of your parents doesn’t think you’re going to die alone away from home.” he said with a chuckle. “Believe me, my parents were worried too.”
“How much?”
“Well, they came to see the place but that was about it. Yours didn’t even come to see it.”
Chase looked up at him thoughtfully.
“I guess that’s true, but part of me feels like if they did, they would freak out more than if they just saw me going for it and trusting me.” It was a bitter pill to swallow but he had to make the move on his own.
It would always be “too this” or “too that”. He needs to be the captain of his own ship on his life or he would get nowhere. Moving to Los Angeles had been one of the most fulfilling moments of Chase Almasi’s Life. He finally did it. Even if he moved into an extremely small studio with his college friend, he was going to be an actor if he could help it. Even if his older brother teased him for being a ‘traitor’, switching sides from NorCal to SoCal where the air is dry, the people are fake, and how he was destined to become one of them.