A Four Pack of Novelty Alien Rats

In the kitchen at Solstice, I examine a package of four novelty "alien rats". Each one has its own personality, and I think it's kind of a cute idea. However, I certainly do not expect them to leap out of the package and scurry off as soon as I open it. I run into the cafe, pleading with my sister and mom to help me capture Amelia, Susan, Bob, and Gary, but alas, they have already hidden. Finally, I spot a suspicious looking pastry bag on the floor, grab it up, keeping it carefully closed, and take it to the back where I try to extract the rat inside like icing. However, either the rat has been too quick for me, or it was actually just some cardamom cake inside, but I fail to catch any rats.

I leave work and walk down 45th with Laura. I start noticing a large number of people dressed strangely, emanating it seems from American Apparel and walking west on 45th in groups. They are all females in the 18-29 range, very pretty, extremely tall and very skinny. They are all wearing hip variations of black clothing from American Apparel, but their faces are all painted white and their hair disheveled. I think it is some sort of urban fashion show, but Laura reminds me that with is the dead bride remembrance parade. It was like a rather morbid party.

We get to Laura's apartment, which is on about the tenth floor of an apartment building on 45th, she prepares a bed for me by dragging her mattress out onto the north-facing balcony. This is something she does all the time on nice nights. I thank her, pull the comforter up when my phone rings. It is my mother, asking a question about financial aid. I assume she's talking about the FAFSA, which I have to finish soon, but I see the form she has with her at Solstice bears the title, "Inheritance Trust Fund", which has something to do with my (living) grandma. My mom needs my signature on one section I can't understand by her description over the phone. I look at the image in my mind and see this section is titled "Optional Serenade Authorization", which authorizes the government officials to serenade me upon my inheritance of the trust fund. I tell my mom that this really isn't urgent, hang up, and go to sleep.

When I wake up the sun is shining from behind the apartment building on the south side of all the buildings I can see. I notice that the University Tower has a really beautiful alignment with one of the dorms from this position, and feel like I should draw it for homework. Then I notice that the mattress I'm laying on is level with the railing of the balcony, and is not full-size, as I had thought, but actually a twin. As I am discovering this Garett, Laura's boyfriend gets out of bed in the living room, and I am surprised that he is not Lucas, Laura's roommate.

I get out of bed, which is now on the patio behind my house, where my family is having a sort of reunion, and my cousin asks for help buying her friend a birthday present. We go to Target, where I pick out a book of crosswords and look for a set of pencils. We opt out of the crossword-patterned pencils and then get distracted by the stationery, but it is not as cute as it once was.