5,347.22

Two paychecks [Old Soul]: 1,006.60

Dinner [Zen Sushi]: 21.55

Bill [Netflix]: 15.09

Fun [records]: 8.46

Breakfast [Noah's Bagels]: 13.58

Lunch [Gyro 2 Go]: 5.75

Dinner [Grocery Outlet]: 5.92

It hasn't sunk in yet. Well, it has, in small moments of clarity, but for the most part, he still has no idea what he's getting himself into. He worked his last shift at Old Soul on Friday. That final hour, the longest hour of his life. He clocked out, said a few goodbyes, grabbed his paycheck and left the building. He vowed to never work in a coffee-shop again. 

The free-fall begins. 

He's in love with a girl who's moving to South Korea for a year and she leaves in less than two weeks. He's going to grad school to follow the TESOL Program into the Peace Corps. He's got some dental work to take care of. A friend of his wants to get an apartment with him, and soon. There's no plan for getting another job and the only plan is to not have to get one. The plan is to volunteer at schools and write more and submit things and do more of the stuff he wanted to do all along.

Admittedly, he spends too much money, money he won't be getting back. 

To be fair, when your girlfriend is about to leave the country, you care fuck-all about what you spend your money on so long as it affords you good memories for now. Little things here and there. A night out. A few cheap records. Lunch. Breakfast. A bottle of wine. 

Netflix charges him sixteen bucks for a DVD. 

He still hasn't cancelled Xbox-Live.

In the meantime, he's been making a handful of short movies with his girlfriend. Not those kinds of movies, but cute little videos that will matter more to him in a few months than he can even imagine right now. Captured memories, with a soundtrack. Plus it's a free activity to do together. 

He's put 1000 dollars aside purely for the next two months rent, which is how much he made from Old Soul's last two paychecks. That's ghost money. It's dead to him. After that, rent will be cut from the real meat of the bank-account, and that'll hurt a little more. 

So maybe he'll get smart. Find alternate income. Learn to pick pockets. Who knows? All that's certain is his girlfriend is leaving, homework will be due, bills will continue and the weather will change. He is hopeful. He might be naive. Right now, he doesn't care.