What if I cashed in on past grievances for a little retribution?
Its not that you couldnt make more money, either.
Its just that your dreams seem more important than breaking even.
Jhosua Rodríguez
So, you have to get creative.
And just to clarify, side hustle doesnt always mean job.
We had split towards the end of 2015 and decided to stay friends.
When people tell you staying friends is possible, theyre wrong.
You want to get away, but youre too racked with guilt to leave.
The only problem was, the bus tickets were around $40 each way.
What if I cashed in on past grievances for a little retribution?
I met Sloth during my sophomore year of high school.
He was a skater kid with a good sense of humor and messy hair.
He was also a practicing Jehovahs Witness, although a terrible one.
He celebrated birthdays and sold drugs, both of which Im pretty sure are against the rules.
Sloth was a lot of things, but he was not, however, a good boyfriend.
Something I still hadnt realized with current ex.
I probably could have asked for more, but the goal of this wasnt to spite anyone.
It was simply to get through my trip.
I wasnt ready to give up yet.
Immediately, I got a text from Rock Climber.
What am I made of money!?!
I mean, I gotta eat!
I sent a new request for the agreed-upon rate and found myself a few cents closer to my goal.
Those two things dont necessarily overlap, but both groups seemed like they would be invested in my future.
I think men like to feel needed.
At least, I like to imagine thats why this worked so well.
Guy A immediately filled the request, then texted and asked if I was in trouble.
Guy C denied my request, then sent me $50.
Guy D accepted it.
With $62.94 in the bank, I was getting close to my $80 bus ride.
Then, Guy B accepted my request.
Not only did I meet my goal with his $20, but he sent me another $50.
The following day, he sent me $30 with a pizza emoji.
And it kept going.
He would send me cash for random things, like $15 with the message burrito.
He would fill it and then send more.
Our interactions eventually moved off of Venmo and into DMs.
He would send me some small sum of money and we would talk for a while.
The conversations were about as meaningful as it could get over Instagram.
We talked about everything from anxiety to family to nachos.
It never went further than that, but my stupid bit turned into an odd friendship.
Or anti-climactic virtual escort service.
Its hard to tell.
Either way, I have a special place in my heart for Guy B.
Without him, I would never have made it back from the East Coast alive.
A bold choice in words after ignoring my Venmo request.
Check ur venmo
SLOTH [5/26/17 at 12:31 AM]: Lol what?
SLOTH [minutes later]: You sure just $35
SLOTH: Shouldnt it be like 3500?
I wasnt trying to bankrupt him.
I knew he didnt have $3,500.
I just wanted what was fair.
Honestly, I think it worked.
I havent passive-aggressively told the story about how I got cheated on in high school since.
If you ever experience infidelity, just remember that restitution is possible.
Even if you are white girl broke, you dont want to end up with someone who cheats.
It means they dont respect you.
Its terrifying to leave the comfort of that person, but you deserve better.
Do yourself a favor and move on to a better, more fulfilled life.
I promise its there for you.
And you might just end up thirty-five dollars richer.
