That’s healthy, right? We can just pretend it is. Well… it’s been about twenty minutes of writing this mixed with about twenty minutes of sitting in my office chair fuming, and I think I’ve finally calmed enough to get some sleep. Good thing, too, because work starts in about four hours, so I’ll catch you later, hopefully with better and happier entries, but for now, it’s time to study the inside of my eyelids.
For at least an hour or two.
Here’s to hoping I’ll have enough cognitive function for my eight-hour shift, otherwise… things could suck.
“Evening, Emma!” Rick greeted when I arrived at work, his voice radiating out into the back employee hallway as I walked past the office. “Can I have a quick word?”
“Sure,” I agreed, stepping into the office before heading to the locker room to drop off my bag. Even though I knew it was more than likely not something bad, I couldn’t help the inkling of panic that filled me. “What’s up?”
“It’s nearing the end of the year, and with summer coming up I was wondering if you wanted to start learning how to close the shop? Figured you can take on more hours when school’s up if you’re interested. You don’t have to go full-time, so you still have time to enjoy your summer break, but you can have as many hours as you want.”
“Yes! I’d love to! Same for hours, as many as you want to give me, I’ll take,” I exclaimed, the temporary panic smothered by a bout of excitement.
Closing the store? More hours? Sign me the heck up!
“Perfect, I’ll adjust the schedule to account for that extra hour, hour and a half depending on how long it takes. If it’s not busy, Lyla can start showing you a bit tonight”
“Thank you!” With a final laugh, Rick dismissed me to head to the locker room. As soon as the door was closed, I nearly bounced up onto the balls of my feet. That had been just the thing I needed, leaving the negative cloud that had descended this morning forgotten. I was an adult, one who was turning nineteen in a little over six months, and I would be in college soon. My mom didn’t have to like what I did or didn’t do with my time.
And now I was officially going to be closer to a full-time employee.
Who thought I’d be looking at working full-time here when I applied because I certainly didn’t, I thought with a wide smile. Closing my locker door, I headed out to the shop, the pep in my step obvious enough that Lyla looked at me with a brow raise.
“Did someone get a little something-something yesterday?” She leaned over, whispering in my ear so none of the customers heard. My cheeks burned, and I immediately shook my head.
“No, just... no,” I stuttered, a small hysterical giggle bubbling out of me at the thought of trying to have sex with any of my guys the night before. “I got offered more hours for summer! And you’re going to start teaching me how to close on my next shift. I’m excited, to say the least.”
“Yay!” she nearly shouted, catching the attention of the customers seated around the room but no one said anything, all of them smiling at Lyla’s ridiculous victory dance before turning back to what they were doing. “That’s awesome! I’m excited.” Before she could pepper me with all of the questions I knew she had, a customer came up to the counter. Starting in on their drink as Lyla took their order, we worked in tandem behind the counter.
“Not too busy today?” I asked, noting how even on Sunday nights we usually tended to be busier than we were at that moment.
“It was one of the first really nice evenings that it wasn’t supposed to end in some kind of sprinkling or cold,” she informed me. “First few weeks of spring are usually like that since everyone’s outside on the weekends, but it looks like some storm clouds might be rolling in so that could change. Until then, tell me, tell me, tell me! How was prom?”
“It was amazing.” I sighed happily, leaning against the counter, memories of the night before filling my thoughts. “Got ready with Aubrey and Zoey, had a limo to take us to dinner and then to the ballroom it was being held. It was so cool; I’d never been in one before. Tired though because we went to post-prom, but it was definitely worth the exhaustion and judgement from my mom.”
“Oh, tell me more after this wave of customers?” Lyla questioned, her eyes bright with excitement.
“You know it,” I told her, stepping up to the register. With the filling parking lot, that might be awhile…
A while is right.
Four hours later, the storm finally passed and the stream of customers slowed. Unfortunately, Lyla hadn’t had any time to start showing me the ropes for closing since the storm had brought a lot of customers in. Waving one final time to Lyla and Rick, I pushed out of Coffee Grounds, digging my phone out of my pocket. A collection of texts waited: the guys’ messages from throughout the day, one from my dad in Cali, and one from Sam. Both dads were asking how prom had gone, so as I walked to my car, I typed out a quick response.
Locking my phone, I continued my trek across the parking lot, hopping over puddles as I did so. It was dark out despite it being spring, the storm clouds still looming overhead covering the remaining sunset. The only illumination in the parking lot came from streetlights that bounced off the wet pavement. There we are, I thought, finally seeing my car. One of these days I’ll remember where I parked. Cutting through the row I’d been walking down, I darted over to my lone car, the feeling of sprinkles on my skin.
Before I could get my keys fully out of my bag, a steely hold gripped my upper arms. The sensation startled me, my mind not processing that whoever it was was trying to force me away from my car and the streetlight. I hadn’t been yanked more than a foot before my instincts flared to life. Kicking backward, I tried to catch my attacker in the shin or knee.
A deep hiss of pain filled my ear, the sound terrifying, but I didn’t stop. Kicking, pulling on my arms, anything to get him to release me, and it worked, but it wasn’t enough. Adrenaline pumped through me, my body trembling as I finally got an arm free, screaming as loudly as possible until my voice gave out, I whipped around and aimed directly at the man’s face with the keys clutched in my hand.
Stinging pain radiated through my palm and fingers when my fist collided with his cheek, the teeth of my keys catching on the black ski mask he wore. The hit took him by surprise, his head snapping to the side as he stumbled. I heard shouting, but through the cotton filling my ears, I had no idea where it was coming from or what was being said. All I cared about was that my attacker took off, the man’s gaze landing on me one final time.
It was cold… dead.
And something in it held a promise. Whatever it was, whoever it was… I knew one thing.
This wasn’t going to be the last time I saw him.
19
April 5th
As if my day couldn’t get any worse. Guess I was wrong.
#HolyWow #Ouch #ImSafe #DEFINITELYNOTSundayFunday
“Emma!” someone shouted, the voice muffled and far away. “Lyla, did you call?!”
“They’re on their way!”
“Are you okay?”