Summer's night dream

The party

New York wasn't Lily Starke's intended final destination, yet somehow here she still was 3 years later. Right out of high school she hit the road and traveled most of the lower 48 as well as a spontaneous trip into Winnipeg, all of which she took 4 years to accomplish. If she was going to do something she was going to do it fully and make the most of every minute.

She made sure to spend a decent amount of time in each state, enjoying it corner to corner, every state or national park she could find and any major landmarks. She would get a job for the time, usually always a waitress or clerk, anything with flexible hours honestly, and save up for the next big move. She only ever stayed a month or so, depending on how she felt about the area, never more than 2 months. Even with the hopping around she had managed to build up a decent savings account, which she fully intended to use abroad.

But when she got to New York, she threw the rules to the wind and has yet to leave. At this point in time, she still hadn't even hit the states to the north, she was that set on her heart state. And her savings account soared as she settled down, something she was extremely proud of all things considered.

Lily let a small laugh out thinking about how high school Lily would not be amused by her future self being a bar waitress in New York.  7 years ago when she took off she wouldn't have believed it if anyone had told her this is where she'd be today.  She had been bound and determined to touch as much of the country as she could, never leaving anything behind, only taking memories and an occasional plant that she now had a book of.

She was born in Nebraska but when she was 5 her family moved to middle Florida, where she stayed until she took off right after graduation. In school she was considered a social butterfly, but she didn't feel that way. She wasn't a flirt from group to group type, more of a why be mean when it's easier to all be friends. She would keep to herself unless someone spoke to her, which happened a lot. She was a good conversationalist, but an even better listener. The only thing she missed about Florida was the warm water, she missed being comfortable in the waves, and the smell of the salt in the sand.

She always always always said she hated big cities, the stink the grime the people. But there was more to New York than just the city. She stayed for the wild. The deep unadulterated wild where she could throw on her pack and just go and be lost from the world as long as she needed. Or at least until her next shift.

"Raaaats!!"

Lily was jerked out of her own head when her coworker Daniel let out a shriek. She hadn't even been paying attention as they were taking out the trash, between juggling tables at the Sparrow. She cast her friend a sidelong smirk before moving a foot at the mice, sending them scurrying, he was known to exaggerate.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of this adorable little mouse family" she laughed watching them tumble over litter as they searched frantically for an escape. "They're just trying to get by like us.."

Suddenly the back door flew open and there stood their ever brooding greasy manager. "Hey Lily! Daniel! Quit slacking off out here!"

"You told us to take out the trash, so that's what we are doing." She snapped back, she might prefer peace but she wasn't incapable of conflict.

"Well now I'm telling you to take care of the bachelor party that just rolled in." He sneered back with a smirk.

Herr shift was suppose to be over at midnight and they all knew bachelor parties ran to close, which for them meant three am.

"Chop. Chop." He said flatly then turned and walked back in.

Lily and Daniel exchanged looks and Daniel shrugged apologetically.