My Life in Rosewood

Chapter Eight

The next morning I'm walking down the blocks from the school parking lot with Spencer towards The Brew, wanting to grab breakfast and then to check on the sports store. I own it but I still haven't had the opportunity to open it up despite people needing the store for their sports teams. It's been hard for me to get the courage to actually be the person to run the store. This was never my dream to be the owner of my dad's investment, to be responsible for something as sensitive as this. I don't know the first thing about running a store, about the process of being my own boss. So I've had to research, check on my dad's logs and all of those wonderful adult things to decide if I can handle it. I 100% don't think I'm ready, but Spencer and Aria both feel I can do this. Spencer has told me time and time again that I can do whatever I want with this place, open it and run it myself, or hire help if I don't want to do things on my own. They also like to remind me that I have my dad's mentality to be my own boss, to make my own rules and know what I'd want and how I'd want things to go.

So once I have my coffee and bagel in hand she goes with me to check it out. I get the door open and walk inside with Spencer behind me and look around. It's not as messy as it once was since I've been coming around once a week to fix it up here and there. Now all that needs to be done is the shelves to be restocked and cleaned up again before I can officially open if I decide to.

"Maybe I should just sell it." I blurt out without thinking, my heart heavy from the memories of this place. All I can see is dad in every corner of this store.

Spencer stares at me, her eyes a little sad because she knows I'm struggling. "I know it feels hopeless, Jessie. But it's a good investment to help you get on your feet in more ways than just money."

I shrug, heading over to the back where the office is. "Maybe, but it hurts too much to be here. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through the day knowing that my dad isn't the one running this place even if I don't actively work here."

She follows me and sets her hand to my shoulder to get my attention, "I think you should try it out for a few months and then decide. It's yours so you can do whatever you want with it, but don't let it rot away by keeping it shut down. And definitely don't hand it off to someone who won't care enough for it the way your dad adored this place."

I sigh softly before rubbing my head, maybe I could do that. Hire someone I trust to be the manager and I just do all the investment stuff. Even though I'm lousy at math or planning how to set things up. This got me thinking for sure, she isn't wrong on testing the waters on how I could rebuild it in my own way. "You're probably right."

"Of course I am." She says in a smartass tone.

I laugh and shake my head, "I love you."

She smiles at me, "And I love you. Now let's get a few of these shelves full before school starts."

Once we're done here we head out the door and off to school. I lock the door behind us before walking back down the street to Rosewood High. When we get to the front of the building we walk up the steps, just noticing Mona heading through the front doors at the same time. I wince softly to myself when I see her and stop in the middle of the staircase. We haven't talked since our argument at Sean's and I don't know how she'll be around me since I overreacted in a very horrible way. I mean, she was obviously in the wrong for saying what she did, but I had no right laying my hands on her like that.

"You okay?" Spencer asks as she grabs my arm from the sudden stop.

I look at her when I feel her touch and then start walking again. "Sorry. I saw Mona."

"She never apologized?"

I shake my head as we get inside now, Mona is at her locker, "No, but I sure as hell have some apologizing to do."