The New Rival

2

16 months months earlier
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Ally

    "Ally?" Sabrina, my roommate, was knocking on my door hard enough to re-invent my hangover.

    "What?" I groaned from my bed.

    "It's 6pm you moron!"

    "No it's not!"

    "Look at your clock Shitface!"

    I rolled over and picked up my phone. Dead. I sat up and hit my watch, squinting my eyes just to see the time. It read 6:02pm.

    "Shit!" I jumped up and stubbed my toe on the books laying on the ground beside my bed that I continue to forget are there.

    "We're going to be late again!" Sabrina wouldn't shut up.

    "I know I know!" I threw on my work shirt and a pair of jeans and ran for the bathroom. "I'm coming!"

    "Would you hurry up! Max isn't gonna wait forever!"

    "I said I'm coming!" I threw on my boots and grabbed my purse before running out of my room and towards the door.

    "Finally! I don't want what happened to you last time to happen to me."

    "Then get your damn car fixed so I don't have to drive you everywhere!"

    "Don't be such a bitch Al. Let's go."

    "Uh." I started putting my hair up in the grossest of buns imaginable as we both jogged to my car parked across the street.

    "It's cold as fuck!" Sabrina complained from the moment we left until I started driving.

    I didn't say anything in response to her badgering, I usually don't. Instead, a subtle eye roll or scoff works, not that she pays enough attention to me to see me do it.

    The drive to Maraca is only 5 minutes. I would walk if I could wake up on time, though that hasn't happened once since I started working at a place that makes me nocturnal.

"What time did you go to sleep?" Sabrina pestered as we got closer.

"I don't know, maybe nine."

"Where were you last night?"

"Work, with you, Genius."

"What about after that? Jamie dropped me off at home at three in the morning and you didn't get home until five hours after."

"Jesus Sabrina, are you keeping tabs on me now?"

"Should I be?"

"Oh look, we're here." I rolled my eyes as I pulled up to the back of Maraca and parked.

    The first time I walked into Maraca a year ago to apply, I was ready to walk right back out. The women were feisty, the men were staring at them, the music was so loud you couldn't hear yourself think.

But Sabrina pulled me in and introduced me to all her "friends." And after hearing the amount they get tipped on good nights, I signed the contracts immediately. At first I thought making myself be in a uncomfortable work environment for good money was wrong, but soon enough I started to like working here, at least enough so that I stayed.

Sabrina and I usually work the same shifts; around 6pm-2am from Thursday through Sunday. The Club is typically busy from dusk to dawn, though that we never complain about.

I've learned some of the other waitress's names, like Mandy and Sophie, but a lot of them keep to themselves and their small circle of friends. Even Sabrina doesn't talk to me much while we're working. I think my only actual friend is Ricki, the bartender, and even when he isn't with customers he is busy talking to Michael, his boyfriend, who stops in constantly just to talk to Ricki.