Bad Boys Bring Heaven To You...

April 30th

"Amelie! Come take care of this table!"

I flinched as my boss yelled out his orders for me, and I did my best to get it done quickly. As a waitress in this old-time diner that's usually open twenty-four hours, I've learned all the tricks and tips on how to do my job well and manage to keep it for five years since I turned eighteen.

Eighteen was the year I was finally able to leave my parents' house and start living my own life. Although, it doesn't feel like it's started yet since I've been saving up to attend the college of my choice far away from here. Still, I felt relieved to leave such a place that felt suffocating. Especially when I've had to live under the shadow of my older sister, Lana, who was always praised by our parents and got all their attention. Meanwhile, my parents did whatever they could to make me more like my sister, and I ended up feeling like nothing I ever did was good enough in their eyes.

For a while, I didn't have a problem with Lana gaining more attention than me, but that changed the year I turned eighteen. I met my first love that year, a boy I went to school with and someone I thought might actually like me. Turns out, a month or so into our relationship, he broke up with me because he was in love with my sister instead. As I saw them together, they looked more in love like we ever did, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I snapped and made the decision to leave when I found out Lana was getting married to the same boy who broke my heart, and I couldn't stay any longer with my parents who didn't seem to care that I was hurting.

Life outside of my home feels a bit better now that I'm more independent, but now I've been left extremely insecure about myself and I don't really have any friends in this town. I figured it was best not to have any attachments to this place before I leave it for good and hopefully get the chance to start my life somewhere else.

For the last couple of years, I've been repeating the same daily routine of waking up, going to work, saving up to leave this town, going home and then going to bed. There's never really been anything to change how I've lived my life and I've decided it's better since nothing has really wanted to make me stay. Sure, it might be a bit scary to live someplace entirely new when I've lived here my entire life. But it can't be worse than living here where I've never really felt happy.

I've only decided to leave this town on one condition before I leave for good, and that's to spend my twenty-fourth birthday coming next month. Not like I'll have a huge party or something since I don't really have any friends, but I thought I owed it to myself to start my new life after I turn twenty-four so by the time I'm living my new life, I'll be twenty-five and doing what makes me happy and secure.

As the evening came and I clocked out for the day, I headed back home to my simple apartment where it's mostly quiet and small enough for me. It's not much for a home, but at least it's somewhere where I could breathe easily and I would be able to feel relief from any pressure or stress that I didn't need. After getting home, I cooked a simple microwave dinner and ate while reading one of my books.

When it was time for me to go to bed, I took a quick shower to help myself relax and dressed for sleeping. Before falling asleep, I noticed tomorrow would be the start of a new month and I wondered how funny it would be if something new were to actually happen during the last month I stayed in this town. You can imagine my surprise my my insignificant thought transformed into a reality overnight.