Will Ariana cope with new changes or will she completely break?
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16 year old Ariana has never had an easy life. Coping with depression at a young age when she didn't even know what it meant was definitely not on her bucket list.
So when her mot...
"Nobody noticed my pain. Guess I was good at hiding it" -unknown ______________________ Song name: Maps Artist(s): Maroon 5
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I was taking an order behind the counter when I heard the bell ring, signalling someone had entered the building. I looked up and saw a guy around my age coming toward me.
For some reason, my eyes drifted to the calendar hanging on the wall.
June 1st, 2025
I looked away just as quickly
"Hi!" The guy said.
I swallowed the sudden knot in my throat and slipped easily into the smile I'd been wearing for customers all afternoon.
"Hello, Welcome to Sweeter Sides. What can I get for you today?" I asked the guy in front of me.
"Can I please have the chocolate cake?" He said.
"Sure," I said, typing the order in. "Anything else?"
"No. That's it." He said, shaking his head.
I packed the slice of cake into our signature box, then set it back on the counter.
"That'd be three dollars and fifty cents," I said, smiling at the customer.
He nodded and went to get his wallet. After two minutes, his eyes went wide, and he looked down at the cake.
"Dad is going to kill me. I didn't even get a gift," he mumbled, but I heard him. I frowned at him, but before I got a chance to say anything, he headed towards the exit.
"Wait, where are you going?" I called out just as he was backing away from the counter.
"I left my wallet at home." He grimaced. "I don't have any cash on me. So... nevermind. Sorry," he said.
I looked at the box sitting between us.
"Just take it"
He looked unsure. "You sure?"
"It's one slice of cake, not the deed to the bakery." I pushed the box towards him. "Go."
That finally got a laugh out of him.
"Thank you. Seriously. You don't know how much you save me, Miss...," He said, unsure of my name.
"Ariana."
"Thank you, Ariana."
"No problem, sir. Now go give your extremely last-minute gift before your dad kills you."
He grabbed the box, thanked me again and disappeared through the door. The bell rang behind him.
I stared at the empty doorway for a moment before turning back to the counter, letting the smile fall from my face.
