Not good for you

19;

The first half of my shift passed quickly, although it had drawbacks. I walked the hallways with Marina as she shared stories about her favorite non-English-speaking tourists. She loved having foreign visitors since, as she put it, they were adorable when trying to understand what she was saying.

There was a moment when I almost gagged at the sight of vomit on the carpet as we opened the door to room 309. Part of me wanted to imagine the repulsive person responsible for such a mess, while my mind was screaming 'no'.

Despite its unattractive and demanding nature, the job kept me engaged as I listened to Marina belt out her favorite Five Seconds Of Summer tunes.

Then, I received a text from Perkyn asking me to meet him downstairs for lunch. After finishing with Marina, we made our way back down for our lunch break.

"It could have been worse, honestly," Marina tried to comfort me, but it wasn't convincing.

"Worse than cleaning up after drunk people?" I asked.

"I could tell you about last week—there was an old man here..."

"I really don't want to hear it," I cut her off, raising my hand. "I'd love to hear your embarrassing stories, but I only want to eat right now. I'd rather not lose my appetite. Room 309 was more than enough for me."

Marina laughed and nodded at me.

"Fair enough," she replied. "What did you bring for lunch?"

"I made sandwiches."

"Basic and quick, I like that," she said. "I remember back in high school, I ate the same kind of sandwich every single day: butter, salami, and mayonnaise. After a while, my body had enough, and now I can't even look at mayonnaise without feeling sick."

"Wow, that sandwich really traumatized you, didn't it?" I asked, mimicking her tone.

Noticing, she gave me a proud look before taking off her gloves.

"You have no idea," she said. "Whenever I see someone with a sandwich like that, I just want to slap it out of their hands."

I chuckled, respecting her more. We often didn't realize how monotonous our lives become until they dramatically change our personalities.

"I promise mine doesn't have salami or mayonnaise in it," I said, trying to ease her mood, but she clicked her tongue sassily.

"Maybe, just don't let me see it," she grinned, and I nodded.

I headed to the bathroom to wash my hands and fix my hair, feeling proud that I hadn't let myself down for half a day.

When I spotted Perkyn, he was on his phone, gripping it tightly and glaring at the ground with fiery eyes. It was strange to see him this angry, and it made me uneasy. It must have been a serious call since he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes while listening to the person.

"I know, you don't need to tell me again," he said, leaning against the wall. "I'm working; where else would I be? Don't be ridiculous."

I felt guilty for eavesdropping, even though I wasn't really, since he was in the hallway, and it was hard not to overhear him. I knew I should have turned around and given him privacy, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"Do I have to?" he asked, his voice muffled. "I don't want another lecture from her."

As Perkyn walked around, he noticed me a few feet away, and his angry expression softened. I swallowed the lump in my throat, avoiding his gaze.

"Listen, Dad, I've got to go now." He said and turned his head away. "I'll call you when I'm done. Yeah, okay. Bye."

He ended the call with a slight headshake and a weary sigh. I awkwardly rubbed my arms as he approached me.