Advice

1. the roundabout

I started today the same way I start every day, not knowing things were going to be a lot different then they usually were.

I wake up in my shitty apartment to the sound of my ear splitting alarm clock. I slammed my hand onto the digital device just before the sound got too repetitive. Just when I was starting to get comfortable...

My dreams seem to be my only escape from the same clockwork rotation I circle around every morning. Get out of bed (5:15, every morning), brush my teeth, brush my hair (of course the most important part... I couldn't function with my hair in a mess), put on my barista uniform (literally just an apron over my normal clothes), hop on my bike around six, and drive to work.

And of course, work is just the same repetitive motion as my wake up routine. 6:30 to 4:30 of ruthless teenage girls and old men saying I, quote-on-quote, "Didn't know how to make his decaf americano correctly." LIKE- AN AMERICANO IS JUST ESPRESSO AND WATER HOW CAN SOMEONE SCREW THAT UP HUH?! I BET WHEN YOUR ROTTING IN YOUR FUCKING GRA- ok, ok I got a bit ahead of myself. Thank god for Tea Kettle though ("Just call me TK hon!"), she takes over the late shift for me, if I had to work it I'd probably go insane. The older woman had been working here WAY longer than I have, so she knows how to handle... those kinds of customers.

TK is somewhat of a mother figure to me I guess. She makes sure I take breaks on my shifts for lunch and always brings in her hors d'oeuvres for me to take home on fridays. I think I'd work myself too hard without her.

Moving on from all the mushy gushy...

I hop off my bike and wheel it around to the alleyway beside the shop. Knowing the people around here, they would probably be too pussy to nab a poor souls' bike; all bark and no bite.

I'm the opening shift (my coworker manages to be late every morning ) so I grab the key from my coat pocket and jab it into the glass door's keyhole. I hear a small click before I push inwards and the bells above the door give me a pleasant greeting into the modest little coffee shop. The smell of coffee immediately hits my nose as I guide my step around the counter to the machines to make sure everything's set and ready for the day. After that comes the little portion of free time before opening at 6:30, so I make my way over to a couch by the window and prop my feet up onto the table. I reach for my phone in my pocket and-

Shit.

Of course. There's a hole in my pocket. And I lost my phone. Just my luck...

Suddenly, I hear the jingle of the bells- I quickly stand up and fix my uniform

"I'm sorry we don't open till-"

"SORRY I'M LATE AGAIN!"

My coworker comes in with oil and soot all over her uniform and her hair in a tight bun. Her glasses are fogged and it looks like she's gone through World War III (but honestly she always looks like that).

"Test Tube! You're actually not that late. Also WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?!" I finally noticed the immediately obvious but she looked at me like I had told her that she had put her glasses on upside down again before letting out a laugh.

"Really! That's a first! My car broke down a few times on the way here so I had to hit the engine with my fist a couple of times but y'know- better than the usual." She takes off her glasses and rubs them on her dirtied apron before going behind the counter and turning on the sink.

"Are you gonna answer my question or what?" I give her a smirk and she rolls her eyes. She scrubs her hands tightly, and I notice that her right thumb is bandaged in a thick layer of adhesive.

"Oh! Right the hair- uhhhh let's just say I- uh-" She bit her lip, trying to come up with a feasible answer, grabbing the soap and furiously pumping it into her hands, scrubbing once again.

"Did you just do it cause you wanted to?"

"Oh Paintbrush you jeebweezer! I just-" she turns off the sink, "no- no you're right." She sighs before making her way over to where I was sitting.

"It was all Fan's idea. He said we could 'go matchies' and he'd dye his hair red if I dyed mine green so-"

"You must really love your boyfriend huh?" I smile, giving her a pat on the back.

Fan and Test Tube used to work here together when they were still in high school. Of course, they started off as friends but soon found out they had a lot in common (for one- being socially anxious losers [jk jk]) and ever since they've been dating! Last summer though, Fan went off to college to study film making and hasn't had the time to keep up with the shop. Test Tube has seemed a little off without him here, but she manages better than I thought she would.

"I guess I do." She sighed again, cupping her face with her hands. "I just- I mean- It's hard to keep in touch with him. Whenever he has an idea I just go for it! Cause maybe if I do, he'll talk to me more-! And maybe come back-!" she excitedly motions with her hands. 'Tube glances over to me and I give her a look.

She brings her knees to her face and buries her eyes "I think I'm being too clingy with him. I don't think I'm giving him enough space. I just want him to know I love him."

"But you don't know how to show it?" I ask.

To tell the truth, I really know nothing about romance. I haven't dated anyone before, but I really need to help out a friend. I can't have her moping around all day, TK will inquire about her all afternoon (Tea Kettle could ramble on for hours about feelings and shmutz- and I'm really not in the mood to suffer through all that tonight.)

"Yea, I think you're right." She gives me a faint smile before glancing towards her watch. "HOLY SHIT 6:31?!!!? WE'RE LATE FOR OPENING!!!!" she scrambles out of her sulken state and flips the opening sign. I let out a startled laugh before making my way to the cash register and getting ready for another day of suffering

* HELLO IT'S ME THE AUTHOR 🤯🤯🤯🤯
this my first ever fanfic!!! whoooaaaaa!!
uhhh yea please don't murder me i have no clue what im doing... at all.
LOVE YOU THOUGH THANKS FOR READING UPDATES SHOULD BE SEMI-FREQUENT!!!! *