Beyond All Rules ✔️

Chapter Eight

ISAIAH

Most people look forward to the weekend because it's a time to unwind after a long week. For me it's quite the opposite because I'm busiest on the weekends. I work two jobs over the weekend on top of basketball practice and more volunteering. But I like it that way because I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had free time on my hands.

Today is no different as I'm walking from the subway to my first job of the day. I've been at school since dawn with the team practicing. Coach worked us extra hard this morning because we left practice early yesterday. He didn't want to hear our excuses.

The only thing that made that grueling practice worth it was seeing Wesley doing better. He is back to his normal annoying self, the accident might as well never have happened. Maybe he's so used to getting into fights with Baron, that getting elbowed in the nose didn't faze him. I'm still harbouring residual guilt for almost breaking his nose yesterday but I'm working through that.

I get to the ice cream shop at half past nine and use my keys to let myself in. I'm usually the first one here on weekends so it's my duty to open up, clean and get the shop running till Archer, my boss and the rest arrive. We had two servers quit two weeks ago and Archer has been trying to find a replacement. He texted me last night telling me I would be training someone new today but he didn't give me a name or any other details. All I know is that she's a girl and in highschool like me so she will be working part time. My job is to train her which I hope I'll be able to do successfully because we need the help.

Our chef Oscar arrives fifteen minutes after I do and immediately gets to work in the kitchen while I mop the floor. After I'm done I go to the walk in freezer and begin hauling out all the different flavors of ice cream and setting them outfront on the display case.

"Khalil, get out here. There's someone looking for you." Oscar yells at me while I'm at the back.

Must be the new girl. She gets bonus points for being a time keeper.

I finish what I'm doing, grab a gallon of blueberry ice-cream and haul my ass out front.

The first thing I notice is the red hair, familiar red hair belonging to none other than Kennedy. She is tapping her foot anxiously as she looks around the shop.

What is she doing here?

She turns to me and freezes in shock as well not expecting to see me.

"Isaiah."

"Kennedy."

"What are you doing here?" She asks me walking closer.

"I work here. What are you doing here?" I echo.

"I'm supposed to start working here today. Archer told me to ask for a Khalil when I got here." She answers looking at me confused.

I realize that she mustn't know that its my second name. At school I go by Isaiah, Iz or Carter.

"That's me. It's my second name." I inform her.

Her eyes widen even further. "You're Isaiah Khalil Carter."

"Yes but I go by Khalil here and at home."

My mom was with me when I applied for this job. She'd brought me and Cairo for ice cream on a sunny Sunday after church and helped me fill out the application. She's so used to calling me Khalil that she didn't include Isaiah as my first name so it stuck and it's my name so I didn't bother correcting them to call me Isaiah instead.

"Oh, so you're supposed to train me?" She asks.

"Apparently." I mumble.

It's like the universe is trying to punish me for something I didn't do. Or I did do something but then I have no idea what it is.