List, Love and Everything Above

Chapter One: The Job

I pressed my head against the passenger side window and watched as the palm trees and horizon slip past me. It's too damn early to be up and on the road, but here I am anyways, sitting in the car beside my best friend. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be up at this ungodly hour. I silently curse him for getting me this job and for waking me up this morning to go to it.

Today was my first day at my job. My parents forced me to get a job in order to help pay for college, and they figured that my senior year would be the best time to start. It's already March, and my senior year is already coming to an end. So what better thing to do to help it go by than to get a job, of course. I silently curse them too, and turn to look at my best friend.

"Finn? Why do I have to be doing this?" I sigh, turning my head to look at him.

"Well you know how expensive Ivy league colleges are and it kind of makes sense that you had to get a job to help pay for it," Finn shrugs, and continues to concentrate on the road ahead of him.

Finn and I have been best friends as long as we can remember. My father was best friends with his mother, and ever since he was born and I was adopted, our parents made sure to help the friendship between us bloom. To make matters even better, we were both born on the same day, March 23rd, and our parents made sure to let us have a joint birthday party each year.

My dads and Finn's mom and dad also have gone on a double date every friday for the past 6 years, forcing us to stay home together every Friday night. It may seem like our parents forced us to be friends, and although it is slightly true, in reality, we didn't even need help for us to become friends. From the first day we met, we were practically inseparable. We did everything together, from share our same first word (which was dog, by the way) to taking our first steps together. We shared everything with each other including other friends, clothes, first kisses, and major milestones.

In fact, we're both even going to the same college next year, Colombia. I was going there to major in photography, and Finn to major in journalism. My family did run into some financial problems and it was a long shot for me to ask them to go there, but eventually, we decided that it would be best for me to attend. For Finn, on the other hand, money wasn't an issue. His father has a job in advertising, which pays really well, easily making him the richest kid in town. His mother even offered to help me pay for college, but my parents turned down the offer, not wanting them to use up their money on us.

And since money wasn't an issue, Finn never had to get a job. Instead, he found me one and was currently finding humor in my current issue.

"But that sure is a cute little outfit you've got to wear there," Finn chuckles, pointing at my diner get-up. I was wearing a small pointed hat, with a sailor type shirt and a skirt.

"Shut up," I blush and punch him in the arm,

Finn got me a job at Danny's Diner near the beach. His dad was good friends with the owners brother, and somehow with his good looks and charm, Finn got me a waitressing job there. It paid good money, which I was grateful for, but I wasn't exactly happy about waking up at 5 a.m. every weekend to work until 12.

Finn pulls his Mercedes up to the diner and turns the car engine off.

"You'll do great, Ellie. Just remember to be polite and smile once in a while," Finn says, jokingly giving my cheek a poke.

"Yeah, yeah I know," I smile.

"See, that's the smile I'm talking about!" Finn exclaims, poking my dimple.

I laugh and reach my hand over to squeeze his.

"Thank you for getting me this job, it really means a lot," I sincerely tell him.