Consider Me

Chapter Three: Lily

"Let me confirm your order, sir. One ziti pasta with our Bolognese sauce, ricotta cheese and baked in the oven with mozzarella. Right?" I say to the customer with short brown hair, square glasses, and a backpack that tells me he is a student but older than me. Maybe in college?

"Yes," he confirms checking his watch.

"Anything else,"

"Ah, no. Just the pasta,"

"Alright. You can make the payment,"

He hands me his card and I quickly swipe it across the screen making a bill of eleven dollars and twelve cents before I hand it back to him. He takes his card and goes to an empty seat making room for another customer. 

One by one the customers start giving me their orders as I type, print, and hand them their cards. The process repeats. Since it was the first weekend of my senior year, I'm at my part-time job working my ass off so I could help my mom with house bills. 

She told me numerous times to focus on my studies but the guilt and my own conflict at seeing her work for the two of us doesn't let me sit. I am young, if there's a way I can help her with the finances then why not? Besides I am graduating soon which means I can move out and she don't have to work overtime.

There's still an hour to go for my shift to end and judging by the line of customers it seems I won't be home before ten. Well, I have nothing planned to do except for my schoolwork or television. It's mostly the latter. The schoolwork isn't much. I can complete it before my class tomorrow. Not a big deal. 

My first week at the school is over and surprisingly it was okay. I expected some drama seeing how my day one went but I think boring and peace are better at Hawthorne High than being in the drama with those snobby kids. 

The professors have also started teaching, the vacation high is now gone and students are preparing notes of important subjects and credit scores they need to maintain if they want to secure their position at Hawthorne High's College placement. 

I am doing the same that is why a lot of my time is spent at the library checking out course books or at the dance studio three blocks away from my house. I am not a professional dancer. It's more like a hobby. I hate exercise but dance? That's one activity I love to grind my bones for. 

Anyway, it's currently quarter to ten meaning my shift has ended and I just did a forty minute overtime. I go to my manager Hyacinth and informed her about my today's shift. She gives me an acknowledging nod then waves me away as she calculates today's sale. 

I think she was half listening to me when I mentioned my overtime which is why I went to Lance her husband and told him about my hours today. He is a sweet man. Late fifties, grey hair, and a wrinkly face but a kind dude. He assures me I'll get my money and that I should leave now if I plan to catch the last train back home. 

I nod before changing out of my work clothes and then running to the train station only to see I missed my train. "God fucking hell," I shout and clutch my head. 

Missed by a second. 

The sound of the train running followed by the tracks' vibration ruined my mood. I saw a blurry image of myself on the moving train, the walls behind me, fluorescent lights blinking before it got dark and I am seeing the empty rail track. The train, a firefly's butt from where I'm standing.

Great. Now I have to take the bus. 

I exited the station and made my way to the bus stop. The closest one is five minutes away so it wouldn't take much time to reach there. If only that were the case. The street in this part of the town gets silent after eight. Since I live outside the city, I have to travel a lot. Not that I have trouble doing that, I like walking but late hours, so far away from home gives me heebie-jeebies.