As they finished unloading the last of the crates into the kitchen storage room, Kevin wiped the sweat from his brow.
“That should be the last one, right?” he asked, turning to Diane, who nodded in confirmation.
Before anyone could relax, the sharp sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, like someone in heels briskly approaching.
The cadence quickened, and a young woman’s voice cut through the air, sounding both annoyed and furious.
“Why is the kitchen storage room door wide open? Did Kevin leave it like that again? What if the rats get in and ruin the ingredients—ugh, that idiot always does something stupid!”
Mark glanced at Kevin, who suddenly looked like he was sweating bullets.
Kevin stood frozen, scanning for somewhere to hide as the footsteps neared. Tension hung thick in the air.
A figure appeared at the doorway—a young woman with titian hair styled in a broad French braid, dressed in a burgundy-and-yellow school jacket over a cream-colored shirt and a blue skirt.
She stood tall, her presence radiating authority as her sharp brown eyes scanned the room, locking onto Kevin first.
“What’s going on here?” she demanded, her voice icy. “Kevin, weren’t you supposed to take out the garbage? And why are there strangers in the storage room? Do you want the cafeteria infested with rats because of your negligence?”
Kevin, practically shrinking behind Mark, stammered, “Uh… I already took the garbage out, Annie. And, um, this is Ms. Diane—you know, the one who delivers the vegetables and milk.”
Annie raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Yes, I can see that’s Ms. Diane,” she said with a sharp edge to her voice. “But who is he?” she asked, focusing her gaze on Mark. “And wasn’t the delivery supposed to be in the afternoon? Why are you all here now?”
Kevin fidgeted under her piercing stare, his trembling hands betraying his nerves. Diane, sensing Kevin was about to unravel completely, quickly stepped in to defuse the situation.
“Actually, it’s kind of my fault,” Diane explained with a calm smile. “I had to make the delivery earlier than planned, but I did inform Mrs. Smith about it last night. She gave me the green light. However, it seems like the message didn’t get passed along. We ran into Kevin outside, and after he finished taking out the trash, he kindly offered to help us with the crates. So, don’t be too hard on him.”
Annie’s eyes narrowed on Kevin. Her lips pressed into a tight line, clearly displeased, but she held back from immediately reprimanding him. She crossed her arms. “Fine,” she said at last, though her tone didn’t soften. “But Kevin, make sure the door isn’t left wide open. Next time, we might not be so lucky.”
Kevin nodded vigorously, relieved. “Yeah, yeah, I got it! Won’t happen again, I promise.”
Just when it seemed like the situation was cooling down, Annie’s gaze sharpened. “Wait a second, Kevin, where did you get the keys to the storage room?”
Kevin froze, his expression shifting to sheer panic. “Uh… from Mr. Glenn’s office,” he answered quickly, “I needed to open the storage room for them to store the crates.”
Annie’s frown deepened. “I didn’t see Mr. Glenn today. When did you get his permission?”
Kevin’s face drained of color as he nervously fumbled with his words. “Um... well, he wasn’t in his office, so I... I just took the keys to open the door. I-I was going to return them right after!”
YOU ARE READING
Summertime Saga: New Life, New Saga
FanfictionIn "New Life, New Saga," Mark finds himself unexpectedly transported into the vibrant world of Summertime Saga, a place where characters are more than just pixels on a screen-they're living, breathing individuals with emotions and destinies. As he n...
