Cacophony

chapter six: iced tea

Elisa wakes to the smell of eggs and bacon, and she can feel an apology coming even before she swings her legs across the bedpost. She throws her red hair up into a messy bun, and puts her clothes back on before walking into the kitchen, where Jay is frying bacon and eggs. The eggs aren't burnt yet, which was a good sign.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. You going to work today or you playing hooky again?" Jay asks, not looking up from the pan.

"Work."

"O-kay. Do you need a ride?" He asks tentatively.

"Yeah." Elisa pulls out her pack of cigarettes, and Jay looks her up and down again.

"Elisa."

She silently pulls out the second-to-last roll.

"Elisa."

She takes the lighter from the counter.

"Elisa." His voice takes a dark turn, and he coils his fingers around her wrist. "Stop."

"Jay," She looks him in the eye. "Let go of me."

"It's ten in the morning. You just woke up. Let go of the cigarette."

"Jay, you're hurting me."

Jay lets go of her wrist, suddenly and apologetic.

"I'm sorry. Sorry." He looks at his shoes.

Elisa takes the cigarette and puts it back in the box, and looks at Jay.

"I'll tell you. Just not now." Elisa knows what he's talking about, the water gun game, his reaction, but she just nods and takes the egg from him.

"Okay."

They eat in comfortable silence.

☽ ● ☾ ◯

Erik has already staffed Coffee House when she was supposed to be there. She knows this because there is a new employee working the register, and two others making lattes or coffees or something she can't see from the office.

Erik saw her come in, and told her to report to the office. He had an indiscernible emotion playing on his face, and she knew that she was in trouble even before she sat on the leather love seat.

"17." He stares at her, and his eyes seem bigger than the last time she saw him. "Do you know what that number means?"

Elisa nods 'no'.

"The number of consecutive shifts you missed last month. And you were only scheduled for twenty-five."

Elisa's throat dries.

"Ellie, you've been working here for," Erik pauses to count on his fingers, " Almost seven years, since your freshman year of high school. I know you have problems at home, Elle. All you have to do is tell me- tell me, Ellie. What the hell is going on with you?"

Elisa can't open her mouth, it seems to be glued shut. Her hands are shaking, and suddenly, Erik seems blurry. She needs a drag, she needs to be out of this small, stupid office, she needs out. She wants out.

"Okay. I'm scaling back your hours aga-"

"I quit."

Erik looks staggered, surprised and angry all at once.

"What?"

"I quit."

"Elisa, think about what the hell you're doing right now."