My Tourmaline

Chapter One

"Wake up you sleepyhead!!" 

I felt someone shaking me, a bright light then appearing in my room.  

"You know its nearly two in the afternoon, ive been out, shopping and watched a film whilst youve been sleeping!'  

"Oops" I replied, yawning.  

Summer... she was my best friend. We shared a flat together in the outskirts of town, and had done for two years. Her parents are rich as anything, and when my mum died at the age of sixteen I didnt have anyone to live with. Dad left when mum was pregnant with me, so the only father figure i had in my life was my older brother, Ed. Summer was about the only person for me to fall back on when i had no one, and when she got given the flat at seventeen, she offered me to live with her too. I honestly dont know what I would do without this girl.  

"I have work in three hours...KILL ME NOW" I mumbled, shoving the pillow over my face.  

"You need to shower too babe, you smell haha" Summer chuckled.  

Ew...she was right. I had such a bad week, and to top it off i had work later.

Work. No one likes work, do they? Its the most time dragging, tiring, boring thing in the whole wide world, and I was back to the hell hole on a late shift tonight. Of course- the only upside was that I got a bit of dosh from it, so I can't complain too much. The name of the shop was "Jewel". My mum passed it down to me before she died, and with the grief and position of the shop (It wasn't in the nicest area) at the age of sixteen it was a lot to handle. So my aunt took charge of it, and now I have left school and sixth form, I knew my mum would like it, wherever she was, if I took charge of it too. I haven't been working there too long, but tonight was my first night shift. I was nervous- not only was I practically asleep already, I'd have to lock up all by myself, and walk the dark streets to the taxi rank. Summer couldn't pick me up... she couldn't drive and we both relied on buses and taxi's. And I didn't want to ask anyone for a lift! I'm quite a shy person, and my mum would always say to me "you shine so bright my jewel, if only you'd stop hiding yourself away in the jewellery box" ( she was always coming up with these jewellery metaphors which I never quite understood!)  

. Of course, my older brother is very protective over me; but he's settled down now with his fiance, and they're expecting a baby so I don't want to ask either of them and interrupt their evening. After showering and having a little dance in my room to thr radio, make up and clothes applied, I hopped in a taxi and was on my way to work.

******

Yikes... I'd forgotten how awful this place was. It was dirty, and full of scruffy corner shops and tattoo parlours. It was never this bad when mum owned it, but that was years ago. If I ever come into some money, i'm relocating this place for sure. 

I entered the shop, 5pm.  

"Hey Lil! I'm just about to head off actually, but Rob will be here with ya til 10pm, then you lock up at 10-30pm." exclaimed aunt Rosa who was just closing the till and waving off a customer.  

Rob. Rob was a twenty five year old dropout, who was permanently grumpy and had the face of a slapped arse. He forever looked like he had let one go, always staring around as if he'd committed a crime. The most you'd get out of him was grunts (unless he was talking to a customer) but I had no power to fire him. Plus Aunt Rosa was doing a favour for his mum, she had a soft spot for losers. She was an odd woman, but if it wasnt for her this shop would be as scruffy as the others on the street. 

"Yeah thats cool... just going to put my stuff behind, you going now?"  

"Yuuuuuuup." she replied with a sigh of relief.