Just Desserts

4 : Day Two

look at me, being all on time (or close enough)

another chapter should be up soon!

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BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Arden smacked the snooze button and groaned into her pillow.

The worst thing about her summer job was not her cocky coworker, or the fact that she was missing a summer of memories with her friends. It wasn't even being cooped up in a tiny tiny bakery for two months. The aspect she hated the most was, definitely, without a doubt, waking up early.

The sun wasn't even up, but Arden still had to drag herself out of bed.

That just wasn't fair. Nature dictates that the sun rises and so do you, no earlier. Not even the birds were up, and Arden doubted the worms were awake either.

Stepping into her bathroom gingerly, she hopped from foot to foot to avoid being in contact with any one of the cold bathroom tiles for too long. She slumped on her elbows next to the sink and blinked tiredly at her reflection.

You can't go back to bed, she told herself, you have to go to work. Envying the sleeping birds and worms, Arden groggily finished her morning routine.

She opened the door to her closet and stared. "Great," she murmured, holding a crumpled black tank top between her fingers, "Nothing black is wearable." She threw it back, and the jumbled mess of wrinkled clothes threatened to tumble.

Sighing for the upteenth time that morning, Arden settled for a purple plain t-shirt and light colored jeans.

Several people believed that Arden's closet, along with the walls of her room, (and possibly her heart), were all black. As for her heart, she was pretty sure that wasn't anatomically possible. Her walls were a bright shade of orange that bordered on peach, while her closet was only 50% night colored. That pattern pretty much played out throughout her life.

People assumed that Arden's personality dictated her life, imagining her to be some goth, emo tomboy who had decided to release her pent up rage by listening toscreaming, screeching metal music 24/7 and by yelling at (semi)innocents. In reality, Arden was almost 95% "normal". She wore skirts, she wore dresses, and she liked cheesy, pop music on the radio. She wasn't always dressed like a midnight burglar, or as her friend Hannah liked to call it, Evil Arden, a remark that always made Arden roll her eyes. But people always focus on what they've seen before or what they've heard, and maybe it was true that no one else in their town except the goths wore that much black that often, but Arden didn't let it bother her. The way she saw it, as long as those people and their impressons of her didn't interfere with her life, she didn't care what they thought.

Sometimes it was kind of useful, actually. If she shocked some quiet small townsfolk with her leather jackets and combat boots, they were less likely to mess with her. It was hard to get respect at her height and stature, but this was a great way to establish herself within seconds of meeting someone. Someone you didn't want to cross, or offend or even look at the wrong way. That was the kind of impression Arden liked to leave.

I made my impression yesterday, she thought, grabbing her phone from her nightstand, I can wear what I want today. To be honest, she was relieved. The leather leggings had practically cooked her thighs in the few seconds she was in the sun.

After quickly brushing her hair, Arden clambered down the stairs. "Morning, Arden," her mom smiled from next to the fridge.

Arden ignored her and reached for the nearest cupboard door. The offense of the day before hadn't worn away, just like the soreness of waking up at this unnatural hour. She grabbed a bowl and a cereal box, sitting at one side of the round table in the middle of their kitchen. Her mom passed her the milk from the refrigerator and took a seat across from her.

She continued to sulk, but her mom ignored her. "I'll be in the car," her mom said and walked into the conjoining living room. Arden glared at the wall for a few seconds, finished her breakfast, and followed her mom outside.

She slammed the car door shut with more force than necessary and slumped back against the headrest. Her mother tried not to roll her eyes and pulled out of the driveway. Arden's antics were no surprise to her; she had expected this behavior anyways.

Making an effort not to speak, Arden instead watched the quiet streets grow brighter as the sun rose slowly.

Since town planners had decided to take the name literally, Ruby Springs looked like the red version of Oz's Emerald City. The sudden influx of light transformed the dull browns and grays to vibrant reds and pinks. The strange trees with red instead of green leaves dotted the terracotta sidewalks at neatly measured intervals, and in the spring they bloomed pale pink flowers with sweet smelling blossoms. All the houses shared the same general aesthetic, pale stucco of varying pastels and terracotta tiles. Sometimes Arden got sick of all the red, but there were parks and the lake to deviate in the color spectrum.

Arden faced forward again, realizing they were nearing the plaza. "Drop me off in the back this time," she muttered, breaking her vow of silence but refusing to make eye contact.

Her mom sighed but obliged, driving past the main parking lot and turning into the smaller employee lot. All the stores of the plaza were arranged in a square, so that shoppers strolled around the outside while the shop backs faced the inside. Most of the stores in the plaza weren't large, so the occasional shipment of supplies didn't cause trouble in the inner square.

The car stopped in front of (well, the back of) Just Desserts. Arden climbed out without waving or looking back. The car drove off behind her and she tested the door handle tentatively.

Great, she groaned, It's locked.

She rapped on the door, but there was no answer. She tried again, this time louder and longer, and pressed her head sideways against the door to listen for footsteps. Unfortunately, the mechanical whirring of machines blocked out any sounds made by human motion, and Arden was taken by surprise when the door opened to a wide eyed Derek.

Unable to hold her balance, Arden fell forward.  

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thank you guys so much for reading, please star and comment!

xoxo, Julie