On My Last Nerve (Jerrie)

Part Seven

Just a quick heads up, this update is super long (it's 17K). I just felt that this chapter shouldn't be split because the most major plot point doesn't occur until the end. I know that lengthy updates can be tedious, so I'm sorry for those that would have preferred this update split into two. I promise from now on to keep my updates shorter!

A rousing buzzing noise suddenly permeates the silence of Jade's room, causing the brunette to stir as her peaceful slumber draws to a close. Jade releases a defiant groan, and then blindly reaches for her phone so that she can silence the incessantly vibrating device. Once Jade locates her phone, she simply taps on the illuminated screen once, the brunette assuming that her phone had begun vibrating due to the alarm that she had previously set so that she would have an adequate amount of time to prepare for the day as well as make it to work a few minutes before her shift would begin.

Jade frowns to herself as she notes the way that her phone continues to vibrate on the bed next to her, the slightly disoriented girl befuddled by the persistent buzzing of her phone since it typically only requires one simple tap to her screen so that she can snooze her alarm. Curiosity begins to trump Jade's reluctance to wake up, so she investigates by finally opening her eyes and glancing at the illuminated display of her phone.

The brightness radiating from the screen of Jade's phone causes the brunette to squint momentarily, and when her eyes finally adjust to the amount of light flooding from the device, it becomes apparent to Jade that the current time is roughly an hour before her alarm was scheduled to go off. The most recent notification on Jade's screen reveals that she had just narrowly missed a call from her boss, and due to her sleep-induced haze, it takes Jade a few seconds to establish the connection between this piece of information and the fact that she had just been woken up by the sudden vibrating of her phone.

Once this information registers with Jade, she begins to panic as her imagination runs rampant with all of the ways she could have possibly upset her boss. Had she set her alarm for the wrong time and missed the start of her shift? Had she forgotten to clean the bathrooms when she worked that closing shift the other night? She hadn't called the diner and left an insulting voicemail for her boss when she had been tipsy last night, had she?

Jade figures that instead of torturing herself further with her apprehensive thoughts, she can easily solve all of her issues by simply calling Hank back and politely inquiring as to why she had received a call from him at such an early hour. Momentarily disregarding her drowsy state, Jade unlocks her phone and navigates to her call history. As Jade dials the number for the diner, she mentally prepares herself for any of the possible scenarios that she had conjured up in the past minute or so while also silently hoping that Hank won't be in a foul mood like he typically is earlier in the day.

"Hello?" Hank's deep voice floods through the speaker after only the first ring, "Jade?"

"Hi, Hank," Jade replies groggily, the brunette lifting herself into a sitting position as she attempts to rub the sleep from her eyes, "I didn't get the time of my shift wrong, did I?"

"No," Hank assures, and Jade relaxes considerably when she notices the lack of irritation in his tone, "I was actually calling you in the hopes that I could catch you before you started to get ready for work. Was I successful?"

"Yeah, you woke me up," Jade explains with a light chuckle, "Do you want me to come in later or something?"

"Actually, I don't need you to come in today at all," Hank reveals in a warm tone, "I'm giving you the day off."

"That's really generous of you, Hank," Jade begins, however her hesitant tone betrays her reluctance to accept her manager's decision, "but is there any way that I could at least come in for an hour or so during the lunch rush? Since I took yesterday off so that I could go to that art gala that I told you about, I'm short on hours this week and it's just not an ideal week for me to be working less."