Wonderwall

Chapter Fifteen

'So?' Niall mumbled when we parked outside the shop. I didn't face him, but when he touched my arm I was forced to turn and face him.

'Brianna.' He said. I was't going to tell him, but it honestly felt like these doors were caving in. I pulled the tissue away from my lip and pushed open the car door. I stepped out and threw the tissue in a nearby bin before walking quickly into the shop. Phil was behind the counter.

'Brianna? You're late'

'Uhm. Yeah, i'm sorry Phil. I lost my lift, and had to get..a different one.' I stood there for a few seconds, awkwardly. Then Niall stepped through the door and averted Phil's attention. I took the opportunity to run into the locker room, but as expected, Niall followed me and was eventually stood in the doorway. I just faced the lockers, folding my arms.

'Get lost, Niall.' I muttered, trying to stand up to him. But him and I both knew I wasn't capable of standing up to, well, anyone. I heard him step forward and I felt two hands grab my shoulders. They fell to my elbows and he turned me around.

'Please. Don't ask.' I mumbled.

'I don't want you to be upset. I thought you could tell me anything. I thought you were going to tell me everything.' He said. I'd never actually seen him this upset or worried. Maybe he border lined it when I passed out at Aimee's party. But there was definitely something in his eyes that i'd never seen before.

I turned away and opened my locker. I pulled off my shoes first, mud and grit falling on to the lino floor. I pushed them into my locker and pulled out my black pumps. Followed by my black shirt and leggings, then lastly, my apron on top. I carried them to the bench and sat down, pulling on my pumps. Niall watched me with the same worried eyes that he had before.

'I have to get ready for work, Niall. I'm late enough. Just..leave me alone. Please?'

I saw him move forward obviously in an attempt to pester me further, but instead, sighed and walked out the locker rooms leaving me to wallow in my own thoughts.

* * *

 'Brianna!' I heard a high pitched voice call my name. I whipped my head round to see Sabrina frowning with her thick, penciled eyebrows.

'Oh hey.' I muttered. I shrunk into a corner, as she moved closer, her frown getting more defined.

'Table six has been waiting for their order for about twenty minutes. This isn't a fucking gourmet restaurant where customers expect to wait about eight years for their meal!'

I squinted at her trying to remember table six's order. A blur of tuna and chicken flashed through my mind, but it was no use.

'Table six?' I mumbled.

'Oh for fuck sake.' She jutted her left hip out to one side and placed a long bony hand on it, showing off her perfectly manicured nails. 'Am I going to have to get Phil to tell you?'

I stared at her for a few seconds. She knew that she'd won. Either I fucked up the order, or I got sacked. Lose lose situation for me; win win for her.

'I'm only messing. I know the order. I was just on my way to give it out now..' I mumbled. I stood up and shoved passed Sabrina, trying to make myself seem as confident as possible. When I was sure she wasn't looking anymore, I rushed over to the small tv screen in the far corner of the kitchen and scanned the orders.

Table three, table five, table six.

Did that say with or without mayonnaise? I tried to push myself further towards the tiny screen, but before I could, someone knocked me out the way, and another started shouting loudly.

'Brianna! Table six is complaining. Hurry up!' I sighed loudly and grabbed two plates of sandwiches that looked a bit like chicken. I rushed out the kitchen door and ran quickly to table six, before dropping the plates on to the table and rushing back into the kitchen. Only to be called back, two minutes later.

This time, Sabrina was leading a short plump man behind her. Phil. I bit my lip as he waddled towards me. Sabrina had a smug smile on her heavy made up face.

'Nice work. You got their order wrong.' She smiled.

'Let me deal with this.' Phil said, turning to Sabrina and frowning. His fat face, squashed together making him look pretty funny and if it wasn't for the fact that my heart was in my throat right now, I would have laughed quite loudly.

Sabrina shuffled off and started stabbing at a ready made sandwich with a plastic fork.

'Right. Brianna.' Phil mumbled, quietly. I looked down at him, feeling quite overpowering. But only by height.

'You were late to work today, got a customer's order wrong and that was late. I'm going to give you a chance. Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to send you home?'

I stared at his small fat face and almost pictured his reaction.

'Oh Brianna. I'm so sorry that your best friend does drugs. Listen, you go home and try and sort it out. No hard feelings of course.'

But I wouldn't say that. So I just shook my head pathetically and was soon sent to a bus stop in disgrace. I forked over the bus money that Phil had given to me, and took a seat on an uncomfortable, scratchy bus seat.

It was only when the bus turned the corner out of town that the thought settled in that I was just a stupid kid that was only capable of letting people down.