Maven's Saving Grace

one || grace

[ g r a c e : s m a l l p a y c h e c k s ]

"I can tell just what you want, you don't want to be alone"

My face fell as Kevin, my boss, shot down my request for a pay raise. What an ass. Resolute, I take a deep breath and open my mouth to ask yet again.

"Please, Kevin, I'm begging you, I worked overtime this whole week. The least you could do is just pay me more!"

Kevin barks out a harsh laugh and I narrow my eyes. I'm the best singer he's had in the twenty years that he's owned the pub and he bloody well knows that.

Maybe, I could threaten to quit? It could work since most of the customers only come here to hear me sing. I could-

It's like Kevin can read my mind and his next words absolutely crush any hope left in me.

"Grace, darling, we all know you need this job more than anything, don't we? I know you won't leave. Here you go darling, go home." He smirks, his words dripping with sarcasm. He slaps a meagre pay check of a hundred and thirty dollars into my hands.

"What about the other forty do- "

"Just shut up Grace! Either take it or leave it and go home." Kevin barks out, rubbing his temples in annoyance. I blink back the tears that are threatening to escape harshly and snatch the envelope from him.

"Be here on time tomorrow." The only response he gets is me slamming the door to his office shut in a very unprofessional manner.

Don't get me wrong, I loved my job. Being able to sing for a living is a blessing for me. When I sing, it feels like I'm getting to say the words that I can't really say out loud.

It comes so easily and naturally to me and it helped that I was actually really good at it.

It just gets tiring when I have to go through the same thing, over and over again, every damn week.

Left with no choice, I place the painfully thin envelope into my bag and make my short journey back home.

Hey Mom. It's going horrible in Tsavo. Kevin doesn't pay me properly and I miss home. How are you and Dad? I wish I could come back home....I should've listened to you. You were right, I never could've made it on my own. I love you.
-Grace

My thumb hovers over the send button before I viciously jab my thumb at the phone and wipe away the text. Sighing, I start to rewrite it.

Hello Mother. Everything's going great in Tsavo! My job's paying really well and Kevin tells me I'm his best employee. He even gave me a pay raise! I'm really busy with work these days and business is thriving so I don't get to call much.
-Grace

Notification: Message sent

My heart aches when I press send. I was feeling homesick, and it was the worst feeling in the world.

You need to make more friends Grace. Or get ice-cream. And chocolate. That always helps too.

I make a quick detour to I the minimart on my way home and, immediately, make my way to the candy section to get my sugar rush.

A few of Kevin's past words run through my head.

You better lose some weight Grace, you're getting heavier and it's showing. I don't want us to lose any customers because of this.

Which was absolutely ridiculous and didn't make sense.

Still, I grab some apples and head to the counter to pay.

Ding! My phone's notifications light up the screen and a frown takes over my face as I read my mother's reply.

That's good to hear honey. Everything's going great at home.
-Mom

My eyes brim with tears that I blink back desperately. I get that she's angry over the fact that I'd just upped and left but the least she could do is say that she missed me or say that's she's glad that things are working out.

I'm still fixated on my phone when I get out of the minimart and onto the road. Maybe that's why I don't see the car speeding straight at me.

"What the hell!" I shriek when the car stops inches away from me. My hands are shaking and my breaths are ragged and panicked.

I'm so terrified that I don't even realise that my groceries are sprawled across the road.

Nooooooo, I mourn when I finally notice the corpses of my chocolates spread out on the dirty road. In an instant my shock turns into anger.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Are you stupid? You could've killed me!" I shout at the idiot when he gets out of the car. Without a word he picks up my groceries and throws the shopper back at me.

It's too dark to see what he looks like but I can tell he's drunk simply by the way he moves, slow but jerky.

"Well, if you weren't so goddamn busy on your phone while crossing the road, you would've seen the car." He retorts.

His voice is surprisingly smooth, like honey, and pleasant. A good singing voice.

What the heck?! "Did you- Did you seriously just?" I gape at him. Who the hell does he think he is?! "I could press charges you know!"

"Move out of the way. Oh and you might want to close your mouth, you don't want to catch any flies, do you?" The asshole rolls his eyes.

I scowl at him and step onto the pavement as he gets back into the car.

All I see is red and my fists shake in anger. Just as he drives off, I grab an apple and launch it at his passenger window, satisfied as I watch it crack just the tiniest bit.

"What the hell!" I hear him shout as I make a break for it. I'm panting when I finish running but I feel so alive.

I just damaged a car. A beautiful car, but the property of a asshole nonetheless. You're definitely a crazy bitch Grace. You should go get yourself checked.

I'm in hysterics by the time I reach home. This was the most entertainment I've ever had in ages. When I reach into my plastic bag for the chocolates, I realise they're not there. He didn't even help me pick up my chocolates! My god, he probably stole them!

God help him because if I ever saw him again, he was dead.

Author's Note
So, this is my first book (I've already said that but whatever). Sorry if it sounds painfully bland and simple.

The purpose of the first text was to show that Grace actually really misses home and just wants someone to talk to.

The second text is kinda like she doesn't want to be seen as weak. The fact that she types Mother is to create distance (inner lit student coming out HAHHA).

Did the accident seem believable?

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