CYBERSTALKED

Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of slight thunder and heavy rain, I stretched out in bed which resulted in a pretty sexual noise. Just as soon as I thought I was gonna have a good day, everything from the previous night had came into my mind as if some little person in my head sent the memory down a tube and to the center of my brain. I looked over at the red light beaming from my digital clock.

6:56 AM

Starbucks shot through my head in cursive writing. As much as I didn't want to go to work, I knew that I had to.. my parents damn sure were no longer gonna support me financially.

--

After exactly a hour and 5 minutes of procrastination, I managed to clock in just a couple of seconds before I was late. My boss watched me as I swiped my card through the clock on the wall.

"Alright Fall, you're on your own today."

He would always call me everything but the right thing, and I'm convinced that he does it on purpose. He was always this rude so I was used to it, I never budged to defend myself. I was way too shy to do so but one day it'd come out.

"On my own? what do you mean Mr. Bailey?" I asked respectfully, wanting him to be more specific.

"You're on your own. I'm going home, you're gonna stay here by yourself to work."

"But Mr. Bailey, how am I supposed to d--"

He cut me off.

"Ah, ah, ah.. you're getting paid aren't you?" he said folding his arms across his broad chest.

"Well, yeah but I d--"

He cut me off again.

"No more excuses Summer, you do the hours or you quit.. one or the other."

"Yes sir." was all that escaped my mouth. As much as I wanted to explode on him, it just didn't come out.

"Close up at 12." he looked back and said, grabbing a half empty caramel frappe from the wooden table nearest to the front window and making his way to the door. "See ya August." he said throwing up his hand.

"It's Autumn!" I tried to get out before the door closed behind him.

--

I waved goodbye to one of my last and favorite customers, Asher, as he stumbled to get out of the double doors with a cup holder full of chocolate chip mochas in his hand for him and his debate team, along with his computer tote slung over his shoulder that made him have poor balance. He'd always come in and make me smile when there was complete distraught plastered across my face. I personally think he likes me, but he's too shy (just like myself) to tell me.

I let out a sigh and leaned on the countertop beside the register after watching him struggle to get back across the street. That was exactly how I felt inside, like I was struggling to make myself understood, struggling for existence.. why was it so hard for people to notice me, the real me?

I stopped the thoughts from flowing through my head before I began to overthink things. I pulled my phone out from a pocket on my green apron to check the time, I was much too lazy to read the clock.