Short Stories

Bittersweet Veal

Daylight breaks through the cracks in curtains of the apartment window. A young man groans at this and covers his face from the warm rays. The alarm on his cell goes off, making him jump at the loud and sudden noise. It was friday morning, he had no classes scheduled for today, sadly he did have the morning shift at the local market. College was taking a toll on his sanity and health, he had lost his used to be social personality and went from 130 pounds to 110. Sure he was thin before but now he looked slightly anorexic, his ribs would poke through his shirt when he shifted around but other than that, the shape of his body was unoticable. This was his fourth and final year as a student and he planned to start eating better and then exercise and gain some muscle mass. It was late april, the spring would transition to summer in the next three months or so. Although living in southern california was different, here, there really was no major change in temperature unless you live in central california. He slipped on a pair of jeans and went into his bathroom, running his fingers through his chocolate brown locks, his emerald eyes darting around the counter looking for his hair brush. Spotting his toothbrush he decided he do this first, adding a strip of paste to the bristles he cleaned out his mouth of last nights mistakes. The smell of cigarettes and scotch hit the air as he breathed out. Not being able to find his brush he settled for a comb, using it was a hassle as his hair was slightly kinky so, it was harder to pass the comb through it. He grabbed a button up from the back of the door and placed it on. A tag was on it bearing the name "Mark".

Mark was like any other college guy his age, he smoked to cope with stress, he drank to forget all the things he had to deal with, and he brought girls home to feel better about himself. Sure it was a bad thing to do so but no one was complaining or calling him out. He wasn't on college campus either so him having alcohol wasn't a problem. His mood would switch depending on his environment or who he was speaking to. He used to be likeable and social his first year but as time passed he lost interest in his hobbies and went straight to realizing that after these last two months, no one will remember him. He sat alone and sulked at this fact. He went into his bedroom and opened his drawer, a pair of socks were hidden in the mess of empty cigarette boxes and small bottles of whisky. He slipped them onto his feet and put on his sneakers, checking his clock he had to leave in ten. He grabbed his phone, keys, and a banana, heading out the door for work. He came back a minute later to get his earphones from off his nightstand. Walking to work he felt the warmth of the morning sun on his face, the sky was clear and the streets semi clean. He adored mornings like this, everything seemed so calm and stress free, it was a small break from the stress of exams and last minute papers. He brought his hands to his lips ad placed his finger on a small break on the skin. It didn't hurt as much as it had the other day, at least it was healing. Walking into work he placed his semi long hair in a ponytail and an apron. He didn't mind his job, it was only working in the bakery of the back part of the store. The only problem he had was that sometimes they wouldn't be fresh and he was irritated that the customers would buy non fresh pastries. Fresh was better than anything else especially when some of them paid a $1.20 for a three day old donut. Not wanting to be fired he did his job and made the batter, kneading it for the others to put onto trays to bake. It was a small space, about the size of the average classroom, yet the equipment made the room smaller. Sometimes they'd spill some flour if they bumped into one another but nothing more, everyone was cautious about the supplies as to not break glass or tarnish the baked goods.

At the end of his shift he went home, tired and hungry. He snuck a cupcake but it was quickly metabolized. Realizing he needs more supplies from the store he put on his jacket. Running his fingers through his hair he walked downtown to the shopping mall. An hour long walk filled with a warm sunset, sure it seems nice but he was tired and hungry, he was weak from today's activities. Clenching his stomach he went in through the sliding doors and decided to get something to eat first. Standing in line he reached into his wallet to see how much cash he had on hand. Pulling out a 20 he placed his order of a Burger. Almost as if it we're a miracle he ate the medium sized hamburger, savoring the structure and taste. Satisfied with the service he threw away his trash and walked off to the girl behind the counter, handing her two dollars. Not saying a word he walked away and preceded to buy the things he needed. He made a decent amount at the bakery but it wasn't enough to pay for all the things he needed so he got small trust funds from his dad upstate.