Catherine

Chapter 1

"A cloth! We need a cloth right now!" Karen's sharp voice cut through the air.

"Oh my goodness Catherine! Hey!" I quickly stopped my daydreaming as she grabbed me by my arm. I looked at her face which was different than it's usual touch of strictness. She always looked angry. She didn't mean to of course, I've seen her a handful times with a soft face. She has a lovely smile honestly. But managers have to be strict don't they.

"Catherine! You're bleeding!" she said worryingly. I looked down on my hand. A thick flow of blood was covering my ring on my pinkie finger and went down my arm. I was in fact bleeding. Freddy- which was one of my colleagues as well as my friend, handed Karen the cloth. Freddy used to work in the kitchen and had been a lovely lad to me ever since I started working at the restaurant. The restaurant was a small lovely local restaurant in Stanley Street. Surprisingly quite a popular restaurant really. Anyway, Freddy was about the only one that could keep his calm in situations like this and always knew what to do alongside Karen. Karen wrapped the cloth around my hand tightly. It wasn't until it was all wrapped up that I started to feel the actual pain crawling up on me.

"Okay, how did you manage to make this crime scene Catherine?" Karen said letting out a small laugh knowing that it was all alright now. "Well, I guess handling knifes aren't my best quality really". Freddy laughed at my comment and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Please be careful in the kitchen next time Catherine. Maybe just stick to waitressing." he said making a face. "Oh shut it will you." I said making a face back at him. "But thank you Freddy, I'll be careful next time" I smiled back.

"Okay Freddy, enough, lay off your bird and get back to work." Karen said loudly while clapping her hands. "Not my biiird" Freddy shouted back playfully while he exited the kitchen door. I couldn't help myself but to laugh at him. "Catherine, you take the rest of the shift off and go see a doctor. Okay? Can't let you work with that hand." Karen said. I got to see her soft face again. She handed me some bandage to replace the cloth until I got to the hospital. "Okay. Thank you ma'am." I replied. "Oh please Catherine! Like I've told you before; just Karen. Alright? It's not like I'm the bloody queen for goodness sake. Now off you go!". There it was again. The strictness but she still had that undertone of love. She had always and still cared for me deep down.

I went to the back and got changed into my black jumper and pencil skirt. I grabbed my bag and put on my coat and my Oxford's. "Thank you Karen! I'll see you tomorrow!" I said to her on my way to the door. She grabbed my shoulder. "Catherine. Don't overdo it. You work way too hard and you've even injured yourself. I don't want to see you tomorrow okay? Take the day off." She said. I hesitated but I had to agree. It was Karen's orders after all.

I could feel the cold Liverpudlian November wind hit my face when I closed the door behind me. Despite the weather, there was quite a few people in the streets. It was a Saturday after all and I think the Scousers are used to this kind of weather. I'm starting to get used to it as well, but as someone from the south it would only be natural for me to think this was too cold. To reach the hospital I had to walk past the Cavern Club. I always had to walk past it but I'd never been inside. It's not my type of place at all. I'm always described as the quiet one and the teacher's pet. Classic. What a cliché huh.

To be in a cave full of nothing but teddy boys, desperate girls, sticky floors, cigarette stench and loud noise they call music, was not on my to-do list. That's how I imagined it anyways. My usual mind racing ended abruptly when I heard loud shouting around the corner. Oh great, another gang of lowlife men getting into fights. A person that was seemingly young got thrown on the ground just a few metres away from me. One guy from the gang spat on him before they left. I stood still until they were completely gone. I walked over to him lying on the ground. "A- are you alright..?" I asked quietly while crouching down beside him. I was taking a risk. What if he wanted to hurt me? He smelled like alcohol so he could've been unpredictable I thought. He sat up, spat some blood on the ground and wiped his lip. He was bruised. "Hey." I said to make a point out of me still being around. He sighed heavily, pushed his hair away from his forehead and looked me dead in the eyes. "I said, are you al-"

"What's that got to do with you?" he quickly interrupted. It was obvious he was very drunk. And pissed. I'd seen this before.

I let out a sigh and stood up, brushing off my coat.

"Look, I'm not asking about this situation. I'm heading towards the hospital anyway, all I'm asking is if you want to tag along?" I asked not even looking at him.

"Right." he said, struggling to stand up. "I don't need yer pity." he said under his breath, slurring the words in a thick liverpudlian accent. He stepped towards me. He was uncomfortably close to my face and took a good look at it. "Now sod off." he said staring me in the eyes and gestured with his hand for me to leave. I could feel myself shiver as his breath hit my face. I just stood there frozen while he turned around and left. What in the world just happened?

I glanced at my watch. Crikey, it was late. I had to hurry in order to make it to the hospital. My mother was probably worrying herself sick as well.

"Muum? I'm home!" I shouted while hanging up my wet coat in the hallway.

"Catherine? Good heavens where have you been? Look at you. You're drenched!" she exclaimed. She looked at my hand. "Catherine. What happened to your hand?" she asked slowly with a stern voice. "I'm late because I had to walk to the hospital after an accident at work. It's not too serious mum. I just had three stiches and I'm fine honestly!" I assured her. She sat down on the chair next to the phone in the hallway. She rested her forehead in her hand and looked at me. "My god Catherine, I was so worried. Are you sure your hand is alright though?" she asked. "Yes mum, I'm sure." I smiled back. She got up, ruffled my hair and told me dinner was in the kitchen and that now when she knew that I was safe, she could go to bed. I took off my shoes and went to the kitchen. The food was cold but I was too tired to even warm it up. I didn't mind too much though. Mum's food was still delicious, even when it's cold. I finished dinner, washed up and went upstairs to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and took a shower before entering my room. I didn't want to get sick on top of my injury. I placed myself snug under my duvet. My feet were aching as usual after a busy day at work and so was my hand. I could feel every heartbeat as my hand was pounding. I took some painkillers from the doctor on my bedside table and let out a sigh. I turned around in my bed and gazed out my window. Tomorrow was the last day before college. It was also my first day off in quite a while which would be good.

On Monday I would no longer be going to high school. I would enroll the Liverpool College of Art. I would be one step closer to my dream of becoming an artist. And also as my mum said; one step closer to meeting new people and make friends. Right? I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.