A World Alone.

1.

***

The Carlisle City Live Center was always so empty on Wednesday mornings. No games were on the enormous television screens on the walls, no popular musicians were scheduled to play a set, and no one hosted parties in the middle of a work week. The only people here were teenagers on school vacation who wanted to treat themselves to a nice brunch, if they had the money. Though the live center was created for entertainment purposes, like live music and open mic nights and superbowl parties, the food was nice, and we all worked pretty damn hard to keep it clean and beautiful at all times. It was, surprisingly, a fun job. I liked helping to make this place such a fun place for the people of Carlisle City, an escape from reality. The people were always in a good mood, even if they weren't the kindest customers, and the pay was decent. Still, serving two customers lemonade and fries on a Wednesday at eleven-thirty in the morning wasn't how I wanted to spend my summer. 

We got paid extra for working weekday mornings. The shifts were slower, so no one wanted to take them. I was weirdly in love with the Live Center. My ideal life included working in the live music industry somehow, and busing tables for a live music center gave me a glimpse of it. I felt like, with every table I cleaned and every customer that I made smile, I was closer to my dreams. The days I didn't work, I felt unproductive, and crept back into my hole of feeling empty and sad. I felt as if my life was going nowhere, and maybe it wasn't. I'd transferred from a college across the country to the college in my hometown, all because I felt lonely and uncomfortable away from my family. I allowed my anxiety to control how I lived my life, and I feared it would always be this way. I was filled to the brim with fear.

But for today, I was happy. The sun was shining in Carlisle City, my boss was in a great mood, I guessed because he had a date the night before, and my co-workers were the best people in the world, I'd decided. I didn't have many friends left in Carlisle City; they were all happy at their schools around the country. I found comfort in my work friends, who didn't seem to care where I went to school, or if I didn't enjoy partying all the time. They liked me because they liked my actual personality, and enjoyed working with me. I felt safe here. That's all I'd ever wanted to feel. Safe.

"Just one more hour until lunch," I heard my co-worker, Ava, say with a long sigh. We were cleaning the women's bathroom, which was completely devoid of customers. It was already fairly clean, considering it hadn't been used much today, but we took advantage of it and kept cleaning and re-cleaning, hiding from the tougher jobs. 

"It's been such a slow morning," I groaned, leaning back against the wall. "I don't think anything fun is even happening here until Friday night."

"Yeah, the big summer kick-off. That should be a good time." Ava whipped out her phone, likely texting celebrities or socialites, I guessed. During the school year, Ava attended the fashion institute in Los Angeles, and was always at the coolest parties and wore the coolest clothes. She wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, and yet was still the kindest person I knew. I didn't know how she was even real. 

The summer kick-off always seemed fun, though I'd never gone. It was an open-mic type of event, but with strobe lights and DJs doing the entertaining, rather than high school students who knew a few chords on the guitar. It was the easiest night of the summer to butter up the bartenders and get free alcohol, and it seemed like all of Carlisle City came that night. It was a bonding night for the town, one that kept us strong. I only knew all of this through stories my friends had told me. I was far too introverted and anxious for parties, especially huge ones like the summer kick-off. 

"I don't know if I'll come, though." I said, getting back to re-cleaning one of the sinks. 

"Why the hell not?" she demanded. "Come on, Charlotte, you never come to parties or anything. You can come with me!"