badnews { jace norman }

thirty-two

"Hi, what can I get for you?"

"Just a decaf, extra foam."

"Okay. That'll be $3.50"

I take the change from the man as I look around the usually busy cafe at the time of the towns lunch break.

Voices spread throughout the building, making shouting the order difficult.

I can faintly hear the bell of the door go off as it opens. The bell that hasn't stopped going of for a half an hour.

My attention is caught by the swears and dirty looks throughout the line of thirsty customers.

Jace pushes to the front of the line, causing cursing from the tall business man that was next.

Stamina rushes through his eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"My moms posting bail"

"Thats good!- Right?"

He shakes his head, having more to tell.

I sigh, wiping my sweaty hands on my apron. I turn to my boss, her hair frizzy and crazied from the humid shop.

"Libby. Lunch break?"

"Now? We're a little busy"

"I'll only be ten minutes. Family emergency"

She sighs through the noise, filling up a cappuccino cup.
"Alright. Hurry"

I rush out from behind the counter, grabbing his hand to keep track of him through the crowd, out of the building.

We enter the streets like a wall of quiet. The cars buzz by, but the noise is nothing compared to the noise inside.

"My moms on bail.."

"But..?"

"But, 10,000 dollars on bail..."

My eyes widen "10,000 dollars? For being a dumb drunk?"

"I guess she threatened someone"

"Fuck"

"You think you could help me out? Between the multiple jobs this last summer I've saved 3,000. For college but, it's either bail or she spends a year in prison. Seems more important than school."

"I'll help" I nod, "I'll stop at the bank when my shifts over. I have at least a thousand, maybe two?"

"Cant you leave now?"

"Not at lunch hour. You saw it in there. Pick me up at 3, okay? I'll get out a few hours early."

He nods, running his hands through his undone hair, what he always does when he was stressed.

"We'll get the money. Even if she spends a week in jail, it won't kill her. Don't worry. It'll get figured out."
I take his hand, squeezing it in mine, before walking back into the loud voiced cafe.

°°°

I wipe the sweat off my forehead, placed there by the tens of machines sitting all around me, giving off more heat than the swarm of people that had recently left.

I'm left with two customers, sat down at their tables, sipping coffee and reading a New York Times.

I finish wiping down the last counter, wringing out the extra water into the sink.

As I walk to the back offices, I knock on the wooden door frame to her office.

"Libby?"

"Come on in" She sighs, looking through papers "Hey, do you know where I put the applications?"