Unable to find work after leaving home, Sang turns to an old school friend whom helps her find a way to stay on her feet.
After finding out she's not related to the woman who raised her and the man she had been abandoned by months after moving to...
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BEFORE:
Doctor Green paused as he pulled out the first container, giving me a startled look. "Never had chinese?" He made a gesture with the box. "How is that even possible? I survived premed, med school, my residency and-" He stressed the word 'and'. "It's still my go-to food for long nights getting my private practice up and running. Did you know that cappuccino's actually taste good with lo mein?"
I couldn't help the smile that tipped up my lips. "That's not healthy."
"No," Doctor Green agreed. He handed my a fork and popped open two of the containers. "It's not. But it gets results, doesn't it?"
I shrugged, taking a long look into the boxes he had set on the bag. There was two big containers and three smaller, traditional chinese boxes with the resturaunts name and logo on the side. Inside was a range of different foods. What I suspected was lo mein, another noodle dish, rice and a soupy looking mess of meat and vegetables. Doctor Green set one of the small boxes further back on the bed, and I worried about it spilling on the covers, but it didn't seem like it would with how light it was.
"Why don't you try a little of everything?" Doctor Green stood, grabbing the bag from the floor as he started for the bathroom. "I'm going to put on some pajamas and we'll hang out." I nodded, watching as he entered the bathroom.
I sat for a moment, listening to the rustle of clothing and the zipper of the bag. But after a long moment, I spun my fork between my fingers and stabbed one of the smaller pieces of meat.
NOW:
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I stifled a laugh with the back of my hand, almost choking on the fork-full of rice I had stuffed my mouth. Doctor Green had pulled up a movie on my computer after a long, tense silence that Doctor Green had tried very hard to break with lots of little facts about what he had been doing since I had graduated and he resigned from Ashley Waters.
It hadn't really worked too well, and it hadn't been long before Doctor Sean had suggested a movie. He'd logged onto an account online and we had lapsed into giggling messes about halfway through.
We sat back against the headboard, food spread out in front of us. I picked at a few of the other dishes, but I had taken a liking to the broccoli and beef- the one that looked like a soupy mess of green and browns- more than cashew chicken. Doctor Green switched between everything he ordered, taking big spoon fulls of rice and mixing it into the noodles. It seemed like an odd way to eat, but since he was switching between using a spoon and chopsticks, I knew he did it regularly like he said he did.
We finished eating long after the food got cold. I didn't eat as much as Doctor Green did, but we ate most of the food. Without a mini fridge, Doctor Green had to take the boxes with what little remained in them out to the trash at the end of the balcony so my room wouldn't start to smell.
Doctor Green, dressed in a pair of purple pajama pants and an old rock band tee that looked worn and ragged from wear, closed the door behind himself and stretched his arms above his head. "Well, cupcake, what did you think of the movie?"
I bit my lip and shrugged. It was romantic comedy I hadn't caught the name of, but it was cute and funny and I liked it. "I don't get the chance to watch many movies-" I never had chances watch movies- "But it was good."
He smiled brightly at me. He sat back down on the bed next to me and grabbed the chinese box that had been sitting on the night stand- the only one that we hadn't opened during dinner. He handed me another pair of wooden chopsticks and opened a pair for himself.
Doctor Green turned to face me, crossing his legs as he held out the box to me. I wasn't hungry, but when I looked into the box, I smiled at the warm cinnamon smell that floated from the box. He had ordered dessert too, apparently. I reached out and snagged one of the balls of fried dough and sugar between the chopsticks. After observing how Doctor Green held them, it wasn't too hard to imitate the posture.
"Do you want to watch another?" Doctor Green watched me carefully as I chewed the wonderful combination of both tart bread and sweet caramelized sugars.
"I should be look for a new job." I told him quietly as I picked out one of the smaller balls on top. I wasn't really hungry anymore, but they were too good. Like the Triple Chocolate Caramel Frappe at work. It was my drink- the one I had proposed as our Wednesday Special a few days after someone came in and asked for the sweetest drink we had. He had commented on the fact most of our drinks were just bitter, even though they were supposed to be sweet. I had thought it was a good point. I didn't drink coffee for that very reason.
But than I had been experimenting, and came up with the Triple Chocolate Caramel Frappe. Tommy and Gina had been the first to try it, and though they thought it was too sweet for them to drink on an everyday basis, the man who had requested something sweeter had been delighted when I had asked him if he would like to try it.
Mr. Kingsley had been very angry when I had proposed to him that we should add it to the menu. But it seemed to catch a great deal of attention, and many people came back on Wednesdays just to get it.
I smiled at the thought of next Wednesday, when there was no one at Toast who knew exactly how much cocoa to mix into the blender. Anyone who came in regularly to get it would know the difference.
"You know," Doctor Green paused, spinning one of his chopsticks between his fingers. He seemed comfortable using them, like he spent much of his time using them instead of regular utensils. "A friend of mine owns a coffee shop. I'm sure he would be happy to consider you for the job."
"Kota mentioned something like that." I spoke quietly, trying not to remember what happened earlier today. I occupied myself by staring out onto the haisy parking lot through the sheer, white curtains that laid under the off-pink blackout ones that matched the bedspread. The sun was setting outside, a beam of light bounced off a car roof and shone through the window brightly enough to cast the room in an orange glow.
Doctor Green nodded. My eyes found his bent shoulders as he picked out another cinnamon ball. "I could introduce you tomorrow if you feel up for it."
I paused, staring at his curly blond hair and the tee shirt he was wearing. I really didn't want them to help me. I didn't need help. But the way he was putting it didn't grate on the last piece of confidence I had as a person. I'd gotten this far by myself- yes, it was hard and I did steal to make up for what I couldn't pay for- but I had done it alone. I didn't have anyone paying for my food or the place I slept at night, and I wasn't going to let anyone change that.
I didn't need my mother to 'protect' me. I didn't need my dad to come back. I didn't need Marie to feed me. I didn't need them- they weren't anything to me other than bad memories.
And I certainly wasn't going to let anyone put me in a place like they had ever again. 'Help' be damned.
But was it really help if Doctor Green was just creating possibilities?
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I hope I'm writing stubborn Sang right... But it's a lot better then before, I assure you.
