Rough Tides

Chapter 7

Nothing special happened at school the next day. Nobody talked to me and I had the pleasure to listen to people talking about me behind my back. As ever. The usual shit every day. At least Macy and her friends didn't spread rumors about me anymore. I still hoped they didn't tell the principal about the whole mashed potato thing because I wouldn't stand seeing my principal again.

After school I half walked, half jogged home as I didn't want to be late for work but on the other hand I didn't feel the need to be on time.

"Did you have a good day at school, honey?" my mom asked the moment I got home.

I shook my head.

"What happened?"

She still asked me that everyday. As if something different might have happened.

I shook my head again and added: "The usual."

Then, I ran up the stairs.

In my room I threw my bag on my bed.

I could already see the Starbucks I worked at from distance. People were coming toward me, a man bumped into my shoulder but didn't say anything about it. He probably was in a hurry. I didn't care anyways. As I got closer, I got more excited. To be honest, I didn't know why.

"Jenna! Hey! Glad you're here!" A woman with long blond curly hair screamed as I opened the door.

My boss. She was the only person in the world who liked me (apart from my family, of course) which was weird because I worked for her. I walked up to her. Isabelle pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back.

She took my hand and pulled me with her, behind the counter and into the storage room.

As usual, I put on my uniform. A green shirt that said "Starbucks" in white letters.

I slipped my shirt over my hand. In that second someone tapped me on the shoulder. At first I thought it was Isabelle who wanted to tease me but she was standing right in front of me.

I turned around and stared into the eyes of a boy. I had to look up at him since he was a bit taller than me. He smiled at me and for a second it looked like his brown eyes sparkled.

"Um, hi," I said and looked at him weird.

Who was that boy? I've never seen him before. He had to be working here, according to the green Starbucks shirt he was wearing. Usually, I was the only one making coffees here, apart from Isabelle. She must have been searching for some people to work here, too, as more people decided to go to this Starbucks instead of another one.

Okay, then.

"OOOOOH right, sorry Jenna, forgot to introduce you to your new co-workers."

Co-workers? That was plural, so there had to be another one or even more which seemed unlikely to me.

Isabelle put an arm around me.

"I'm Joey, nice to meet you," he said and offered me his hand. I didn't take it.

"What? Do you think I'll shake your hand? Just so you know, I won't do that."

I didn't know what made me say that.

He sighed and turned around, whispering "People can be so weird sometimes."

"Um, excuse me, what did you say?" I asked him. I made a step toward him but Isabelle held me back. Joey didn't say anything.

"Jenna, is this how you make friends? Because if that's the way you try to make people like you, I'd stop doing that, okay? It's not very nice."

"Why should I shake hands with a stranger?!" I replied, not having answered her question.